Auggy: First, I hope you don't mind the nickname. Second, I wasn't accusing you of that. I just wanted to climb on my soapbox for a while. Also, I wanted to use the phrase "denim diapers" really badly. Rusty and the others are fringe, they're just really loud and have a lot of exposure. They represent the far end. Though I'll admit that American politics has turned more and more to those fringes recently, and it worries me.
MD: Stop saying what I want to say five times better than I could.
No I don't mind the nickname. Its a portmanteau of my pet parrot's name, Auggie, and "auxilliary". Also "denim diapers" made me giggle.
From my experience, Rush and Beck seem like an average conservative COMMENTATOR*. I understand that many conservatives are rational people, and many of them seem very dissapointed in the tea party and other popular conservatives. However most of the conservative people I know actually love Beck and Rush. Pretty much 70% - 80% of the people I know are like that, and I've only met 2 who hate Rush, Beck, Bush, etc. Sadly there are hardly any mainstream commentators for rational conservatives.
Another point is that Beck and Limbaugh generally aren't at their "Final Form"(IE: completely honest about their views) when they're on air. Those conservatives that worship them only see them in their not-as-horrible attitudes, and don't realize how big of a douchebag Rush and Beck are. Ditto with the Tea Party. There have been a few teachers that are part of the Tea Party or at least support it. None of these people are idiots, they just haven't seen the terrible, idiotic side of the Tea Party.
Even though Rush Limbaugh, as a person, is more of a fringe person, his show isn't. Ditto with Beck and the Tea Party. They are extremely popular among conservatives. Of course there are conservatives that hate them, and there are conservatives that listen to Rush and Beck but still disagree with them, but that doesn't mean Rush and Beck are any less popular.
*I'm really sorry I had to use all-caps. It sounds like I'm angry but I'm really not. I just needed a way to emphasize that word...