COVER STORY: NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Why Rush is Wrong

The party of Buckley and Reagan is now bereft and dominated by the politics of Limbaugh. A conservative's lament.

By David Frum | NEWSWEEK
Published Mar 7, 2009
From the magazine issue dated Mar 16, 2009

« Return to Article

Discuss

Member Comments

  • Posted By: thehappyamerican @ 10/29/2009 2:05:37 PM

    Republicans need to resolve to contibute to the campaigns of conservative canditates.
    The status of "Blow Hard" is shifting to the comentators on CNN and MSNBC. A trend sure to continue.
    There is no obligation on the part of any conservative in the RNC or DNC to insult Chritians, gun owners, achievers, Law Enforcement or our armed forces.
    There is no obligation on Liberals to attack these Americans either, but when they are not waging their discrimination campaign against these Americans LIBERALS don't have too much to actually say! They become the Blow Hards pushing americans toward Limbaugh and Fox News, where you can get information without all the crap!

    • Posted By: Lothario @ 10/29/2009 2:15:15 PM

      thehappyblowhard:"The status of "Blow Hard" is shifting to the comentators on CNN and MSNBC. A trend sure to continue."

       

      It takes a blowhard to know a blowhard.

       

      • Posted By: 40YearConservative @ 10/30/2009 9:57:41 PM

        Said the misogynist

  • Posted By: tecmpl @ 10/28/2009 6:08:32 PM

    Well written article. As a conservative, this piece echoes many of my thoughts, albeit much more articulately.
    It is becoming embarrassing to publicly identify yourself as a conservative with the ridiculous Limbaugh being made a defacto leader and philosophy maker for the party.

  • Posted By: Lrider @ 10/28/2009 11:13:04 AM

    The Republican party is a party of GOVERNMENT DO NOTHING OR AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE. Believing that the free market works best when left alone. Here is the reality: Individual people, groups, companies, organizations (especially political) will always act in their own best interests first. Companies will try to exploit and profit as much as they can get away with. We've seen that in the housing market under the Republicans, we've seen that in the Financial markets under the republicans, we are seeing that now in the health care market. Trusting our health care OR ANY of the fundamental services the american people need in their care is a fundamental conflict of interest. It is the Government's job to protect it's people. I can think of no greater cause - not terrorists, not espionage, not drug wars, not theoretical conflicts with other countries, not even our economy, that is more important than ensuring a basic level of health care and safety for all of it's citizens. I will NOT trust that health insurance companies will take care of the needs of those who need it the most, because those who need health insurance the most are...unprofitable, and THAT is the fundamental flaw of allowing the private market to provide for our health care.

  • Posted By: elisetruman@yahoo.com @ 10/28/2009 10:48:01 AM

    As a Republican who has often been offended by Limbaugh, I couldn't agree with this article more. Rush is alienating. He should NOT be the face of the Republican party. Obama's team wants Rush to be front and center because he truly alienates voters, especially women. Please don't give this guy any more media attention.

  • Posted By: jackisback3164 @ 10/27/2009 12:46:47 AM

    Mr. Frum, do you remember Schlitz beer? It was popular for a long time, but it went the way of the Dodo bird when the owners of the company tinkered with its formula. Result: they lost their regular committed base of consumers. The brand and company went bankrupt forthwith. That is what this article does to the Republican brand and party. That makes you, in a word, unintellectual. You achieve exactly the result that you decry - and that you wrongfully accuse others, like Limbaugh, of fomenting - divisiveness within the party itself. That's a rare trick. Congratulations, you've joined the ranks of the obtuse.

  • Posted By: jackisback3164 @ 10/27/2009 12:44:33 AM

    Mr. Frum, do you remember Schlitz beer? It was popular for a long time, but it went the way of the Dodo bird when the owners of the company tinkered with its formula. Result: they lost their regular committed base of consumers. The brand and company went bankrupt forthwith. That is what this article does to the Republican brand and party. That makes you, in a word, unintellectual. You achieve exactly the result that you decry - and that you wrongfully accuse others, like Limbaugh, of fomenting - divisiveness within the party itself. That's a rare trick. Congratulations, you've joined the ranks of the obtuse.

  • Posted By: DougmanJ @ 08/19/2009 10:18:23 AM

    "He [Limbaugh] plays an important role in our coalition, and of course he and his supporters have to be treated with respect."

    Why? I've heard some of the most offensive things come out of this guy's mouth. This is the guy who made fun of Michael J. Fox's Parksinsons' disease, calling him a fake and a liar. Don Imus was fired for less than that. The fact that this guy even has a job is a mystery, yet even David Frum seems all too willing to wet his lips and let Rush sit on his face. Very disappointing.

  • Posted By: thehappyamerican @ 08/15/2009 7:46:44 PM

    Hey Frum! All the polls results of approval here , and that group there and so forth are subject to change! Tip AWAY from liberals, liberalism, left wingers and their policies. The DNC is seeing to that! Their behavior is urksome to more Americans each passing month.
    The last thing the GOP needs are Special Agents to approach the DNC and make compromises to it!
    Such agents we call RINOs and MODERATES.
    Theirs is an agency with NO USEFUL PURPOSE!
    In time--and it may take another two or three years, it will be the DNC appointing AGENTS FOR COMPROMISING coming to the RNC.
    I know, Frum, you want to be relevant in the RNC and so need the RNC Compromise Agency intact and running. There you are somebody. but we don't need you. Your particular services are no longer in requisition in the RNC. Pass the word!
    RUSH IS RIGHT!

  • Posted By: modman @ 06/17/2009 8:22:37 AM

    I think Frum is on the mark here. Rush has turned into the Lefts best spokesman. He's painting conservatives as (at best) unable to compromise, even with moderates, and (at worst) as hateful and vengeful. It was the moderates who swept Obama into office and it will be the moderates who drive the next election. Rush has no use for any type of moderation and conservative publiic image is suffering because of his very large persona.

  • Posted By: Tugar @ 06/05/2009 8:29:33 PM

    IT LOOKS LIKE L-RUSHBO IS LOSING POWER AMONG THE DIDDO HEADS !

  • Posted By: jmanders2009 @ 06/02/2009 7:38:15 PM

    Here's the issue. We do want to seek to persuade, but that doesn't mean we put the spine in the closet. You know as well as anybody sir that it doesn't matter how it's packaged because everything Rush or Mark says is twisted and taken out of context anyway. Truth, regardless of how it's delivered, is going to be met with hostility. Remember it was Jesus who said beware if all men speak well of you. Rush advocates and speaks for every single thing he always has. He has not moved an inch from where he has always been. And that's the way a lot of us are. And one thing I resent coming from people like you is that you have the audacity to try to redefine conservatism to cover your own shift from where you once were further to the right. Be careful of dismissing Rush or Mark as loud mouths who are on their way to extinction. They are only two of the very few voices out there today who have the balls to call things as they are. Don't dismiss them because you can't find yours. What you ought to be doing is talking about the extremism (which is the true extremism) on the left. If John McCain's brand of conservatism was so damned superior and electable, why isn't he the one sitting in the oval office today?

  • Posted By: mastermind2000 @ 05/24/2009 4:09:15 PM

    I
    I'm a Libertarian.
    This entire editorial is SO full WHOLES, it would take an encyclopedia of "LOGIC" to fill them all. Intellectually and logically speaking...RUSH IS RIGHT.
    Conservatism is a philosophy of SELF sufficiency and SELF responsibility coupled with LOW...INTERFERENCE... from a HUGE and CENTRALIZED "Mommy" government.

    RUSH >>>"people are smart and, LEFT TO THEIR OWN devices and resourcefulness, and with MINIMAL GOVERNMENTAL INTERFERENCE will find a niche in which they can and will succeed and survive with MORE than a modicum of happiness but this can ONLY be done in an atmosphere of minimal intrusion from some (collectively mediocre minded and HUGE ) central government entity. He would ALSO add that "the LIBERAL politician's idea of EXCESSIVE , MISREPRESENTED and UNFAIRLY DISTRIBUTED TAXATION is a practice that HAS and CAN ONLY lead to equal suffering and the TOTAL FAILURE of the principles that have kept America strong and vital through the centuries and will continue to throughout the future of America". RUSH, ...I, ...>>> and MILLIONS upon MILLIONS of other INTELLIGENT people STILL ( and will ALWAYS ) believe that the FOUNDERS KNEW EXACTLY what they were doing and that their philosophies , especially concerning "out of control and EXCESSIVE governing, were CORRECT.
    OBAMA>>> , the Socialist Party ( Democrats), and the MAINSTREAM MEDIA outlets ( which INCLUDES NEWSWEEK magazine AND the editorial that I am commenting on ) would say( in essence ) that "People are stupid and can not succeed without other STUPID people ( liberal politicians and MAINSTREAM LEFTIST/SOCIALIST MEDIA ) directing their every action and deed and that the money that the TAX PAYER ....EARNS.... MUST BE REDISTRIBUTED to STUPID.... NON TAX PAYERS whether or NOT the WORKING TAX PAYER WANTS this done..
    ...LIBERAL... GOVERNMENT >CAUSED this economic mess with the WILLFUL MIS handling of Fannie Mae/ Freddie Mac and with a number of OTHER financially IRRESPONSIBLE ( and even criminal ) actions AND negligence(s). ( far too many and complex to mention here )
    BIG GOVERNMENT EQUALS BIG CORRUPTION. .... Period.I HOPE OBAMA and the DEMOCRATS FAIL !!! ...
    TO FURTHER DESTROY AMERICA with BIGGER and MORE SOCIALIST GOVERNMENT.
    THAT is what RUSH ... SAID, and ...I...and MILLIONS UPON MILLIONS of INTELLIGENT voters AGREE with RUSH on this WANT that kind of "FAILURE" too !
    Only MORONS will dispute what I have typed here.

    • Posted By: mastermind2000 @ 05/24/2009 4:25:48 PM

      To supllement my other comment I must add that I had written TWICE the amount of text that you see, but ( as usual) the commentors are NEVER PRE-INFORMED of just what the text limits are. I impatiently and QUICKLY did a "chop job" on my first comment to get it to "fit" here in the comment section so please forgive the numerous errors ( ie a few words left out here and there and a few other misuses of the English language.

  • Posted By: mears @ 05/04/2009 3:54:09 PM

    I don't understand how an intelligent person like Frum could have been for Bush's Iraq war. We were still involved in Afghanistan and OBL was still not caught, which was why we went into Afghanistan. I don't understand the thinking behind attacking Iraq which was not a bigger threat to us after 9/11 as before. It was a disastrous mistake and if you think otherwise I can only conclude you're more beholden to supposed Israel's interests than ours.

  • Posted By: bbell37968 @ 05/01/2009 10:23:34 PM

    Mr. Frum -- a word, sir. You've had your say on this matter, and you've done so eloquently and persuasively for a great many. But the critique has been made. Allow me to offer that at some point you must eat your own dog food. Quit targeting those who you see to be false leaders of the "New Majority" and simply comment and lead forward. If you're right in your thesis, there will be a natural migration to your views and to those who are intellectually aligned and whose actions follow. The negativity and bemoaning is beginning to appear as a "Dorian Gray" of sorts; it's keeping you fresh and in the spotlight while your own argument ages less gracefully. Move ahead, sir! All the best.

  • Posted By: Nebbe @ 04/30/2009 4:35:06 PM

    I am very liberal. I am a socialist. I am also glad that I decided to expand my horizons by reading conservative sources every day as well as my normal liberal venues like the New York Times. What a breath of fresh air. The Republican party will be just fine if people like you can regain control. Maybe all those social studies lessons I taught students for thirty years were not lies after all. Thank you for caring more about your country than your party and it's current dogma. I wish you well.
    ps. I have a son in law who I think would very much like to belong to the Republican party youi describe. I will pass on your email.
    respecfully, Drew Gross

  • Posted By: Wrightclick @ 04/24/2009 10:06:10 PM

    I held my nose and got through all 4 pages of this diatribe, but despite his laundry list of accomplishments, Frum seems to be clueless. He is wrong on so many points, but I don't have the hour it would take to rebut his list of complaints. Limbaugh is not the spokesperson for the GOP, despite Frum, BHO, et al's attempt to paint him that way. If more people listened to Rush maybe the GOP wouldn't be the minority party for the past 3 years! Rush embraces conservatism. That's not a party, that an ideology. Conservatism has not changed: Limited Federal gov't, strong defense, low taxes, individual freedom and liberty, opportunity, property rights. The GOP has been so busy trying to chase the "popular" center/left vote they forgot us. I've voted for my last RINO, Mr. Frum. Get over it. I don't have to follow the "New" Republican Party. They (and millions like me) have to follow me. If the GOP keeps following the advice of people like Frum, they'll remain the minority for another 40 years.

  • Posted By: squarebird @ 04/25/2009 5:32:03 PM

    The distorted, demonic photo is the first tip-off on how seriously to treat this story - or increasingly, this magazine.

  • Posted By: DW76 @ 04/24/2009 10:25:47 PM

    Whether I agree with Mr. Frums points or not, I think the vital point that is getting lost in the world of professional talking heads is this: This country is about the right to disagree. Since none of us is perfect or has all the answers, this country works best when people debate ideas intelligently, and learn from each other, whether they agree, whether minds change, or even is a consensus is reached. I see too many pundits on either side shouting "If you don't believe me, you must be a moron." That concept just makes me sad, as some of the beliefs I hold the most strongly and actually be strengthened by those I disagree with. Limbaugh is one among many, GOP or DEM that do not strike me as someone who is even remotely interested in another's opinion, unless he can use it to get more listeners.

  • Posted By: Eena @ 04/19/2009 12:01:32 PM

    David is absolutely correct in his assessmnet of Rush.. I became a non-oarty registered voter losing faith in all parties. It took a long time and my age is now 74. I am sociially liberal and fiscally conservative so no one speaks for me. Wonder how many other voters out there feel that way and wont vote in primaries. Thats why the swing to the Democrats was no surprise to me..Please Republicans do something positive. .

Reply

Report Abuse

Enter comments if any for reporting abuse