Rush Limbaugh and My Yugo

Articles

Rush Limbaugh and My Yugo

By Michael John McCrae
Aug 16, 2004

A couple of columns ago I ended my excursion into non-debate by listing the names behind the face of modern American politics. It was gently pointed out to me by Mr. Stan Grimes, (You get full credit Stan) that I missed a couple of voices from the right side that could have been included among the other extremists mentioned. Stan noted the absence of the names Rush Limbaugh and Jerry Falwell.

Well, I am not going to re-hash what I consider a personal correspondence I sent to Stan in reply; but my reply did spark an old bone I had to pick with Mr. Rush Limbaugh.

Back in 1989 I received orders to take over supply duties for a Reserve Army unit in Oklahoma City. I packed up my family and we headed west from New Jersey. We made it as far as Joplin, Missouri before our station wagon blew a water pump and damaged my wallet. But the car was repaired and we managed to coax the wagon the rest of the way to Oklahoma City on schedule.

Our poor station wagon had given good service for many miles, but now it was done. We needed a new car. We needed a new car quick.

The years 1988/89 were the top years for the sale of Yugo Automobiles in America. In 1989, I took that beat up station wagon to “Bob Howard Auto Mall” in Edmond, OK and traded it in on a brand new Yugo. The only criteria I had at the time was being able to fit our five children in the back seat. They fit. I bought the car.

I drove that Yugo for 9 years between 1989 and 1998. I drove that Yugo for 208,000 miles. I drove that Yugo because that Yugo would not quit. Mom, Dad, five kids, 14 bags of groceries; and that Yugo kept right on going. For a military family of seven, it was the right car at the right time.

Now, I understand parody, but Mr. Limbaugh’s parody “In A Yugo” always ups my ire. In my book, nobody; not even Rush can impugn the Yugo enough to ever get me to say a bad word about them. Even the squirrel under the hood would agree that my Yugo had many redeeming qualities.

I have written Mr. Limbaugh several times about my Yugo, asking him to allow for at least one exception. He has never responded to my pleas for Yugo justice. (Of course I understand too, that Rush probably receives some 4 million e-mails a day.)

I miss driving my Yugo. I cried the day I had to take “Max” off the road. Yeah! I named it MAX! No, sissy girl name for my Yugo!

For four and one half years that little car did 140 mile daily round trips up and down the New Jersey Turnpike. That little car carried my family of seven round trips between Oklahoma City and our home in New Jersey for every holiday during the years 1990-94. No; I’ll not say anything bad about the Yugo.

Did you know that the Yugo is made by hand? Yes, they are in fact still being made in the former Yugoslavia. Zastava Motors is trying to find a buyer and America does not import the Yugo anymore, but that is the law of supply and demand I guess.

For those of you who ever owned a Yugo that worked as well as mine, you know what I am talking about. The rest of you I’m sure will find a great deal of truth in Rush Limbaugh’s “In A Yugo” parody. Either way, my Yugo was a gem in the rough and I’ll not think ill of the brand.

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About the Author: Michael John McCrae is an Independent, Conservative, Christian who has been personally insulted as a voter because John Kerry thinks the "Heart and Soul of America" lays in the "X-rated sexual innuendo" of Whoopi Goldberg. Well, Michael McCrae thinks America is better than that. Michael McCrae believes there is at least some morality left. So Michael McCrae is going to leave this here (until after the election) as a reminder to all of what John Kerry and John Edwards believe the Real America to be. They believe America's "heart and soul" resides in the "X-rated sexual innuendo" of Whoopi Goldberg. You can draw your own conclusions. Email: macswordV@hotmail.com

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