RUSH: I want to address something here, and I might botch it at first. I just got an e-mail during the break, and the subject line was: “I’m skeptical. Well, you say that there are gonna be ramifications. Obama’s not gonna get hurt by any of this. I mean, you know, America was nice while it lasted.” I had an e-mail exchange with some friends today about an admission that I made to them about my naivete. One of the things that I have been really naive about — I’m sad to admit this — for the entire 25-plus years I’ve been doing this I have been under the impression that whether you call them Republicans or whether you call them conservative, that there are people fighting the left, trying to stop them, trying to educate and inform people so as to reverse this.
And I have, frankly, this is my naivete, I’ve been shocked to learn how few people actually are doing that on our side. I mean, it’s obvious at this moment now there’s no pushback from the Republican Party on any of this. And, in fact, when there is pushback to any of this, by conservatives, oftentimes they are attacked by the Republican establishment. I’ve been asking myself, I interviewed a guy once who wrote a book about how the left has corrupted education. And the book was replete with examples, and it was devastating. It was a great book about how the left has totally corrupted and bastardized not just public, but all the way up to college, education. And in the interview I said, “Well, how long do you think this is gonna last? How long is it gonna take us to retake this?”
He was totally flummoxed. He said, “What do you mean, retake it?”
I said, “When are we gonna kick them out and regain control of the education system?”
He was totally flummoxed. I said, “Well, why did you write the book? I mean, why spend the time and the effort of writing a book detailing all the corruption of education by the left, if the purpose isn’t to reverse it?”
“Oh, well, that, Rush, we’re not gonna be able to ever do that.”
I said, “Well, then what am I doing here?” This is years ago. I talked to, at the time, an editor of a famous conservative journal of opinion. I said, “How long do you think it might be, realistically, before we can educate people to the left and assume a dominant position as conservatives?”
“Oh, Rush, it’s never gonna happen.”
I said, “Well, then why are you doing what you’re doing? What are you doing? Why do you want to run a magazine here?”
“Well, we’re just chronicling what’s happening. We’re a journal of opinion.”
“Yeah, but is there anything behind your opinion? Okay, anybody can tell you what they think. I mean, what’s the point?” I mean, I have to tell you, my purpose here every day is to beat this stuff back. And I’ve been honest with you, upfront about my objective, and that is to create as large an informed, participating, voting bloc of citizenry possible. I know I’m just one show. I don’t expect to convert the whole country, but I’ve always thought of myself as part of a team effort, and I’ve been shocked. This is my naivete. I’ve been shocked to learn how few people actually approach this with that objective in mind. And I’m not exaggerating this at all. I am stunned at the number of people who simply want to commentate. “Well, this is who the left is and this is what they’re doing,” and then leave it at that.
Why are you doing it? I mean, when I started this program it was to be a success on the radio. I had multiple reasons for doing this. That was the first one, ’cause if I didn’t pull that off all the rest of it would never happen. But I’m not just uttering syllables here. I am not just talking to hear my head rattle. I passionately believe what I believe. I’m very proud of what I believe. I think it’s worth being a majority opinion in the country, trying to affect that. That is why I wrote this book for kids, Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims. The whole point of this book is not to have another book out there. I really couldn’t care less about having another book. I’ve been there, done that.
The express purpose of this book is to reach people that the radio show doesn’t, young people, a younger demographic and their parents and their grandparents to try to counter some of the crap that they’re taught when they go to school. It’s an attempt to correct the historical record that’s been corrupted in schools. Nothing complicated, nothing controversial, just the truth. In this case, in this book, it’s the Pilgrims because they were the forerunners of the establishment of the United States of America. They, unbeknownst to them, were laying down a pathway for people.
I look at how their story has been lied about and corrupted itself, how people have blamed the early arrivals for all the problems that exist here in this country and around the world. It’s not enough just to tell people what I think. I’m actually trying to effect some change with it, and I’ve been stunned to find out that I’m in a real small minority of people with this attitude, and this is my naivete. So I get an e-mail, “Well, I’m skeptical. There’s not gonna be any ramifications to this lie. Obama’s gonna get away with it.”
Okay, fine. Want to give up, give up. Why do this, then? I mean, I’ve already proven that I can do the number one radio show for 25 years. I’ve got nothing left to prove there. I’ve already proven I can attract and hold an audience and charge confiscatory advertising rates. So why am I doing this? This is all about honest passion, deep love, caring and appreciation for the country and the people who live in it, and the abject fear I have of what’s happening to it and making some sort of little effort here to stopping it and maybe reversing it.
And I’ve been under the impression that everybody on my side is doing the same. That is why, over the 25 years, when anybody, any conservative, Ollie North, I don’t care who it is, when they’ve come under assault, Clarence Thomas, I don’t care, whether I knew ’em or not, I ran in there and I defended ’em to the hilt because of the cause, because I knew exactly why they were being targeted. Sarah Palin. I went in there and defended these people because I know that it’s an effort to undermine everything I believe. They attacked Palin, they attacked Ollie, they attacked Clarence Thomas, they’re attacking us, me.
Well, it’s not enough just to come here and tell you, “Oh, look what they’re saying about Palin. See ya, folks, have a great day.” Then tomorrow, “Oh, look what they said about Newt. See ya, folks, have a great day.” Why am I doing this? And the reason I wrote this book is to try to counter what’s going on. Why would you write a book on how the left has corrupted education if you didn’t have some desire to fight it? And this is what has frankly stunned me ever since Barack Obama’s election. I understand there’s a fear of the media, and I understand there’s a fear of Obama’s race, but it’s time to get past that. The guy’s president. He’s destroying the foundations of this country, as founded. He’s literally setting his sights on transforming this country into something it was never founded to be.
I don’t think that should happen, and I’ve been under the impression that everybody else that’s not part of the Democrat Party has been of the same mind-set, and that’s where I’ve been wrong. So those of us who fight back upset the applecart, are those who just want to sit there and accept it and try to manage their lives and careers in the midst of this mess because we’re upsetting the applecart. So we have to then be attacked as whatever.
That’s why they’re going after Cruz. What are they going after Ted Cruz for? What’s he done to anybody? It’s Obama they ought to be going after! Why are they going after Mike Lee? That’s why we defend these guys. They’re out there actually trying to beat this stuff back, and they’re doing it because they love the country. They’re doing it because they’re shocked and saddened by what they’re seeing happening here, and they don’t think it’s time to give up.
Look how rare that is! Sarah Palin, the same thing. Look at what happens to people that do that. I mean, even Republicans go after ’em. They went after Reagan, too. It’s the same thing, but Reagan was able to overcome it. It’s a sad thing that there’s only been one of him, but that’s because they’ve done everything they can to revise history from that era and make people think it was the exact opposite of what it was. But, folks, the whole point of this latest book has been to join people, ’cause I know there are a lot of you.
This is the thing I know. A lot of you are fighting back, the Tea Party is. A lot of you do want to arrest this stuff and stop it and reverse it. A lot of you do want get rid of the current liberal power structure that’s destroying the fabric of the country, cultural, politically, societally, economically, you name it. It’s a wrecking ball that’s been unleashed each and every day, and I know all of you in the Tea Party and most of you in this audience are trying to stop it.
One of the things that frustrates you is apparently what frustrates me, and there’s nobody fighting back that you vote for. Or very few. I had no reason to write another book just to write another book. Been there, done that, proved I can do that. This has a specific purpose, and I think it’s a really worthwhile one. That’s why I can’t tell you how ecstatic I am at the reception this book is getting. My brother David went to the dentist today. His dentist is an adult, obviously.
The dentist told him that he’s reading the book, and he’s fascinated by it. I can’t tell you the number of adults who are telling me that they are finding this book enjoyable. It was written for people 10 to 13. Now, not at a specific 10 to 13 reading level. That was the target audience, but was also intended for parents and grandparents to read as well and share with their kids and grandkids and have it be a joint experience.
The grandparents know the truth of the country, know the truth of the Pilgrims read the book and have their kids read it and reinforce what they’re reading and say, “Yes, Mr. Limbaugh’s telling the truth here,” I mean, that’s been the whole point of this, and now I’m getting… You wouldn’t believe the pictures that we’re getting that people sending into the TwoIfByTea.com website, the little yellow mailbox there.
Five-year-olds and seven-year-olds are at bookstores standing there holding books up and reading them and big smiles on their faces. It makes it all seem worthwhile. Here, we’re getting mail pouring in. Let me give you an example. “Hi, Rush. I have to tell you about my experience this evening buying your book at the Barnes & Noble store in Annapolis, Maryland. Normally this store goes out of its way to bury conservative-leaning books in the back of the store.
“So you have to ask for them, and when you do, you frequently get snooty looks. So I couldn’t believe it when I found your book tonight not more than 10 feet from the front door. I nearly tripped over your display stand. Even more exciting, it was almost empty. There were only five books left in it. Now, bear in mind, conservatives and businesses are fed up and leaving our used-to-be-free state of Maryland in droves since our Governor O’Malley, an Obama wannabe, has made it the bluest state in the country.
“Therefore, seeing Rush Revere right up front in this liberal-leaning bookstore was encouraging.” Amen! “But here,” she says… The writer of this e-mail’s a woman. Her name is Sue Ann. “Here’s where it gets really interesting. At the checkout counter I asked the young saleswoman, who’s barely 20, how your book was selling, and she broke into a huge grin and energetically said, ‘Really, really well.
“‘I’ve had lots of people coming in to reserve it,’ and I thought to myself, ‘Wow. What a truly great evening in Maryland for a change. I not only run into a conservative, but a young one at that, in a leftist-leaning bookstore to boot.’ Well, sure enough, an older male salesclerk immediately planted himself right next to her, interrupting with, ‘You better keep your mouth shut,’ and I thought, ‘Uh-oh, she’s in trouble.’
“But I was just tickled to death when she barely acknowledged his presence and she just kept on smiling and talking to me, and neither of us missed a beat — and to my further amusement, the obviously liberal slowly slithered away to wait on another customer as I continued telling her it was great to hear the book was selling so well, ’cause it sounds like it’ll help kids and adults learn the real truth about our history.”
Amen! This is the kind of stuff that we aimed for. This was the purpose, instead of all the lies that they’re being taught in our schools. “She then said, ‘Yeah, I think it will help, and I know I actually hated learning history in school ’til my teacher made it into a story like Rush has done here. I really enjoyed it,’ and as I was leaving, I said, ‘Well, do yourself a favor and get Rush’s book, because I’ve heard him say he’s getting letters from children who say they don’t like history either.
“‘But they’re totally enjoying the book,’ and she said, ‘I will. Hope you have a great evening,’ and I said, ‘Thank you.’ As I passed by her coworker on the way out, flashed him a great big smile. Sue Ann from Annapolis, Maryland.” That’s a sample of what’s pouring in here. I had to get this off my chest because I’m just continually amazed at how you got all these conservatives, and they don’t seem to think there’s anything worthwhile fighting back for. I don’t get it.