Red Meat

Rush Limbaugh spent some time yesterday on this article by Andrew Klavan at Big Hollywood. Klavan's argument is that Conservatism isn't dead and is in fact coming back more powerful than ever.

But we’re not unarmed and we’re in no way defeated. We have great politicians like Sarah Palin–who could well be president in not eight years but four–honest newsmen like Bret Baer and genius commentators like Rush–and Ann Coulter, who’s only about ten times smarter, funnier and more talented as a satirist than Jon Stewart or Bill Maher will ever be. The left can’t out-argue these mind-warriors so they try to ridicule, disdain and isolate them, to make us feel ashamed that we admire and respect them. And they tell us they’re finished, washed-up. Why, just look, it must be true: it’s right there in the newspapers and on TV.

They’re lying. The left has to lie for the simple reason that they’re wrong and we’re right, their policies don’t work and ours do.

It's probably very heartening to read that if you are a conservatoid. Too bad it's not so much true; Ann Coulter is a nasty minded simpleton, who's passionate enough, but lacks both honesty and truthfulness. Sarah Palin is a train wreck waiting to happen (again). Limbaugh's genius consists of convincing people who already agree with him to agree with him even more.

I'm not saying there's no hope for Republicans; I rather believe they will be back and successful in the future. Politics is cyclical. But they aren't back yet; and I think getting back will mean abandoning or back-burnering Limbaugh/Coulter triumphalism.