Is anyone else as astonished as I am to see the republicans kowtowing to this guy? FFS the head of the RNC just issued a public apology for deigning to speak ill of Rush.

Rush Limbaugh proudly represents an ideology that has been roundly rejected by voters in the last two national elections. Consider this: starting with the 2006 elections, the GOP has taken exactly zero seats from Democrats. I don't mean that they haven't [I]netted [/I]any seats, either -- I mean they literally have lost [B]every [/B]race against a democratic incumbent, or that was previously held by a dem but was open. Every. Single. One. Also, they've been relieved of command of many seats formerly held by Republicans.

According to a recent poll, [URL="http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Rush_Limbaugh_less_popular_than_Bush_0303.html"]Limbaugh has lower approval ratings than former president George W. Bush[/URL]. That highlights, I think, the extent to which the dude is on the fringe of the party and outside of the mainstream -- and this is the guy the GOP has decided to hitch its horse to.

Shit like this makes me think the GOP is just crying out to be replaced by a new party. If Limbaugh is really going to be the face of the party, it might make the really hardcore republicans happy, but they're going to get creamed at the polls. Again.

Re: Rush Limbaugh

Rush Limbaugh is a conservative. The Republicans have not been conservative for some time. Rush is about the last big wonder that gives the RNC any legitimacy. Of course they're going to kowtow to him. If Rush goes Libertarian, it's over for the GOP.

Re: Rush Limbaugh

[quote=Mariner1;717247]Rush is about the last big wonder that gives the RNC any legitimacy. Of course they're going to kowtow to him.[/quote] um.... maybe it gives legitimacy to them in their eyes but the rest of us on the planet sure don't think so. :lol:

Re: Rush Limbaugh

[quote=Miroslav;717277]um.... maybe it gives legitimacy to them in their eyes but the rest of us on the planet sure don't think so. :lol:[/quote]

Wait. You're telling me that you'd think more of the GOP if there was no Rush Limbaugh? How absurd. Just sayin...

Re: Rush Limbaugh

[quote=Mariner1;717283]Wait. You're telling me that you'd think more of the GOP if there was no Rush Limbaugh? How absurd. Just sayin...[/quote] No, I'm telling you that I'd think more of the GOP if they didn't find Rush Limbaugh's drivel to be reasonable and sympathetic to their views.

Re: Rush Limbaugh

fuck ya worst move they could possibly do. fucking brilliant. :lol:

Re: Rush Limbaugh

The support for republicans haS GONNE out the window...at least untll obama screw's up... p.s. my attempt of being serious in this state

Re: Rush Limbaugh

I didn't realize this was a movies thread...scrap what i had posted above...p.s. I wrote this without spell checdk

Re: Rush Limbaugh

[quote=Mariner1;717247]Rush Limbaugh is a conservative. The Republicans have not been conservative for some time. Rush is about the last big wonder that gives the RNC any legitimacy. Of course they're going to kowtow to him. If Rush goes Libertarian, it's over for the GOP.[/quote]

Rush won't go libertarian. He has a strong belief in faith-based initiative programs which are a breech of the 1st amendment (though for some reason Alito didn't think so).

Re: Rush Limbaugh

[quote=Localizer;717401]Rush won't go libertarian. He has a strong belief in faith-based initiative programs which are a breech of the 1st amendment (though for some reason Alito didn't think so).[/quote]

Perhaps check your premises with Alito? As with Bush, calling someone a conservative does not make it so. I've begun drafting some ideas on doing away with this right/left nonsense that seems to confuse everyone, and replace it with an up/down scale so that everyone is under the same definitional understanding (more on this at some later point).

Until Rush comes to the realization that the necessity of sound economic policy and law trumps [I]every last fucking thing he supports[/I], he'll never get this ideas through. So long as his faith-based nonsense and spreading democracy with bombs and fighting wars abroad to 'protect' American soil mentality trumps economics, he will continue to be on the losing side.

I think this is why I've started to listen to Beck more, and turn off Rush. I think Beck is probably more batshit insane about religion than Rush, but he's 50 times more dead-on about the economy and certainly gives it more treatment in his programs.

Re: Rush Limbaugh

how about we just get rid of government based on religious beliefs for a while. kthxbye

Re: Rush Limbaugh

[QUOTE=Mariner1;717247]Rush Limbaugh is a conservative. The Republicans have not been conservative for some time. Rush is about the last big wonder that gives the RNC any legitimacy. Of course they're going to kowtow to him. [/QUOTE]

Even if it makes ideological sense, it's political suicide. That was the intended point of the post, FWIW.

Re: Rush Limbaugh

[quote=toasty;717494]Even if it makes ideological sense, it's political suicide. That was the intended point of the post, FWIW.[/quote]

I just don't see the relationship you're trying to make out here. I think there are greater factors at play than a sole radio personality.

Re: Rush Limbaugh

[quote=Mariner1;717513]I just don't see the relationship you're trying to make out here. I think there are greater factors at play than a sole radio personality.[/quote]

Well, of course there are more moving parts than just Rush Limbaugh, but that's beside the point. I guess what I'm saying is that although Rush is enormously popular with a certain part of the Republican party, he's viewed by the public as a whole in lower regard than the dude that got the GOP into this mess to begin with (Bush). Embracing this guy as the standard-bearer for the party isn't going to help the GOP regain the trust (and respect) of the millions of independents and moderate republicans that have been voting Democrat for the last few cycles because they hate what the GOP has become.

Re: Rush Limbaugh

[quote=toasty;717519]Embracing this guy as the standard-bearer for the party isn't going to help the GOP regain the trust (and respect) of the millions of independents and moderate republicans that have been voting Democrat for the last few cycles because they hate what the GOP has become.[/quote]

Fine with me! :D

Re: Rush Limbaugh

Rush is a coarse and petty exponent. So many of his listeners and associates use him as an umbrella to feel comfortable with their many outmoded views, imo.

[IMG]http://z.about.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/b/A/limbaugh_oxycontin.jpg[/IMG]

Re: Rush Limbaugh

[quote=lucky charms;717585]Rush is a coarse and petty exponent. the GOP is failing regardless.

[IMG]http://z.about.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/b/A/limbaugh_oxycontin.jpg[/IMG][/quote]

The GOP isn't failing (whatever that means) because of Limbaugh. Their problem is largely the lack of principled representatives and their willingness to participate in TRL-like politics.

Re: Rush Limbaugh

lol at the in b4 edit! nice. :p:p:p

Re: Rush Limbaugh

[quote=Mariner1;717407]Perhaps check your premises with Alito? [/quote]

I guess what I was trying to say was that Alito quoted Madison in a case regarding taxpayer money for use on conferences relating to religion, etc... I just found it ironic that he would quote that, yet not adhere to Madison's quote about centralized banking systems.

[quote]

I think this is why I've started to listen to Beck more, and turn off Rush. I think Beck is probably more batshit insane about religion than Rush, but he's 50 times more dead-on about the economy and certainly gives it more treatment in his programs.[/quote]

Beck is funny. I'm no big fan of RP or libertarians (the only thing I really agree on is decentralized banking and adhering to as much of the constitution as we can while living in modern day America) Anyway, Beck railed on the party 1 year ago and after RP was on the show, he slowly began changing his stance. I don't know if this was by his own accord or whether there was an increase in ratings at the time RP came on (he'd never been granted airtime by the major networks). Then Beck moves to Fox news and is attempting to suddenly be the libertarian spokesman. I found it funny how he and Fox are capitalizing on that, especially when Fox vehemently shut out the libertarian party and RP--in fact Fox saw that party as the enemy of the conservative movement.

Re: Rush Limbaugh

just realized how much Limbaugh is making Obama look like weak sauce. Obama, the leader of the goddamn free world, is paying attention to Limbaugh. Good god.

Re: Rush Limbaugh

I must admit what Rush is doing is VERY smart. He is taking away all the Obama attention so the honeymoon can end. Think about it everyone right now is talking about Rush and not Obama. That means that Obama can be attacked for policy once this dust settles. I hate Rush by the way but I think it is great PR by the republicans.

Re: Rush Limbaugh

[QUOTE=runningman;717701]I must admit what Rush is doing is VERY smart. He is taking away all the Obama attention so the honeymoon can end. Think about it everyone right now is talking about Rush and not Obama. That means that Obama can be attacked for policy once this dust settles. I hate Rush by the way but I think it is great PR by the republicans.[/QUOTE]

I agree that Rush is loving the attention and it only helps him to make money.

Re: Rush Limbaugh

[quote=runningman;717701] I hate Rush by the way but I think it is great PR by the republicans.[/quote]

This is great PR by Rush personally, because he's only bolstering his own influence, but there's no way this reflects the master plan of the GOP as a whole. FFS, the actual head of the RNC has been bickering with the symbolic head of the RNC (prior to offering his mea culpa) -- and that infighting makes the party look like a bunch of slapped asses. That can't possibly be by design.

Re: Rush Limbaugh

Look! Obama is going after Cramer.

What a weak jackass. Seriously, this makes Obama look like a guy who can't take the heat. And a dick.

Just gonna let you know, Dissent is STILL patriotic.

Just saying...

Re: Rush Limbaugh

Limbaugh is big fat pill-popping idiot, who talks and talks but has never ever proposed anything serious or constructive, if republicans are so pissed at the media response to Obama well, keep feeding your own, make him a real politician not a behind the mic moron that he is...

Re: Rush Limbaugh

[quote=Mariner1;717993]Look! Obama is going after Cramer.

What a weak jackass. Seriously, this makes Obama look like a guy who can't take the heat. And a dick.

Just gonna let you know, Dissent is STILL patriotic.

Just saying...[/quote]

We should all being going after Cramer. The guy is a nutjob. He can swing the markets if he wants. The reason Dry Ships is now so volatile is because of him. The guy splurged that shit on tv and everyone and their mom has shares in it now. He's set that as the apex of the shipping sector, and prior to that, he used to talk shit about Dry Ships. Because of him, most online brokers put margin requirements on that stock.

Re: Rush Limbaugh

Well, I'm going to take a page out of runningman's book and post something that verifies how awesome an earlier post of mine was ;):

[quote][B]Majority of Voters View Limbaugh Negatively, 45 Percent "Very, Very Negatively": Study[/B]

The [URL="http://www.democracycorps.com/strategy/2009/03/rush-limbaugh-weighs-down-heavily-on-republicans/"]Democracy Corps released results[/URL] of a public survey on Wednesday that underscores just how astute a political strategy it is for Democrats to tie the Republican Party to Rush Limbaugh.

According to the Democratic polling firm, voters view the conservative talk show host "negatively by a two-to-one ratio (53 to 26 percent), with nearly half the country, 45 percent, viewing him very, very negatively. Among independents, the ratio rises to three-to-one."

In short, Limbaugh is toxic for the GOP brand. But the findings only get worse from there. "By a nearly two-to-one ratio (57 to 32 percent) a majority of voters -- and independents -- say Limbaugh does not "share their values," but Republicans are in a different world where, by two-to-one, they believe he shares them."

The study's authors summarize their findings as such:

"On virtually every question the great majority of the mainstream rejects Limbaugh's ideas and vision of the Republican Party, which severely constrains Republican elected leaders. It does not help that some of the key voters in the 2006 and 2008 elections, like younger voters, are particularly uncomfortable with Limbaugh's politics. Conservative Republican voters, however, embrace Limbaugh, giving him a very high favorability rating; they say he shares their values and urge Republican leaders to defend him when he is criticizing President Obama."[/quote]

[URL="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/11/majority-of-voters-view-l_n_173907.html"]link[/URL]

:runningman:

Re: Rush Limbaugh

[B]About Democracy Corps[/B]

             [B]History[/B]

Democracy Corps is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to making the government of the United States more responsive to the American people. It was founded in 1999 by James Carville and Stanley Greenberg. Democracy Corps provides free public opinion research and strategic advice to those dedicated to a more responsive Congress and Presidency. The organization was born out of outrage over the impeachment of President Clinton when the leadership in Congress preferred radical partisanship to addressing the issues which really matter to American families. Following the 2000 election, Democracy Corps rededicated itself after the presidential candidate with the most votes and the most popular policy agenda did not become the President of the United States.

Wow using Democrat sites to say bad things about Republicans.. Carville and Greenberg are as hard core Democrat as they come. Take their news with a grain of salt.

Toasty the Democrat thing really does seem cult'ish with you..

Re: Rush Limbaugh

People shouldn't be mad or suprised, Limbaugh is just an entertainer and he's succeeding in that. Saying he wishes a new president should fail, is obviously just an entertainment ploy.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELRmgJw8muw[/YOUTUBE]

Re: Rush Limbaugh

[quote=runningman;720744] Wow using Democrat sites to say bad things about Republicans.. Carville and Greenberg are as hard core Democrat as they come. Take their news with a grain of salt.

Toasty the Democrat thing really does seem cult'ish with you..[/quote]

Alright, first of all, the study [B]itself [/B]is right there, linked, in my post. If you have a problem with the study, then look at the study and tell us all where it was unfair. Don't bring this "the poll was conducted by a liberal organization" weak sauce bullshit. I doubt very seriously that you are as critical of polls conducted by WSJ/Fox News/Rasmussen because of the source.

More importantly and more to the point, though, I would love for someone to explain to me how embracing Rush Limbaugh is going to be good for the Republicans' political fortunes, because that was the actual point of the post. Their goals may be policy and ideology-based, but the [I]job description[/I] of a politician, first and foremost, is to get elected and then to hold onto the position. From where I sit, Limbaugh isn't helping the GOP in that regard at all. If they take another ass-kicking in 2010 like they did in 2006 and 2008, Republicans will be entirely irrelevant, if not functionally extinct in national politics.

Re: Rush Limbaugh

[quote=runningman;720744] Toasty the Democrat thing really does seem cult'ish with you.[/quote]

As an aside, if you look back at my posts in the politics section since I've been on [ms], two things are readily apparent:

1. I think the current incarnation of the Republican party is completely off the rails, out of touch with the mainstream, and has leadership that is horribly misguided, if not literally retarded.
2. I really like that Barack Obama dude.

Even though I have openly and frequently stated my support for Obama, I think you'd be hard pressed to find posts where I'm trumpeting the praises of Pelosi, Reid, etc. or the Democratic party in general. Most of my posts are directed at the GOP because they've made themselves such an easy target, but contempt for the Republican party as it exists is not the same thing as love for the Democrats.

You're free to believe whatever you like, but if you look at what I've actually posted, you'll find that I'm more likely to dole out harsh words for democrats for overplaying their hand, being completely ineffectual, or engaging in truly unhelpful behavior than gush about them.

Re: Rush Limbaugh

[quote=toasty;717989]This is great PR by Rush personally, because he's only bolstering his own influence, but there's no way this reflects the master plan of the GOP as a whole. FFS, the actual head of the RNC has been bickering with the symbolic head of the RNC (prior to offering his mea culpa) -- and that infighting makes the party look like a bunch of slapped asses. [B]That can't possibly be by design.[/B][/quote]

Well, let it never be said that I don't admit when I am wrong. Turns out this whole thing was all part of RNC head Michael Steele's master plan:

[QUOTE][Steele] was asked to look back at his tiff with Limbaugh, in which he claimed that the bombastic radio personality was "incendiary" and "ugly" only to backtrack on his words.

It looked embarrassing for the Maryland Republican at the time. But Steele contended that it was all a part of a grand "strategic" plan.

"I'm very introspective about things. I'm a cause-and-effect kind of guy. So if I do something, there's a reason for it... It may look like a mistake, a gaffe. There is a rationale, there is a logic behind it," he said. "I want to see what the landscape looks like. I want to see who yells the loudest. I want to know who says they're with me but really isn't."

"It helps me understand my position on the chess board. It helps me understand, where, you know, the enemy camp is and where those who are inside the tent are," Steele added. "It's all strategic." [/QUOTE]

[url]http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/25/steele-open-to-running-fo_n_179258.html[/url]

My bad, GOP. Didn't realize I had just been bamboozled by Steele's [I]strategery [/I]into thinking that the party was in the midst of a civil war. Didn't realize it was part of the master plan. Whoops.