Squish Limbaugh

Freepers are blind to it, but they've been getting more and more extreme. Part of it is the purges and natural drift towards zealotry as a group's population dwindles and ages, but a great deal is just the positive feedback loop of radicalism - once extremism is a virtue, then more extremism means more virtue.

Thus Rush Limbaugh, responsible for radicalizing many current conservatives, has been left behind as they continue rightward well past him.

Gaffer is sick of the football talk:

I think his ratings have fallen because people like me are sick and tired of him diverting off to talk about Deflate Gate or whatever football story there is and try to connect it to the topic of the day. He’ll do it at the drop of a hat. The other day, he started out talking about the day’s major events and in the first 15-20 minutes he wandered on off to football.

Frankly, it is his show and he can talk about what he wants, but I don’t have to listen to him anymore when he blathers on about football, either.

I think he’s lost his edge myself.

Gaffer also thinks Rush hasn't gotten angry enough lately:

Football is his passion. That used to be conservatism and it showed in his work. There was passion, anger, drive and determined resolve. That’s gone it seems to me. Sure, he’ll get angry and still put up a token defense of conservatism and he’ll go off on the target du jour, but it’s perfunctory - rote and his heart just isn’t in it.

You give him one little break and he’ll be off talking about football or golf and a heartbeat. Most times when I hear him now he’s going over things I’ve already read about, thought about, and his opinion on it really isn’t anything new or innovative. Right now he’s a rich man with a good income and he’s skating.

Rapscallion agrees on the lack of rage:

If Rush’s rating have slid it is possibly due to his loss of anger. He used to show his own rage and talk about listener rage. He has become tame and his ratings are down as a result.

When he really burns Obama’s butt on the radio, his rating will come back... and maybe Trump will pick up on what Rush says and even become coherent and consistent for a change.

Qiviut just cares that the left hates Rush:

Rush is a juggernaut - the Left can only dream that he’s being affected in any meaningful way. I hear they are also up in arms that his “Rush Revere” books are now available in spanish ... oh the horror. /sarc

miss marmelstein wants to talk about herself:

As long as the main media continues to be liberal, there will always be a place for conservative radio. I listen to Rush every day and when the Mets take over, I rage.

BibleGunClinger explains that Rush is the best best best:

To all the naysayers on this thread who will never read this post, but I have to get it off my chest anyway.

Rush has been and continues to be one of the best, if not the best, conservative voices in our nation today.

For all of you people bitching about when he goes “off topic” and delves into football or golf or whatever gives you people heartburn about him......I truly wonder if you really ever listen to him.

I am a Rush 24/7 member and am happy to say it. I rarely miss one of his shows. Sure he has “off” days, but he always makes up for it with another fantastic show.

As far as Rush being a blowhard, blowbag, egotistical or whatever you poor little pansies don’t like about him.....do what he always tells new listeners. You have to listen to him consistently for 6 months to really get to know him.

Is he sure of himself? Absolutely. Is he cocky, absolutely not. I have listened for over 20 years and he has only gotten better with time.

He is one of the most caring and giving person there is.

I could go on, but I think you get the point. I suggest doing what I do. I listen to Rush for awesome overall political and social issues and insight and then I also listen to Mark Levin for the hardcore political analysis and comprehension.

Lastly, this BS about Rush’s ratings going down, the socialist libs have been saying this same crap for years. always false, this is to.

Chainmail has a suggestion for a more rational conservative voice:

I think we need better spokesmen/Ladies. Rush is a blowhard and difficult to listen to - particularly when he segues off on his football, ear operation, golf, or people gushing over him blather. He doesn’t advance the discussion anymore, he just seems to reminisce about himself.

We need a powerful, rational voice of conservatism - Michelle Malkin comes to mind.

wintertime wants more birtherism:

For me, when Rush and the other radio yappers IGNORED Obama’s natural born eligibility to be president and the numerous forgeries posted....well...that did it for me!

Yeah! I listen in once in a while to talk radio, but I no longer trust these PHONIES who claim to love the Constitution soooo much. I now get my news and opinion straight from the Internet.

Yeah! I am still mad at Rush these other guys and gals.

If true tyranny comes to our nation, Rush and the others will sell their talents to the fascist oligarchy. They will spit shine the jack boots crushing our necks. ( They may even be doing that now!)

wintertime also wants more racism and hate of public schools:

What irritates me are the issues he ignores.

For example:

Have you ever heard Rush talk about the latest “Polar Bear” attack or flash mob attack on a innocent white person?

How about giving K-12 school outrages the coverage they deserve?

How much time has Rush spent on Common Core?

NSA spying?

And....Obama’s eligibility or his Obama’s outrageous **forgeries**!!!! ( I will never forgive him for that one!)

Buckeye McFrog thinks Rush shares his own nihilistic despair:

Probably like me he can read the handwriting on the wall. The nation turned hard to the Left in 2008, and there is no indication that we are about to correct course. The 47% will very likely be 51% after they promise to forgive student loans. The half-life of Communism appears to be 70 years. Reagan Conservatism ain't coming back to this country in my lifetime.

He knows this. You can hear it in his voice every time he reads a mind-bending poll of Millenials.

ExCTCitizen knows whose there for the common folks:

To paraphrase Mark Twain: ‘The death of talk radio is premature.’ Rush is not as good, but he - and talk radio - is still there for the common folks. The LSM would love their monopoly back, so they can choose who will B the next president.

ilgipper knows Rush's past is too awesome for people to criticize his present:

ah....shut up. Limbaugh has done more to advance our movement than any other living American. He’s in his mid sixties now, and surely contemplating his exit as a daily host, but to do anything other than give him his due is absurdity. Pure and simple.

Thorliveshere has switched to the much less clever rage-pupped Mark Levin:

There’s a loss of passion, I think. I listen to Mark Levin now more than Rush (not only is he on when I done at work), because he gets angry about what is happening to our country. Rush seems more resigned to things as they happen, less anger (actually none at all).

central_va suspects Rush of secret impurity:

I alike Rush and listen when I can. But deep down I suspect he is a libertarian gloBULList free trader. Have you ever heard him talk about H-1B visas? or other forms of trade abuses?

Washi wonders why there are all these stories just when Rush's ratings went down:

There are a whole cluster of these stories out in the last couple of days.

It’s almost like they were coordinated.
Picking target. Freezing it. Personalizing it. Polarizing it.

ponygirl wonders why Rush didn't cover embarrassing right-wing conspiracy theories:

Rush has refused to talk about 1) Obama's identity fraud; 2) Bundy Ranch; and 3) Waco biker shootout.

Why?

St_Thomas_Aquinas uses the internet, but also America is over.

Before the internet I listened to Rush. Now I listen to Beck, Levin, Howie Carr (local talk), and EWTN/Catholic Answers —all streaming.

I’m sure most engaged conservatives are doing something similar.

Another factor is that Rush seems to me like a squish. The Republic is nearing its end. We need talkers with passion.

DON'T DOUBT Cats Pajamas's conspiracies!

Even MahaRushie gets his list from TPTB that he can’t touch. DON’T DOUBT ME.

chrisser gets all his news from Free Republic, not even Rush is extreme enough enough:

I like Rush and wish him all the best.

But I don’t listen to him anymore - he’s essentially ceased to be relevant to me.

I get my news from FR - I already know about just about every item he mentions, and, frankly, the analysis here is better than Rush’s take a lot of the time.

The intriguingly named Maris Crane speculates about an evil liberal wife:

I was thinking his sponsors may have told him he was talking about politics too much. Or it may have been his wife. Wives can really influence. Witness the Bush men.

Doulos1 is still relitigating things most Republicans would rather forget:

Rush is right, Sandra Fluke is a slut!