Limbaugh's job

Andrew Leonard of Salon says this about Rush Limbaugh's racist aping of Hu Jintao:

I'm not sure what is more appalling: Rush Limbaugh's 30-second-long imitation of China's President Hu Jintao speaking in Chinese, delivered on his radio show today in the most abominable display of evil Oriental stereotyping this side of Fu Manchu, or the fact that Limbaugh obviously feels his audience would relish an indulgence in racist mockery that most third grade boys would be ashamed of.

C'mon, Leonard, where have you been?  Limbaugh is popular because he tells his audience they have no reason at all to be ashamed of anything.  His most important job and function among wingnuts is to edge right up next to the racial epithet and then only to imply it without saying.  His job is to set a social norm that builds a tribe for his listeners where every bigoted thought they have or even give voice to is close enough to be acceptable.