Against Listening: The Key To Political Success

Rush Limbaugh today admits that listening is a scam.

LIMBAUGH What if I decided I needed to go on a listening -- you know what, folks, instead of the Rush to Excellence tour, we're gonna go on a Rush listen tour.

I'm gonna show up in your town, I'm gonna set up a microphone that you use. And I'm gonna sit there and say nothing. And I'm gonna listen to you. And I'm gonna come back and I'm gonna put together a great radio prog --

What do you think would happen? Not very many people would show up, and if I actually did listen, it would be a disaster because you can't take the advice of 20 million people, or 5,000, regardless of whatever the number is. And if you're a politician, you can't take the advice of 58 million people. This whole notion of listening, it's just -- it's a scam.

Of course he holds listening in low esteem. That kind of bold disregard for the opinions of anyone has led the Republican Party onto the brink of irrelevance.

(Bunning) said: “Do you realize that under our dynamic leadership of our leader, we have gone from 55 and probably to 40 (Senate seats) in two election cycles, and if the tea leaves that I read are correct, we will wind up with about 36 after this election cycle.

So if leadership means anything, it means you don’t lose … approximately 19 seats in three election cycles with good leadership.”

Which isn't working out for their party so well, but does do wonders for the institutional power of Rush Limbaugh, as he alienates the rest of the country and captivates only the attention of those who unthinkingly agree with him. He can't very well listen to them because they only parrot him. So this all works out very well for the Rush Limbaughs and Mitch McConnells of the world, but not so much for the GOP. I say they go for it. Listening is overrated.