Rush Limbaugh, Meet Your Decades-Earlier Reflection – Father Charles Coughlin

Posted By: Michael Sweeney

Mar. 6, 2009

So…here’s a little no-pressure quick-quiz question (and, hey, how many times do you get to write a sentence with three "Q" words in a row?): Do you know who Father Coughlin was?

No? Well, if not, you’re likely in the vast majority of Americans. Frankly, the way things went and ended up turning out, there is no reason – unless you happen to have a particularly keen interest in 20th century American history – that you should have any idea who Father Charles Coughlin was. But, with perhaps the exception of the Roman collar then and the rolls of jowls now, 1930s Father Coughlin IS the historical equivalent of the current Rush Limbaugh…

Coughlin was a Canadian-born Roman Catholic priest; in the 1920s, he began working at a parish in Detroit. Almost as a novelty, he began doing radio broadcasts in 1926, giving a local weekly on-air sermon. These broadcasts grew in popularity…and started taking on subjects other than religion. As the broadcasting medium grew – and, following the Wall Street Crash of ’29 – his radio sermons became a nation-wide source of comfort and inspiration to a country trying to make it through tough times. And he continued to morph his "sermons" from religious teaching to more political and economic philosophizing – and, indeed, even very demanding "preaching." It was estimated that more than 40 million listeners tuned in to his weekly programs during the 1930s.

The first important, influential political stands that Coughlin took were – ultimately, ironically – in support of first candidate and then President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was credited with coining and popularizing the phrase "Roosevelt or ruin"…and he supported FDR through his election and the first few (very active) years of his administration. During much of the 1930s, Coughlin was perhaps the second-most-popular person in the entire country, trailing only the either beloved or despised President.

Father Coughlin's radio support for FDR and the New Deal faded later in 1934, when he founded an organization called the National Union for Social Justice (NUSJ). NUSJ was a nationalistic worker's rights organization that opposed FDR’s economic policies as only supporting the wealthy or established – not the working-class. Charges of anti-Semitism – and growing descriptions of Coughlin as a "fascist" – followed his increasing radio preaching about what he called "the money changers."

As his programs became more openly anti-Semitic – he blamed the horrible 1938 "Kristallnacht" persecution in Germany on its Jewish victims – some radio stations (including those in New York and Chicago) began limiting or even cancelling his shows unless his scripts were pre-approved. These statements and the resulting reactions even made Coughlin a hero in Nazi Germany; he also made multiple speeches that attempted to rationalize policies being enacted by Hitler and Mussolini.

Coughlin’s fall was both gradual, then sudden. His support of a group called the Christian Front backfired in 1940, when the group was busted by the FBI over a plot "to murder Jews, communists, and a dozen Congressmen." He was not directly linked to the scheme, but he continued to speak in their support. And, after Pearl Harbor, his continued isolationist, right-wing stands were seen as being in direct opposition to what the vast majority of Americans (AND their government) saw as the vitally needed next steps.

As it became more difficult to get his broadcasts – or even written statements via his publications or the US mail – out to his dwindling number of followers, the Catholic Church decided they had had enough as well. In 1942, Coughlin’s bishop demanded he completely stop his political activities and limit himself to – once again – simply being a parish priest. He complied – and remained the local pastor there until retiring in 1966. He turned down all interview requests after that (although he occasionally wrote anti-Communist pamphlets), and died a nearly-completely-forgotten figure at the age of 88 in 1979.

Coughlin is thought of as one of the major demagogues of the 20th century – because he gathered a deep core of followers and attempted to influence politics merely through his broadcasts. He never ran for or held political office…although he founded a short-lived third party and supported a failed candidate in the 1936 Presidential election.

So…a radio demagogue…clearly racist and probably fascist…never offers himself to voters, so they can make their choices about him…opposing – with his inconsequential, coded, and blatantly over-the-top words – a popular US President who is trying to lead the country through very trying times. Hmm – sounds a bit familiar, doesn’t it?

Then – perhaps another quick-quiz question to leave you with: All things considered – including the fact that, passionate "Ditto-head" supporters or not, Coughlin’s radio audience was more than double what Limbaugh’s is (and that was back when the US population was only about one-third of what it is now) – doesn’t it seem more than likely that in (say…) 2050 or ’60, most people who are asked, "Do you know who Rush Limbaugh was?" will have to scratch their heads a bit to come up with even any tiny piece of trivia about the man blustering and babbling his way into headlines lately?

Or, to recall an appropriate bit of poetry from Percy Bysshe Shelley – regarding the ironic ruins of a long-abandoned statue paying tribute to a forgotten man’s former worldly achievements – "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: / Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"

…Well, that ain’t exactly the desperate, attention-seeking "Talent on loan from God!" – but, eh, it’s awfully close…

Look for my regular posts here on The Stonecipher Report. (And, for a free subscription to my twice-weekly e-mail column on politics and pop-culture, "And, in the News…" send a note to: m_l_sweeney@hotmail.com)

Comments

[Ken]

Fit right in with the "border Blasters" that broadcast from Mexico, 20's -40's, although they were largely hucksters and christian zealots.

[John Woods]

Limbaugh is such a blazing idiot.

RT
www.privacy.at.tc

[Michael Sweeney]

Good call. Amazing how much can fall between the cracks of history...

[Carl Stronzo]

"Frankly, the way things went and ended up turning out, there is no reason – unless you happen to have a particularly keen interest in 20th century American history – that you should have any idea who Father Charles Coughlin was."

That has got to be the worst sentence ever written. Did you even go to elementary school?

[Michael Sweeney]

...25 years earning a non-stop living from writing, 16 published books and counting -- but thanks for reading me! Oh, and be sure to suck it, as well. (To paraphrase long-ago, comedy-LP-era Albert Brooks, I'm pretty sure he's doing it now!)

[DH]

Rush Limbaugh is absolutely 100% not a racist and nothing like the person that your column compares him to.

[Michael Sweeney]

Opinions vary about that, to be sure...But, as for being a semi-popular (with his particular audience) right-wing voice opposing a very popular President trying to guide the country through a very tough financial time brought on by the previous failed GOP administration...well, at least THAT's 100%...

[Circe Herbivora]

This was an interesting article! I've had such a keen interest in the Great Depression of late (I wonder why!) and I'm wondering if the "Four Horsemen" tried to influence any popular movement under the guise of the "common man"? Furthermore, I've been reading about Shays Rebellion and some of the circumstances preceeding it sounded eerily familar! History does repeat itself...
Thank you for this intriguing look at early radio propaganda.

[Michael Sweeney]

Thanks -- glad you enjoyed it!

[bob]

You are just now figuring this out?
Coughlin and Limbaugh are parallels on so many levels it was obvious in 1990.
The only difference I can see is Coughlin was not a junkie.

[Michael Sweeney]

Truly LOL at the "junkie" thought...and, of course I was aware of the parallels -- but, then again, I'm a voracious reader and a political / history "junkie" myself (oops! - well, at least I've never relied on a housekeeper or gardener to go fetch my history texts!)...but, as a major point of the piece is, hardly anyone these days even know who Fr. Coughlin was, much less that Rush ain't exactly sui generis when it comes to popular right-wing radio demagoguery.

...My fave fact may well be that Coughlin easily doubled even the most exaggerated Limbaugh ratings #s (when the country was much smaller)...but is all but completely forgotten today (us political / historic junkies aside)...

[Justin]

What was the point of this article? And, not that I dislike your writing, but getting publishd doesn't equal quality. After all, Twilight was horribly written and Ann Coulter seems to continue to get published.

[Michael Sweeney]

A) It's an attempt to inform curious readers who may not be fully aware of historical details and potential parallels. (Seemed pretty clear...)

B) Thanks for the (admittedly, semi-back-handed) compliment -- hey, you take what you can get these days!

C) Yes, I've sold a career's worth of work to maintain a 25-year record of supporting myself as a professional writer...but, of course, the Web is a different world. Self-publish...and let the random browsers of the world absorb it, ignore it, or comment on it. You stake out your own bit of online real estate and share your thoughts and work. If people like it, great! But...if they don't, well, they can just keep moving along -- nothing to see here, folks. Besides, someone else will be along in a nanosecond or two and perhaps they will get something out of it...

[woog]

@DH:

"Rush Limbaugh is absolutely 100% not a racist"

He is absolutely 100% not a draft-dodging impotent junkie hatemongering demagogue either.

And shame, SHAME on Michael Sweeney for even daring to insinuate otherwise. Soon enough you weirdbeard liberal pinko intellectuals will PAY.

[Michael Sweeney]

Tee-hee...

Junkie? Apparently (although perhaps currently in remission)...

Draft-dodging? Well, neither he nor Bush or Cheney ever served in their country's military (unlike, for instance, Gore and Kerry)...

Impotent? Well, there WAS that unprescribed Viagra (or was it Cialis?) he was caught with...

Demagogue? Hmm -- read the article again...because apparently, his picture is going into future dictionaries and encyclopedias -- next to Fr. Coughlin's -- where the word "demagogue" is being defined and explained...

...And we ain't PAYING anything now -- it's our turn now to oh-so-laughingly COLLECT...