RUSH: Here’s Victoria in Kingsford, Michigan. It’s great to have you on the EIB Network. Hi.
CALLER: Hi.
RUSH: Hey.
CALLER: Okay. So I’m one of those mean liberal 20-somethings, and my dad, he pretty much agrees with everything you say, and I pretty much disagree. But I love my dad more than anything in the entire world and I hate it when we fight, and we’re both passionate about these things, and I just want advice on how to talk to my dad. Do you have anything that you think I should read? Anything that you think I should keep in mind?
RUSH: Wait. I don’t yet understand what the problem is.
CALLER: Well, whenever we start talking about anything like global economics or, you know, foreign policy or the environment, we end up getting in a fight, every single time.
RUSH: Wait. Are you not a conservative?
CALLER: No, I’m not.
RUSH: Oh, you’re not a conservative. Oh, that’s the problem. So your dad’s very conservative and you’re not.
CALLER: No.
RUSH: Oh. Okay. So you’re a liberal.
CALLER: Yeah, and my dad’s conservative and he’s my favorite person in the world and I love him more than anything, and I hate fighting with him, and I just want to know, if he and I can communicate better and what can I do on my end to help us get along better when we talk about politics. Otherwise we get along famously.
RUSH: You get along famously on everything but politics, you say?
CALLER: Yes.
RUSH: Okay. Well, I need to collect some information, and I need you to answer me as honestly as you can.
CALLER: Yes.
RUSH: When you are in these conversations with your dad, who do you think, honestly, is the most rigid and inflexible, you or him?
CALLER: I honestly think it’s a pretty big tie when it comes to that. And then we both start to feel like we’re insulting each other’s intelligence. We both start to get frustrated.
RUSH: You love your dad, which I understand, you love your dad, and you wish you probably agreed with him on things, but you don’t —
CALLER: Yes.
RUSH: — and you don’t want to change your core beliefs, and yet you don’t want to have these disagreements. Have you thought, just for the sake of getting along and the comity of everything here, because you love your dad, have you thought about maybe suggesting that you and he not talk about those things when you’re together?
CALLER: Dad, do you think we can do that? Do you think we can agree to not talk about this stuff?
RUSH: Do I think you can agree —
CALLER: I’m not asking my dad right now ’cause you’re on speakerphone.
RUSH: Oh.
DAD: Yes, we should agree not to talk about this stuff.
CALLER: Okay, Rush Limbaugh is telling us that we should avoid that. I think that that’s gonna have to be the answer.
RUSH: Okay, well, that was just my first stab at this. So your dad’s there with you?
CALLER: Yes.
RUSH: Okay, so understand I’m at a little bit of a disadvantage because of my hearing, so I’m having to read what you’re saying as it’s transcribed so I’m a little bit behind you here. I’m not confused, I just have to wait to catch up to what you’re saying. When your dad gets added in, it’s a bit more confusing. So that would be one thing. But I gather you would actually love to be able to talk to him about these things —
CALLER: Yes.
RUSH: — and still not have anger and war break out.
CALLER: Yes. That would be perfect.
RUSH: Well, you might try something along the lines of, “Dad, you know what, you’re older than I am, and you’ve lived much longer than I have, and you are much wiser, and you know much more than I know right now, so maybe you’re right. Give me time to catch up to you.” Or something like that. And then keep talking about these things.
CALLER: Well, I will keep an open mind.
RUSH: ‘Cause you love your dad. This anger that you have with him, it doesn’t lessen your affection for him at all?
CALLER: No.
RUSH: It doesn’t make you want to not be around him as much, right?
CALLER: Not at all. We just get heated once we start talking about it —
RUSH: Well, see, let me tell you what his frustration is. I can almost — his frustration, he loves you so much, and he is very passionate about what he believes. You are his daughter. He only wants the best for you. He really, really hopes, since he totally trusts everything he believes, he wants the best in the world for you, and he thinks you’re not gonna get that until you start seeing things the way he does. And if you just let him know that you understand that all he really cares about is your best interests, then I think all of these disagreements can be managed, if you will, so as long as you’re not suspecting motives —
CALLER: Yeah.
RUSH: — get bad motive out of the way, as long as you both recognize that all of this is rooted in love and both of you wanting the best for each other, you ought to be able to manage it. And then the next thing you should do, Victoria, is start listening to this program every day, all three hours, and the problem will resolve itself.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: Victoria, very quickly, I wanted to offer you something that you could give to your dad. if it works. You still there?
CALLER: Yes.
RUSH: Okay, does your dad have a cell phone?
CALLER: Yes.
RUSH: What kind?
CALLER: iPhone.
RUSH: He has an iPhone. Would he like a new one? I could send you a new iPhone that you could give to him as a result of you having taken time to call this program to try to, you know, family unity and so forth. Just as a little gift, something you could give him.
CALLER: Oh, my gosh.
RUSH: All right, now, do you expect to know what cellular carrier he’s on?
CALLER: AT&T.
RUSH: Okay. Does he want a big one or a regular-size one?
CALLER: He just left with my mom to go to a doctor’s appointment, but I’m gonna guess that
he wants a bigger one.
RUSH: Fine and dandy. So I’m going to send him a big boy, iPhone 6S Plus. You hang on, Snerdley will get the address, we’ll send it to you, and then you can give it to him.
CALLER: You are so amazing. Thank you so much.
RUSH: We love family togetherness throughout this program. It’s one of the many services is that we provide, and so don’t hang up so Mr. Snerdley can get your address. A little surprise you’ll have for him. Well, okay. I’ll offer her one, too, then. I don’t want to be accused of only offering the conservative one. So offer her — jeez. Try to do a nice thing and still get critics.