The minor planetoid known as Rush Limbaugh is well known for misogyny, hating the poor, really hating unwashed Mexican border jumpers, and attacks on Blacks that rival KKK-variety calls for race war. His radio fans are urged to avoid being unarmed, to anticipate hostilities.
The followers are "Dittoheads." Angry White Males "R" us.
When Donald Trump set sail for the 2016 Republican nomination for president, acquiring the Dittoheads was an obvious choice for the campaign's first task. Trump started early with Birther nonsense. What else could he do? Trump has been able to grab off a 15% share, so far, by copying Limbaugh.
One critically part of this is that facts do not matter -- lying and invented history are expected parts of the performance. Back in the 1980s a twisty retelling of post-WW II history led to grabbing off the Reagan Democrats.
Bashing Mexicans as rapists feeds The Crazy exactly.
No one else running for president in the GOP nailed it. They didn't see Limbaugh's Dittoheads as an interest group.
Feed The Crazy doesn't quite come naturally to the Establishment figures Not sober, anyway. So today you see Trump holding the Dittohead 15% and whatever else name recognition can scrape together.
HuffPo and Jon Stewart, repeatedly, have connected Trump's spew with the Limbaugh spew. Thing is, it's not accidental. Trump dials it up and down to fit circumstance.
But don't kid yourself that Trump is sweetening the hatreds. This is not Limbaugh Light. What Trump is doing week after week is as nasty as the Limbaugh show.
Can you tell Trump and Limbaugh apart? Can anyone? For example....
Trump and Limbaugh on Mexicans:
“Let the unskilled jobs that take absolutely no knowledge whatsoever to do — let stupid and unskilled Mexicans do that work.”
"For every [immigrant] who's a valedictorian, there's another 100 out there that weigh 130 pounds and they've got calves the size of cantaloupes because they're hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert." -- quoted severally on air
"When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people."
On women:
"All of the women on The Apprentice flirted with me - consciously or unconsciously. That's to be expected."
“They’re out there protesting what they actually wish would happen to them sometimes.”
“I’m a huge supporter of women. Feminism is what I oppose. Feminism has led women astray. I love the women’s movement — especially when walking behind it” (as a judge for the 2010 Miss America contest)
"Feminism was established to allow unattractive women easier access to the mainstream."
“Women should not be allowed on juries where the accused is a stud.”
Trump and Limbaugh on race:
“Have you ever noticed how all composite pictures of wanted criminals resemble Jesse Jackson?”
"Sadly, the overwhelming amount of violent crime in our major cities is committed by blacks and Hispanics - a tough subject - must be discussed."
Self and society:
"I'm a very smart guy. Went to the best college, I had good marks. I was a very smart guy, good student, all that stuff."
"Show me someone without an ego, and I'll show you a loser."
"I think that I'm a better writer than my writers. I know more about policies on any particular issue than my advisors."
"Money was never a big motivation for me, except as a way to keep score. The real excitement is playing the game."
"I don't have an ego that makes me believe the world revolves around me. I am not self-absorbed."
"Free trade is terrible. Free trade can be wonderful if you have smart people. But we have stupid people."
"You can either sidle up to [bullies], or you can punch them in the face. I like to punch them in the face."
"I don't need anybody's money. I'm using my own money. I'm not using the lobbyists. I'm not using donors. I don't care. I'm really rich."
"Sometimes it's overwhelming. Why did God give me my talent, my gift, my family. But I know you're not supposed to question God."
Terrorism, foreign policy, whatever:
"Obama is at war with the U.S. economy."
"Free trade is terrible. Free trade can be wonderful if you have smart people. But we have stupid people."
"Regarding the Economy & Taxation: America's most successful achievers do pay a higher share of the total tax burden. History shows that tax cuts have always resulted in improved economic growth producing more tax revenue in the treasury."
"(ISIS) built a hotel. When I build a hotel, I have to pay interest. They don’t have to pay interest because they took the oil when we left Iraq, I said we should have taken. So now ISIS has the oil."
"Many believe our entire public-education establishment is going in exactly the wrong direction. Rather, having a goal of real achievement, the trend seems to be toward reaching some kind of educational parity, to make sure no students feel badly about themselves... The liberal school establishment lowers standards... refuses to reward success...."
"Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno." -- originally John McCain, repeated on-air radio
"Americans have always understood that that this nation is unique among nations in the long march of human history, and as we speed into the next century, we seem to be at a crossroads. We are worried that with so many things out of whack; the traditions and institutions that made America great are under attack...."
Same guy ?
Trump on the stump might as well be Limbaugh. He's doing Limbaugh the way some guys do Elvis.
Trump is quite successful at it.
There are differences. Trump has more money. And he has the golden head hog. Otherwise this performance might as well be Rush Limbaugh running the campaign for president.