RUSH: I have received some e-mails from some of you great members in my audience, and if you were here yesterday you heard some of the phone calls from people, “You know, Rush, you’re usually the one that’s all optimistic. You’re usually the one that’s telling us don’t get all down in the dumps and don’t anticipate the worst, and it’s not like you to go pessimistic on this.” I was thinking about this last night after the interview because there are always things in an interview you wish you had said when it’s over, and the subject of optimism-pessimism didn’t really come up specifically, but I think we’re looking at this pessimism thing turned in the wrong direction. If you listen to what I am saying, it’s not inconsistent with anything else I’ve said. I’m saying that we can accomplish things as a majority. I’m saying we can triumph over Democrats. I am saying we can nail their coffin shut.
My optimism is robust, and it’s visible, and it’s all over the place, and those who are saying, “we can’t,” that, “Okay, Rush, we have to settle for whatever the weakest link of five senators say–” In other words, “Well, hey, we gotta get somebody in there. We can’t count on Olympia Snowe and Linc Chafee and Susan Collins, all right, so we’re settling.” Let me ask you a question. I’m going to ask you a point-blank, blunt question. Every one of you who are married or are in a relationship, or if you don’t want to think of your marriage or your relationship with anybody, think about your job. How many of you regret the decision that you made? Because you settled, thought it was the best you could do at the time? Didn’t really have all that much confidence or faith in yourself? So how many of you are in circumstances that you really don’t like, that you resent or lament because you settled? No, I’m trying every which way I can here to make a point. What are you doing in there, Snerdley, what’s the problem? Is this too personal? Sometimes this is the only way to drive home a point. Well, the point, we all have felt that way, have we not? The people that have not been resentful or disappointed or sad at some point over decisions they made, those are very few people that have never experienced that. When you settle, you sell yourself short. Settling is what pessimists do. Settling is what people with no confidence do. So don’t tell me that I’ve lost my optimism. I’m the can-do guy on this, and I’m the one that’s maintaining some high standards, knowing full well they can be achieved. So there.
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