A conservative friend of mine alerted me to a blog post he just posted about Rush Limbaugh. It is a lot different from what he might have said about him a decade ago - today he uses the phrase "political porn star" in describing him.
You have to know about Dennis Mansfield - if what follows is to be appreciated - that for many years, he was the leading voice of the social/religious right in Idaho, a leader of the evangelical conservatives in the state. When he ran for Congress in 2000 (against now-Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter, a libertarian conservative) he was essentially coming at him from the right.
His religious faith may be unchanged, but his take on politics is a lot different. He's still a self-described conservative, but now one who has spent time in social work and environmental activism. His most persistent call in politics these days is more "less bark, more wag."
He just wrote me to say that his post today will probably rile a lot of his conservative friends. And it may, because he writes about Rush Limbaugh, after watching him on the Today Show:
"he READILY admits that his number one goal is ratings (which he equals to money). Fair enough...at least he's being honest....or is he? The conservative Moms and Dads across America, who daily listen to him as if he were a political Billy Graham, will most certainly be scratching their heads...."for the money", they might be saying. "Really?" Yep, he's like a political porn star, all undressed-up and unblushingly ready for the Director to call "Action"...and then collect his paycheck. And my heart goes out to those Moms and Dads. 21 years of listening to Limbaugh brings them to this. This is not conservativism, nor is it the reason most conservatives are in the political debate."
Mansfield added: "He doesn't represent me in the GOP. . . . Young Americans really do not think like he does. And that generation is moving forward...for the love of their country and NOT the love of money."
There's a sea change coming, even from within the right.