The Way Things Ought to Be

by Rush Limbaugh

In "the hottest...nonfiction title since "Iacocca" (Time), radio and television celebrity Rush Limbaugh blasts off on all the leading issues of our day - with devastating aim. Targeting such subjects are The Imperial Congress, Anita Hill, The Social Utopians of Multiculturalism, and The Earth Is Not Fragile, this huggable, provocative conservative "with talent and loan from God" is, for millions of fans, the best source of American common sense today - a first-rate showman who is "almost always right 97.9% of the time" about "The Way Things Ought to Be."

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, History, Political Science, Biography, Humor, Philosophy

336 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

American radio host and conservative political commentator.

His nationally-syndicated talk show, The Rush Limbaugh Show, airs throughout the world on Premiere Radio Networks. He has been credited with reviving AM radio in the United States, and is considered to have been a "kind of national precinct captain" for the Republican Party's Congressional victories in 1994.

National Review magazine, in a 1993 cover story, called him "The Leader of the Opposition" during the Clinton presidency. A month after Bill Clinton's defeat of the the Elder Bush in 1992, Ronald Reagan sent Limbaugh, a man he never met, a letter in which he thanked Limbaugh "for all you're doing to promote Republican and conservative principles...[and] you have become the Number One voice for conservatism in our Country."

Reviews

[Christy · Rating 1 out of 5]

The way things really ought to be?

No one should like Rush Limbaugh. No one should listen to him. He should not have a market. He can write all he wants; he just should not be publishable, marketable, or likeable for so many.

It really frustrates me when my students parrot Rush Limbaugh (and Ann Coulter and other more contemporary right-wing pundits as well) at me as if they're "real" ideas or new ideas. Yes, yes, "feminazi," I hear you. Rush Limbaugh came up with it. He is not a reliable source. In fact, that's the best reason I have for even trying to read this tripe. I like to be able to recognize the words of the enemy when they are spouted back at me by students.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Rush hits the nail on the head again and again and the topics are still relevant even though the book was written back in 1992. It was thirst-quenching as always to hear his voice in contrast to the mushy, lukewarm, moral relativity crowd. This book reminded me once again why I'm a dittohead.

[Nelda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I literally felt my IQ dropping as I held this book in my hands to read it. Likewise, I felt all the peace and compassion within me ebbing away. Rush fully succeeds in hateful rhetoric and in making the reader feel agitated that anyone believes such ridiculous nonsense. Rather than read anything by this man again, I'd rather rip out my brain stem and jump rope with it in traffic.

[Holly Lindquist · Rating 1 out of 5]

Reading this book is a bit like watching the movie Troll 2. One should come prepared to encounter such vast stupidity that your brain may literally fail.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

People talk so much vile crap about Rush that I almost feel like I should be wearing a HAZMAT suit when I read one of his books. Personally, I see him as being one of the most misunderstood public figures in the country. The general media has done such a good job of painting him out to be the devil incarnate that many people are immediately willing to believe the very worst about him simply out of hand. Most of the negative reviews on these kind of websites are written by people who felt they could just skim the book's first chapter and be done with it. How do I know this? Because virtually none of them criticize any of the specific points Rush makes; rather, they denounce the book as simply being "stupid," or vote it onto the "Books I'd Rather Die than Read" list. I would like to know what people are so afraid of that they'd rather die than read a particular book (and, yes, I realize they are not meaning it literally, except perhaps in the case of Twilight--which I'm allowed to joke about like that because I actually read it with the intention of trying to enjoy it). But Rush is a bigot, you say, and there can never be any allowances made for bigotry. I say, show me an example of that! What, "Feminazi?" The Limbaugh Lexicon at the back of the book defines the term "Feminazi" as being "widely misunderstood by most to simply mean 'feminist'...A Feminazi is a feminist to whom the most important thing in life is ensuring that as many abortions as possible occur. There are fewer than 25 known Feminazis in the United States." So, the term applies to less than 25 people in the U.S.? Is that REALLY so offensive? The same goes for "Environmentalist Wackos," which Rush defines as being "fringe kookburgers and not to be confused with serious and responsible ecology-minded people." But why read this book with an open mind, right? Let's compare those labels with the term "Teabaggers," which is more explicitly offensive and is applied to millions of people throughout the country. Yet it provokes little or no outrage among the same people that complain about the labels that Rush comes up with. Were those people offended when Anderson Cooper said, "It's hard to talk when you're Teabaggin'..." I really doubt it. And that's what I can't stand: the blatant hypocrisy that so many people don't even realize they are engaging in. I can understand hating Rush and liking Bill Maher, for example; but I can't understand being OFFENDED at Rush and yet totally ok with Maher. Especially when it comes to this book, which may be partisan, but doesn't insult the intelligence of those on the other side of the fence. Sure, Rush gets a couple things wrong (IMHO, the age of the earth--too old--and the belief that, for practical reasons, it's always a bad idea to try to work outside the two party system), but he writes his own book without a team of ghostwriters and presents his ideas intelligently and with a passion than many people wrongly believe to be manufactured. "Stupid" does not apply here, and I'm tired of that word being thrown about so carelessly all the time. I'm tired of hearing how every well-known conservative is more stupid than the last...enough already! When I was a kid, Ronald Reagan was the epitome of stupid until Dan Quail came along. Dan Quail was then made out to be the dumbest person who ever lived until George W. Bush came along and bested him (and even beat Reagan in the evil category!). Then Sarah Palin shocked the world by being even dumber than Bush, which no one thought possible. Could anyone possibly be even dumber than Palin? Well, it turns out the answer is yes. And not too surprisingly it's Michelle Bachmann, the next conservative that liberals feel threatened by. And I'm sure whoever ends up running against Obama will turn out to be even dumber than her. So...let's see...what else bothers people about Rush. I hear a lot about how arrogant he is, but anyone who reads him without assuming he's a total nutjob windbag can see that all these instances of "arrogance" are simply a facet of his sense of humor which is lost on people looking for nothing more than reasons to hate him. If you don't want to get his humor, then you definitely won't--which is always the case with nuanced humor. Rush, sitting astride his "Prestigious Attila the Hun Chair," often "demonstrates absurdity by being absurd." Listening to him joke with angry listeners on the radio (like the time he talks about in the book where he claimed he had found a Satanic message lurking in the background of his show's theme song) reminds me of Sacha Baron Cohen interviewing people on Da Ali G Show and being taken seriously by smart people with no clue they were being made the butt of an elaborate joke. This careful interweaving of topical issues and blatant satire is what I like about Rush, and what I also like about Jon Stewart. I just wish more people would calm down and try to appreciate Rush for what he is, not what people generally make him out to be. So, sit back with this book and enjoy... It's a lot more topical than you'd expect from such an old book, and there's a lot of autobiographical stuff if you're curious about how he got his start in talk radio. It's not as good as See, I Told You So, but definitely a hearty read, nonetheless.

[Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book as well as the man who really began to perk up my interests in politics. Great book for the conservative thinker as well as for those who really need to be.

[Mike · Rating 1 out of 5]

A moment of weakness in my confused youth. Really, only someone with the mind of a 13 year old could find these arguments compelling. My excuse is that I was 13 when I read it. What's your excuse?

Updated: I should also have mentioned that the brand of "conservatism" that Rush champions is strictly of the authoritarian, "we need to stop the goddamn hippies" variety. Not the Burkean, live and let live brand of conservatism, until recently known simply as "conservatism".

[Mer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't believe I actually sat down once and tried to read some of this.

I'd rather bite on tin foil.

[Stephen · Rating 1 out of 5]

We should have freedom...for the polluters.

We should have liberty...for those who would pay us less than a minimum wage.

We should have a pursuit of happiness...for those who would take away our rights of privacy.

These are the twisted teachings of Fatty Rushbaugh. An elitist millionaire, arrested drug abuser, college dropout, draft-dodger, thrice-divorced father of none currently on wife #4.

He will absolutely burn in the next world for the lies he has told, the truth he has twisted, and the harm he has done to this nation's level of discourse.

[Atchisson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Godfather of modern Conservatism fires the opening literary salvos in the current political battle. Sure it's 15 years old, but it reads just as true today as then.

[Jonathan Devlaeminck · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an amazing piece of conservative thought. If you don't agree with his views at the end of the read, that's ok...but I am and always will be mindful to understand all sides. With all that is said of him being a "racist bigoted homophobe", if you actually read this book or listen to his program, you'll learn to form your own opinion and not parrot those of media matters or msnbc. Great book.

[Ken · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was given it as a gag-gift. It was a ridiculous work. Easily and provably false.

It's best possible use is kindling.

[Mark · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not actually read this book……but if I did I am sure I would find it full of right-wing drivel that would only make sense to those with a simple mind.

[Dr. David Steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great American hero. Steer clear if you are a socialist!

[Ingame149 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Way Thing Ought to Be by Rush Limbaugh.

I found this book and his second book the other day in the used book section of a Goodwill and figured I'd give them a read since I've been listening to Rush for years and have never read his book.

What amazes me most about this book is that it was written in 1992 but many of things he was writing about then are still happening now. I mean our politicians and government are still running rapid through the country like it's some kind free shopping spree, only it's gotten worse now. But most of all it was fun seeing his thoughts in print versus just getting them over the radio because reading them gave him a lot more room to fully embody those radio thoughts.

It was also fun to see a lot of the frustrations I'm feeling now about our government he was feeling about them then (and now from what I've heard on the radio). If anything this book fully explains the problems with our politicians, on both sides, and that if anything is going to be fixed it first has to be fixed there. It's also amazing at how prophetic a lot of the things he warned about then have taken place now especially dealing with our budget and economy that if we don't stop pouring money into empty, fruitless causes, that get no return, we're going to run out of money fast. Look at what's going on now. If you're looking for a good book and one that will challenge a lot what the Media says (or doesn't say) is true give this book a read.

[Tony Bake · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book in...what? 1992? I checked it out from the library right when it came out and fell in love with Rush and conservatism shortly thereafter. It was simple! And Rush pushed his agenda SO pejoratively, I felt like if I didnt agree with him, I must be stupid...I totally drank from the Kool-Aid. Only years later would I pull my head from my...well you get the picture. Conservatives are still pulling the same tricks today--Embarass people into agreeing with you. That is why all the rednecks are conservative, their simple minds are the devil's playground.
One thing I remember from this book, is Rush explains that even if the polar ice caps melted, it would be akin to ice cubes melting in a glass of water (meaning if they did melt, the oceans would not rise) UNBELIEVABLE.

[Adam · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is awful from start to finish. I must admit that I am a little biased considering that I am against most of Rush's politics. In addition to that, Rush is the most self absorbed narcissistic person to have ever lived. From when I first saw that smug grin I knew I would hate this book, but when I read "The only way to protect yourself from the media is to read or listen to me" that cemented this work as being my all time least favorite political book.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This classic piece of American literature should be a must read for all American students. Rush presents the issues of the day and the answers to them all in a manner that is pure genius.

[Gabriel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Poorly reasoned, poorly researched, and just generally annoying there's nothing here of value except to understand how demagoguery serves to replace critical thinking.

[Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

A few years back, I participated in a 30-day book meme, that had you write about different books you'd read. When I got to the day that asked, "what book do you wish you'd never read?" I answered with this one. My comment was: "It wasn't even extremist enough to be amusing." I'm tempted to leave it at that, so far as this review goes. I generally reserve the one-star rating for books that are so bad I couldn't even finish them, but I'm making an exception in this case, because I wouldn't have the patience to read it now, although I did when I read it in my mid-twenties.

The book itself is a poorly-edited sequence of unconnected essays that attack everything Limbaugh hates, and make him out to be the best guy in the Universe. His hypocrisy exposes itself constantly, as when he lambasts actor Ted Danson for using his fame to champion leftist causes, but praises actors Ronald Reagan and Clint Eastwood for doing the same in support of the right. He spends a surprising amount of time in the introduction whining about how hard it is to write a book (although he didn’t really write a book per se, just a bunch of essays), but eagerly denounces every professor who has published multiple volumes of well-considered research as an egghead and a blowhard.

I read a great deal of rightist, and especially fascist literature, in order to better understand the ideological positions of those furthest from me on the political spectrum. Limbaugh added fairly little to that understanding, because he didn't present his ideology as openly or label it as honestly as do fascists. Instead, he used emotional manipulation and distorted facts to get others to support political positions without critical analysis. In spite of having been caught lying numerous times, including about his own illegal drug use, he remains wildly popular with an under-educated audience that identifies with his arrogant definition of Americanism. Someone with a stronger stomach than me will have to study that phenomenon.

[Chip Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Limbaugh has got to be the most unfairly lambasted public figure of our time. Even to listen to his show automatically gets you placed as a brainwashed radical who can't think for himself and gets all of his talking points from the radio. This happens even though most of the people who dismiss Rush and his listeners so readily never even take the time to sit down and listen to him, but just get their opinions from the media or from word of mouth. Rush is actually one of the more center-leaning of the talk show hosts and uses sound reasoning and strong personal convictions in his decision making. While he does fight for what he believes in and I'm sure a lot of libs think he is straight-up radical, most of what they hear that really pisses them off the worst is him just trying to be funny. He entertains on his show by joking about leftists and their political leaders (sometimes cruelly) and by acting absurdly cocky, but most of it is just to keep an audience.

In this first book of his, Rush writes eloquently about the current events and state of affairs in the early 1990s. It is interesting to me that most of the same debates are still alive and well today, more than 10 years later. Neither the left nor the right has changed its tune much in the last decade, and the country is still struggling with the same problems even though we've had periods of both liberal and conservative leadership. To me, this indicates that the constant division and bickering between the two sides of the political spectrum ends up causing a stalemate in which neither side is willing to give an inch and in fact will sabatoge efforts by the other side, even if the ideas are good. I'm sure this runs both ways, but as a Republican it is hard not to see most of this coming from the leff (seems like every single idea or agenda Bush has is immediately beaten down by the Dems).

Anyway, Rush is a smart and funny guy who you'll find you love if you give him a chance.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Way Things Ought To Be
Don't knock it til you've tried it. This book is several years old but it was written to analyze the issues that never go away. You've been trained to fear him or to marginalize him or to hate him. Do you ever wonder why elected officials use the power of their office to harass a private citizen... just one guy with a radio show?
I started listening to Rush via his guest hosts. I refused to listen to him too, because he was Rush Limbaugh, the source of all evil in the modern world. But, I would give his guest hosts half a chance because they weren't him. They were saying a lot of things that I was already thinking. Then, when I listen to Rush he said them too and even better. It was a bitter pill to swallow since being a listener of Rush means eternally losing popularity contests. I'm proud that I'm not that shallow. If you're not afraid to open your mind a little, if you're not afraid of getting caught with it, (honestly, don't you think something is really wrong with the fact that people like me have to hide in corners and closets to express our opinions? Doesn't that sound like oppression to you?) If you can bear to part with raw emotion and focus on logically reading through someone who may be of a different opinion than you, you should try this book.

[Charissa Wilkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overview: Rush Limbaugh is better known as one of America’s premier talk radio hosts. Of course, he also happens to be unabashedly conservative in his beliefs, so people either love or hate him. Want to see how Mr. Limbaugh thinks life should be working? It might be a fun trip.

Likes: Mr. Limbaugh does have a point, you can’t argue with results. Let’s face it, whenever you throw money at a problem, the problem seems to grow bigger. It doesn’t seem like that’s the optimal solution.

Conclusion: It appears as if Mr. Limbaugh is a controversial figure simply because he does not beat the drum for most of the liberal pet projects. Last time I checked, we should be able to judge all things.

[Copeups · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm very proud to have attended the Limbaugh Institute of Advanced Conservative Studies for many years. This book was offered by the professor as one of the text books in the never ending pursuit of spreading conservatism. His class convened from noon until three pm EST. Though one of his mentors, Ronaldo Magnus- the great Ronald Reagan- was considered The Great Communicator, Rush has proven to be very high on that list himself. The reason the liberals hate him is because he exposes their subtle techniques of brainwashing the unsuspecting young skulls of mush and those who harbor guilt caused by what they perceive as unmerited success. I highly recommend this book.

[Rhiannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rush is one of my favorite commentators and talk show hosts. I grew up listening to him, and when I remember, still listen to his show. I don't care about anything negative that anyone has to say about this man...he knows how to draw people in. Though I agree with what he says and believes, I know people who don't agree with anything that man says/writes, yet they will still listen to his show. He's a genius who uses excellent examples in this book. I'd recommend this book to anyone.

[Joel Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book as an early twenty-something from the buckle of the conservative belt of America with very little life experience. My views since have gradually migrated to the center on both fiscal and social issues. Most of his arguments would be re-treads today, but he can be hillarious in their dilivery.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is loaded with Rush’s unique perspectives on American society and politics done with his usual wit and humor and entertaining style. Most of his critics have never listened to his programs or read his books and only parrot what they have heard others say about him. To me this was a fun, informative, and interesting read.

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read. Even though this book is a few years old, it is still very relevant and the principles are still true. This is a good read, I would recommend it to liberals as well by I know they will never read it. All I have to say is..... Rush is right!

[Anne Roszczewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book at a seniors’ residence library where my mom lives because I like Rush Limbaugh. The book was published before Bill Clinton was
President so lots has happened since Rush wrote it. I was amazed at how worthwhile a read it still was. I am glad I spent the time reading it.

[Cindy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Totally don't know why I bothered to read this one, but it was the last thing by him I've read. What a waste of time.