... And Joy Behar Is A Know-Nothing Bitch!

In this clip from "The View", co-host Joy Behar calls radio host Rush Limbaugh a terrorist:



Now, before I go any further, I must say that I am not a regular listener of Rush Limbaugh's, although I know plenty about him, having spent 19 years with him hosting the midday show on WMAL. I am not a fan, per se, but I do admire him as one of radio's greatest legends of all time. You can hate the man's politics, you can find him to be obnoxious, or snide, or pompous. But you cannot deny his impact on the talk radio industry. Rush Limbaugh is - in total fact - the most-listened-to man in America.


A couple of things really bother me about this institutional hatred of Rush. First of all, I strongly suspect that most of his critics have never spent more than 5 minutes listening to him on the radio, and therefore, their criticisms of him are simply ill-formed and invalid. People hate his politics, they personalize that hatred, and turn Limbaugh, in their minds, into some sort of Hitleresque monster.

The fact is, Rush Limbaugh is an entertainer - and a brilliant one at that! He knows exactly how to massage his audience to attain maximum results. I'm quite sure that , ideologically, Rush believes what he says, but you must know there are two Rush Limbaughs... The one for public consumption, and the private Rush who spent years crafting the Limbaugh persona. The difference between private Rush and the Great and Powerful Oz is that Rush is way too smart to ever let you see the man behind the curtain! But trust me when I tell you that while Limbaugh's shtick is not an act, it's also true that he ramps it WAY up for his audience.

Limbaugh is unique... and when I say unique, I mean it in the literal sense. There are many pretenders to his throne, but none who can hold a candle to his talent on the air.

The great irony I find in Joy Behar's comments is that she and he are basically doing the exact same job, albeit on opposite ends of the political spectrum. "The View" and Rush Limbaugh have different audiences, but both shows exist for the same reason - to present a point of VIEW that will help listeners/viewers shape their own opinions.

So Joy - aren't you just the pot calling the kettle black, you li'l terrorist?