Retread Rush
27 January 2009 1:17 pm by Taylor Marsh
… It’s one week into President Obama’s term and his arch nemesis isn’t Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), House Minority Leader John Boehner (Ohio) or even one of the myriad candidates interested in challenging him in 2012.It’s conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh. [...] Put simply: Limbaugh isn’t going anywhere any time soon. And his voice — and influence — may well get stronger with the GOP out of power. Is that a good thing or a bad thing for Republicans? Time will tell.
It’s hard to comprehend how anyone making a living in politics would actually say that in 2009 Rush is the “new face” of the Republican Party. If anything, reaching back to Rush, as Sean reaches back to Reagan, what this emphasizes is that Republicans have nothing new to offer. That said, we can only hope Rush becomes the “new face.” Because nothing Rush represents or argues for has any resemblance to what the American people just voted for in November. Rush is the ultimate image of GOP status quo, big business over mainstreet, anti women’s rights, the list goes on and on, but suffice it to say he’s the anti change model.
That Chris Cilizza has evidently just discovered right-wing radio’s chief barker and the medium that led Bush to two terms because of their hyperbolic partisan rhetoric, should alarm his boss.
It’s instructive for the new president, because it further illustrates “post-partisanship” is a fantasy.
I worried that President Obama has such confidence in his own ability to persuade that he is not designating enough people to go out on the cable shows to make his case,ie the stimulus.
The talk today has been all conservatives making their case or pundits highlighting his remark about Rush giving them an excuse to play Rush!
He ran an excellent campaign in that regard, he needs to keep it up selling his programs.
BTW…you know I agree on all this post partisan hooey!
Limbaugh is a reptilian fossil and if he is the new face of the GOP I expect the GOP to go the way of the dinosaurs.
And while I’m at it Obama may want bipartisanship but the Repubs will use his attempts to undermine anything that comes out of the WH. So I’m for partisanship. As Obama said “I won.” And so did the people so we need to continue the fight against the anti-American rhetoric that Rush and his ilk are spouting.
I had an interesting thought from watching how Obama always thinks long term, and several moves ahead. Do you think that maybe he knew the Repubs would need something to oppose (to save face), and would need to do some preening and something to take credit for (which they love to do). Maybe the bill that eventually be passed will be close to what he wanted in the first place, and he can look bi-partisian and they can looks like they still have power.
Or maybe I am just over-thinking this. LOL
House GOP member to Rush: Back off
Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Ga., did not take kindly to this assessment in an interview with Politico Tuesday.
“I think that our leadership, Mitch McConnell and John Boehner, are taking the right approach,†Gingrey said. “I mean, it’s easy if you’re Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh or even sometimes Newt Gingrich to stand back and throw bricks. You don’t have to try to do what’s best for your people and your party.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/18049.html
Audiegrl | 01.27.2009 – 5:50 pm | #
In all honesty I don’t care about the GOP saving face. Obama won!
Jane Austen | 01.27.2009 – 5:59 pm | #
I know
, but they don’t seem to have read that memo yet. Don’t worry, when they get stomped down again in 2010, they might get the drift. Maybe…
Audiegrl | 01.27.2009 – 6:11 pm | #
AG – it depends on what Obama does and how fast we get out of this mess that the former administration got us into. One thing I’ve learned is that the American people have short memories and they have a tendency to believe rhetoric that goes against their best interests. The Repubs know how to capitalize on that. They’re still using the “fear” factor to attack Obama’s decision to close Gitmo.
This is one of the reasons why I preferred Hillary in the primary I don’t think she would have a problem telling Repubs to stuff it.
I am willing to be convinced by Obama that his way is better but I’m afraid that depends on the Repubs doing what is right for the country. Do we have any evidence that they have EVER done that?
Do we have any evidence that they have EVER
done that?
Lake Lady | 01.27.2009 – 6:21 pm | #
Not since Lincoln.
Lake Lady | 01.27.2009 – 6:21 pm | #
The Republican’s are not going to be able to play their normal obstructionist games in this economy. You cannot watch 50K jobs go down the drain on Monday, do nothing about it, and still get re=elected in 2010.
All they are doing is making President Obama look like the grown-up, and the polls reflect that.
Audiegrl | 01.27.2009 – 6:48 pm | #
IBM just laid off 3000 here. Today’s layoffs were in manufacturing. Last week’s layoffs were among the engineers and programmers. Amazingly my son-in-law is still employed by IBM. I think they have one more cut to make.
Jane Austen | 01.27.2009 – 6:57 pm | #
I wish the best for your son-in-law, my husband is nervous too.
Did you hear about the guy in LA today? Both he and his wife lost their jobs, and he killed himself, and his whole family. We are living in some scary times.
I completely think this was all planned. The best thing that could happen to the Democrats would be for Limbaugh to be one of the public faces of the Republican party.
As smart as Obama and his advisors have been, I think almost everything so far has been scripted, and that includes calling out Limbaugh. Except for the lunatic right, most people see him for what he is, a hypocritical, bigoted buffoon who would be finishing out his felony drug sentence if he weren’t rich enough to afford a criminal attorney like Roy Black. And his “I hope he fails” shows thinking people that he could care less about the middle class in this country.
Every time someone loses their house, every time someone loses their job, everytime someone loses their healthcare, or someone the are related to or know does I want them to think of that fat, drug addicted, draftdodging coward limpwithnoballs saying he “hopes Obama fails”.
That disgusting bag of suet and puss actually had the hubris to say that the new CEO of Lerhman helped stimulate the economy blowing 1.5 MILLION dollars redecorating his OFFICE with bailout money!!!!!
These people are truly, truly unbelievable.
However I wouldn’t count them out. We must remember that they appeal to that thread of subliminal to outright racism that runs like a cancer through the American character.
The election of President Obama shows that hopefully it is in remission, but don’t forget the now more overt racist reactions of the right wing, evidence the RNC head candidate and the Majic Negro CD and the increase in hate crimes against Blacks and Black owned property.
My opinions, which isn’t at all “right” or even respected.
This is a depression, not a recession.
There is no way out, either.
We are in for a major adjustment in life.
That’s just my opinion. I think the Bush years will be seen as the last gasp of a society that thought the party would never end.
I also think there will be horrible hardships on the personal level.
I am not optimistic about the next decade.
It will be grim, in my opinion.
And Obama can’t do much about it.
Audie, I view those stories as the odd-ball stories.
Would you kill your kids?
Good gravy, this guy was mentally ill.
If many voters come to see Limbaugh as the head of the Rethug party, all the better. And if we can just get him to run with Palin in 2012, even more Rs will leave what’s left of their party.
AnninCA,
Sad to say, I think you are probably right about this being a depression rather than a recession.