RUSH: Ladies and gentlemen, as I mentioned earlier, the conservative base I’ve never seen happier in 14 years — since 1993-’94. I really believe the blue-blood Rockefeller types, the elite pro-choice Republicans, they’re the ones — not us — who are damaging the Republican Party.
It isn’t Bush. Bush is not the enemy. The elitist Republicans of Washington, New York, Southampton, Aspen, Vail, they’re the culprits. There’s a blueprint, folks, for sweeping, landslide GOP conservative victory: Ronald Reagan. The Republican Party of today, in too many places, too many sectors of it, disdains that and wants to be rid of it. But we see what happens when conservatism unites around the Republican Party. The country club blue-blood types are incapable of that kind of excitement last night. They’re incapable of that kind of energy. The conservative base, according to the 12 most recent consecutive battleground polls, is 60% of the American electorate. Our base is not shrinking, our base is not being marginalized, but our base has been ignored. It’s been impugned.
These people are all fine people, I’m sure, but not going to electrify anybody. The base is tired of losing. Our base consider the Washington governing class, the Democrat Party, the Drive-By Media to be the enemy of the traditions and institutions that define the greatness of this country. They see these elements as out to destroy these things. They haven’t, up until this convention, seen the Republican Party defending them. But that’s all changed now, the Republican Party is defending them and fighting back and is now on offense. One speech! One speech. They hear and saw themselves in Sarah Palin. The elites, Republicans, Democrat, wherever, media, New York, Washington, they’re not our friends. Our people, our base hear quite enough each day for the Democrats and the media, their beliefs impugned and trashed. They don’t want to hear their views, we don’t want to hear our views impugned and trashed by people we think are on our own side.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: Here is the bottom line, ladies and gentlemen. This is a war. It is not a battle. This is a war over the future of our country. We, the good guys, we don’t want compromise, we don’t want bipartisanship, we don’t want getting along. We want to kick butt, not take names, not get into the thoughtful discussions on premises advanced by the left. We want to refuse to accept the premises of the left and refuse to discuss things on their terms. We see all of this in Sarah Palin and we will defend her to the death as the choice. Our people look at Sarah Palin and they see somebody that’s not going to accept the premises of the left, not going to sit there and take it, is going to fight back. She’s a rallying cry. She is extremely popular. It’s not just about guns, babies, Jesus, abortion. This is about Americanism triumphing over forces that are trying to redefine Americanism. Make no mistake, that’s what this election is about. Americanism, from our founding, triumphing over forces that want to redefine it. Our base, the Republican base, has not changed. I keep hearing commentators on our side, supposedly, who have no contact with the grassroots, have no idea about winning elections, they don’t even know anything about punditry, all these former campaign directors, they sit there, ‘The Republican base has changed, it’s not the same as it was back in the eighties.’
Our base has not changed because the foundation of conservatism, individual liberty and freedom has not changed, and it never will because freedom will never go out of style. It’s not about nuance. It’s not about who is the smartest person in the room. This is about defending the traditions and institutions that have defined our greatness and attacking those who seek to limit freedom and liberty. You do it with ideas. You do it in the political arena. It’s not about being collegial with them. You do it the way Sarah Palin demonstrated it can be done last night. Presidential elections are important for a host of reasons, but one of the main reasons, presidential elections are the only thing we have that comes close to a national referendum on where our country is headed. The base of the Republican Party believes Sarah Palin can help to defeat those who threaten their way of life. This is not a cult, it’s not celebrity worship. This is based on authentic, genuine ideas, an authentic, genuine lady who inspires confidence, defines leadership by her very essence. That’s why there is so much support for her. It’s not thin, and it’s not based on anything to do with simple personality or anything else like it. It’s based on entire, true substance. This base, you and I, are more energized than we have been in 14 years. That’s what’s on the line tonight, on the finale night at the Republican National Convention.
Jerry in Mount Pleasant, Mississippi. Nice to have you on the program. Welcome.
CALLER: Hey, greetings from Mount Pleasant, Mississippi.
RUSH: Yes, sir.
CALLER: Thank you for all you do for us conservatives across this great country.
RUSH: I know it’s a tremendous amount. It’s more than anybody could ever really catalog. I appreciate your recognizing it. Thank you.
CALLER: Rush, in my 75 years, this was the first election where I didn’t have a dog in the hunt. Or as we say down South, I had my diver down.
RUSH: Yeah, right. (laughing)
RUSH: Saw that.
CALLER: — and I came out of my chair.
RUSH: That was just — I know, it was great, it was heart rendering.
CALLER: It speaks volumes of her, the love she has for her family, the love she has for this country. It just speaks volumes.
RUSH: Well, now, wait a minute, one thing, Jerry, you’re a Southern guy, probably NASCAR fan, you’re supposed to be some racist guy and sexist guy that doesn’t like women in strong positions like Sarah Palin.
CALLER: (laughing)
RUSH: What am I hearing out of you?
CALLER: I have lived with a strong woman for all my life, for 54 years I’ve lived with a strong woman. And I love her.
RUSH: Good. Did you like Sarah’s line last night, ‘After 20 years and five children, he’s still my guy.’
CALLER: Yeah, you betcha, and I now have a dog in this hunt.
RUSH: Yes, we do.
CALLER: Yes, we do.
RUSH: Yes, we do. That’s exactly right. Way to go, Jerry, I appreciate the call. Thanks much.
Mark in Columbus, Ohio, you’re next on the EIB Network. Hello.
CALLER: Thank you, Rush. Buckeye dittos.
RUSH: You bet. Thank you.
CALLER: I just wanted to tell you that you’ve inspired me today to donate to the RNC. They hound me a little bit sometimes, but after watching the treatment of Bristol Palin yesterday, I was furious. They treated her as, like you said, trailer trash. And it just angered me to no end.
RUSH: They’re trying to make the whole family trailer trash. That’s what the US Weekly cover is out to do, is to make Sarah Palin trailer trash.
CALLER: Yes, sir. And I will be donating. I lost my job recently due to economics, but I do start a new one pretty soon, but I’ll take some of my severance pay and I will send that to RNC today, and to make sure that McCain and Palin have my little bit of support in getting into the White House. I just wanted to let you know that, and I appreciate you.
RUSH: I love hearing it. I love to hear this juice! People are juiced. Well, that’s a bad term. That means steroids. People are excited. I’m glad to hear this. I really am. Look, I have never given money to the RNC. Not because of the RNC per se, predominantly because, quote, unquote, media people don’t do that, but then I’m finding out all these Democrat journalists have been giving money left and right, like Jann Wenner and all these clowns, and it’s not as though people don’t know what my point of view is these days, so I’m thinking about it, too. I got this solicitation in the mail at my personal address, which I didn’t know that they had, because I’ve never sent ’em anything. I’ve made appearances now and then for candidates, as you know, but I’ve never sent them anything and I’m thinking about it, too.