It is rare for Rush and his ilk to apologize, while key reasons for his apology have been correctly been identified and discussed I believe one important reason is being over looked. That is, the lack of an equivalent penalty by the Left or Women's organizations. That would have allowed the right's superior messaging machine to focus only on the counter attack. Or as they say in football, the second penalty draws the flag.
Most of the key contributing reasons have been already listed- His sponsors are fleeing, He is hurting Rublicans most effective line of attack on "Obamacare", he is hurting the "Republican Brand" with independent women, Republicans want this issue to go away etc.....
However one of the underrated factors in this victory over this pig, is the disciplined and measured response to his provocation. Surely, it is an indication of how weak Rush is, that his over the top attack failed to really failed to push the buttons he might have been counting on. He must have been banking on counterattacks on him to use as his shield.
Think I am giving Rush too much credit, think again. This is not at all that brilliant or all that new,Rush's reptilian brain is cunning enough to instinctively get this strategy right. It is only a slight twist on the southern strategy- Invite attacks on yourself by inflaming passions among African American leadership- use the legitimate attacks on you for your racist provocation to convince the southern white voters you have their interest at heart.
This will also explain why there was a increasingly more desperate and more inflammatory second day and the third day. I can only imagine the increasing panic Rush must have felt when he gambled and lost, literally doubled down and lost and doubled down again and lost again.
The restraint demonstrated by the Left in general and Women's organizations in particular surely had a key role to play in this victory, even if, it was only a supporting role.