LIMBAUGH, "I HOPE HE FAILS..."

Well, according to the Farmer,
the economy IS AT RISK
so that 's about the same.

"9/11 changed everything! This nation is under attack! Don't you know there's a war on? Shut up and support the troops!" How do you distinguish your argument from the tired right-wing rhetoric that was so common ca. 2001-2006? And when on Earth did free speech become a fair-weather virtue?


Your interpretation is incorrect. Limbaugh thinks Obama and his fellow Democrats are drilling a hole into the canoe at this very moment. So he wants them to fail at it, because he doesn't want the boat to sink. You and I agree that he's wrong, and that Obama is not engaged in hole-drilling. But given that Limbaugh disagrees with us, opposing Obama, on the air, and in the strongest possible terms, is the right thing for him to do. That's how the marketplace of ideas is supposed to work -- especially when times are tough.

Thomas, great post.

Except for the depression, all items on the list were either intended or benignly neglected. They actually extend the list of things you wanted Bush to fail at.

Of course this wouldn't have the legs it seems to have if the hypocrisy wasn't there. Rush has spent plenty of time telling the left to shut up because Bush was President and accused them of being anti American for doing what he is now doing. The story isn't what Rush said but rather his hypocrisy by saying it versus what he has said about what it is to be an American.

The only thing constant with Rush, is you aren't an American unless you agree with him.

this fat ******* idiot slays me. Obama is afraid of me indeed. With one phone call Rush would be south florida in the belly of an alligator and no one would ever know what happened to him. I seriously doubt Obama fears him.

Good comeback. Next time Ill think harder about my metaphors.

Well, maybe 3 or 4 bellies.

I disagree with this one however (I read your post from bottom to top) 9/11 changed nothing about proper demenaor. In fact after 9/11Bush got his hugest bump in approval, about 90% this was across the board. This he then squanderd after having his posse lie us into a worthless war which has become difficult to extract ourselves from.
The state of the economy , unlike IRAQ, IS a real challenge that requires the same "coming together" as did 9/11's aftermath. BUSH used 9/11 to snooker us all and anyone who called his attention to this fact was only called a traitor by the Bush spin machine, not (as it later turned out) 70% of the AMerican people.
There was a small anti war movement that began shortly after 2003's march to Baghdad. This was mostly coordinated throught the Quakers. These first attempts at demonstration WERE met with shouts of traitor and the singeling out of individuals by Rush and Beck and HAnnity and OReilly (these were coordinated character assanitation attempts) However, as more AMericans began to,wake up and realize that "hey these guys have a point about this war". Suddenlt the ANTI war movement began a groundswell that was responsible(IMHO) for the exchange of the congressional makeup in 2006 and 2008

Debate is good , however, Obamas been handed a real mess (of which blame is easily apportioned to both sides, but lack of foresight and the housing mess is heavily on Bush's 2002 push for extreme home ownership). Obamas administration needs some support, help and slack , Jesus, hes been in office ONE week and hes already being stalked and sniped as if hes as bad a president as Bush was .The points that Rush make, arent healthy "debate" its an attempt at mean spirited selfish , extreme partisan spin meistering. Several conservative reporters have come out against him (Its almost like a number of conservatives are lining up as critics of both Limbaugh and Coulter).

If you believe that Rush has feelings that are "best for the country " at heart, you should go rent a copy of the 1950 movie entitled "A FAce in the Crowd". Its probably the only melodrama Andy Williams made. In it hes playing a '"shoot from the hip" demagogue who rose from anonymity to national political prominence by manipulating the public from behind a microphone.

If PrezBO intends to grow the size of government, raise taxes
and force small girls faces into his groin, then I hope he fails.

Without taking a position on whether Rush Limbaugh cares about the welfare of the United States, I'd say that political slimeballs are part of a healthy debate. Just as a certain amount of dirt has turned out to better for childrens' health than squeaky-clean environments. (It helps with their immune systems.)

Controversy is good. Even if its origin is a slimeball, and even if its target is an "articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy" (Joe Biden) who has been handed a mess.

The point that you miss so profoundly Thomas is that Limbaugh said the words that he wished Obama would fil (without connecting qualifiers) FISRT, on hios radio show. THATS A FACT. Foxy is just doing mop up on a sound bite that was cobbled together 1 or 2 dqys AFTER.

The transcript of the Limbaugh show was presented by OE .

There is a problem with wishing the new leader failure less than a week after he takes office. Its just sour grapes, and mean spiritdness that I thought was disavowed by national party politics just as reconstruction ended.

Im almsor certain that this country wont survive partisan rancor. I mean here weve survived 8 years of Bush and now the Right wingers arent even waiting for the ink to dry on the rental forms before transferral of Bushs debacle to Obama, (as if Bush didnt even exist).

Country should come first, ways of defining it must be placed by the door sill while the new broom has a chance to clean up the scuzz of the previous tenants.

Thomas, upon thinking over youre disagreement with my "canoe" metaphor, I WAS CORRECTC. The hole is already in the canoe, its not a matter of Rush thinking that if we followed his way of thinking, we would come out with a sound hull. Were way past that. Rush is just distancing himself from the done deed. Hes just attempting to keep himself relevant in the new era.

Yes. And I acknowledged that by responding to OE's post. I acknowledged there is a difference between what Limbaugh said on his own show ("I want him to fail because his agenda is liberal") and what he said to Hannity ("If he's pursuing a liberal agenda, I want him to fail.") But the difference is too small to change my conlusions.

If you dont think that the difference (after merely cherry picking from the entire programs) is significant than you arent sensitive to the difference between lightning and a lightning bug. (Twain)

Quite possible. I'm a macho after all, and I have way too much hair on my chest to be "sensitive".

Do what I do. When he comes on a station I am listening to I change stations. I have never listened to him after being subjected to one of his first radio rants. He is so apparently a demagog who cant be fair I wouldent give him the title of journalist.

You can't just wish that someone will fail without any qualifiers.

You have to fail at SOMETHING.

I think your making an issue out of nothing.

I agree with Thomas that there is no good reason to claim that Lushball is "unAmerican." I do think there is good reason to subject him to as much humiliating derision as one is capable of producing. However, Thomas is right that it is errant hypocrisy to call him unAmerican on such a basis, by those who have objected to being called unAmerican on the basis of their opposition to the previous administration.

I support maybe about 60% - 70% of what I have heard from him.
The last time I heard him (except for a video clip on this thread)
was in the mid-1990s.

He is only trying to fight back,
defending America from collectivism and against authoritarianism.
That is a good thing to DO.

America is supposed to be the Land of the Free
and the Home of the Brave and of the

Dave