Rush, More

The perpetually broken levee of Rush Limbaugh's mouth has been flowing at flood levels lately, which is welcome news for both Democrats and Rush Limbaugh.

For Democrats, framing Rush as the "face" of the Republican party works on the most basic of political levels. Limbaugh is, for better (if you're a Democrat) or worse (if you're a Republican), the de facto leading spokesman for a once proud party.

Limbaugh polls at 11% favorable for voters under 40. With minorities, he has a 6% likability rating. Not exactly a base to build on.

Limbaugh has enjoyed a huge spike in ratings since his CPAC podium rage a couple weeks ago. Good on Rush. The man is a marketing genius. He will ride this wave he created until the elephants come home, much to the delight of Democrats.

Charles Manson has a higher favorable rating than Rush Limbaugh. Really, I'm not kidding.

It's only fair to note, however, that Rush is still holding strong with the demographic of partially edentulous, high school educated, ass-crack emerging at the waist NASCAR white guys between the ages of 49 and 49 and a half.

On a moderately (operative word italicized for emphasis) serious note, it's great to witness Rush back on his game. For far too long he had to stretch the bounds of conspiracy hacks to pinpoint blame on liberals, as he patiently waited for six years of Republican deficit borrowing and big government spending to pass. Now he has the trifecta of President Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi to blame, along with his usual suspects, activist judges and the liberal media.

My favorite Limbaughism came a few years ago when Rush was addicted to Oxycontin. There he was, a gaunt and - by comparison today - emaciated shell of a Rush, hopped up on narcotics, live on the air in full mellow-drama, announcing to his faithful that he suddenly and inexplicably had gone deaf.

It's a common side-effect of narcotic abusers to temporarily lose motor senses, most commonly hearing. Rush was nothing more than a broken drug addict. A few years earlier, he famously quipped his hard line and entirely unsympathetic opinion that all illegal drug users should be locked up in jail, without exception.

I don't recall Rush asking for that level of punishment in his case. And it's a good thing he didn't, really.

Without Rush, we'd suffer a mass shortage of hot air and white noise.