It was an otherwise normal, late-summer Friday evening in Northern California. The San Francisco 49ers were set to square off against the Green Bay Packers in a meaningless preseason affair. But then, when others around him stood and faced the American flag for the routine playing of the national anthem, 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick sat. And all hell broke loose.
{mosads}Later, Kaepernick would explain why he did it. “People don’t realize what’s really going on in this country. There are a lot things that are going on that are unjust,” he said. “That’s something that this country stands for freedom, liberty and justice for all. And it’s not happening for all right now.”
Kaepernick continued. “It was something that I personally decided — I just can’t stand what this represents right now. It’s not right. And the fact that it has blow up like this, I think it’s a good thing. It brings awareness,” he said.
I don’t agree with Kaepernick’s decision. I firmly believe that America is the greatest country in the history of the world and that we have truly been blessed. I thank God every day that there are men and women out there willing to protect my family and me.
But I defend Kaepernick’s right to do what he did. I have no idea how his worldview has been shaped and it’s not up to me, or any of us, to decide. Yes, millions have died defending the very flag that Kaepernick now protests, but they also died to protect his right to do so; to protect his right to sit down. I disagree with Kaepernick’s position, but I respect his principled stand.
Which brings me once again to my favorite topic of discussion in this space: conservative media, and most particularly radio host Rush Limbaugh. Those influencers who, when viewed through the prism of Kaepernick’s actions, appear to be void of any principles that might negatively impact their bottom line.
Because of his tacit support of Donald Trump during the Republican primaries, I stopped listening to Limbaugh earlier this year. For the last 25 years he, above all others, was my conservative guide. The choice to turn him off has been the most disappointing development during this never-ending, nasty presidential campaign. Candidates and movements are fleeting, but ever since I was a still moldable teen, Limbaugh was there for me. Every afternoon, he promised a conservative utopia if we all rowed together and abided by a few principles set in hard stone by President Reagan, William F. Buckley and Sen. Barry Goldwater (R-Ariz.).
I believed in him for decades. I was wrong.
Monday night on my Twitter feed, I noticed another social media prairie fire spreading. According to many of the conservative thinkers I follow, Limbaugh essentially outed himself as a conservative without principle earlier in the day. Not having listened to his show, I read the stories posted by Byron York and Red State.
Sure enough, Limbaugh, unwittingly or not, pulled back the curtain and revealed his true self: He is an entertainer, a conservative in name only, a man who smokes fine cigars and criss crosses the country in his private jet and feels no obligation to tell his millions of listeners the truth.
In a long exchange with a caller on the merits of Trump’s recent flip-flop on immigration, Limbaugh admitted to never taking Trump seriously on his promise to deport 11 million illegal immigrants. He later tried to clarify by describing himself to be “just a radio guy” who’s not in the business of influencing policy. Such an admission on its face is relatively harmless, until one considers Limbaugh’s previous defense of Trump’s plan.
The Atlantic’s Conor Friedersdorf did the heavy lifting and looked back through Limbaugh’s commentary on Trump’s deportation plan. His words are damning: “It’s obvious that that issue is the foundational issue for Trump, and I think for Trump to blow this he would have to change immigration,” Limbaugh said in August 2015. “He’d have to backtrack, which he’s not gonna do. But I’m just saying, all the other stuff. … You know, ‘Is he conservative/is he liberal?’ I still don’t think that people in what we call the establishment (some call it the ruling class) inside-the-Beltway get it.”
Limbaugh continued:
“They can chalk it up to celebrity, they can chalk it up to pop culture, they can chalk it up to circus. But it’s not. It is due to substance and it is due to immigration, and with Trump releasing this comprehensive immigration plan yesterday. … You know, all these questions of who’s a real conservative have been obviated here.”
In the end, Limbaugh and Kaepernick will continue along their separate paths. Kaepernick will sit during the national anthem in hopes of furthering a national conversation; a controversial stand based on a set of principles he firmly believes in. Limbaugh will continue his show every afternoon, with a promise to be his listener’s conservative “guiding light.” True principles will no longer be discussed, as they might not be entertaining enough.
During Kaepernick’s press conference, he was asked if he was afraid his actions might cost him his job. “I don’t know,” he said. “But if I do, I know I did what’s right. And I can live with that at the end of the day.”
If only those that drape themselves in the flag and purport to know the way followed Colin Kaepernick’s lead, we might all be in a better place. If only there were more influential conservative voices, particularly the biggest voice, willing to sacrifice personal gain for the principles he once claimed. If only there were more willing to keep a bad man from the door.
Hale is a freelance writer who resides in San Antonio with his wife and three children. He has written for Sports Illustrated and NBC Sports but his first, true love has always been politics. The machinations carried out by otherwise good people are his glorious, guilty pleasure.
The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the views of The Hill.