And I look at Limbaugh's claim of an audience of 20 million, which I haven't heard seriously disputed, compare it with my own estimate of a TrueWinger™ population in America of about...oh, say, 20 million...and I think it's disingenuous to deny that Limbaugh is the de facto leader of conservative Republicans. All conservative Republicans.

It's not just a clever political trick set up by the Obama White House with Rovian wickedness and malice aforethought. They're not that clever. Just ask the Republicans.

Our own conservative Republicans, like conservative Republicans everywhere, deny that they're influenced by Rush, downplay his importance as merely an "entertainer", and maintain that they're intellectual free agents, yessirree Bob. It's always some other TrueWingers™who make up Limbaugh's audience. Riiiiiiiight...