Wed 4 Mar 2009
Remember when the Obama administration went after private citizen, Joe Wurzelbacher, aka “Joe the Plumber?”
Remember the response and the campaign that followed?
It’s that time again.
This time The White House is going after Rush Limbaugh. Yes, you heard correct. The Office of President of the United States is targeting a citizen of this country as an opponent. According to Politico,
Top Democrats believe they have struck political gold by depicting Rush Limbaugh as the new face of the Republican Party, a full-scale effort first hatched by some of the most familiar names in politics and now being guided in part from inside the White House.
The strategy took shape after Democratic strategists Stanley Greenberg and James Carville included Limbaugh’s name in an October poll and learned their longtime tormentor was deeply unpopular with many Americans, especially younger voters. Then the conservative talk-radio host emerged as an unapologetic critic of Barack Obama shortly before his inauguration, when even many Republicans were showering him with praise.
Soon it clicked: Democrats realized they could roll out a new GOP bogeyman for the post-Bush era by turning to an old one in Limbaugh, a polarizing figure since he rose to prominence in the 1990s.
Many of us out here in “flyover country” happen agree with citizen Rush. In fact, many of us are willing to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Rush and say the same thing to President Obama.
Where will you stand?
March 4th, 2009 at 9:31 am
Just as it was an error in judgment for the Chairman of the RNC to impune Rush – a sin for which he’ll pay – it is also a grave miscalculation for the Obamanation to single out Rush as he has.
Just keep Ohm’s Law in mind.
March 4th, 2009 at 10:51 am
I used to love Rush (and Mo, and Barry Young)… but the world’s moved on. We have bigger problems now than political correctness.
If Rush isn’t still the face of the GOP, you’d better find someone who is, fast.
March 4th, 2009 at 11:29 am
OK JaneAZ, who would you nominate as “the face” of the GOP?
March 4th, 2009 at 11:43 am
Which GOP are we atlking about? The one with morals and convictions or the one that bases it’s stance on polls and media commentary.
The sad part of all this is the only reason we are even talking about Rush being the “face” of the GOP is because our Senators are so weak and spinless.
March 4th, 2009 at 11:55 am
This is more about not attacking Michael Steele. Target the rich white guy not the first African-American Chairman of the GOP. This is more about racism than anything else.
March 4th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Well, here is a great counter volley at the “face of the Democratic party” and their social engineering of targeting America, one city at a time. This guys comments are right on target:
http://www.reuters.com/article/TravelandLeisure09/idUSTRE5226US20090303
March 4th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Here we go. Disagree with a black guy and you’re a racist. Typical comeback. Have an original idea and voice it and quit going to the same old tired line of racism. How about if a black guy disagrees with me is it racism? We have a black Pres. a black AG and a black RNC head and yet we can’t say we disagree? Does the fact that someone is black make them right? I disagree with a lot of whites is that OK? How about if I disagree with an Hispanic? Do we need to target all rich white guys or only Republicans? How about rich white women? Are they fair game or are they off limits?
March 4th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
That campaign as Joe the plumber really worked out for the GOP didn’t it. All it did was distract the campaign from the issues and this thing with Rush is just going to do the same thing.
Now we will walk about Rush and whether he is the fact of the party instead of Obama’s budget. This is exactly what Obama wants, how stupid do you have to be to fall for this.
March 4th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
I think Jon Kyl could become the new face of the GOP. Seriously. Extreme pragmatism without the whining or anger.
What do you think?
March 4th, 2009 at 6:34 pm
JaneAZ,
I strongly agree. I guess the question is how do we get him the exposure he needs?
March 4th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
I agree with President Obama’s press secretary and other administration officials. As Democrats, we recognize that the esteemed Rush Limbaugh is indeed the head of the Republican Party. It certainly isn’t the “titular” leader, John McCain.
Why are you dissing the Obama administration for recognizing what you yourself acknowledge: Rush Limbaugh, more than any other individual, symbolizes, embodies and advocates the positions of the vast majority of members of the Republican party?
I always wonder, though, why you don’t try to draft him for President. He’d be by far the strongest Republican candidate in 2012.
March 4th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
Rush is right. I wish that we had more elected officials in the party that spoke with half the passion and/or conviction he does.
March 4th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
He seems to be getting a lot of exposure already, just not in the bombastic “look at me!” way of Limbaugh.
You don’t need a cute, charming, charismatic candidate. Sarah Palin is proof of that. So cut the crap. Kyl has no qualms about torturing terrorists. If the GOP is going to paint Obama as Jimmy Carter, there’s your 1980 election over again.
March 5th, 2009 at 10:44 am
Jon Kyl the *face* of the Republican Party?You’ve been in the sun too long friends. Were any of you around when he ran for re-election in 06? The fact was, he had a poor opponent AND he had get to know the voters again. His stance on the border and immigration just won’t fly (unless you favor a European Union type of relationshp for North America – then Kyl’s your guy). Besides, he’s retiring in 2012 anyway, so look elsewhere.
There you go Richard, just like a Democrat, you know so much that just isn’t so.
Many Americans identified with Joe the Plumber, Sarah Palin, and Rush Limbaugh. The problem is they got John McCain and Jon Kyl!
Back on topic, Steele did a dumb thing. But I wouldn’t expect more from a former governor of a liberal state back east.
March 5th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
You confuse the idea that people listen to rush limbaugh with identifying with him. He has 13 million listeners daily, and most of them myself included listen to him for comedy reasons, I dont agree with him.
Same with Palin, everyone watched her and listened to her because she was a train wreck that you just could not look away from. If you think these are the kind of people that will save the republican party you are sorely mistaken, the party will become more of a joke than it already is