I absolutely understand why Limbaugh is doing what he's doing. What else can he do? Among other things, his show is supposed to be entertaining. It can't be entertaining--or even interesting--to now weigh the pros against the cons of a guy you've been beating up for the last 8 years. Though, if you listen carefully, it's pretty clear what he thinks of McCain vis a vis the opposition and the opposition fare worse. I don't blame him for not wanting to say more. It's not his job and, as he's always said, his audience are grown ups who can make up their own minds. I think he's doing this for the same reason that he almost never asks people to "call in" to Congress on bills and such. He's not an activist. It's not his role; not his job; not his responsibility. He sells a product--very often to people who do see activism as their problem. They should (and likely will) take on this role instead of asking Limbaugh to do it for them. If he ever crossed the line, there would be no going back and he'd never get anything he wanted to do accomplished again. His first responsibility is to his product and his company. As long as people understand that, they should not be confused by anything he says or does not say.

I thought we'd been saying, just a week or two back, that it would be a good thing to remind McCain that there was a conservative base that needed to be appealed to with strength and at least a show of conviction. Now conservatives insist that McCain IS conservative by conviction and has always been so. I think the nagging prod to the right might still be needed.