Sympathy For The Devil: 2008 And The Recent Time Warp of Republican Talk Radio
March 14, 2008
By Toby Rogers

I first heard Rush Limbaugh when he began broadcasting in 1988 on New York City's WABC 770 AM. While he was mildly entertaining early on, it wasn't until a few years later when the Clintons walked on to the national political stage that Rush found his groove. The Clintons gave Rush more material than O.J. Simpson gave Geraldo Rivera.

While Rush has been discredited countless times for distortion of facts and how he brackets his arguments, like with his loony take on global warming and his mocking of Michael J. Fox's muscle spasms.

Despite his position in media today as the GOP's propaganda minster and water-boy for Bush, Rush is still can still find humor in areas of the political arena that in reality are gravely serious.

If Joseph Goebbels were still in alive, he would be quite proud of Rush's twenty year run on the radio. His highs and lows on and off the air have been one wild ride, whether one likes him or not.

Over the years, Rush's reaction to political events have become quite predictable. Democrats would get the chainsaw when ever the chance arose and Republicans and their talking points would be repeatedly crammed down the listeners ear.

No matter what position the Clintons took, Rush always found a way to lampoon it. He was also just as clever when it came to other liberal icons in the Democratic party. Whether it was Ted Kennedy, Al Gore, Jesse Jackson, Tom Daschle, John Kerry, John Edwards, Harry Reid or Nancy Pelosi, Rush always found a way ridicule and caricature them with their on personal flaws, speech patterns or gaffes.

But when it came to Clintons, it was like magic for Rush, and business wise they were his bread and butter. In fact the entire Rush Limbaugh empire of fame, wealth and power could be called the house that Clinton built instead of the EIB ( Excellence in Broadcasting) Network.

So when Hillary Clinton was anointed the "inevitable" Democratic party presidential nominee for 2008, Rush and his brothers in arms like Sean Hannity were gleefully trashing the Clintons just like the old days.

Then something unexpected happened. Barack Obama thumped the Clintons in Iowa in early January. Rush, along with the Clintons suddenly lost their groove. Nothing was working for either of them. The Clintons tried to smear Obama with racist, devises rhetoric, but it backfired on them.

Rush's gags

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