Media critics like myself often write about the D.C. beltway bubble and how those residing there are only really cognizant of what others in their bubble say and believe, but in their minds they believe that those beliefs typify average Americans across the country. Digby coined the term 'Villagers," and I think that sums them up quite well.
The term "The Village" does stem from the notorious Sally Quinn article about the Clintons. But it's more than that. It's shorthand for the permanent DC ruling class who have managed to convince themselves that they are simple, puritanical, bourgeois burghers and farmers, even though they are actually celebrity millionaires influencing the most powerful government on earth...read on
This has caused journalism in general to suffer greatly as well as the public it is supposed to serve. There is also the type of bubble that conservatives also occupy where they believe their entire belief systems are being attacked and persecuted by the liberal elites at every turn. A typical response to that is to say Obama is Muslim terrorist who hates America and Eric Holder is a member of Hamas. One of its major grand poobahs is Rush Limbaugh and there's a reason why he doesn't do interviews all that often. He can't handle interacting outside of his bubble.
His appearance on Fox News Sunday was very weird and very illuminating on this point. Chris Wallace interviewed Rush and when he attempted to ask Limbaugh to justify some of his insane theories Limbaugh literally fell apart and amped up his conspiracy theorism. And just as weird was Chris Wallace blowing kisses and love letters at Limbaugh in attempt to bow down to his altar while trying to engage in the interview. He said things like this:
WALLACE: I want to switch subjects, I hate to move you along because I love listening to you, but I do want to move on to another subject.
Why did Wallace say he loves listening to him? Bias much? Anyway, I've never seen a host of a supposed serious political talk show pander so much to one of its guests. Anyway, watch the video clip and you'll understand why PoliticusUSA: says, Limbaugh falls apart when confronted with reality.
Wallace triggered a meltdown from Limbaugh by pointing out that Republicans won in 2014 despite shutting down the government. Limbaugh quickly went from anger at being challenged to full blown conspiracy theorist. Limbaugh said,
Does that not matter? You keep talking polls to me, and I’ve got the. The essence of a poll is an election, and I’ve got two of them. And we would have won the White House in 2012 if four million Republicans hadn’t have stayed home.
…What does it matter? They won. The point is that this is a trick. I think the shutdown is a trick. Here is what it really means, Chris. The Republicans want what Obama wants on immigration, and they are using the government shutdown as an excuse to not stop him. Because the truth of the matter is they agree with it. Romney agrees with it. Jeb Bush agrees with it. Chamber of Commerce agrees with it. Obviously, the Republican establishment doesn’t want to stop Obama on comprehensive immigration reform….And very conveniently, here’s this government shutdown. Oh, we can’t act. We can’t act because they’ll blame us for shutting down the government. They’ll blame us for shutting down the government.
I think it’s absurd. I think it’s ridiculous, and the American people are being let down here. They’re voting. They’re expressing their desires. They want this stuff stopped, and the Republican Party’s not listening.The Fox News interview, which was as gentle as it gets, revealed why Limbaugh doesn’t do television interviews outside of the right-wing bubble. The man can’t handle reality in any way, shape or form. He went on a conspiracy bender as soon as Chris Wallace pointed out that last year’s Republican caused government shutdown was a bad thing.
Limbaugh has taken the Fox News brand of paranoia and unleashed on the Republican Party. In Rush Limbaugh’s warped view, the Republican Party is working with Obama.
To anyone outside of the Republican media bubble, Rush Limbaugh sounded crazy. The only factual statement in the entire segment was that Republicans won the 2014 election. Everything else that came out of Limbaugh’s mouth was combination of borderline mental illness and fantasy.
Rush Limbaugh couldn’t handle the softballs that Fox News tossed to him without falling apart. Rush Limbaugh isn’t strong icon. He is the dying voice of an aging white male conservative movement that is fading away.