Limbaugh is in it for the money, you are right. But what concerns me is that he is in fact driven to use his power in a non pundit-like way — he could actually do something.

The Republican party does need to move more center, and Limbaugh is playing a big part in keeping that from not happening.

You have a very interesting and practical assessment. It seems to me that Limbaugh, Hannity or Beck are really making waves in the more politically savvy conservative side of the movement, but of course they are creating a lot of listeners and viewership inside the heart of the conservative movement.

As for Sarah Palin, I happen to like her, but I do not believe she is the future of the Republican party. Just my honest opinion.

Thanks for the comment. Sometimes to me it seems that Rush doesn't want the GOP to advance as well. He just keeps hammering them with his radio show.

You are right, Limbaugh did lose an audience in the Bush era and now he has it back. This could be because conservatives lost their white house and now needed a pundit to cling on to.

Yes, Limbaugh really has built a viewership that only tolerates his extremist rants, and can only carry on like this.

I talk about the GOP because it interests me as well as many other people as you can see in this comments section. The media still is largely controlled by the right, and like Tom 11 says — they really have supporters. They are not a joke.

When the Republicans were in power, Rush's ramblings actually had consequences. As the Republicans put the "conservative" agenda into place, people could see the results. An endless war, torture, and a ruined economy. Rush's audience shrank

Now, however, nothing Rush says has any actual consequence on the way the country is governed. He can just be an asshole, and his audience grows. As far as I know, Rush gets his best audience when the Republicans are out of power.

Imagine if Rush actually started speaking sense. Talking about ways that the Republicans could work with the democrats - adjusting his ideology to reality, etc.

His audience would go away.

So, the best thing for Rush personally is to insist that Republicans embrace policies and leaders that will keep them permanently in the minority.

Didn't 58,000,000 people vote for someone other than Obama?

Big mistake to get complacent. They're out there…..

What does the GOP Want?
What does the GOP Need to Do?
What does the GOP Think?
What is the GOP Answer?
What is Sarah doing, What does Newt think, What does Karl think?
GOP, GOP…on TV during the cable TV day, on the Cable TV in the evening………..etc..etc..

The GOP still controls the media and that is why the Media, Fox included is doing this Dr Phil, BS….whine..repeat…whine…say no….whine…

They…..F#@@#$$%% LOST!!!

Who cares what happens to them….they almost ruined our Country…..let them waste away……they do not desreve to be anywhere near our government for 20-30 years and then some….

I see what you mean, but what Bush hacks are you taking about? And congress seems very hard to change back to conservative now that the Democrats have the majority. Thanks for the comment.