I used to have a lot of admiration for the Daily Show research staff (I still do), with what ease they seem to find damning clips of Hannity, Beck, et al saying truly idiotic things. But it’s actually pretty easy. All you have to do is read the newspaper.
It seems Rush “I’m not a caver” Limbaugh has been dropped by the group looking to buy the St. Louis Rams. I will now quote my local paper, quoting Limbaugh: “This is not about the NFL. It’s not about the St. Louis Rams. It’s not about me… This is about the ongoing effort by the left in this country, wherever you find them, in the media, the Democrat Party, or wherever, to destroy conservatism, to the prevent the mainstreaming of anyone who is a prominent as a conservative… Therefore, this is about the future of the United States of America and what kind of country we’re going to have.”
Really, that’s all you have to read. Just that quote. Ignore my commentary, ignore what the NFL has to say about this, various players, pro-Rush and anti-Rush people. Just read what he said: that his being dropped from the group trying to buy the Rams is only about the Future of The United States of America.
The hypocrisy of Limbaugh is truly astounding. When Hannity does it, you chalk it up to his willful ignorance. When Beck does it, you assume he’s depending on the ignorance of his watchers. But this, from Limbaugh, smacks of true dementia, as if Limbaugh really does, genuinely, sincerely, have some kind of mental disorder. To actually be so paranoid as to believe the left is out to get him, even while he announces that he hopes the Obama administration fails. To insist that his buying a sports team is an act of mainstreaming, while at the same time insisting that Obama’s bid for the Olympics in Chicago was an act of pure ego. To claim that the Democrat party is out to destroy conservatism, while simultaneously holding that he agrees with the Taliban over the recent Nobel Peace Prize award.
Punditry has gotten to the point, lately, where I actually read the paper and scan over Limbaugh’s website just so I can look forward to what the Daily Show is going to do with the antics performed by the right. Here’s my ethics question: is it unethical to laugh at the mentally handicapped, especially if they’re trying to be the opposite of funny?
It really is too easy. Rush said “I’m not a caver. Pioneers take the arrows. We are pioneers.” Yes, you read that right. Rush invokes that old stereotype of cowboys and injuns to assert his steadfastness.
Remember when Rush was trying to get on Monday Night Football? And they gave the job to Dennis Miller instead? If nothing else, at least we know one bastion of Americana hasn’t caved in the last six years.