Dems Have Nothing To Lose In The Limbaugh War

Filed in National by on March 8, 2009

Dems have nothing to lose in the Limbaugh War because this fight isn’t about us.  It’s about Republicans. Seriously, we have nothing to lose.  If Rush wins (and he’s clearly winning so far) then he becomes the leader of the Republican Party.  However, if the GOP succeeds in putting Rush in his place then they risk losing the dittoheads that comprise a significant portion of their base, unless… anyone sees a scenario where Rush backs down, abdicates his throne, and instructs his followers to listen to someone else?  Yeah, like that’s going to happen.

Still, some people want to issue warnings.  Giving him what he wants: The Dems are fools is an example of one such post.  Now the billboard contest is extremely silly, but giving Rush Limbaugh what he wants is anything but foolish.  It’s brilliant. Of course Rush is eating this up – that’s the point – but, in case you haven’t noticed, it’s Republicans, not Democrats, he’s eating up and spitting out.  And trying to paint this war as a Dem conspiracy, and therefore moot, is a waste of time.  Seriously, there was no story until Republicans fell over themselves apologizing to Rush.  That’s the story, and it’s being fed by Republicans attempting to find the middle ground with an egomaniac.

And while I agree with most of what David Frum says in his latest article the most he can hope to achieve with this piece is another on-air Limbaugh temper tantrum.  The saga continues, and, yes, I’m enjoying it (I’ll also be milking it) because I have nothing to lose!  So, pass the popcorn; this story is far from over.

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Comments (12)

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  1. Unstable Isotope says:

    Far be it for me to interrupt their circular firing squad. Republicans whining about how mean the WH is just makes them look weak and pathetic, therefore reinforcing the meme.

  2. The longer the focus is on Limbaugh the worse for the Democrats and the GOP loses nothing. It goves the GOP cover while a real leader emerges.

    Limbaugh over the years has an audience of 18-20 million listeners every week regardless of who has been President or who is running for President. Limbaugh doesn’t change his tune based on outside personalities.

    However, external events are his forte’ and the economic distress the Nation feels now and will for years is going to be his mantra.

    For those who do not get it, Limbaugh is not the leader of the GOP. He happens to be the devil the Dems want to cast as the antichrist just as Palin, Cheney, Gingrich, Delay etc were.

    When unemployment hits close to 10% and stays there, when the stock market goes close to 5,000 and stays there you will have a hard time blaming Limbaugh for anything. That person will be President Obama.

  3. pandora says:

    This story just won’t die. Not that I’m complaining! It’s just like the Steele saga – the gift that keeps on giving.

  4. pandora says:

    Protack is wrong – again. This isn’t the Dems fight, although we’re enjoying it. We have nothing to lose in the Limbaugh War, unless you think liberals disagreeing with Rush is shocking.

    And a link to prove those weekly Rush listening numbers would be appreciated, but I’m not holding my breath.

  5. jason330 says:

    I’d like to mock Protack’s comment, but there is no mockery that could out mock the mockery he heaps in himself.

    The longer the focus is on Limbaugh the worse for the Democrats and the GOP loses nothing. It goves the GOP cover while a real leader emerges.

    Allllllriighty then.

  6. cassandra_m says:

    It doesn’t matter so much what Limbaugh’s listening numbers are — what does matter are his favorability ratings. Which are in the mid-20’s. Meaning that the majority of Americans think that this loud, lying, misogynist, race-baiting gasbag is not leadership material.

    Those bad favorability ratings are exactly why this administration trying hard to look for bipartisanship is why this story has legs. It paints Republicans with exactly Limbaugh’s faults. And they keep racing to embrace him.

  7. pandora says:

    Protack doesn’t have his finger on the pulse of Delaware voters – who have been quite consistent in their rejection of Protack – let alone the nation.

    Attention Republicans/Protack: Americans/Delawareans just aren’t that into you.

  8. Unstable Isotope says:

    I think the attention on Limbaugh is actually good, I hope his numbers went sky high! The more people listen to that gasbag, the more they’ll reject him.

  9. Geezer says:

    One touchstone to politics is that Mike Protack Is Always Wrong. You can look it up, here and at any Delaware blog he haunts.

    Look at the fantasy he linked to, from that bastion of high journalism, the DC Examiner. It, in turn, cites Charles Krauthammer, an embittered asshole with no audience outside the choir. Indeed, the entire right-wing echo chamber is made up of zombies, because the mainstream media is no longer pretending they speak for anyone but the 28% they have always represented. In short, nobody outside their circle jerk is listening seriously to a word they say.

    Something else you could look up are the numbers that refute everything Protack believes — not thinks, but believes, because at root current American conservatism is not based on facts but on faith: 84% believe Obama is dealing with an inherited problem, for instance.

    And, most crushingly — and this ought to be obvious to a party peopled by the kind of mock tough guys who worship toughness — nobody is going to flock to a bunch of wusses who don’t have the guts to stand up to a talk-show host.

    Rush has never had to face a moment’s real-world consequence for anything he has ever said — even less than the inconstant, lying, unloyal Mike Protack.

  10. Independent says:

    I think that James Carville, Paul Begala, and the White House have hit on a good strategy. Limbaugh’s popularity numbers are very low among just about everyone except older Republican diehard types. Plus he’s abrasive and pompous (and physically unattractive), making him a perfect bogeyman.

    Of course Limbaugh will benefit from this, but only by increasing his standing and visibility among the core Republicans who would never support Democrats anyway. Carville is correct that their Limbaugh strategy is good for the White House and good for Limbaugh himself, but bad for the Republicans in Congress.

    One note of caution for the Democrats, though: painting your opponents as a caricature is a good Machiavellian strategy, but it can backfire on you if you start to believe your own talking points. The moderate Americans that are opposed to many of the Obama/Pelosi/Reid policies do not all look like, sound like, or think like the caricature you’d wish them to be.

  11. pandora says:

    The point is that Dems are pretty well out of this fight. We stated our outrage and then became spectators – and, boy, what a show!. This has become Republican on Republican crime, and Rush is winning in body counts.