Clearing up Some Misconceptions

For years it's been taken as dogma that Conservatives and Republicans follow lockstep behind Rush Limbaugh and that the Christian vote drives the party.

On the latter topic, the crashing of Huckabee's campaign lays waste to that silly liberal canard. Huckabee is the most overt Chritian candidate we've had in ages and he's a funny likable guy. He's still trailing way behind in a race that was his only weeks ago and suffered a stunning defeat in South Carolina, the state that was considered the friendliest to a Christian Conservative candidate. I've always argued that the Christian bloc was more media-made then actually true.

On the Rush issue, the media has always been deluded. We listen to Rush for ideas, he gives opinions and we decide on our own. We're not a zombie army that votes however the most listened to guy on the radio says and it's always been that way. Since the left has no one even close to Rush, they can't understand the concept.

I would posit that the only person on the left who holds even remotely the sway of Rush is Markos Moulitsas Zuniga or Dailk Kos. Look at his website traffic numbers and the way the media fawn over him including his perspective in myriad articles--in fact Newsweek gave space weekly to him and Karl Rove.

Markos has not backed one significant candidate who has actually won anything. He was 0-12 in support of candidates until he backed Ned LaMont (even going so far as to appear in the candidate's ads) against Joe Lieberman. LaMont won the primary against Liebs but Joe came back and smacked the hell out of LaMont in the general running as an Indepedendent. Still, the media look to him as a sage of the liberal movement.

The media is portraying this as the downfall of Rush and they have never been so wrong. Rush does not like or support McCain's politics and has made that clear. He's not the only one as can be seen if one only looks back at the immigration fight in 2007. McCain has not won over the greater GOP base, he's won the minds of Independents and liberal GOP'ers and that may not be enough unless Hillary is the candidate then Maverick becomes the lesser of two evils.

Update: It's funny how the media have been ropping up Hillary for the last ten years and now that she's in a tight race that has turned to race-baiting and whispers of drug use they aren't looking at themselves and wondering the same thing they are saying about Rush.