Limbaugh as arch villain
As I said when the Obama folks first launched this thing, I really believe it might work.
Top Democratic operatives are planning a stepped up campaign to promote Rush Limbaugh as the public face of the GOP — an effort that will include recruiting Dem governors to make this case on talk shows, getting elected officials to pen Op eds arguing it, and running more ads pushing it, a senior Democratic operative says..
Key leadership staff in the House and Senate, and in all the political committees, have been encouraged by senior Dem operatives to push this message wherever possible, the operative says....
posted by mikevotes at
10:34 PM
4 Comments:
The funny thing is, the Right Wing seems to enthusiastically embrace this "accusation" of Rush being the model of Republicanism. He's a God at CPAC. You'll find more criticism of Bush -- much more -- than you will of Limbaugh.
Weird.
By
-epm, at 8:22 AM
I agree. If the Dems can successfully frame Limbaugh as the voice of the republican party, they'll at the very least cause a rift within the party.
If the Republican leadership has to disown Limbaugh, that'll make a lot of dittoheads might angry. If the leadership doesn't disown him, they'll look silly trying to defend the nonsense he spews out daily.
By
Anonymous, at 10:27 AM
I'm fairly confident this will work, for some values of "work".
Rush is a national figure, as opposed to many of the current leaders who are state or regional figures. He can't be "voted out of office". His job is to make outrageous and incendiary remarks using an absolute minimum of facts, so he literally cannot shut up. And he has a long, transcripted history of rantings that can be used against him.
If Republicans stand by him and defend him, they risk losing even more credibility with independents and moderates, and continue to define themselves as on the fringe.
If Republicans turn on him, they lose the "idiot choir" (e.g. NASCAR Republicans), and send a notice to all other pundits that you will be cheerfully thrown under the bus if you become a liability. It would also make Republicans look weak, which is what they dread the most.
If Rush were to moderate his tone, he loses his audience (and probably several big markets) and Republicans lose an icon. Also, they would look weak.
The American public is taking the closest look at the ideological underpinnings of the GOP in nearly a decade. Unfortunately, that scrutiny comes at a time when the Party seems the least able to define or defend itself.
By
Todd Dugdale , at 10:52 AM
EPM, I think that's because the rightest elements are the ones in control of the microphone. It's something of a byproduct of the southern rump.
...
Abi, good point. Those in control can't separate from Limbaugh, can they? They are almost dragged into defending him.
...
Todd, That's a good point, too. I don't think something like this would work if there was an established national face of the GOP.
By picking arguments with Limbaugh, the Dems are indirectly affirming his elevated status, and Limbaugh, because of who he is, has to jump into it.
Effectively, the Dems are choosing the Repub leadership figurehead.
....
Overall, this Limbaugh thing is just a really interesting soft play.
By
mikevotes, at 12:51 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home