Wishing Rush Limbaugh God Speed

I was stunned yesterday by the news that Rush Limbaugh has stage IV lung cancer. Of course, I wish Rush God Speed in his recovery. My prayers are definitely with him.  Rush has been for me an island of conservative thought in a sea liberal and leftist propaganda.

One theory that supposedly explains the Rush Limbaugh phenomenon is that we tend to listen to things that confirm our biases, and ignore data that counters our prejudices.  I suspect that this is partially true, for many of us shell shocked conservatives needed a voice to tell us that we weren't alone.  That indeed, someone else thought as we did.  But Rush has done more than that.  Rush has not only been, as he credits himself "99% right," but humorously entertaining as well.  So well known are his many "Rushisms" that I find myself using them on occasion.  For example, I am typing this post using my "formerly nicotine stained fingers."

Rush has a long and painful fight ahead.  Suffering is, of course, the lot of mankind since the fall, and I can empathize with Rush in this hour.  And I know that Rush understands what I mean here.  But I can look forward to Rush's "undocumented guest host" Mark Steyn during his absence. Steyn is easily the equal of Rush in terms of acerbic wit.  But no one has the joy of life that Rush has, and that I shall miss.

Indeed, that joy for life is part of the essence of true conservatism, and is one of the things that signals to me that Rush's is an authentic voice.  The Left constantly claims that we conservatives want to oppress people: blacks, browns, Asians, gays, trans whatever, etc. etc. ad infinitam.  But as Rush has pointed out many many times, what we want is for Everybody to experience the good and abundant life we have.  There is one catch, though.  To achieve your best life, you have to adopt conservative principles.

Rush, if you are reading this, I stand with you.  Please go read Brian Joondeph's article embedded above for more accolades for Rush.