The Best Gift for All.
I am amused, like Pandora, at the whole “Republican Minority Leader Rush Limbaugh” episode. It occurs to me that it is a win-win for everyone involved.
Politico is reporting that longtime Democratic strategists Stanley Greenberg and James Carville polled public opinion concerning the Great Rotund Republican last fall, “and learned their longtime tormentor was deeply unpopular with many Americans, especially younger voters… Soon it clicked: Democrats realized they could roll out a new GOP bogeyman for the post-Bush era by turning to an old one in Limbaugh, a polarizing figure since he rose to prominence in the 1990s.”
I am not so sure that this was all a great Democratic plan hatched in the mind of the Rajun Cajun. I think Carville et al. are just trying to play themselves back into the political game (as longtime Clinton operatives with no real role in Democratic politics since Hillary Clinton lost the nomination to Barack Obama last year). But, as the Politico story points out, there does seem to be some coordination because James Carville and Paul Begala began pounding on Limbaugh frequently in their appearances on CNN and White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel elevated the strategy last weekend “by bringing up the conservative talker, unprompted, on CBS’s Face the Nation and calling him the ‘the voice and the intellectual force and energy behind the Republican Party.'”
I say it is a win-win because 1) Democrats win when the deeply unpopular and fanatical Rush is portrayed as the voice of the opposition rather than a more reasonable and moderate Republican like Charlie Crist or some new rising conservative “star” like Sarah Palin or Bobby Jindal; 2) Rush wins because it gives him the validation he has really always sought, and with his name in the press everyday, it can only help his ratings; 3) Conservatives win because this is what they want: they want an unabashed conservative voicing conservative “principles” with no apology and no quarter to “RINOs.” The only possible losers are the moderate or establishment Republicans in Congress.
With the Republican plan for opposition and comeback appearing to be the Limbaugh plan, I expect to see some party switches in the coming months, much like RSmitty and John Brady have already done. Actual moderate Republicans, like perhaps Arlen Specter, who have long argued that the return to the center is the way to win elections are no doubt saddened at the permanent turn to the Right their Party has taken. Some Republicans who have pretended to be moderate all this time for their own local political reasons ::cough Mike Castle cough:: will either follow Limbaugh or leave the party.
Indeed, perhaps we should ask our “honorable” Congressman where he stands concerning Republican Minority Leader Limbaugh. Let’s see if he is man enough to stand up to the Great Oxycontin Bandit.
With Obama in charge the GOP will do fine.
OBAMA LIED; THE ECONOMY DIED
“I am trying to capture the spirit of bipartisanship as practiced by the Democratic Party over the past eight years. Thus, I have chosen as my lead this proposition: Obama lied; the economy died. Obviously, I am borrowing this from the Democratic theme of 2003-08: ‘Bush lied, people died.’ . . . The difference is that Bush didn’t lie about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. He merely was mistaken. Whereas Obama told a whopper when he claimed that he is not for bigger government.”
Tony Blankley
*sigh* More cut and paste from I don’t have an independent thought Protack.
Back to the point of the post… DD, I agree, but look at the losers (Specter, Snowe, etc.). I’m seeing incentive for them to hold their moderate ground (in their moderate states) or else risk being labeled as a dittohead – which may play well in Mississippi, but not so much in Maine.
I love that this whole GOP implosion is killing Protack.
Yes, I agree pandora. The Republican moderates are not going to move right as long as Rush is calling the shots and the talking points. Specter is basically in a lose-lose situation so perhaps he’ll feel more free to vote his conscience instead of trying to tack to the right to make the base happy.
Ummm, are you guys checking membership at the door?
I’m not sure what you mean JC.
The conservatives in your party didn’t suddenly get crazy this year. They’ve been very insane for years. I think even normal Republicans like yourself own a little bit of the craziness.
Only at the top the Jason (even though your well documented local target of the esteemed Rep. Castle is well known, though not shared across the state). The local act has been pretty much irresponsible, unaccountable, untouchable and irreplaceable for nearly two decades now (some exceptions of course). The national scene, and the progressives saved the Democrats in this state, and thankfully may have re/placed some key policy and decision makers. More housekeeping is needed though! Who’s on the bench?
personally, strategy wise I don’t think this could go any better.
Me neither.
I’m still lovin’ it. And the real reason this is working is due to Republican participation in driving the story. Let’s face it, the story isn’t about Rush vs the White House. The story is about Republicans trying to stand up to Rush and then groveling at his feet for forgiveness.
Dems can claim Rush is the leader of the GOP, but without Repubs constantly proving their claim the story would have died.
Watching Republicans grovel is funny.