RUSH: Oregon. This is Justin — and Justin, since you’re on a cell phone, I need to tell you something. You will not be able to hear me when you are speaking.
CALLER: Okay.
RUSH: So try to stop every now and then so I can react to what you’re saying.
CALLER: Okay, that’s perfect. First of all, mega dittos, Rush.
RUSH: Thank you very much, sir.
CALLER: And go Seahawks. I wanted to say that last year, you know, you broke from your policy when we were going against this health care thing, and you instructed us to try to stop this by calling our congresspeople and all that. I understand your policy, and I also understand the fact that you broke that policy. I think that it’s really critical, in this next primary election, that you break with policy again and kind of lead us to get that most conservative candidate that we can out there. Because this is a really critical time — and an opportunity, really — to show the differences between Obama and what we really are standing for.
RUSH: Yeah, there have been a number of people who have approached me in recent months to think about changing this policy of mine, which is to not endorse during primaries.
CALLER: Well, I don’t necessarily think it should be a change in policy, but, you know, you have to break the rule — well, not break the rule. What’s that saying? There’s always an exception that proves the rule?
RUSH: Yeah.
CALLER: I think this is the exception.
RUSH: Yeah.
CALLER: I understand the policy and I think it’s a good policy, but I think this is the exception to that rule.
RUSH: Well, you might have a point. The reason — there have been many, I guess. The overriding reason for not endorsing during a primary is somebody’s gotta be able to earn it on their own.
CALLER: I understand. I understand that.
RUSH: I don’t mean that in an ego sense.
CALLER: No, no.
RUSH: I don’t mean it that way. I just… You know, primaries are good for ferreting out this stuff. Find out where you are, find out how good the candidates really are and what they’re made of. (sigh) The problem with endorsing candidates is: What do you do when they lose? Then you gotta go to somebody else, and he says, ‘Weeeell, your creditability is shot. Your candidate lost.’ You gonna say, ‘This is second best’?
CALLER: Well, no matter what happens, you’re ending up with a McCain and you’re gonna say that anyway. We just can’t afford to have another McCain sitting in that position.
RUSH: That’s true. That’s true. You think with the Tea Party out there that we are going to have another McCain?
CALLER: It’s tough to know if that’s gonna happen. That’s why it’s so important during that primary section — that segment of the election — to ferret out those people who are like that. Because once that part is over, we’re really stuck with whoever we got.
RUSH: Well…
CALLER: So the time to fight for it is during the primary election.
RUSH: I understand. Believe me, I get it. I understand. You are basically saying that my involvement is crucial and that you would like to see it become a little bit more active. It’s just always been a policy of mine to stay out of primaries. I have never endorsed. Wait! Yeah, I did. I was gonna say, ‘Did I endorse Buchanan, or did I just…?’ Yeah, I did endorse Buchanan but there was a reason for that. In 1992 I endorsed Buchanan because in the Republican primary we needed to have conservatism as a part of that debate, unlike today. We don’t have that problem. The problem today is identifying the genuine ones and seeing them rise to the top.
Believe me, the RINO caucus is still huge out there in the Republican Party. I mean, the Republican Party, it’s kinda hidden right now because of the new House being sworn inspect and the euphoria of the aftermath of the election, but I guarantee you the Republican Party has its own battles shaping up. It’s gonna be over the 2012 nominee, and it’s gonna be over the same old arguments: ‘Do we want a centrist, RINO-type Republican — a moderate who’s not so much identified with the conservative social causes like abortion and that stuff — or are we gonna go full-fledged conservatism in a nominee?’ and we have plenty Republicans who don’t want to go full-fledged conservatism. Just remember, we had a whole lot of Republicans in 1976 and in ’80 who didn’t want any part of Ronald Reagan. They thought he was a dunce, an idiot. There is that template of conservatives that exists, and the people that buy into that are pretty much liberal. A ‘liberal’ Republican is often called a ‘moderate,’ by the way, rather than ‘liberal.’ But, Justin, I appreciate the input and the advice.