Why They Hate Rush Limbaugh

Via Jammie Wearing Fool on the latest Rush dust up.

Seems like ever since Barack Obama told people to not listen to Rush Limbaugh, the Democrats are hanging on his every word.

Before you dismiss what I'm about to say, consider the complexity of Rush Limbaugh. They, meaning liberals, both hate and fear Limbaugh because he is you - even if you don't care at all for his shtick.

He has no college degree but has acquired wealth in excess of many an Ivy League MBA. He dined with Buckley, who actually liked him, but if you wanted to conjure up an image of him in a stained tee-shirt scratching himself like some rube, you could probably do it without breaking a sweat yourself.

His image and place in American culture is perhaps broader and even more assured than many an entry on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. Still he remains as much an everyman as any average man might ever hope to be. And he made it big.

Whether you know it, want to admit it, or not - and even if you dislike him - in a very real sense he is at least in some small part you. And try as they might for two decades, they have not been able to control, seriously damage, derail, or otherwise shut him up.

As a radio personality and cultural force, he's one of a dwindling number of things standing in the way of their running right over you. And that, in a nutshell, is why they really do both dislike and fear Rush Limbaugh - maybe even a bit too much for their own good. Who needs a Howard Beale when there is one already, screaming through the window of his microphone every working day?

Really, folks, this pitiful obsession with Rush is getting tiresome. Move on already.

Comments

[anon]

This might have been true 10 years ago but times have changed. Rush is very unpopular outside of his conservative base, which is rather small, so he really isn't as powerful as he might have once been. The petty spat between Steele and Limabugh showed that both men have some growing up to do. It was like watching 12 year-old girls fighting. Pure ego, no real leadership.

[Philip McDaniel]

“Rush is very unpopular outside of his conservative base…”

Oh, I don’t know about that. I’ve listened to him now and then and find him witty at times, very observant and intelligent. I don’t always agree with what he says and don’t go out of my way to keep up with his current views. On the whole, the fact that the leftists are throwing up in the garden over him I find delightful.

[Mominamerica]

Speak for yourself! This man, in no way, shape or form is ME or any of MINE! He's nothing but a disrespectful, narcissistic, scared, drug addicted sore loser. He lost. You lost. His tirades only serve to tear this country farther apart. You clones (how stupid is it to be proud to call yourselves "dittoheads"...doesn't that just say it all?) are not truly concerned with anyone but yourselves. This is a SOCIETY.

"He who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a beast or a god." - Aristotle

"No man is an island." - John Donne

.....and it should be pointed out the "base" of the Republican party, if they believe Rush Limbaugh, are profoundly anti-Christian. Over and over Jesus said the most important thing in this life was to serve the poor. Rush cannot bear to quote the preamble of the Constitution because it says the Constitution was created to "promote the common welfare". That would make him gag to say (and, clearly, not much makes that man gag).

Rush has some nerve challenging the President of the United States. It's hilarious! Rush, challenge US, the citizens! Rush, you have alot of listeners, but apparently not enough to effect the results of the election. You have "followers/clones", but there are MORE folks who are smart enough to THINK FOR THEMSELVES. Take your cocky all-knowing self to the REAL DEBATE, the one where YOU ARE RUNNING FOR OFFICE, and THEN talk your BIG TALK. That's all you are....a big talker! A trouble maker! ...and not a very good citizen of the USA! No, you're nothing like me!

[Jim Treacher]

"Rush is very unpopular outside of his conservative base, which is rather small, so he really isn't as powerful as he might have once been."

Don't tell us, tell Obama.

"His tirades only serve to tear this country farther apart."

So much for dissent being the highest form of patriotism.

[lcp]

Mominamerica - I wonder if you could - just for kicks - identify one reason (and not some bogus straw man reason)...but one good reason, why Limbaugh might get up the "nerve" to "challenge" the President.

Can you think of even ONE good reason why someone might disagree Obama?

[elTaoseno]

Obama and his crowd demonstrate how much confidence they have in their "plans" for America. Rush spends his time carefully, and entertainingly, explaining exactly what is behind all their smoke and mirrors....and they can't tolerate the sunshine.

We're all in River City now, and Obama is promoting the marching band...76 Trombones, anyone?

[joeb]

Just ask yourself this question. Who would you rather have running the office of President of The United States: Rush Limbaugh or Barack Obama?

[joeb]

I don't have any problem with Limbaugh running his mouth. I do have a problem with the idea of him running anything else. Go look at his bio. He failed miserably in everything else but radio that he tried in his life.

[newton]

"How strangely will the Tools of a Tyrant pervert the plain Meaning of Words! " - Samuel Adams

Mominamerica,

Speak for yourself. Thank Heavens Rush is nothing like you! I would have turned him off a long time ago if he ever spouted your Entitlement nonsense!

At least, he overcame obstacles to rise to where he is right now. And doesn't want a penny from the government. (And no, a tax cut is not "government money", but it's YOUR taxes and mine to begin with!) What about YOU? Are you waiting for your "free mortgage" and "free gas"?

If to "promote the common welfare" means for the government to pay the mortgages of irresponsible debtors and cover for their failures, and to give goodies to people who never worked for them but demand them because they "feel" they're entitled to them, then you have NOT read the Constitution. Fortunately, Rush and I have read it, as well as many millions of others like us. And we know it is not a suicide path. And we're NOT going to join you as you are lead by Pied Piper Obama into the cave of slavery. That's why we mean by "hoping for Obama to fail": that his "magic" wears off and people wake up to his Great Deception before they see themselves in permanent chains.

Unfortunately, you still sing to Obama's tune. And too many Americans have shown themselves to be too stupid to realize that to "promote the common welfare" doesn't mean to receive a big, fat check from Uncle Sam because the government owes you a living, but the ability of people to make a living for themselves, with little or no help from a government that can take all of your goodies away just as easily as you receive them.

America voted a la American Idol (because you and your ilk have made this into a popularity contest), and voted for a bag of goodies. Not for Freedom. And Freedom is what Rush speaks about. Obama promises "Freedom", which in reality is nothing but muti-generational Slavery - that's what his Marxism is about. Which is not different from what Robert Mugabe has done in Zimbabwe. (Do you need to hit the books and read about Zimbabwe?) The former "breadbasket of Africa" is now a Marxist Hellhole, thanks to Mugabe - and then he blames "white people" for it, and persecutes them out of that country! It is obvious that Obama wants for us to end the same way.

You probably have the same attitude as those people who were Katrina evacuees, staying at the shelters in Corpus Christi, where I used to live. Some local companies announced they were hiring at the shelters. Good salaries and benefits. Things the evacuees would have wanted to do in order to get back on their feet. But there were very few takers. Ninety-five percent of them would not DARE to get a job: why, they would lose their "welfare" benefits! Go figure. You probably would have said "Thanks, but no thanks" as well.

You and too many like you bought into the Utopian dreams of someone who, in reality, doesn't give a stinking dead rat about you, but about his own power. I hope you enjoy your slavery under him. We did not consent to it - we're not consenting to it still, and we will fight against it! We are mobilizing... slowly but surely. Sooner or later, we will not be ignored. We will become your nightmare! We are Americans! Your "goodie bag" kind are not.

(Ask the Founders. Or are they "too white" or "too dead" for your taste? Because they were prescient when they wrote the Constitution. They placed safeguards such as the First and Second Amendments - freedom of speech, religion and assembly, the right to keep and bear arms -, because the Founders knew people like Obama would rise to power, and people like you would consent to it.)

Mark my words: we will make sure you see, whether you like it or not, the worms and roaches on your "goodie bag"... You will not be able to ignore us... or Rush. Mark my words.

"If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen." - Samuel Adams

(BTW: there's a lot more Conservatism in Christianity than you think. St. Paul's "Whoever doesn't work shouldn't eat" is as Conservative as it goes. Even a kid on the street once knew what that meant.

And Jesus never promised a "welfare state" Utopia in Heaven or Earth, but he said "the poor will always be with you", because He knew, as the lawyer father of someone I worked for once said, "Poor people learn poor ways." Just like those irresponsible homeowners who took subprime mortgages and used their home equities as their personal ATMs.)

[joeb]

Who would you rather having running the office of President of The United States of America: Rush Limbaugh or Barack Obama?

[Mominamerica]

Why did Limbaugh get nerve to challenge? Because he's a moron! Rush spends his time stirring pots, sitting in a box and Obama is busy in the real world. Rush spends his time taking drugs and obsessing on polluting our political environment. Conservatives "can't tolerate the sunshine". Obviously. Who got 63 million votes and - just for kicks - identify the reason. ...and before you start, 12% of the population is African-American and/or Hispanic. This group is one of the biggest bunch of negative, angry, resentful, uncooperative sets I've ever seen. Whether you like it or not, here it is. The Law of Attraction is just as real as The Law of Gravity.

[Mominamerica]

Why? Ratings! Hellooooooooooooooo..................... Plus, he's a moron!

[Kitty]

If Rush is as [inject your list of slurs] as y'all say he is, then why bother wasting your energy denigrating the guy? Just bide your time and he'll do himself in.

Personally, I love Rush. I've been a dittohead since April of '92. I don't care what people say about him. Instead, I find the rants hilarious -- all these libs frantically trying to convince conservatives that Rush will be their political demise.

...

[DBrooks]

I had some comments I wanted to make in defense of Rush, but Mominamerica's posts have silenced me. How can anyone argue with such a sober, well-considered, concise statement of facts. I've never heard the "Facts" about Rush Limbaugh stated so clearly, nor his obvious failings laid bare with such precision and insight. Thank you, Mominamerica. You have really touched a fellow citizen with your calm quiet intellect. Obama is, indeed, "busy in the real world." I hope we survive his busyness.

[Kitty]

You forget to add, DBrooks, that Mominamerica must a paradigm of virtue.

...

[Lala]

Deranged Mom says Obama won with 63 million votes. Really?

Joeb - name an accomplishment of Obama's. Annenberg, maybe?

[R Badenhorst]

The liberals are very much deceived if they for one moment think that the greatest percentage of Americans endorse their stupid going nowhere sinking evil agenda, then they must be more stupid then I thought. How can they think that their liberal policies is going to make inroads in the American mindset. Only a very few raticals called liberals,who had no proper up-bringing is trying to dictate to a vast majority, not so.
This is why they hate Rush......Rush sees right through their deception and calls a spade a spade. I for one think that the liberals are in the camp of the devil, and their so-called liberal policy is really an agenda of being in total bondage....They have no idea about the word freedom(liberal) they are inslaved by sin, and unless they repent will go to a definite place CALLED HELL.................

[The Disciple]

I think it is humorous when people criticize Rush, all they ever bring up is his addiction to pain killers. Rarely do these Liberals ever bring up legitimate reasons to dislike him. Yes, he can come across as arrogant at times; but he is a dj. You have to have some sort of personality on the radio. My personal assumption is that Liberals despise the man because he is SUCCESSFUL. He doesn't cow-toe to the Liberal mainstream media elite, which pisses off a lot of Lemmings (they are not much into thinking for themselves). And speaking of deception, not all Liberals use critical analysis when they vote or support certain Democratic candidates. Liberals are notorious for using their emotions to dictate policy. Hence the mantra, "if it feels good, do it." Personally, anyone who proudly wears the label of "Liberal" doesn't make them a bad person per say, but it does make me question their judgment.

[The Disciple]

I also forgot to say, if Liberals are going to say that Limbaugh is incendiary and hateful, then I have every right to say that Obama preyed on Liberal White Guilt voters, pushing his mixed-race and age to get votes.

[joeb]

Lala it is too early to get a scorecard or report card on Obama. Lets wait at least 6 months or one year to do that. As for Rush I dont think he is a conservative I think he is a reactionary. His answer to everything is: No.
I listend to him since he first came on the air back in the late 80s and early 90s. After awhile I gave up on Rush. Even though he is funny and entertaining he is not really someone who can be taken seriously. I have said tis before and I will say it again: Rush Limbaugh is hurting the Republican part. If Republicans need to disassociate themselves from Rush. Yes Rush may have 33 million listeners. But there are 350 million people in this country. The last election proved the majority wanted something different from the past 8 years.

[joeb]

Rush also reminds me of Father Coughlin another old time radio demagogue.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Coughlin

[Lala]

Obama is (I think) 45 years old. What has he done in the last 25 years, except coast? Where is his thesis from Columbia? He was a lawyer, tell us about his law career.

[mark l.]

"Yes Rush may have 33 million listeners. But there are 350 million people in this country."

us population 303 million.

some turnout numbers for off year elections:

2006-
42 mil dem, 35.7 mil gop.
2002-
37 mil gop, 33.6 mil dem.

Anybody who can get a political audience/rally of 33 million(although I'd put it close to 20 million) in one week is someone to be taken seriously. (A lib might argue that he held little effect in helping mccain, but then he had been trashing mccain for months before the election.)

There is a very good chance that obama might not have cleared our econmic hurdles, leaving his bully pulpit for the off year election a liability, and not an asset.

answer to everything 'no'?
global warming, tax increases in a recession, socialist spending in a period where we can't even afford simple 'bailout' spending...

the opposite side of the coin is a president who says 'yes' to everything at once.
The guy doesn't even understand the basics of the stock market and business. Anybody who is a liberal can talk him into anything.

[mark l.]

"Our ideas and opinions about how to achieve this reform will vary, but our goal must be the same: quality, affordable health care for every American that no longer overwhelms the budgets of families, businesses and our government," Obama said.

This guy is busy reshuffling the deck chairs on the titanic as it is sinking.

The number one problem, that eclipses all others, is his response to our current financial crisis.
At present, he has no plan to deal with it, he has no team capable of dealing with it, and he fails to understand that he cannot run the country in a 'business as usual style' when business is dying faster then he can spend us into debt. How do you determine a spending policy four years ahead, when you can't even predict what our gdp will be in a year?

according to his numbers, he believes the econmy will shrink 1.2%(the cbo reports it will -2.2%) for 09, and then he has 3.6% growth for 2010, 4% growth for 2011, 4.6% growth for 2012.

absolutely impossible. we are accelerating downwards and consumers are losing confidence, in a country where 70% of gdp is based upon service.

he really has no clue about what is going on.

[anon]

Oh the drama. As I have feared and suspected, the bad behavior that was rampant under Bush just continues under Obama, they and their followers are mostly cut from the same cloth.

It was "unpatriotic" to criticize the Iraq War and now it is "unpatriotic" to criticize the president's economic policies. Same/same. The goal is to cut off criticizm and demean your opponent, stifle discussion and get your own way.

I am disappointed the GOP has fallen for this. They should have said, hey, Rush is a radio host, we don't understand why in this time of crisis the president and WH staff are even bothering about a radio talk show host. We have more important things to worry about.

The GOP has also not done a good job with getting their side of the debate out, if you let Obama paint you as the 'just say no/no ideas of our own' party you can forget about 2010 and 2012, the Dems will SOLIDIFY their majorities and the GOP will become a Deep South party with no power or with any hope of attaining power until Obama's new, gold plated welfare state comes crashing down, and that could take 10 years or even 20 years before the productive parts of society are totally bled dry.

[mark l.]

Iraq war cost less than a trillion over six years...
obama has blown thru over three trillion of retirement accounts in less than three months.

do the dems really think the 'cost of the Iraq war meme' is going to hold much water in the face of a budget deficit that is almost twice the cost of the Iraq War?

I disagree with you anon, the gop could be put their worst foot foward, and still fall into a landslide victory.

The charactersitcs of both 94 and 06 was a massive amount of resentment for the parties in power. It really doesn't matter what the gop does or says, most americans aren't even paying attention.

the 'are you better off' question is the lightening rod. indiscernable shifts in the answer will produce indiscernable results.

the shift in 2010 will be be the most discernable movement of that answer in decades.
obama's projection of 3.6% growth is a benchmark that he will never meet, and it will become the millstone around his neck.

his only way out of this is thru promoting massive growth, and there isn't a democratic policy that provides for business growth, outside of govt.

[templar knight]

"They should have said, hey, Rush is a radio host, we don't understand why in this time of crisis the president and WH staff are even bothering about a radio talk show host."

Actually, anon, several Republicans in Congress have said exactly that. But the media won't report it, so what is one to do? Just about every news organization other than Fox is an organ of the Democratic Party.

Back to the subject at hand, it's the economy stupid, and the failure of the president to address it, or his attempt to destroy it, has cover provided by the "media". One will need to address this at a later date.

[anon]

I think the GOP also has to realize that the media game has changed...it went from a passive sort of bias that could be turned in Republicans favor w/certain tactics to an ACTIVE and overt bias that seeks to discredit anyone who doesn't fall in line with Obama. I said before, imagine if the stock market dropped by 20% and McCain, or even Hillary were president it would be a neverending news hook. Now, if it is mentioned at all, it is to DISCREDIT the idea that Obama's policies have anything to do w/the continued market free fall. That means message discipline and fundraising are even more important than ever, as is grassroots.

The GOP, and maybe they are doing it, since I'm in a blue state, I wouldn't know, will do better with state level media which is more atuned to their local audiences, so they will have a better shot at getting their message out.

I don't think Obama's stimulus plan will work, but with a lame goal of 'saving' jobs, it will fairly easy for him to claim it worked, so the GOP needs to be tracking where the money went and what really happens with it. If his stimulus somehow works, then he's going to get in for a 2nd term.

What I'm coming to think he's doing is trying to straddle not doing anything that will jeopardize his re election, such as breaking up Citigroup or anything that smacks of nationalization, with giving out the goodies to his base and enacting his agenda.

I think this will be his fatal flaw, because what he should be focusing on--the banking debacle--he's ignoring, and since this, and not home foreclosures is the root of the problem, this failure may drag the economy down so far that no amount of pretty speeches will save him. But, that is a heavy price to pay to get him out in 4 years.

Also, WTF is wrong with these guys in Congress who are bringing up his citizenship. The time for that is long past. It's a non starter and it only supports the idea that all Republicans are racists.

I think they need to hammer home the idea that Obama's budget and stimulus are an attemp to make all of these new programs and funding levels PERMANENT, that is why they didn't allow a sunset clause on anything.

I also think GOP governors need to say, look, we tried to reject the parts of this money that we know will burden furture taxpayers but they wouldn't let us, OVER AND OVER again. It would also be helpful if the GOP governors could do a better job at spending this money than the Dems, but that may not be possible.

Lastly, the GOP still has to find a way to weave in some remorse for their part in this or explain it away or it will become Bush's Depression and anything and everything will be blamed on Bush for the next 15 years.

[elTaoseno]

Rush isn't trying to "run" anything aside for interference for conservatives. He gives voice to millions of people who do not agree with the leftward movement of many politicians.

I don't think you want to get too far into "experience running things". If you can only point to Rush having success running his radio program, I think you'd have to admit, he was very successful at doing so. Why else would he be one of the biggest recipients of advertising dollars in the country? As for Barak, his only notable "successful experience" is running his presidential campaign. Beyond that, there is nothing that remotely resembles success.

Truth be told, Barak is a classic Snake Oil Salesman, and Rush is the "boob" in the audience who isn't buying the pitch.

[mark l.]

"As for Barak, his only notable "successful experience" is running his presidential campaign."

this one really burns me...

axelrod and plouffe, among many others, ran his camapaign. I'd give most of the credit to the press, but if there is ANY merit to be found in running a campaign, Obama should be the last in line. His success was a product of his race and ability to speak, not run a campaign.

Everytime I hear about Obama running his campaign, I think of the interview with Axelrod on election night...
it was like watching Pheidippides in his last minutes of life in athens.

[Philip McDaniel]

Wow! Looks like someone got sick in the rose bushes. Let’s see…

“Rush has some nerve challenging the President of the United States.” (Someone’s mommy in America)

“...and not a very good citizen of the USA! No, you're nothing like me!” ibid

“...and before you start, 12% of the population is African-American and/or Hispanic. This group is one of the biggest bunch of negative, angry, resentful, uncooperative sets I've ever seen.” Ibid

And then, spiraling down into utter frothing nonsense: “Why? Ratings! Hellooooooooooooooo..................... Plus, he's a moron!” ibid

Like I said, “the fact that the leftists are throwing up in the garden over him I find delightful.”

[13yankeebravo]

Last time I looked at the laws of this country, I could not find any law that said that a citizen could not talk back to another citizen even if one of them is a politician or a dj on the radio. Also you have to look at who talked down to the other first.

[mark l.]

rush limbaugh-

"uppity white guy".

[Mominamerica]

Sore losers. Period! See you all at the polls!

[buzz]

I don't get it. "Sore losers"? Is someone actually making an argument that if your party loses an election you are allowed no input in how the country is run until the next election? Was this your policy in 2000-2008? I would take the Rush haters a lot more seriously if they would explain how he is wrong on any particular topic. Instead it usually starts off with the pain pills, maybe reaching back 30 years to the draft. And yet the topic of cocaine and pot and our current president is never mentioned. I strongly suspect that the reason Limbaugh has huge negative numbers outside of the conservative base is because those people only know what anon and morningamerica say about him, they know nothing more than the caricature presented to them. And obviously anon and morningamerica know nothing about him either, example the dittohead comment. As anyone with a passing familiarity to the show knows, that has nothing to do with group think. It was nothing more than a time saver for the beginning of a phone call. Rather than say, "love you, love the show" the caller would just say "ditto". If you don't like Limbaugh, tell me the reason. A actual reason. Provide examples. Comments such as "because he is a moron" with no documentation are proof of a shallow thinker.