RUSH: Senator McCain had a town hall meeting in Phoenix. It didn’t go very well because the people that showed up don’t want any part of this, and they don’t want any part of Republicans agreeing with this. I’ll tell you, the Republican voters all across this country are beside themselves. If there was ever a time for an opposition party to be pushing back, standing up, trying to stop and teaching the American people just what kind of administration we have, it’s now.

Instead, we have a Republican Party that appears to be docile, silent — and if they take any action at all, it’s in somewhat of an alignment with the administration. Now, I made a wild guess yesterday as to what could possibly explain this, and I have since seen at least two pieces, articles, that address the same thing — and it’s race. There just is a paralysis in the Republican Party of opposing the first black president.

Here’s, I guess, the guiding theory that nobody will put their name to, but this is what’s going around the inner circles of the Republican Party: “A black president cannot and will not be allowed to fail. Excuses will be made; second chances will be offered. It simply isn’t going to happen.” You can call it what I called it the other day: The soft bigotry of low expectations. But the reality is that because of race, there isn’t even any real criticism permitted, much less an assessment of failure.

So they’re sitting there saying, “There’s nothing to gain by opposing the president in a traditional political way, because of race.” This is what’s guiding them. Now, I understand that, but it wouldn’t stop me. You know, I am the epitome of colorblind. The guy is president. His policies matter. He’s the leader of the free world. He can do great harm doing the wrong thing for the country. I don’t care if he’s from Mars; it does not mean the opposition has to shut up.

This theory, by the way, emanates from the Democrats and the media. Even though Republicans run the House, as the minority in town, as the minority in Washington, they’re just cowed. And the racial component of this can’t be denied.