This One’s For You, Rush

Let’s flash back to late January 2021. For those of us on the conservative side, this was a pretty low time. Joe Biden had just been inaugurated and had used his first few days signing a slew of executive orders that signaled a hard left turn for the country, away from the sensible America-first policies of Donald Trump. Trump was again in the crosshairs of an impeachment for his alleged role in egging on the Capitol riots on January 6^th, 2021. Adding to all this depressing news, the radio voice of conservative thought, Rush Limbaugh, was dying. He was still doing his award-winning show every day, but both he and his millions of listeners knew his time was short. He passed away on February 17, 2021. 

But even as he signed off for the last time, with all the bad news that was engulfing us, Rush still reminded us of his unflagging belief in the goodness of America and that all was not lost for us. Implicit in this belief was optimism that the younger generations of Americans, despite being indoctrinated with leftist dogma throughout their school years, would ultimately push back on the left’s extreme, America-last agenda. His signature line concerning this was “I’ll let you know when to panic. And it’s not time to panic.” 

As someone who’s a lot more skeptical about human nature than Rush was, my expectations about the recent election were not especially high. So, when the results came in showing that Trump won big and fared better with virtually every demographic than was predicted, I felt a surge of vindication not just for Trump but for Rush Limbaugh also. Would that he had lived to see this remarkable turnaround that confirmed so much about his undying belief in America!

The legacy that Rush left behind is massive. While no one person can ever adequately take his place, others have stepped in admirably whether on television, radio, or podcasts with a similar mix of cogent political analysis and satirical humor, because the Lord knows we need to laugh, even if just at ourselves, to keep functioning sanely in an often-insane world. 

One of those hosts that I’ve especially grown fond of is Jesse Kelly, who is a younger, hipper version of Rush Limbaugh for a younger audience, although his message resonates with all generations for the same reason Rush’s did. That is, common-sense conservatism that opens the door of opportunity for everyone is never outmoded, although those on the left will try to convince us otherwise. Kelly’s book The Anti-Communist Manifesto is like a 21^st century version of Rush’s two best-selling books, The Way Things Ought to Be and See, I Told You So. 

Both Limbaugh and Kelly have had the moral clarity and courage to see the Left for who they are and tell us that without mincing words. Oftentimes, this is not what even conservative people are comfortable hearing, but we’ve needed to hear it time and again so we will not take them lightly. And when you strip away the veneer and the 24/7 propaganda of the “mainstream” media, the Left can be seen clearly having a ferocious hunger for political power and using whatever means necessary to attain it – much like the Soviet, Chinese, and other communist leaders have done through the years. Along with this is their brazenness about the supposed superiority of their vision for America and their attendant unwillingness to ever acknowledge their positions may be wrong or harmful to the country.

In the aftermath of the election, we are again seeing most Democrats’ unwillingness to admit how much the failures of Biden and Harris’s administration contributed to their defeat. In fact, many pundits and some Democrat leaders are implicitly or even explicitly blaming the voters for not having enough sense to vote for what was good for them. While Kamala Harris did deliver a concession speech last Wednesday, she made sure to note that the “fight” would go on, whatever that may mean in terms of thwarting Trump’s agenda. 

As I’m sure Rush Limbaugh would tell us if he were still here, we must therefore remain vigilant and not let down our guard now that the election is over. The same intensity of effort that ensured a free and fair election this time needs to be applied to the everyday political landscape, because the Left will never quit. Rush Limbaugh, who continued to broadcast his conservative message until shortly before his death, provided a model for us to follow in carrying the mantle of freedom forward.