Gaining Understanding

Introspection can be a very useful tool at times. One should always take a look at yourself, as if in a mirror, and measure your self against your own preconceived notions. Are you reacting a certain way because you have carefully considered the alternatives, or is it more an instinctual or even gut based reaction? For instance, upon seeing a poisonous snake, it is quite understandable to recoil in horror. Likewise, an infant's smile would draw you in, and make you want to hold the child and stimulate or prolong the smile.
I bring this up because of a TV show that I had recorded called "Harry's Law" which is another production of David E. Kelly. Kelly has made other legal series such as Ally McBeal, (which I never watched) The Practice and Boston Legal (which I always watched) and others. As a general rule, his writing is fast paced and interesting, usually relating to topical events. One thing about Kelly, is that he is predictably liberal, although his caricature of conservatives can be charmingly amusing. The Boston Legal where the character played by William Shatner shot a salmon was hilarious. But in the new show, the lead character brought up Rush Limbaugh as a drug besotted marionette who is given a special deal because he is white. This was interesting to me because just the other night, I had a lively political discussion with another young Democrat friend of mine, where we were talking about journalists, and he brought up that he thought that Limbaugh as a journalist was cynically manipulating the weak minded of his audience.
I was somewhat amused because when I asked him if he thought Katie Couric was doing the exact same thing, he couldn't believe that was possible. But here is the real issue, Rush Limbaugh is not a journalist. He is, as even he calls himself, "an entertainer." But even that is not enough. I have listened to him on occasion, and I don't get to listen to him all the time, but he is not a manipulator of weak minds. Instead, he simply says what his audience is already thinking. Limbaugh is the voice of his audience, but he is not the brain. Although he does put into words what the audience is thinking, better than his call ins do.
This is amusing when you remember that the Obama administration at first seemed to think that Limbaugh was the leader of the Republican Party, or at least were trying to make him the face of Republicans, because in the crowds that the Obama Admin hung out with, Limbaugh is not popular.
And now you see why I led off with the idea that introspection is important. The Obama administration and the Democrat Party lack the ability to look dispassionately at themselves and see who they are. To the casual observer, it is clear that the Democrats model their worldview on that of a speaker who holds power over his followers. Think Obama. Limbaugh is the AntiObama. I really do believe that the Democrats would have had to invent Limbaugh if he wasn't already present.
This explains why they have no understanding about the anger of the Tea Party, or why they were rejected last November. Maybe a few moments of introspection would help the Democrats understand their fellow Americans.

Eh, probably not.