Wanted: An Anti-Limbaugh Big Mouth
This post over at Conventional Folly was a bit annoying at first blush, but then made sense:
I went and listened to the on-air debate between David Frum and Mark Levin at the urging of Massie and Sullivan, and I came away with the surprising conclusion that Levin definitely got the best of Frum (all use of the mute button aside). I think that’s because Frum is not acknowledging a sad fact: the dearth of charismatic political leaders on the right means that Levin’s incessant digs about relevance, as measured in “audience” for their respective work, actually matter. What good is the “idea leadership” espoused by Frum, Douthat/Salam, Brooks, et al. if it has little resonance with the mass of voters who make up the core of the Republican electorate?
The retort that Frum was unsuccessfully trying to make is that demagoguery, which is what Rush Limbaugh, Levin, and their ilk regularly engage in, is a sorry substitute for leadership. And, while that may very well be true, wonkery is an even more sorry substitute for leadership. The people don’t want nuance, substance, or even good ideas. They want something they can easily understand in sound-byte form, something that resonates with their simple, innate notions of justice, something they can repeat around the water cooler and feel good about. That’s something that writerly, intellectual types all too frequently miss. And, I hasten to add, it’s exactly what Barack Obama has been able to provide for the Democrats. (Emphasis mine.)
I think he has a point. Frum, et al. are good writers, but in the world of politics, there needs to be someone that can take all this wonkery and distill it down to something that can be placed in a soundbite. As Marusic notes, Obama had a good way of taking all the Democratic wonk and distill into a wonderful speech. Bill Clinton could do that. So did Ronald Reagan. The thing is, someone like a Ross Douthat is not something that the average joe is going to get excited about. Which is why so many among the base like Rush: he can take “conservative” notions and make them easy to digest.
What the GOP needs is somewhat that can be “wonky” and accessible at the same time.
It might be that someone like a Utah Governor Jon Huntsman could be the guy that takes thoughts from Frum, Douthat, Salam and others and makes them ready for mass consumption.
In the end, to reach out beyond the base that people like Frum (including myself) want to do, they need to find people who can translate that and make it presentable to the a water cooler conversation. Until that happens, the reform-minded conservatives will be on the losing end of the battle.
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8 Responses to “Wanted: An Anti-Limbaugh Big Mouth”
Another problem is ranting idiots like Levin. Angry wingnuts only energize the base, moderates are put off by the likes of Levin and randi Rhodes.
I “dunno” about Rush Limbaugh not having “wonderful speech.”
How abou this for taking Conservative wonk and distilling it into wonderful speech:
“I'll say it again. Not only do I want Obama to fail, I want this package to fail. I want this to blow up in their face.
I hope the stimulus bill fails. I hope it does exactly what we know it will do, blow everything to smithereens and not do one thing that has been promised. Apparently, experience is the greatest teacher, and when these poor people who think Barack Obama means a new house, a new car, a new job, when they find out that's not what Barack Obama means, maybe then they'll see. So I hope that happens.
I hope Obama fails. Now the bill has passed the House. I hope when they implement it, that it fails. If I hope it fails beforehand, I better hope it fails afterwards to be consistent, right?”
Rush Limbaugh February 13, 2009:
What the Republicans need is a plan, not phlegm spewers. They not only have no plan, they have no gravitas although people like Frum, whom you disparage, are desperately seeking both.
Once the GOP has a plan, then finding a sound biter to sell it will be the easy part.
Dennis,
I have empathy for your sentiment, but you really need a bit of patience here. It has been 7 weeks and regular folks are certainly willing to give the Great Experiment a bit of time to show its efficacy.
If spending on IOU's starts posting up lower unemployment and higher housing figures, they won't care who's talking for Republicans……for a long time. But, if these same numbers don't start turning around by summer, they won't be listening to Democrats either. That's when there will be an audience for the contrarian voice.
I don't think summer is the threshold. I'd say folks don't expect much from Obama to work through until January 2010. If by the end of 2009 we see no signs of recovery then people will start to get anxious.
I think President Obama will get every beenfit of the doubt through the 2012 election. Anyone who thinks that the Republicans can possibly find someone who can beat Obama is insane.
The problem with the Republicans have with having a plan is how badly they did not follow their plan the last time. No one should believe any establishment Repubican who talks about cutting spending or smaller government unless they have at least a decade of actually doing it. That is why most of the Republican governors are such lousy contenders. They are just as bad spenders and pork barrelers as the Democrats.
All I know is that I have been listening to Randi Rhodes for almost 10 years and whether you like her style or not, she is one of the most informed people out there.
What kills me is that she is like one of the only hosts on the left that is in your face that will NEVER back down from a fight, something that the spineless dems need desperately, the STILL let the Right walk all over them without calling them on their stuff… I have heard Rhodes turn many right wing politicians into mush, never letting them change the subject or run away…. she was a driving force on Air America, and before that she was on the same station with Rush in South Florida (except with more listeners)…. she also will call out members of her OWN party on stuff if they get out of control… I am saddened that she is not getting the credit for driving Air America to any success they might of had.
Sometimes I think that both the right and left are engaged in some kind of sick chess game just for show, and BOTH actually want the same results in the end. I miss hearing Randi, I really do. I hope she returns madder then ever.
I find it hard to believe that if you had ever given Randi Rhodes a fair hearing, you would EVER compare her to the anti-democracy, lying, manipulative Limbaugh. She is brilliant, understands the process, the ideals of this nation and the founding fathers, and can back up whatever she says with documents, many of them official.
She seeks to help us understand how our own nation works and how we can make it work better in a more sustainable way. She opposes the concentration of power, as did the founding fathers.
Who knows what Limbaugh seeks.