An Open Letter to Rush Limbaugh
Guest Column: Gery Vandermeer
June 6, 2008
From The Other Side Of The River
Dear Rush,
Over the last few months I've tried to call you countless times, but for some reason your line always seems busy. So please understand my use of this format, as I am obligated to reach out and answer the question you have asked your students at the Limbaugh Institute of Higher Education. Time and again you have asked "Who will
speak for Conservatives?".
For the record let me say that I believe you already know the answer. However, if you were to enunciate the answer with your usual clarity, the leftest attack machine would
immediately fly into a frenzy, pulling out all the stops to denigrate and stigmatize this organization at birth. They will use the most vile mis-representations of your students, suggesting"mind numbed robots" being nothing more than an extension of an "entertainers" out of control ego. For this assembly to rise, you could not speak it's name until it was spoken by another.
Yet you cleverly posed the question "Who will speak for the Conservatives?" to stir our Grey matter for the answer. You have, in a Machiavellian fashion, opened a back door inquiry for your students to peer over the horizon and see the galvanizing of a Conservative Movement that is standing up for the virtues that made America great.
Perhaps it's because I've been a student at the Limbaugh Institute of Advanced Conservative Studies since 1992, that I am baffled by the pummeling you have been taking from my fellow classmates for the last six months. Many of these classmates are demanding that you pontificate some solution or anoint a leader to save the Conservative Movement from it's failure to achieve success. What are they thinking?!
Weren't they in class the days you lectured on the Conservative philosophy of personal responsibilities? Responsibility that forbids believing others should be relied upon to solve your problems. You have already shared the answer to your question with your students many times over the years. I can't help but believe others don't recall your
admonition, and here I paraphrase, "If you want something done, look to your own resources to accomplish it.".
And now again, you show your students the road map to victory by slyly rolling out "Operation Chaos", right before our very eyes. When will those eyes be opened? What can't be grasped here? A strategy is proposed (suggested by yourself), agreed upon (affirmed by your
students) and acted on (crossover voters negatively impact
liberal operations).
Certainly one can chalk up a victory for Conservatives, but realistically we know there are many more of
these battles that need to be fought. They will be for Congressional seats, governorships, judicial positions, State and Local seats and State Initiatives. Rush, can you too hear the angst in the callers voices as they ask where is that organization that we Conservatives can proudly support, that has a vision for victory? I humbly offer this answer.
In looking back over my years at the Limbaugh Institute, it appears that all along the way you have been leaving your students a trail of bread crumbs to follow to answer
your question. For instance how can a Nationally dispersed student body communicate with each other? The solution? In your early shows you would beguile us with tales of your Macintosh and Internet adventures. And, as if by magic, Conservative websites and communication blossomed on the Web.
When far flung students asked "Where are there others that have the same Conservative values that I enjoy hearing Rush share?". A tide of entrepreneurs responded by opening "Rush Rooms" across America, where conservatives could commune, have a bite to eat and enjoy Excellence in Broadcasting.
Long time students remember when leftist media deceivers sought to falsely portray your Conservative audience as weak and disjointed. They dismissed you as
an"entertainer", belittling your impact in the political arena. You demonstrated in a one time tour d' force, the tsunami weight of your student body when focused.
You simply provided the Capitol Hill phone number to your listening audience and suggested that communication with our Congress folks might be beneficial. For the following two days your students crashed the Capitol Hill phone system and our voices were heard.
Another example? Surely students who have been with you for a while remember your advice, to a caller named Dan, who didn't have the budget to acquire a subscription to the "Limbaugh Letter". You advocated for him to be an emancipated self sufficient man, who through capitalist endeavor, raised the necessary funds with a bake
sale.
Next thing you know a fellow student calls in saying he'll provide some billboards for the event. Later another caller offered printing.
And so it grew until 80,000 Ditto Heads crammed into Fort Collins, Colorado to attend "Dan's Bake Sale".
The answer to your question Rush is us. We are the antidote to the Sierra Club, the ACLU, The New York Times, the NAACP, Sara Brady, Union bully's, BCBMSNBCCNN
et al, Emily's List, George Soros, trial lawyers, PETA, Planned Parenthood, Marxist professors, Media Matters, Move On.Org and all the others who seek to steal the soul of Americas greatness.
Yes Rush, you have given your students of Conservative values, the play book for victory and the opportunity to defeat liberalism. Now they need only stand and act together. And, as this steaming locomotive gathers speed, it maybe referenced in many ways, but at least initially, I hope it makes sense for my classmates to rally under the banner of the EIB Student Union.
Organizing
Proposal
Why the Student Union should assemble can be seen in the raw enthusiasm generated among the Student Body participating in "Operation Chaos". Hungry for the opportunity to follow a path to any kind of victory, massive numbers of my classmates jumped, with "good cheer", into the fray. Rush, why should the Conservative Movement cease advancing it's cause, when the eventual draw down of "Operation Chaos"
occurs?
In a nut shell, there is no good reason at all. If anything, we may never again see another more critical turning point for the Conservative Movement. The rudderless Conservative Movement within the Republican Party is being brow beaten into silence by the Rockefeller Republicans.
As you have pointed out, this happens with the Republican National Committee and Congressional Office Victory PACs controlling who gets funded in the upcoming elections.
Consequently, out of favor Conservative Lawmakers, who need the funding, aren't likely to rock the boat. However, with a significant national Conservative support mechanism behind them we might be stunned at the rise in their testosterone levels.
A quick near term affirmation of the Student Body's muscle might be to support President Bush's veto of the Farm Bill. This action honors the Conservative Principal of
government fiscal responsibility, which this bill isn't. This also portrays the Democrats as willing to spend billions of taxpayer dollars to payoff special interest contributors in an election year. As a added bonus this denies a legislative victory for Democrats, revealing again the "Do Nothing" Congress.
Among the myriad of possible pro-active efforts supported by the Student Body could be Conservative candidate assistance with campaign organization, media and Internet needs, impactful Voter Education messages in targeted areas, Event mobilization, opposition research, national Conservative messaging, volunteers for voter turn out efforts, fund raising to support Conservative candidates and causes, selecting the Republican Party Vice Presidential candidate and/or develop a "rapid response" team to
debunk Liberal mis-representations.
Rush, your Student Union may well represent the last best hope of resurrection the Conservative Movement within the Republican Party. That great Reagan Coalition,
intertwining those who love the American values of freedom and self determination, has been ripped open by Fifth Columnists from within the Republican Party. The best opportunity to repair the banner of Reagan Conservatism, to lift it back up and take it to it's rightful place, at the head of the Republican Party, lies with the EIB Student
Union.
For the Student Union to initiate organization it will be mandatory for students who wish to participate to register. A secure web site will be needed where students can register in their own Home Room. This Home Room will be the State the student resides in. Because of the "constraints of time" the Student Union will have to use the Internet for communication and voting in our launch phase.
After a couple weeks of registration the election date will be set for each Home Room to elect it's Acting President, Secretary and Treasure. This group will be
responsible for organizing the first Home Room Convocations a few weeks later, where registered classmates will be credentialed to organize and elect their Home Room officers and delegates to the National Convention.
The Acting Home Room Officers, again due to the constraints of time, will also be called upon to nominate and elect the Acting National Student Body President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasure. These National caretaker officers will be responsible for the National Convention site selection and Convention preparation, organization of Student Body elections and overseeing the drafting of the EIB Student Union Charter and Constitution, for ratification at the Convention.
Like any organization there will be expenses that will arise and need to be addressed. For most student unions an immediate source of funding is attained with the collection of nominal Student Union dues.
For example say 1/20th of your activist students (approximately 1 million listeners) contributed $25 each in dues. This would translate into a $25 million war chest to advocate for Conservative causes in the upcoming election.
The Student Body's organizing will probably, at times, be akin to watching sausage being made. There are bound to be strong willed people that will clash, turf wars will be played out and
conflicts will arise that cry out for the wisdom of the Maharushi to split the baby. And while these birthing pangs will not always be pleasant Rush, you'll surely deserve to feel the pride of an infants father, as he watches his child take it's first tottering steps.
These are the tottering steps of an American Conservative Movement that can reach forward and grow stronger for years to come. Surely Rush, there can be no greater monument to a man's life work, than to have his philosophy and ideas being embraced by the generations that follow. The rising up of the EIB Student Union
could be the greatest contribution to your Conservative legacy.
The First
National Convention
Part Circus, part Continental Congress, part Conservative cultural eruption, the first annual student Body Convention will be a memorable one. Foremost the Student Union will be adopting our Constitution, Charter and rules for the Convention. Following that will be the election of National officers, and frankly I'll be stunned, if we don't have some extraordinary classmates, that will rise to these leadership positions.
For our purposes the Convention will need to find an indoor arena that can hold at least 25 to 30 thousand classmates, probably somewhere in the Midwest for ease of access, from across the country.
Of course the arena will need to have lots of extra space to accommodate requests for booths from organizations like Citizens for a Sound Economy (newly named Freedo Works) , the NRA, Right to Life, the Heritage Foundation, Liberty University and Hillsdale College, Focus on the Family, US Military recruiters, the Cato Institute, the Libertarian Party and don't be
surprised if we see an Ann Coulter book signing.
There will also be requests from clever public relations departments connected with companies like General Motors, Rinnai, Allen Brothers and maybe for old times sake, Snapple, who see this marketing opportunity and leap at the chance. Naturally an EIB Merchandise Store could expect a warm reception from my classmates.
Across the street, in the parking lot expect to see the more colorful characters from this Conservative "Woodstock", like the freelance "unauthorized" T-shirt vendors, Rush and Reagan memorabilia and collectibles dealers, John Birch Society recruiters, Roswell researchers, "Get out of the UN" petitioners and probably a Newt Gingrich book
signing. And there on the far right side of the parking lot, strict Constitutionalists can rally to hear the siren's song of the one and only Dr Ron Paul.
Besides the Convention business, educational seminars will be offered on topics like, "Conservative Activism in your Neighborhood", "Ronald Reagan, Policy and Politics for Todays Conservatives" and "Global Warming, Do Polar Bears need Al Gore?". There's no doubt however, that the hardest ticket to get for any of the seminars will be for "Living With a Legend, Reflections of the Ex-Mrs Rush Limbaughs". If we get real lucky your brother David might be willing to act as moderator, providing some balanced perspectives.
On the social side, since we don't have a football team (yet), we won't be able to have a "Home Coming" Queen competition for our Lady's pageant. However you have, perhaps inadvertently, offered a natural option to pay homage to America's finest example of Conservative virtues in a special woman.
Preliminary competitions might include a quiz on the history of the EIB Network and the Pittsburgh Steelers, a 500 word essay on the future of Conservatism in America (timed), displays of special physical fitness prowess and a brief test displaying judgment in the selection of quality wines and cigars. Special bonus point will awarded for talent related to golf cart driving, score keeping and greens "reading " skills.
The live competition judging will be the culmination of the final evenings events. No doubt your keen powers of observation will have been requested by the Pageant Committee to assist in selecting the competition winner. However, be fore warned, that even before the judges are seated, inquiring minds will be asking, "Will the North Carolina mistress let you out to judge the bikini portion of the "Next Ex-Mrs Rush Limbaugh" competition?".
It's not unexpected that this will be a exciting contest, with some very high caliber competitors contending for top honors. This is particularly true, since as I understand it,
the announced first prize is a new house. Guess we'll only find out the answer to the question when we get to the Convention. Look forward to seeing you there Rush.
Sincerely,
Gery Vander Meer
Springfield,
Oregon
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