RUSH: Boise, Idaho. We start on the phones. James, thank you very much for waiting. It’s great to have you. Hi.

CALLER: It’s an honor to speak to you. Listened to you for years and years. Before I get to my point, can I just ask you a favor? Untie half of the brain that’s behind your back, quit playing fair. You know, we need you to give everything you got because they don’t play fair, why should you?

RUSH: Well, I understand the point, but it’d be so unfair if I did that, that it might even bother you.

CALLER: Well, my question was from when you’re talking in the first segment about how the Republicans will be able to be reelected because of what the Democrats are doing. My fear is it’ll be similar to the 2012 presidential election where, you know, everything looked good for Romney, you know, Obama had all these failed policies, still blaming Bush, a lot of people stayed home, and he didn’t win. They didn’t vote for —

RUSH: I understand the thinking here. What James is saying here, folks, he’s been here since the beginning of the show, and the first thing we did on the show today is a Politico story about how the Democrats have given up trying to win the House. It’s so bad, and

Henry “Nostrilitis” Waxman has announced his retirement, getting out, so bad, no prayer, and it’s so bad that they’re doing everything they can, donors and strategerists are marshaling their forces to hold the Senate.

Now, James, I’m just gonna tell you that I understand you think that this is trick, trying to get us to feel optimistic and let down our guard. A, it’s not possible to make our side optimistic. I think we’re too jaundiced. I think we’re too suspicious. I think we are too experienced. We’re not gonna fall for something as transparent as believing this is gonna happen simply ’cause The Politico says it.

The four million people that stayed home in 2012, the Republicans that didn’t vote, didn’t stay home ’cause they thought it was in the bag. They didn’t stay home because they thought the media had rigged the polls. They didn’t stay home because they thought their votes weren’t needed. They stayed home because they were angry at the Republican Party for nominating another Northeastern moderate. They’re tired of giving them money. They’re tired of the Republican Party not doing the best they could do to win.

ow, I understand every time we get a story in the Drive-By Media about how the fortunes of the Democrat Party all of a sudden don’t look so good, you get suspicious, and you think that we’re being tricked, that the media is trying to lull us into a false sense of security. And I’m telling you — would it work on you? I don’t think, where the Republican Party’s concerned, you’re capable of being optimistic, frankly. I think all of us are too suspicious. None of us are just gonna sit around and let something happen here because the Politico has a story that the Democrats are in trouble. What we’re gonna be asking, “Why don’t the Republicans get in gear and really cement it?”

Now, I understand the trepidation here, but when I say “not capable of optimism about this,” I’m simply saying, I don’t think there’s that much faith. Our side doesn’t think things can happen without them being involved. The Tea Party isn’t gonna sit at home and say, “Oh, man, it’s in the bag. You see what the Politico said? The Democrats are giving up on the House.” It’s not gonna fool anybody.