I know a guy who listens to Rush Limbaugh every day, and watches FOX News every night. And he’s been doing this for years.
I have to deal with this guy regularly. And almost all of the time what we have to talk about has nothing to do with politics. But every once in awhile we “go there.” And an amazing transformation takes place. He becomes a Rush Limbaugh - FOX News - talking points regurgitator.
But it’s even weirder than that. He doesn’t just repeat zombie-like what he’s heard like some “Gooble-Gobble One of Us” freak … he’s internalized it. He takes the current Conservative Talking Points, digests it completely, and when the Conservative Button is pressed … out come the Talking Points … but in his own words. It’s not like he’s become a Limbaugh/Hannity/O’Reilly clone because he still retains his individuality. He’s personalized the mindset and sees everything that is political through that lens.
I know exactly what he’s going to say about Current Events. When George Zimmerman murdered Trayvon Martin I knew before I picked up the phone I was going to hear the racist conservative spin come out of his mouth. When Rush and FOX come up with their latest attack on Obama … it goes straight into his Anti-Obama hope chest where he keeps all his Anti-Obama ammo.
We were on the phone Sunday night. The election came up. I told him I had already sent in my absentee ballot. He assumed I voted for Obama and was shocked when I told him I hadn’t. He knew I couldn’t bring myself to vote for Romney but he couldn’t understand why a good “liberal” like myself didn’t vote Obama.