On CPAC, Rush, and Reversals

Well, you can't blame him for taking full advantage of an opportunity. Limbaugh was scheduled to speak for 20 minutes at CPAC; his address lasted for an hour and a half. He spent much of it lambasting the majority party, which is fine, but what does that accomplish besides riling up the base? (I refer you again to John Derbyshire's excellent article on talk radio in The American Conservative).

What strikes me funny--and I wonder why them in Washington don't recognize this--is that conservatives are essentially using the same phrases against liberals as liberals have used against conservatives for the past eight years: e.g., the president is: "employing the politics of fear," "amassing debt for which our children will pay," "desecrating the Constitution and trying to remake the country," etc. Turn around is fair play and all that, even if it is as juvenile as some of the Bush-era liberal rhetoric. However, if conservatives found liberals' statements irrational, kneejerk, and misleading, why are they following the liberals' lead? Additionally, I'd like to propose that we do away with each of the above phrases as they have become overused and pretty much emptied of significant meaning--they've become cliches.

One other thing: when liberals spoke of secession and plans to create the"Republic of Cascadia" following George Bush's re-election, I'm pretty sure no one was hoping for, or encouraging, an armed insurrection or a military coup to voice their disapproval of President Bush.

Aside: Sullivan's take on Limbaugh's address.