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Yet Derych couldn't find the words to break the news of his political conversion to his father—an "unreachable" hardcore dittohead—so he organized his thoughts in writing, using the popular blog Daily KOS as a public forum. Derych's insights into the dittohead mindset fascinated readers, and before long a publisher invited him to produce a full-length book—"Confessions of a Former Dittohead" (Ig Publishing). With "Confessions…" developing into an underground hit, Failure sat down with Derych to discuss Limbaugh, the right-wing media, and the prospects for converting other dittoheads. Read the interview by clicking here.
From Dittohead to Democrat
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Posted By: adme Posted on: Aug. 9, 2006 at 7:22 PM  16 Comments
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2.5 / 5
Based on 3 ratings.
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If you've ever wondered what goes on inside the mind of a Rush Limbaugh fan, let us introduce you to Jim Derych. For more than a decade Derych was a loyal, self-assured Limbaugh follower—a so-called dittohead—who uncritically accepted the ideas Rush advocated on his syndicated national radio program. But by the time George W. Bush took office in 2001, Derych found himself questioning the wisdom of Rush's ideology, ultimately concluding that Limbaugh's social, economic and political principles sounded better in theory than they worked in practice. In 2004, Derych deserted Limbaugh and the Republicans and switched his allegiance to the Democratic Party.
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Aug. 9, 2006 at 11:24:01 PM
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| AA wrote: P.S. Makes me wonder about the relationship the man had with his father that he could not talk to him man to man about a subject as minor as an opnion about a radio talk show host. He should have been watching Oprah and Dr. Phil three hours a day instead of listening to Rush to begin with. AA- I almost made the mistake of thinking that you were going to be somewhat reasonable, but then you had to blow it with taking a dig at the man’s manhood. You fell into the old only Conservatives are real men mindset and all Liberals are wimps. I guess it would be too much to expect that would really have an open mind when a “dittohead” defects. |
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Aug. 9, 2006 at 11:41:10 PM
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| By the way, Rush's listenership is placed at 22 million. Thats how many listen at least 15 minutes during any given week while Hannity is at 12 million. Not exactly the quarter million away this guy claims... Then later he claimed Rush only had 12 million, but Arbitron claims the 22 million and they should know, they do the ratings. Dude writes a book about a subject he knows nothing about. I sincerely doubt the many was dittohead to begin with. |
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Aug. 9, 2006 at 11:54:14 PM
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| Shall I collect all the blanket statements issued from your lips at this site AA? Please don't get so high and mighty with us. The problem with Rush Limbaugh is that he lies. He plays so loose with the facts that there is not a day, not a segment during his show that I cannot identify an outright lie. Sometimes the lie is deftly wrapped in a veneer of truth; sometimes it is surrounded by a stinking pile of fellow lies. He tells you facts that are simply untrue, pulling them so swiftly from his butt that you don't see the slight of hand. He says them like he believes them himself, and in that regard, I'm sure the drugs help. Oh, and he is hateful and hypocritical. He's talented, yes; but he's an a******. |
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Aug. 9, 2006 at 11:57:55 PM
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| Get detailed MIC, Name three lies and prove he said them knowing they were straight up lies and I'll turn him off. Shouldn't be much of challenge foollowing this statement..."there is not a day, not a segment during his show that I cannot identify an outright lie." Let's have some fun... Then I'll do the same with Frankin. |
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Aug. 10, 2006 at 06:36:46 AM
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| Oh, this is gonna be FUN!!!!! On your mark, get set, GO! |
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Aug. 10, 2006 at 10:44:31 AM
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| DITTO
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Aug. 10, 2006 at 10:53:52 AM
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| How can you guys argue over the ratings for two political propoganda robots? That's one of the most ridiculous things I've read on this site, apart from the Daily Crum. Politics is full of lies and to argue over which political host lies the most is like arguing over whos s*** smells worse - in the end you both lose and the whole room stinks to high heaven. |
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Aug. 10, 2006 at 12:41:23 PM
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| I disagree Pinball. There are lies, there are damned lies, and there is Rush Limbaugh. There's a big difference between being partisan and taking sides (Franken) while using facts and logic to make your point, and being a big fat doped up neo-nazi sleaze (Rush) telling us that anybody living in the same country as the Hezbos deserves what they get.
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Aug. 10, 2006 at 05:44:48 PM
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| Pinball Wizard, It would be pure entertainment, this Rush and Franken thing, except their listeners take what they say as the God's honest truth, and will believe it no matter what the facts are. For this reason, their untruths need to be exposed. I happen to believe that Rush, O'Reilly, Hannity and mAnn Coulter are the biggest liars on the airwaves. In fact, I think if you put them together in a room, all those pants on fire would cause a 5 alarm fire. So, I want to see MiC and AA bring it. |
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Nor is one mans journey of enlightenment, as you might want to call it, indicitive of what any or all "dittoheads" might feel the need to act upon.
As has been mentioned many times by both Rush and others, Rush Limbaugh does not tell his listener what to think or how to feel about a subject, he simply vindicates those feelings and more importantly, thoughts, many of his listeners already have. I can assure you that as a listener for many years my reasoning and understanding of the subject matter at hand was well engrained into my mind long before Rush was an international hero of the conservative movement.
While his listenership has made some liberals stop and question their beliefs, he has undoubtedly made some conservatives cement for themselves the ideas they thought they had.
Limbaugh is s true conservative, wanting only that which he himself has been able to create for all Americans. Each one of us has within us the ability to achieve, though not all will acheive to the same level he has financially, all can acheive greatness in their own way within their desired occupations, businesses, families and communities. This desire to see others succeed is not something for which the man should be chastised.
While openly a conservative, Limbaugh has on many occasions disagreed with this President and with the Republican Party. This is why he and others like myself follow our conservative values and not the GOP. True, the GOP is the one party that most closely aligns itself to our ideals, but not 100% of the subjects 100% of the time.
So before you use a blanket statement that all dittoheads think this or think that based on what mans opinion of the situation is, you might want to offer yourself some room to wiggle.
Otherwise a blanket staement like, "There goes another liberal, feeling and not thinking again" might well be leveled against you.
P.S. Makes me wonder about the relationship the man had with his father that he could not talk to him man to man about a subject as minor as an opnion about a radio talk show host. He should have been watching Oprah and Dr. Phil three hours a day instead of listening to Rush to begin with.
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