What are Moonbats and Wingnuts (Part II of II)
In yesterday’s post, I explained what a moonbat is and gave Cindy Sheehan as the ultimate example. In today’s post, I will finish our vocabulary lesson by defining exactly what a wingnut is. Pay close attention, there will be a quiz at the end.
Shortly after Bill Clinton was inaugurated in 1992, Rush Limbaugh announced on his short-lived television show that the White House had a new dog. He then held up a picture of Chelsea Clinton. The overwhelming majority of conservatives abhorred this show of insensitivity, a grown man exploiting a hideously ugly child for a cheap laugh. Sad, but as bad as that was it’s still not enough to earn Limbaugh the title of wingnut. That title is reserved for people like Michael Savage.
Savage is a wingnut radio talk-show host with over 10,000,000 listeners across the U.S. In a nutshell, he makes Don Imus sound tame and sensitive. For example, his typical ranting revolves around the “left wing vermin”, the “Bolsheviks” in contemporary politics, and the immorality of granting equal rights to gays (often mentioning the hellfire and brimstone awaiting them in the afterlife). Ironically, Savage lives in San Francisco and, get this, he’s single and lives with his dog. Repressed perhaps?
Anyway, the term wingnut is reserved for those individuals who are so far off the reservation (right or left) they can’t see the tee-pees any more. Actually, now that I have thought about it for a few minutes, I have to put Rush Limbaugh in the wingnut category. To not do so would be dishonest. Most Republicans do not drink his Kool-Aid and he is therefore on the fringe…just not as far as Savage.
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About the Author: Randall H. Miller is an American educator/blogger. He is also a former U.S. Army officer (82nd Airborne) with a Master of Arts in Diplomacy (focusing on International Terrorism). Use the form on the right to sign up for the "Friday Morning Fix” and other timely updates.
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A. Taveras
| Jun 17, 2008 | Reply Vote: 
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The wingnuts who are not so far out on the fringe are in a way more dangerous to civilized dialogue. A person can say ‘well Limbaugh is a sensible man, after all he isn’t as idiotic as Savage’…but Limbaugh is really far out on the limb himself as your example shows.
Tim | Jun 18, 2008 | Reply Vote:
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The problem is a lot of Republicans DO drink Limbaugh’s kool-aid. Why I will never understand.