From: nate@psygate.psych.indiana.edu (Nathan Engle)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh
Subject: Re: Rush Limbaugh and the decline of the GOP
Date: 12 Oct 92 16:12:47 GMT
Organization: Psych Department, Indiana University

kd1hz@anomaly.sbs.risc.net (Michael P. Deignan) writes:
>alex@engr3.umbc.edu (alex) writes:
>>(Call this premature if you like, but unless Clinton is found
>>screwing a sheep, the writings on the wall, folks)

    You're darn tootin' I'd call it premature, Alex. Clinton isn't elected 
till he's elected. Let's wait and see how the voting goes before we start 
calling anything a done deal. 

>>      The other major event is the rise of Limbaugh, Buchannan and
>>their ilk within the party.

>"Ilk"? I wasn't aware that Limbaugh had a place 'within the party' to
>rise to.

    Oh, come on, Mike, let's not be coy. Rush is on a first name basis 
with the Pres and VP as well as most of their staff. Rush doesn't hold an 
official appointment but he *does* serve the organization as a bellwether 
and cheerleader. The fact that he doesn't wear one of those skimpy little 
cheerleader outfits may be the source of the misunderstanding, but consider; 
if you had Rush's figure would *you* wear a skimpy little cheerleader 
costume?

>>No one can prove that the reason that
>>people arn't voting republican is because of the choices of Convention
>>speakers this year,

>Then again, no one can prove that the reason that people are voting
>republican is because of the choices of Convention speakers this year, so
>what's your point?

    Mike's right on this one, Alex. Let's leave the idle speculation to 
Rush and "his ilk".

>>      It seems terribly ironic that Rushs rise would coincide with
>>the fall of his beloved party, and even more so that his rise could be
>>factor in the decline.

>Rush's rise in popularity has little to do with Republican popularity or
>unpopularity in this election.

    Yup. I honestly don't agree with Alex that the Republican party is the 
object of the electorate's disapproval. I think the star turkey in this 
turkey shoot is George Bush. Jack Kemp is a Republican and his popularity 
seems to be doing fine.

>What makes you think that people will stop listening to Rush simply
>because Bush is no longer President?

    If anything causes me to stop listening to Rush then it would be that 
I get tired of hearing Rush whine about how heinous liberalism is (which is 
likely to happen with increasing frequency if Clinton gets elected). There's 
no question in my mind that Rush will have a challenge to maintain his 
show's atmosphere of levity and jocularity once he has a target like 
Clinton making news every day.

>>It will take more then one race to show a clear
>>cause and effect, of course, but it looks entertainingly suspicious.

>Only to you, apparently.

    How do you mean, Mike? Are you saying that Alex is the only one to 
find the situation entertaining or suspicious? I have to admit that *I* 
find it entertaining. I just don't think it's all that suspicious or 
mysterious. George Bush had to work pretty hard to pan his own popularity 
as much as he has; it's been a long time in coming and the result isn't 
particularly surprising although some of us do get a few giggles from it 
now and then.

--
Nathan Engle                        Software Juggler
Psychology Department               Indiana University
nate@psygate.psych.indiana.edu      nengle@copper.ucs.indiana.edu