Like “high concept,” the term gets thrown around a lot. Used precisely, “wedge issue” refers to an issue that opens a wedge between a given party and loosely committed or uncommitted voters. The bill to create a homeland security department (this is going back a ways) contains a provision that’s unfair to unionized employees. If you’re a Democrat, it’s awfully tough to be against the unions. So the Democrat votes against the bill. He’s been wedged!
If you’re a Republican, it’s awfully tough to be against Rush Limbaugh. If you’re not a Republican, it’s awfully tough to tolerate Rush Limbaugh. Fill in the rest.
Limbaugh could recognize how he’s being used and minimize the damage to what is supposedly his own side. Obviously, he doesn’t want to. He’s selfish. But this is the man so many Republicans have admired for so long.
UPDATE: Ross Douthat spends a few paragraphs explaining how it might not always be a bad thing that a conservative voices anti-Rush thoughts. To a non-conservative, two points jump out: 1) Rush picks a lot of fights with other conservatives, and 2) he doesn’t try to start ideas, he tries to stop them. He’s the orthodoxy police. Douthat is reduced to sounding like a Soviet reformer: oh, for “some space in which to experiment a little.”
From reading the Douthat post and about Frum’s dust-up, it sounds like Rush slaps but no one is allowed to slap back. He can say you’re wrong; if you say he’s wrong, you’re a traitor. How did a movement ever wind up like this? Seeing the conservatives put up with Rush is like watching a grown man pick his nose. It’s disgusting and surprising and you wonder how he can think it’s normal.
Oh, it’s very easy for Conservatives, from Libertarians to Traditionalists, to hate Rush. Lots do.
It’s been pointed out directly by many, even at CPAC, that Rush had nothing bad to say about Bushs’ out of control spending, for instance. Yet now he’s Mr. Small Government.
I do know many “republicans” who like Rush, but they’re often these useful idiot types, wherein their desire to be loyal and for Law and Order are exploited.
That sort of thing is clearly running out of steam. It’s on it’s last legs. 911 seemed to provide the pretext for a positive agenda that republicans could get behind, but i think they’re going to have to get back to being the party of the big NO; reduction, negative agenda, etc..
Yeah; isn’t Rush’s approval rating like 11% or something? That’s a fair number of Republicans who dislike him to, I think.
Have you read David Frum’s takedown of Rush?
On the one hand, as a liberal democrat, it’s kind of fun to see the Republicans completely implode. On the other hand — I sort of wish Frum and his ilk well. A serious opposition party would ultimately be a good thing for everyone, I think.
A non-crazy party would be a good start. When historians write about our times, they’ll wonder how the Republicans managed to be so crazy for so long.
Of course, if the economy remains fucked, we’ll see just how crazy things can get.