RUSH: We’ll go to Kansas City. This is Mike. Thank you for calling, sir. Hello.
CALLER: Hello. How you doing?
RUSH: Very well, sir. Thank you.
CALLER: Yes. Thank you for taking my call.
RUSH: Yeah, any time.
CALLER: Well, a quick thing was your caller was talking about the missing flight. I was thinking an old Twilight Zone, the Odyssey of Flight 33. Maybe that flight went back in time.
RUSH: I remember another episode. It was William Shatner, and there was this troll sitting out on a wing that was ripping the engine off the wing, and he was the only one that could see it, and they thought he was nuts, thought he was lunatic. But when the plane landed they found out the engine was indeed almost taken off the wing.
CALLER: But the reason I called was I own a pawn shop here in Kansas City, and I’ve been asking people, you know, when they come in like, you know, personal questions. You know, why they need the money and stuff like that.
RUSH: You do? You ask them that?
CALLER: Yeah, just so I understand, you know? Then also for political reasons, to see, you know, what is actually going on out there. You know what I mean?
RUSH: They don’t think that’s a personal intrusion why they need the money?
RUSH: You’re kidding me! They actually tell you that?
CALLER: Yeah, they’ll tell you pretty much anything if you wanted to ask ’em.
RUSH: Holy smokes! So somebody comes in, you say, “Why do you need the money?” and they respond, “My disability check won’t come in ’til next week, that’s why I’m selling you this Rolex” or whatever it is?
CALLER: Right, exactly, or wanting to get a loan just to get by till next week. “I’ll pick up my lawn mower next week,” or whatever, you know.
RUSH: Right. And they come back and pick up the item, yeah.
CALLER: Right.
RUSH: Lawn mower, whatever it happens to be.
CALLER: Right. So my question for you was, if you could answer this, I wanted to… I don’t know if I’m asking the right questions to people. I’m wanting to know if I’m asking the right questions so that I know if I’m getting answers, you know, that would be fulfilling my questions that I’m wanting to know. You know, like is the economy coming back? Are these people actually finding jobs, are they looking for jobs?
RUSH: Well, let me ask you a question. When the economy is doing well, how is your business? Do people still come in and pawn things?
CALLER: I mean, yes, they do, ’cause it’s always hard for somebody.
RUSH: Right, it’s always hard for somebody no matter how well the economy is going?
CALLER: Right.
RUSH: So you want to know what you could ask them.
CALLER: Right.
RUSH: What are you actually trying to ascertain?
CALLER: Just to see if, you know, these liberal friends of mine and, you know, them that are saying that the economy’s doing so well, you know, but I see people every day that, you know, are not doing well.
RUSH: Why don’t you change tack? When they come in, ask them what they think about concussions in the NFL.
CALLER: (laughing) That was my other thing that, you know, they’re having problems with is. You know, they’re worried about concussions but they’re not worried about, you know, suicide by vets. They’re worried about suicide by, you know, football players, but the vets are, you know, committing suicide, 22 of them a day.
RUSH: I think there are certain things you need to do to test their awareness of what’s going on before you get to the real questions.
CALLER: Right.
RUSH: So you could even ask them, “What do you think of Bowe Bergdahl?” What do you want to find out? If you really want an answer on the economy, then you ask that. But you gotta ascertain whether these people are up to speed first.
CALLER: Oh. What was your first question? Think of what?
RUSH: Ask them what they think of swapping five prisoners for Bowe Bergdahl. Ask them what they think of concussions. Are they less inclined to go watch the NFL because they’re killing the players? You know, dress it up however you want.
CALLER: Right.
RUSH: Then ask how they’re doing, why they need the money.
CALLER: Right.
RUSH: And then tell ’em it’s not your job to provide it, and see what happens.