In today’s New York Times Richard Land, pictured sitting behind a microphone, is quoted as saying this:
When I hear Rush Limbaugh say that a McCain nomination would destroy the Republican Party, what I want to say to Rush is, “You need to get out of the studio more and talk to real people.
That strikes me as an odd criticism from Dr. Land, whom I know and like. Dr. Land may disagree with Rush, but he should acknowledge the obvious: For almost 20 years, Rush Limbaugh has been talking to more “real people” than I suspect Richard Land ever will. Rush’s weekly audience is between 13 and 20 million people – all of whom are “real.” And Limbaugh not only talks to them, he takes calls and e-mails from them. He knows what is on the hearts and minds of his listeners.
Whatever difference Land may have with Rush about Senator McCain, the problem is hardly that Rush is not talking to “real people.” He does, three hours a day, every day – and in a manner that helped save AM radio and made conservatism more popular and stronger than it would otherwise be.