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Rush Limbaugh, Charlie Brown and Our Cowboy Senator Salazar

Posted by DR. CLARISSA PINKOLA ESTÉS, Deputy Managing Editor, Columnist in Uncategorized.
Apr 26th, 2008 | Comments

Rush Limbaugh has been dreaming, he says.

I don’t know. John Mark Carr said he was dreaming he killed Jon Benet Ramsey, too

And there used to be those old ads in magazines of women in pointy circle-stitched brassieres that made young boys go all whirlygig in the eyes back then… and the caption was always some version of “I dreamed I was flying in my Maidenform bra.”

As a psychoanalyst, I seriously put great stock to the symbolic value of people’s dreams.

I don’t think Rush Limbaugh, even though he and I have had our dustups long ago, is dreaming wrongly. I think he is dreaming a possibility at ANY convention in this particular time of such splitting amongst people, such heated ‘my candidate or none’ feeling amongst so many, in such a time when people hate one another for who they listen to on the radio for heaven’s sakes, rather than judging by heart or warmth or accomplishments.

So ‘dreaming’ that there could be disruptions at a convention site, Republican or Democrat… ( forgotten is the Libertarian Convention here in Colorado in May that will put forth a presidential candidate, too) seems rather ordinary a ’supposing.’

But, implying that one wishes for such, and at one Convention in particular, wishing something that can cause egregious harm to human beings, that can maim and damage the innocent… that part…

Charlie Brown is one of our Denver city council persons. He is an outspoken person, and has made an abrupt response to Rush Limbaugh, as has Senator Salazar, one of ‘the regular guys’ who Coloradans sent to the Senate as their favored rancher, a many generations’ family rancher with values for the water, the land, creatures and human beings.

Both Senator Salazar and Councilman Charlie Brown have demanded Limbaugh cease inciting.

Stay tuned.

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kryon77

Hey, I'm dreaming too. Dreaming that a psychoanalyst named Clarissa can write a coherent sentence. Alas, it is but a dream.

Davebo

Kryon77,

If you can't understand any of those sentences perhaps a bit of introspection is in order.

archangel

dear kyron, I'm sorry if my writing isn't coherent to you. No doubt my writing could use improvement. Was there anything you wanted to say about the topic at hand?

dear Davebo, there is an updated transcript of Rush Limbaugh's words about the matter. I'll try to put the link up soon for Tmv readers. Thanks D

dr.e

ChrisWWW

It's really kind of sad that Rush Limbaugh is taken so seriously in our country. It's even more sad that he is revered by one of our two dominant political parties.

Rush Limbaugh is incontrovertibly an ass. That he would wish, dream or incite violence isn't surprising. What concern has he ever shown for anyone or anything besides his political allies or pocket book?

joegandelman

Kryon77: FYI we don't appreciate it at all when someone does a post and instead of commenting on the post someone takes a swipe at a writer. Kindly read our posting guidelines below. I'm sure you could advance the discussion by sticking to the topic. Dr. E wrote a book that was on the NY Times best seller list for more than a year so there are others who don't agree with you on that -- and her post was not about her writing style. Please comment on the topic she raised.

archangel

dear ChrisWWW, do you think the political party reveres him, or could it be maybe some in that party want access to Rush's constituency only; and Rush is quite secondary to that? Initially when Rush LImbaugh first had his television show, he seemed a satirist and had some genuinely funny takes on 'high brow' and no so high-brow culture. I was thinking for instance, of his wearing ribbons on his lapel of every size and color and telling us that this one stood for save the tree toads, and this one stood for take back the plastic bags," and this one stood for.... His lapel was sagging under the weights. I'd thought he had an eye and ear for sight gags and absurdisms. But then, they took him off TV pretty shortly after

dr.e

ChrisWWW

dr. e,
It's hard to tell what Republicans think these days. Deep down I hope that they don't like torture, war, unlimited executive power and hate Mexicans, Muslims, Gay people, etc. But whether or not they truly believe in those things, their party has come to represent them from Rush Limbaugh on down.

Now, while I say he is revered, I don't think he sets policy. His show is built around a reflexive and over the top defense of whatever Republicans are doing. (It's also built around attacking Democrats for any reason whatsoever.)

It may be true that at first the Republican party just played lip service to Rush for access to his audience, but at this point I see barely a distinction between Rush's viewpoints and those of the Republican party itself.

archangel

Dear ChrissWWW
good analysis, esp the discernment between supporting policy and setting policy re radio talkers. That is a sophisticated differentiation. I'm writing a brief article re something you've sparked here. Look for it. It will have a h/t to CWWW. Thank you always for thoughtful comments

dr.e

ChrisWWW

Awesome dr. e ;-)

I'll keep an eye out for it.

DLS

"It's hard to tell what Republicans think these days."

They certainly have a problem expressing anything substantial.

As for Limbaugh, if (when) a Dem goes into the White House next year it will inject more life into his show and career and he can retire on a high (low Dem) note. At least, that's what's almost guaranteed. (Not so much his high note -- he's a tired, worn-out phenomenon -- but that a Dem is all but assured to get into the White House.)

archangel

DLS: I honestly think it's still too early to call whether dem/ repub or dark horse 3rd cand. And, your analysis of any talk show host is poignant; In the most ancient stories too, the sagas and rounds, there is an entropy as you pointed out, if there are no new demons at the door. I'd rather, as I suspect you do too, that pp seek real demons and do battle, rather than making them up according to what office a mere human being might hold. Thanks DLS.

dr.e

kritt11

Dr. e

Rush is tired of carrying water for the current administration--he said back in 2006 that he wanted to go back on offense, where he thinks his strength lies. He is hoping that the next Dem president fails miserably, and that he will be there to make the hole even bigger so that the party will have as much trouble regaining power as they did after the Carter years.

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