RUSH: This program, as an e-mailer just said to me, is the very essence of civility. It was a woman who wrote me the note: ‘Yeah, I’ve been listening to all this talk about how uncivil and angry you are. You are the politest host I have ever heard, Mr. Limbaugh. I would lose patience with half of your callers, but you are as nice to them as I have ever heard any talk show host be.’ I appreciate that because that’s exactly how we operate here. I’m the politest host in America, there’s no question about it. You can’t occupy the lofty heights of this program filled with hate and anger and rudeness and all that kind of stuff. It would never work.
Pat, New Port Richey, Florida, welcome to the EIB Network. Great to have you here.
CALLER: Yes. Hello. How you doing?
RUSH: Fine. Thank you.
CALLER: Yes. I’m quite upset over the way you speak about everybody.
RUSH: Hmm.
CALLER: It’s the tone that you use that really upsets me. I don’t mind that you have a difference in opinion and, you know, you feel very passionately about the things you believe in.
RUSH: Right.
CALLER: That’s all fine and good.
RUSH: Thank you.
CALLER: But when the other side doesn’t maybe see it the way you see we’re all evil and we’re calling people stupid. I never called the Tea Party stupid. I didn’t agree with them. I understand what they were doing.
RUSH: Pat.
CALLER: Yes?
RUSH: I never said you called the Tea Party stupid.
CALLER: No, you talk about the left convincing everybody, ‘Did you hear what they say? They’re saying you’re stupid; they’re saying you are this.’ In your tone of voice you make it like the left is calling the right stupid and all these other things that you say we’re accusing — and what I find odd —
RUSH: Pat, wait a second — (crosstalk)
CALLER: — I don’t mean to be disrespectful, because I understand this is your business —
RUSH: Pat, wait a minute.
CALLER: Go ahead.
RUSH: If all the left was doing was calling us stupid, I wouldn’t be upset at all.
CALLER: No, this is what you say on your show.
RUSH: That doesn’t bother me, the left calling us stupid, that’s not what —
CALLER: No, no, no, you say we are calling you stupid.
RUSH: No, I don’t.
CALLER: Yes, you do.
RUSH: I wouldn’t be bothered by that. If that’s what the left were doing I wouldn’t even make a point of it. The left is calling us murderers, Pat.
CALLER: Well, because of all the things that you encourage people to do. You get them all riled up. You know, I’m not saying you killed anybody but I understand where that comes from. And it’s both sides. Both sides are getting too vitriol.
RUSH: Give me an example of how I got them riled up.
CALLER: Oh, you want me to give you an example of how you got them riled up?
RUSH: Give an example. I want to know what you think is an example of me getting them riled up.
CALLER: Well, I think it’s because when you speak about them, you speak about them with such detest and anger and hate and they’re stupid and we’re the ones that caused all the problems. It’s all the liberals that cause —
RUSH: Give me an example, cite for me some evidence.
CALLER: Oh, this is what we’re gonna get. Look, right at the moment my head is spinning because I’m like so anxious over this phone call —
RUSH: So you can’t remember any.
CALLER: — I can’t think of one exact thing you said, but all I know is that your whole tone, that’s all I’m trying to say, if you don’t agree with things that’s fine, but can’t you just say it without all the hatred and the accusing and the —
RUSH: Give me an example. Look, I want to learn, Pat. Give me an example of the hatred.
CALLER: Well, first of all, the way you speak about Obama is disgusting.
RUSH: Pat, I know that I’m confusing you asking to you substantiate the charge, but try.
CALLER: You’re not confusing me. It’s that I’m nervous being on the phone knowing I’m on a radio show, you know, talking with someone who’s whole business is talking, so I’m not gonna be as, you know, quick thinking as you are. This is your business; it’s not mine.
RUSH: I’ll get out of the way. I’ll stop talking for 30 seconds or a minute, just give me an example.
CALLER: (crosstalk)
RUSH: Just give me an example.
CALLER: I’m very anxious. (crosstalk)
RUSH: I want an example of the hate.
CALLER: Oh, everything a hear like, let’s just give a for-instance.
RUSH: You know what, you’re the one that sounds pretty agitated to me, Pat.
CALLER: I am agitated, because it upsets me that there’s such hatred. Like I said, I don’t mind that you think different from me.
RUSH: No, no. I want an example of the hatred.
CALLER: It’s your whole tone.
RUSH: Well, give me an example of tone. Imitate me. What is it I do?
CALLER: All right, just like you’ll say, ‘Oooh, the way we like to drive ’em crazy,’ and you give that laugh that sounds like a maniac (imitating laugh). You actually get a thrill over when anybody on the other side or who doesn’t agree with you fails in some way or it doesn’t work out his way or it doesn’t look that good. Instead of just saying it didn’t work out or whatever, you actually gloat and get a thrill out of it, and that is not a Christian thing to do.
RUSH: Pat, do you —
CALLER: Christians, we’re supposed to be encouraging each other.
RUSH: What is this, you Christians? Do you own a gun, Pat?
CALLER: No, and I never would.
RUSH: Thank God.
CALLER: Thank God is right, so don’t try to turn it around on me. I’m just trying to tell you that if you just made a statement about what you didn’t like about Obama, that’s fine. When you start now denigrating a person and tearing them down piece by piece —
RUSH: Like what?
CALLER: — and making them look like garbage in people’s eyes.
RUSH: Pat, I’m more than willing here, but you’re not giving me any specifics, you’re falling back on this tone business, and nobody who listens to this program thinks I’ve got this tone —
CALLER: No, I’ll tell you why.
RUSH: I’m being as civil with you as probably anybody in your family used to be.
CALLER: Well, the reason that I may not be able to get to the tone of it, I can’t remember everything, there’s so many things you have said that are so horrible that I just — like I’m sitting here going, ‘I can’t believe this man actually gets away with this.’ Well, the other thing. How come you never have people from the left on your show and have a debate of some sort?
CALLER: I do, right here. I mean, here you are, and —
CALLER: Not me, I’m a nobody, I’m just a person in —
RUSH: You’re not a nobody, Pat.
CALLER: I’m just another person in this land.
RUSH: Pat, you are not a nobody, you are a major —
CALLER: I don’t mean it in that sense. I’m talking about a non-political big person.
RUSH: Pat, when you are on this show, you are —
CALLER: Yeah, I know.
RUSH: — somebody, you are bigger than you have ever been.
CALLER: Yeah, I know. I’m talking about —
RUSH: Well, use the opportunity. You are somebody!
CALLER: Yeah. Well, I know I’m somebody.
RUSH: You gotta stop thinking of yourself as nothing. This is what the left has done to you. You think you’re nothing. You think you’re just a speck of dust.
CALLER: No, I don’t think I’m nothing. I’m saying as compared to somebody in the political field who can really debate you. I really can’t. I only know what I feel.
RUSH: My phone lines are open.
CALLER: All I’m saying is that if you would just say it in a normal way, without using all this, I guess nobody would listen to the show if you didn’t do it, I imagine that, but I do give you the respect to listen to you every day. I do. I don’t agree with most of the things you say, but I will listen because you never know, someday I may learn something different, and sometimes maybe even your point of view, I may say, ‘You know, that gives you thought to think,’ but it’s the way you send the message out that it makes me get defensive, it’s like, wait a minute, wait a minute, this is not right the way it’s being said, there’s other ways to say it that would make me feel maybe I could come over to that side, but I can’t because the way you say it is so —
RUSH: Wait a second now.
CALLER: You back a person right against the wall.
RUSH: Do you really mean that?
CALLER: Mean what?
RUSH: Let’s examine what you just said here.
CALLER: Yeah. What I’m saying is even if you said something I might think about, the tone that you use is like, ‘Oh, I can’t even agree with this man, does not fit into my universe.’
RUSH: Even if I were able to persuade you that my argument was right, you would reject it because of what you perceive to be my tone?
CALLER: No, I wouldn’t reject it, it’s just that I couldn’t feel —
RUSH: He-he-he-he-he.
CALLER: — I couldn’t feel, how could I put it?
RUSH: He-he-he-he-he-he.
CALLER: It’s hard to say. I wouldn’t be able to — how can I say it? I can still take other ideas, I don’t have only one, you know, like the left or the right. I teeter back and forth, but it’s the tone that you take that that’s why I don’t like that side. It seems to be very hostile and aggressive and mad.
RUSH: Pat, I think you’re addicted to my tone.
CALLER: No, I’m not addicted to your tone. (laughing) I’m sorry.
RUSH: And that’s why you don’t realize it.
CALLER: I am sometimes laughing and I feel bad because I mean you’re not a stupid man, I know that, but the thing is and the fact is the only reason you do it and the way you do it is because you wouldn’t make money any other way. If you did it normal just to tell us the facts —
RUSH: Look, I’m gonna give you one more chance.
CALLER: I can’t because I’m so anxious right now. So many things are flying through my head.
RUSH: No, you’re not. Pat, look, I’m not gonna sit here and fall for this I’m not good at what I’m doing business, I’m so nervous. You’re speaking very well, you’re articulating very well, as well as the president does.
CALLER: Now, that’s what I mean.
RUSH: Just tell me — (crosstalk)
CALLER: Things like that I don’t like.
RUSH: Pat, please give me an example of the tone —
CALLER: Well, all right, that’s the tone. How you say Michelle (My Belle), you insulted the children, you know, and then you take something — I go on the Internet, as soon as you say something —
RUSH: Michelle (My Belle)? (crosstalk)
CALLER: — look it up, all right, I look — (crosstalk)
RUSH: When did I insult the children? What children?
CALLER: When you imitate the children talk, (imitating Rush) ‘Daddy, daddy,’ and you do all that crap, that is insulting. If you had children you wouldn’t like that.
RUSH: (laughing)
CALLER: It’s very insulting to denigrate a child.
RUSH: I talk to my nephews and nieces that way.
CALLER: No, I’m sorry, that is not nice to do, I don’t care who it is, you don’t have to be the president. Everybody deserves respect. It’s the respect part that I don’t like. That’s what I find very upsetting. When you try to tear down — look, you may not agree with this man, that’s fine, you don’t have to, we don’t all have to agree with everybody, but when you try to make a person evil because you don’t agree with his political things, that’s where I find it wrong.
RUSH: What about what Sheriff Dipstick said about me?
CALLER: Maybe he spoke a little too fast, right, everybody’s getting all upset. Let me just ask you something and I want an honest answer. You really believe in your heart of hearts that the president is actually trying to destroy our country? I want an honest answer. You really, truly believe this in your heart?
RUSH: Let me spell it out for you.
CALLER: Go ahead.
RUSH: Y-E-S.
CALLER: Yes. That’s what I’m saying. And that’s ridiculous. You may not agree —
RUSH: It’s happening right before our very eyes. The US economy is being transformed right before our very eyes.
CALLER: You’re gonna blame this all on him, everything? Come on. This was all ten years coming. I’m not saying maybe he didn’t help —
RUSH: I’m not blaming him for everything. There’s Pelosi, there’s Reid, there’s Algore.
CALLER: No, no, no —
RUSH: There’s a whole bunch of them.
CALLER: You blame it on, as you call it, the regime, constantly it’s the regime, you know, because you want to make it sound derogatory. All I’m saying is we all have a hand in it, all of us, and, yes, you can say I don’t agree with what he’s doing, I think he’s going down the wrong path, that’s fine, but when you start trying to convince people that —
RUSH: Let me ask — hey, Pat? (crosstalk)
CALLER: — to destroy the country.
RUSH: Pat? Pat?
CALLER: That’s wrong!
RUSH: You there?
CALLER: Go ahead, I’m done.
RUSH: He-he-he-he-he. One question.
CALLER: Yes.
RUSH: Have you read the president’s books? Have you read Dreams from My Father?
CALLER: No, but I hear you give excerpts of it.
RUSH: Well, do you know what his father’s dream was?
CALLER: No, tell me.
RUSH: Don’t tell you?
CALLER: No, tell me. I don’t know it, so tell me.
RUSH: To transform and destroy the United States as a capitalist nation.
CALLER: His father said transform and destroy?
RUSH: Barack Obama, Sr.
CALLER: Right, said transform and destroy?
RUSH: Yeah. America is the great Satan and the great enemy, father was a —
CALLER: You’re saying in the book that he says — (crosstalk)
RUSH: His father was a communist.
CALLER: Yeah. That might be true. That doesn’t mean he is, okay? Let me just give you an example of something. This is the only way I can say it. Many of the times — (crosstalk)
RUSH: (laughing) I’ve given you example after example after example.
CALLER: No, I want to tell you something. Many of the times I’ve heard you say, remember when the whole thing with Jeremiah Wright was going on?
RUSH: Yeah.
CALLER: That he sat in that church and he listened to all that —
RUSH: Yeah, who could forget it?
CALLER: Okay, I’m just gonna give you an example of something. I have relatives in my family whom I love very much but I am very politically on the other side of what they believe, and a lot of things that we believe in, they will say things that are absolutely — I can’t believe it, I’ll just sit there and say, ‘Oh, my God, I can’t believe you said that. I don’t agree with you at all but I love you for other things.’ So I try to stay away from the political things, but if I was with them and they were other people they would think that I was agreeing with them.
RUSH: What are you talking about now?
CALLER: Because you feel that Obama believes everything Jeremiah Wright might have said.
RUSH: No, I’m saying Obama heard it while he’s denied that he heard it.
CALLER: Maybe he did, maybe he didn’t. (crosstalk)
RUSH: Twenty years I guess it’s open for debate. He might not have heard it in 20 years.
CALLER: Doesn’t mean he agrees with it.
RUSH: Might not-a heard a thing in 20 years.
CALLER: I heard a lot of things, too, that I don’t agree with in my family.
RUSH: His kids were baptized in that church. He took his kids there to learn it. Michelle (My Belle) went in there with him. Michelle (My Belle) loves that church. Pat, I secretly think you love me.
CALLER: No, I don’t love you, but I’m not going to be disrespectful. I don’t believe in that.
RUSH: I think you are addicted to this program. I think that you can’t turn it off even when you want to.
CALLER: Only because you prove me right every time. I sit there and I go, ‘I can’t believe he said this,’ and then I go look it up on the Internet and I read it in the papers and I go to just not one site, I go all over the place and then I see you say it when I go on the YouTube, when they have little YouTube things of you.
RUSH: Well —
CALLER: You’d probably get more people on your side if you said what you’re saying in a less vitriol way, and then maybe we’d start listening to you, but you push people that might want to go over your side because they can’t stand the anger and the hostility.
RUSH: Whatever works.