Bill Maher and David Anderson have something in common
No, not that.
They have both expressed the ridiculous notion that Rush Limbaugh’s free speech rights are being violated by the stampede of (to date) 98 advertisers and sponsors dropping him like a diseased potato. Indeed, as Pandora pointed out over the weekend, not only is Rush being dropped, but the entire Right Wing Lineup:
They’ve [the 98 and counting advertisers] specifically asked that you [networks and radio stations] schedule their commercials in dayparts or programs free of content that you know are deemed to be offensive or controversial (for example, Mark Levin, Rush Limbaugh, Tom Leykis, Michael Savage, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity). Those are defined as environments likely to stir negative sentiment from a very small percentage of the listening public.
And Maher and Anderson, we are going back to school, since apparently you both did not learn about the First Amendment, or you have forgotten it. Your right to free speech is not defined as your right to say whatever you want whenever you want without any consequence whatsoever. Let’s try a reading comprehension exercise. Here is the First Amendment:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Who is the Amendment signaling out as the party that is the subject of the Amendment?
Is it radio stations? No.
How about corporations? Wrong again.
Oh, I know, its liberals, right? Liberals!! Nope.
The Amendment is directed at Congress. It says Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech, etc.
That means that the government cannot violate your free speech rights. It says nothing about private citizens, or private corporations, or a group of citizens. It says nothing about sponsors having no right to pull their advertising dollar from someone because it violates free speech rights of that someone. Rush Limbaugh is still free to say what he wants without government interference. Thus, his free speech rights have not been violated.
What Rush Limbaugh is the victim of is the free market. Yes, we are witnessing the free market at work here. And I am surprised David Anderson opposes the free market. He must be a socialist then.
For Republicans, this kind of backlash is censorship (unless the backs being lashed belong to the Dixie Chicks.)
I just was thinking of the Dixie Chicks. Republicans have often engaged in this kind of marketplace action before, and the Dixie Chicks are a prime example. Yet they always whine when the shoe is on the other foot. They are most like children that way. Spoiled brat like children.
Rush Limbaugh has the right to call people whatever he wants, and I have the right to boycott his advertisers, and email and call radio stations and sponsors who carry his show.
It’s always a very sad and confusing day in nut job land when they realize that people they don’t like or agree with have rights, too.
That just shows that Bill Maher…. just like his right wing counterparts only cars about the money. If Rush Limbaugh can have his plug pulled, anyone can. It’s good to know he doesn’t care about progressive causes nearly as much as he cares about money.
As far as David goes… is anyone surprised a republican doesn’t understand the constitution?
But is a great day when nut job land is being brought to heel by the venerated Free Market Forces.
That many advertisers wanting to steer clear of the toxic and controversial is a clear win for Liberals. Most of these companies can’t afford to piss off people buying stuff — especially their valued demographics which tend to be younger and more diverse than these screech factories’ audiences anyway. The world will be a better place if they all are reduced to the Glen Beck pay-per-conspiracy model.
Maher is just covering his own ass. He probably thinks he is next, and he’s probably right.
No, it’s a clear win for women. This transcended politics and liberal/conservative. This was women from all political stripes, all colors and all walks of life saying “F*ck you, we aren’t going backwards.”
Bill Maher already knows what this feels like — he was fired from ABC for political incorrectness (certainly not the bullying that Limbaugh did) and he and HBO are regular targets of the religious outraged.
“First they came for the misogynist gas bags, and I was a misogynist gas bags, so I…uh..” – Bill Maher.
Maybe he realizes that he is not as important to “us” as limbaugh is to “them”
Bill Mahar is an outlier because he takes this issue personally because he did get fired from TV for it.
DelDem is right, its a free market. We all have the right to free speech, we are not free from its consequences. I just wonder how long the radio stations are going to let this go until they can’t afford so my silence on the air. Glenn Becks advertisers were dropping off of Fox. They just let Glenn talk longer and then decided to let his contract run out and not renew it.
I saw Bill Maher’s show on Friday were you spoke about this and my take away wasn’t that he was saying that Rush’s first amendment rights were being taken away, he was concerned about the push to silence Limbaugh. And I can see where he is coming from. I’m actually happy that Limbaugh made the comments that he did (except that they involved Ms. Fluke, that was terrible). What Limbaugh did was show the world the real reason that conservatives hate contraception, they don’t want women to have sex. I can’t say that I completely agree with Maher, but he has a point that having the power to try to silence Limbaugh doesn’t mean we should…
why not? there are PLENTY of fat white men espousing the insane beliefs of the right wing. what’s one less junkie running his mouth?
besides, no one trying to SILENCE him… we’re just trying to shrink the size of his soapbox…. hopefully small enough that it collapses under his weight.
I want women to have sex because some of them, by sheer force of numbers and averages, will have sex with me.
there you go again. another male who thinks it is all about sex. 🙂
LOL. You’re right, it is not about sex. To conservative / religious men, it is about power. Specifically, power over women.
power over women, power over minorities, power over “the others”
Lets be honest, white european christian males have done some pretty horrible things to … well, everyone else. It’s only natural they’d assume if “They” ever got power, Karma would show up to kick their asses.
“Lets be honest, white european christian males have done some pretty horrible things” and you’ll be there to catalog and declare the end.
Ding Dong The Wicked Which Is Dead?
And the ultimate expression of free speech will come this november, as todays new polls show, that most voters will exercise their right to free speech, (from the voting booth) and vote to oust Barack obama from office.
Well then Rustyd***, why don’t you head over to intrade and bet against Obama? You can get really good odds.
You know, march of 2011, I looked up the odds in vegas of romney becoming the next president, I could have got 8 to 1 odds at that time. I should have put some cash down then, I did not, I blew it.
Don’t worry. Romney will hit 8 to 1 again soon enough. Have your bank roll ready.
Maher has no sponsors, so he’s not worried about what he says. And people will stil go see his concert hall appearances.
“And the ultimate expression of free speech will come this november, as todays new polls show, that most voters will exercise their right to free speech, (from the voting booth) and vote to oust Barack obama from office.”
If you don’t know how to read polls, you’re politically illiterate. The polls of the last two days ask how people would vote “if the election were held today,” not in November. Polls’ predictive value is close to zero until two weeks before the election.
Is that why everyone cares so much about the polls where Obama beats the tar out of Gingrich, or Perry? Polls can mean whatever the person looking at them wants them to mean.
“Maher has no sponsors, so he’s not worried about what he says. And people will stil go see his concert hall appearances.”
Not everyone. Apparently, there a few Dems with some integrity.
http://dailycaller.com/2012/03/08/alabama-democrats-scrub-bill-maher-fundraiser-off-website/