Tom Taylor Radio Info: Where is Rush Limbaugh going with his new-found political notoriety? President Obama and his administration seem to have intentionally picked this fight, by painting unelected talkhost Limbaugh (“I hope Obama fails”) as the most visible spokesman for the Republican Party. That has the effect of diminishing the public profile of the people who actually were elected to various positions. (RNC Chairman Michael Steele managed to diminish his own stature by first putting Rush in his place as "an entertainer" who can be “incendiary” - and then recanting a day later.) For radio, the question is – what does this do to Rush as a talk radio personality? Limbaugh glories in all the attention he’s getting from events like last weekend's televised one-hour speech at CPAC. He sees this as a wonderful opening. But the Obama folks are positioning him as a symbol of what they think most Americans don’t want – obstructionism and stubborn partisanship. So it’s a carnival ride for Rush and his fan base is no doubt thrilled to watch him. But some station managers and programmers are viewing this from the sidelines – a little concerned about their star player and how he’s going to look when it’s all over.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Rush Rattles Radio Suits?
Tom Taylor Radio Info: Where is Rush Limbaugh going with his new-found political notoriety? President Obama and his administration seem to have intentionally picked this fight, by painting unelected talkhost Limbaugh (“I hope Obama fails”) as the most visible spokesman for the Republican Party. That has the effect of diminishing the public profile of the people who actually were elected to various positions. (RNC Chairman Michael Steele managed to diminish his own stature by first putting Rush in his place as "an entertainer" who can be “incendiary” - and then recanting a day later.) For radio, the question is – what does this do to Rush as a talk radio personality? Limbaugh glories in all the attention he’s getting from events like last weekend's televised one-hour speech at CPAC. He sees this as a wonderful opening. But the Obama folks are positioning him as a symbol of what they think most Americans don’t want – obstructionism and stubborn partisanship. So it’s a carnival ride for Rush and his fan base is no doubt thrilled to watch him. But some station managers and programmers are viewing this from the sidelines – a little concerned about their star player and how he’s going to look when it’s all over.
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It's a win-win. For Limbaugh and Obama. Limbaugh is such an ideologue that he'd much rather have party purity than victory. Besides, it's always more fun when you've got the other side at whom to toss rocks.
ReplyDeleteThe Non Conservative part of the Republican party....is buying the Democrat's narrative the Republican Party is done. I remember the same thing being bandied about in the MSM for years about the Democrat Party if they don't win an election pretty soon they are going to have to hang it up. Many Talk Radio Host were stating as much Laura Ingraham. I know Ann Coulter had said as much. So the non Conservatives in the Republican Party are buying the Democrats fresh off multiple wins "trash talk" The real reason the Republicans lost, they are not listening to the Conservatives "That is the beginning and End Of It" Seems like Steele is playing into the Democrats hands...letting the Democrats shape The Republican's Platform? Sure why not, look at the economy- up has already become down. What do we need a two party system for?/Sarc
ReplyDeleteThe Republican Party is still around and it will regroup. It's unfortunate this "entertainer" is mouthing off and muddying the waters (and they are muddy) but as we all know, it's all about him---not the bigger picture.
ReplyDeleteWe all have to stop being in such a hurry---be it the stimulus money that was sent out six weeks ago or rebuilding the GOP. It's going to take a while. This is a deep hole.
Rush has just issued a challenge to Obama to come to his studio at his expense so they can debate. I wonder how the media will spin this?
ReplyDeletePat, how does Rush muddy the waters? It seems to me that every time I hear what Rush has to say (and I don't listen every day), his message is clear, and he is on point. I think Obama, and his staff, are the ones trying to muddy the water because if the message Rush is providing stays clear as it reaches the American public, they will realize conservative philosophy makes more sense than the "feel good" Obamania hangover we are soon to have.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the above Anon about who is muddying the waters. It appears to me that Rush says one thing that is then twisted and turned around by the President's (and/or some other figure's) spin machine.
ReplyDeleteRush only says let's do this the way it's always been done (i.e. we're becoming socialist to do it any other way). Obama is saying, this is a real mess and we need to set aside the way it's always been done and find a new way to get through this. Agreed, I'm not a fan of socialism or whatever other political theory you want to call it but things are so big (i.e. AIG)that when they go down the tubes, alot goes with them. That's why all of us are now sending $$ to reset things. Rush is saying "F'em" because that's not what we're built upon. F'em isn't a solution last time I looked.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe that our economy is in the crapper because we've been doing things "the way they've always been done". No, our recession is a direct result of having our economy "talked down" throughout this past election cycle. Hell, even John Kerry did the same thing four years ago.
ReplyDeleteAnd even taking 9/11/01 and the devastation of hurricane Katrina into the mix, the first 7 years of Bush's term brought about the most robust economy the world has ever experienced...with the possible exception of Michigan, which is a whole different matter.
Our current government is "fixing" things in the wrong direction and that's what Rush Limbaugh is basically saying. I think he's right.
Our economy is hardly in the dumper because it's being talked down. It's in the dumper because we spend more than we'll pay for, constantly putting things on the Gross National Credit Card for our kids to pay off. For a people who talk such a good game of self-reliance, we certainly do love a free lunch. We've been writing hot checks as individuals and as a nation for a long time, and maybe now we'll finally learn that printing presses, paper, and big vats of green ink on 14th Street in DC aren't the way out. But while it sounds counter-intuitive, the fact is that in order to get out of the immediate mess, we've got to make the longterm mess worse. That is, wallow in some red ink, in order to jumpstart the economy, in order to get back to where we have an economy which can stand the kind of discipline we must ultimately muster. For openers, we must have:
ReplyDelete1. A presidential line item veto, such as most state governors have, to allow presidents to take a scalpel to the pork.
2. A balanced budget amendment with teeth, or, as I prefer, a surplus budget amendment which would require, except in times of declared war or really dire economic circumstances, that 1% of federal revenues go to paying off the national debt (currently approaching $40,000 for every man, woman, and child in the country).
3. A law making non-germaine legislative amendments illegal..i.e., no more earmarks, otherwise known as using tax dollars to bribe constituents.
Do those 3 things, and we'll be finally forced to do what Americans just hate: make choices.
Jimbo for president in 2012! Maybe you are the true REASONABLE spokesperson for conservative. Move over Rush. Now we have a radio host who can speak calmly, with logic, and with common sense.
ReplyDeleteHope your name doesn't make the White House top ten hit list now.
Jimbo has it right. The problem is, Conservatives have been asking for this for MANY years. Perhaps we have to go through the current hell to have the voters realize these constitutional amendments are the only things that can keep us from hurting ourselves.
ReplyDeleteI cast my vote in 2012 for Jim Bohannon!
ReplyDeleteOur economy is hardly in the dumper because it's being talked down. It's in the dumper because we spend more than we'll pay for, constantly putting things on the Gross National Credit Card for our kids to pay off. For a people who talk such a good game of self-reliance, we certainly do love a free lunch. We've been writing hot checks as individuals and as a nation for a long time, and maybe now we'll finally learn that printing presses, paper, and big vats of green ink on 14th Street in DC aren't the way out. But while it sounds counter-intuitive, the fact is that in order to get out of the immediate mess, we've got to make the longterm mess worse. That is, wallow in some red ink, in order to jumpstart the economy, in order to get back to where we have an economy which can stand the kind of discipline we must ultimately muster. For openers, we must have:
ReplyDelete1. A presidential line item veto, such as most state governors have, to allow presidents to take a scalpel to the pork.
2. A balanced budget amendment with teeth, or, as I prefer, a surplus budget amendment which would require, except in times of declared war or really dire economic circumstances, that 1% of federal revenues go to paying off the national debt (currently approaching $40,000 for every man, woman, and child in the country).
3. A law making non-germaine legislative amendments illegal..i.e., no more earmarks, otherwise known as using tax dollars to bribe constituents.
Do those 3 things, and we'll be finally forced to do what Americans just hate: make choices.