Those words were spoken emphatically and with conviction by Rush Limbaugh during his daily diatribe of delusional drivel and defamatory derision. While Limbaugh refuses to explicitly endorse any of the Republican candidates, Rush relentlessly tries to pull the Republican Party ever rightward. Limbaugh is widely regarded as the de facto leader of Republican Party until a presumptive nominee emerges. Despite that Limbaugh likes to style himself as a party Establishment outsider, and he demonizes other GOP talking heads who disagree with Rush's radicalism as the party Establishment.
Rush: People ask me, "What do you mean, who is this Republican establishment?" Two things. They don't like conservatives and they're not really all that concerned about spending. They want to be in charge of it. That's who they are. And they are not gonna be in charge of it if they don't hold the House and if they don't pick up the Senate. And that's what they really want. They're not and never have been convinced that Obama can be beat.
Now, Newt has thrown this thing into a tizzy. They don't know what to do. They wanted this wrapped up. They don't understand why it happened. They're blaming all the wrong people. They're blaming their own voters. They're blaming the media. They're blaming stupidity on the part of the voters. They haven't the slightest idea why this happened in South Carolina. It's not too much democracy going on in their minds; they just don't understand it. They don't understand the base of their own party. They resent the base of their own party. They don't understand the passion.
The GOP Establishment in Abject Panic: They Don't Understand Their Own Base
Rush regularly sits in judgment of individual Republicans' ideological purity. Last March David Brooks dared to take a shot at Limbaugh's influence in the party. Today Limbaugh returned to ridiculing Brooks personally.
Chris Christie called Newt an "Embarrassment" to the Party, and Rich Lowery call Newt "Radioactive". Will the Republican Party's powerful right fringe including figures like Limbaugh be successful in their efforts to derail a Romney nomination? Or can they force Romney to move closer to their own radical policy prescriptions?