Limbaugh: "The Obama Recession Has Begun"

[Meadmaker]

I was amazed when I heard him say it today. He had invented a whole new fallacy. "Pre hoc ergo proctor hoc"

Actually, of course, he was saying that the mere election of Obama had caused us to slip into recession. Of course, in that case he is committing the fallacy of confusing cause and effect.

But mostly, when I heard it, I thought...

Aaarrrgh!...The stupid!....It burns!!!!

[EGarrett]

He lost me the moment he gleefully quoted whoever referred to Obama as a "magic negro."

[mr rosewater]

I was amazed when I heard him say it today. He had invented a whole new fallacy. "Pre hoc ergo proctor hoc"

Actually, of course, he was saying that the mere election of Obama had caused us to slip into recession. Of course, in that case he is committing the fallacy of confusing cause and effect.

But mostly, when I heard it, I thought...

Aaarrrgh!...The stupid!....It burns!!!!

WOW, the honeymoons over!

[RandFan]

I listened to Rush a bit today. I wanted to see what he had to say about the election. He attacked anyone who voted for Obama as stupid and talked about how he wished that Ohio would suffer financially. He actually defended that. Then said that he would personally ensure that America would be ok in the end and for folks not to worry too much. I damn near spit out my coffee. I wondered if I heard that right. It was at the beginning of the 3rd hour. Did you hear it?

[leftysergeant]

I caught part of the rushblob on the radio last night. He was whining that the right wing of the party is being screwed and that it was only because of palin that the ticket did as well as it did. Contrast that to BillO saying that there country is really only about 39% conservative, and that pushing too hard to the right will lose more seats. How many of the Senators bounced in this election were middle-of-the-road? How many moderate Republicans held their seats.

It actually looked for a while like McConnel was going to get what he had coming.

Send Narco to the rushblob's house. He seems to have fallen off the wagon.

[Tony]

Do you guys think he actually believes this dribble? I'd be surprised if he did.

[Evolver]

I wish I had invested in Republican sour grapes before the election.
I'd be a happy miser now.

[TragicMonkey]

Wait, Rush Limbaugh is still around? I thought he OD'd on Tylenol or Midol or something back in the late nineties.

[kallsop]

I was listening to a few economists and prognosticators on the boob tube on Monday and they were predicting the stock market wouldn't move much if Obama won, because his victory and tax increase on job creators was already factored into the recent slump. They expected a boost if McCain won. If it were only that simple.

Whatever, after the last 8 years of the media trashing Bush and the economy 24/7, Obama running a divisive campaign of "blame Bush for everything bad" for the last 2 years, is it realistic to expect a turnaround in a day or two? Obama and the media might have done their job too well and they've started something they don't know how to stop.

[Achán hiNidráne]

Well, my father was screaming about yesterday's 5% slip in the markets and blaming it all on Obama. "Of course Wall Street is in the crapper! They know that Obama is going to tax American business out of existance!!!"

[Meadmaker]

It was at the beginning of the 3rd hour. Did you hear it?

No. I usually listen on my way to or from lunch and/or lunchtime errands. That means I catch a little bit of the first hour one or two times a week, and I usually switch back and forth between him and Tom Hartman (sp?) on Air America.

If Franken loses in Minnesota, as appears likely, I hope he gets that slot back.

[Cain]

I listened to him Nov. 5th, very briefly on a short drive home. All I heard before the commercial break was "Ever since John McCain got the nomination everything I predicted has come true!"

[RandFan]

No. I usually listen on my way to or from lunch and/or lunchtime errands. That means I catch a little bit of the first hour one or two times a week, and I usually switch back and forth between him and Tom Hartman (sp?) on Air America.

If Franken loses in Minnesota, as appears likely, I hope he gets that slot back.Franken is gaining and there will be a recount. It's not over yet. Tom Hartmann is ok. Maddow is the only reason I tuned in anymore and now that she is on TV I haven't even turned on Air America. Oh wait, not true, I listen to FFRF (http://www.ffrf.org/) religiously ;) but truth be told I usually catch the podcast. I caught Maron and Seder recently and I might start making that a regular.

[MattusMaximus]

What I find most delicious about el Rushbo is how he's defending Palin against Fox News! Nothing like watching these right-wingers eat each other...

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/7747487d637711b11.gif (http://forums.randi.org/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=13036)http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/7747487d637711b11.gif (http://forums.randi.org/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=13036)http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/7747487d637711b11.gif (http://forums.randi.org/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=13036)

[Grizzly Bear]

I listened to Rush a bit today. I wanted to see what he had to say about the election. He attacked anyone who voted for Obama as stupid and talked about how he wished that Ohio would suffer financially. He actually defended that. Then said that he would personally ensure that America would be ok in the end and for folks not to worry too much. I damn near spit out my coffee. I wondered if I heard that right. It was at the beginning of the 3rd hour. Did you hear it?
I listen to Rush mostly for entertainment, but as for politics I don't have much favor in him after the whole thing he did with Clinton during the primaries. Schnidt (however you spell his name) is the one I listen to right now...

[David Wong]

Franken is gaining and there will be a recount. It's not over yet. Tom Hartmann is ok.

Tom Hartmann is a 9/11 truther, or at least was the last time I heard him. I listened to him do a whole segment about how the fires couldn't have been that hot with that lady standing in the ragged crash site.

[ProbeX]

I was amazed when I heard him say it today. He had invented a whole new fallacy. "Pre hoc ergo proctor hoc"

Actually, of course, he was saying that the mere election of Obama had caused us to slip into recession. Of course, in that case he is committing the fallacy of confusing cause and effect.

But mostly, when I heard it, I thought...

Aaarrrgh!...The stupid!....It burns!!!!

My patience for the Round Mound of Sound started to wane a while ago when he featured that "Barack the Magic Negro" song (with an Al Sharpton impressionist as the singer).

Of course I gave in this morning and listened to him warn that media people have noticed that Obama is "creepy" and (later) that "It's almost like he's not a real person".

That last statement is a red flag because of the message it sends to people with unbalanced minds: Painting a leader with a paranoid brush and then reducing him to an object (not a person), serves as justification for the harming of that person. Limbaugh is walking a very thin line, I think.

[MIKILLINI]

Limbaugh: A legend in his own mind....and the only opinion he cares about is his own.
Couldn't care less if I didn't listen to him again.

[leftysergeant]

The rushblob is having a hissy fit because he is afraid that the Fairness Doctrine is coming back and that he will be out of a job.

I think the Narco squad needs to pay him a visit. I think he's popping pills again.

[Ladewig]

The rushblob is having a hissy fit because he is afraid that the Fairness Doctrine is coming back and that he will be out of a job.

I think the Narco squad needs to pay him a visit. I think he's popping pills again.

Say, whatever happened to the allegations that he illegally purchased drugs?

[seayakin]

I can't listen to him but my parents eat up his stuff as gospel truth in addition to Paul Harvey.

Even though I generally didn't agree, I could listen to someone like William F. Buckley, Jr. because he was intelligent and erudite but the pundits like Rush are simply shock jocks with little reasoning capability.

[SezMe]

Whatever, after the last 8 years of the media trashing Bush and the economy 24/7, Obama running a divisive campaign of "blame Bush for everything bad" for the last 2 years, is it realistic to expect a turnaround in a day or two? Obama and the media might have done their job too well and they've started something they don't know how to stop.
The media has been trashing Bush for the last eight years? In fact, the media itself has been examining their role in furthering the Bush Iraq agenda.

The media has been trashing the economy 24/7 for the last eight years? You must be joking. The media has been AWOL on the economy.

[Tricky]

Say, whatever happened to the allegations that he illegally purchased drugs?
He did some hard time for that. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rush_Limbaugh#Prescription_drug_addiction)

Limbaugh was booked, photographed, and fingerprinted, but not handcuffed. He was then was released after about an hour on $3,000 bail. After his surrender, he filed a "not guilty" plea to the charge. Prosecutors agreed to drop the charge if Limbaugh paid $30,000 to defray the cost of the investigation and completed an 18-month therapy regimen with his physician.

[Jeff Corey]

What's the difference between Limbaugh and the Hindenberg?

[Regnad Kcin]

One's a bag of gas, and the other... oh, wait.

[ImaginalDisc]

What's the difference between Limbaugh and the Hindenberg?

People have sympathy for the Hindenburg disaster.

[Jeff Corey]

One's a bag of gas, and the other... oh, wait.
Actually, a flaming nazi bag of gas.

[Crowlogic]

Rush Limbaugh can say anything he wants. But why or why would anybody pay attention to anything that fat junkie says anymore?

[Darth Rotor]

He lost me the moment he gleefully quoted whoever referred to Obama as a "magic negro."
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-ehrenstein19mar19,0,5335087.story?coll=la-opinion-center

The original article was by LA Times reporter By David Ehrenstein, who, according to his byline, covers the ridiculous for a living:

"L.A.-based DAVID EHRENSTEIN writes about Hollywood and politics."

The more I read his byline, the more I chuckled.

FWIW: I thought that song deal was aimed at Al Sharpton, who could never be the Magic Negro that Ehrenstein describes in his bizarre article. Limbaugh has had it in for Sharpton for sometime. Sharpton was a prospective nominee on the Deomcratic 2004 convention, as I recall. Rush sent McCain plenty of hate rounds in the run up to this election, since McCain isn't "conservative enough" to suit the Limbaugh view of the world.

DR

[RandFan]

Tom Hartmann is a 9/11 truther, or at least was the last time I heard him. I listened to him do a whole segment about how the fires couldn't have been that hot with that lady standing in the ragged crash site.I didn't know that. I won't bother with him anymore.

[Ausmerican]

, since McCain isn't "conservative enough" to suit the Limbaugh view of the world.

DR

Rush drug using, often divorced, butt cyst kept him from the draft, Limbaugh, really isn't conservative enough for Rush, drug users are bad people, conservative values, Clinton was a draft dodger, Limbaugh. To say he is a hypocrite is to badly malign hypocrites.

[Tailgater]

It's true. The dow was up 150 points while Obama was at a parent teacher conference. Don't you see! Now, if it spikes while he's eating lunch, that will be the clincher.

[ANTPogo]

I listen to Rush mostly for entertainment, but as for politics I don't have much favor in him after the whole thing he did with Clinton during the primaries. Schnidt (however you spell his name) is the one I listen to right now...

Schnitt is actually worse than Rush, if only because he doesn't have Rush's slick production and performance experience to make his rants at least entertaining to listen to. Schnitt just rants angrily.

He's like Free Republic given a radio voice.

[skeptical]

Yes, clearly the increase in unemployment, the credit crisis and the lack of consumer confidence call all be laid squarely at the feet of a man who has not had a single day to affect policy.

Each day I live I become more convinced that a substantial number of people simply do not accept there is any such thing as objective reality. If they want to believe it, it must be true.

[dudalb]

It says something that most conservative commentators treat Rush as someone who really does not matter anymore. I think most o fthem have decided that Rush is a ignorant DJ who is only in it for the money.
And I am betting that before too long Rush goes really over the line as far as race is concerned. He has been doing a little game of putting a foot over the line then pulling it back. With Obama, he is going mistime himself.
Of course I have a generally low opinion of Radio Talk Show Hosts, no matter what their politics are. Randi Rhodes is just a Bizarro World version of Rush Limbaugh.

[fuelair]

Do you guys think he actually believes this dribble? I'd be surprised if he did.
It's teh drugs talkin' man!

[leftysergeant]

Rush Limbaugh can say anything he wants. But why or why would anybody pay attention to anything that fat junkie says anymore?

You can't fix stupid.

[BenBurch]

... Randi Rhodes is just a Bizarro World version of Rush Limbaugh.

Would you care to justify that statement?

[Tricky]

Yes, clearly the increase in unemployment, the credit crisis and the lack of consumer confidence call all be laid squarely at the feet of a man who has not had a single day to affect policy.
No no! Not as President. While he was in Congress he crafted the policies that caused the economic collapse.

Oh except he didn't do anything in Congress.

Sometimes it's hard to remember if we're talking about Evil Obama or Lazy Obama.

[dudalb]

Would you care to justify that statement?


Same rants, same "The Other Side Is EVIL!', same use of half truths and distorted news, and same embrace of extremist opinions in Rhodes 9/11 Trutherism.
Frankly, Ben, you rant of Wendesday shows why you like Rhodes so much.
That Air America felt it necessary to get rid of her should tell you something.

[BenBurch]

Same rants, same "The Other Side Is EVIL!', same use of half truths and distorted news, and same embrace of extremist opinions in Rhodes 9/11 Trutherism.
Frankly, Ben, you rant of Wendesday shows why you like Rhodes so much.
That Air America felt it necessary to get rid of her should tell you something.

Respectfully, you don't know squat about what went on at Air America, and I am not at liberty to enlighten you.

And Randi is absolutely not a Truther, at least in the sense of thinking there was some "inside job," so that you think so shows that you have absolutely no idea at all what you are talking about.

And let me ask you; When "the other side" permits torture, extraordinary transfer of prisoners to other countries for "interrogation," lies about intelligence to start a war, lies about the conduct of that war, fights that war with maximal command incompetence in depraved indifference to the results, craps on American soldiers injured in that botched war, trashes essential liberties and protections, wiretaps Americans without warrant, permits the looting of the treasury under cover of national security for their business associates, and crashes the economy of the nation, can you at all justify thinking that "EVIL" is not an apt characterization of that "other side?"

This is not an abstract group we are discussing here. These are specific people who did specific things, and those things absolutely were evil, and if one does not believe in the concept of evil, one absolutely needs to admit that those who do would see those actions in that light.

But I do know that some people will excuse any crimes whatsoever if that allows them to flatter themselves that they are being "fair" or "civil."

Screw that.

[SezMe]

I didn't know that. I won't bother with him anymore.
While he's got a conspiracy gene in him, he's not a full-on truther. On a number of other topics he's an articulate advocate for his liberal perspective. He's the only talker I know of that routinely invites people on who vehemently disagree with him and debates them in a civil manner. It's a mode the whole nation needs to adopt. I would urge you not to tune him out just for one idiosyncracy.

[Cain]

While he's got a conspiracy gene in him, he's not a full-on truther. On a number of other topics he's an articulate advocate for his liberal perspective. He's the only talker I know of that routinely invites people on who vehemently disagree with him and debates them in a civil manner. It's a mode the whole nation needs to adopt. I would urge you not to tune him out just for one idiosyncracy.

From what I've heard he's an intelligent, well-meaning guy. One time he had apparently asked a pointed question (of a personal nature, relating to hypocrisy) to someone in an interview and callers were cheering him on for it throughout the show, but he regretted it. Never heard about the conspiracy theory stuff, but what turned me off was learning he has a Ph.D in homeopathic "medicine."

[Darth Rotor]

While he's got a conspiracy gene in him, he's not a full-on truther. On a number of other topics he's an articulate advocate for his liberal perspective. He's the only talker I know of that routinely invites people on who vehemently disagree with him and debates them in a civil manner. It's a mode the whole nation needs to adopt. I would urge you not to tune him out just for one idiosyncracy.

Sort of a left of center Bill Buckley? :confused:

I have never heard of this guy.

[Praktik]

And let me ask you; When "the other side" permits torture, extraordinary transfer of prisoners to other countries for "interrogation," lies about intelligence to start a war, lies about the conduct of that war, fights that war with maximal command incompetence in depraved indifference to the results, craps on American soldiers injured in that botched war, trashes essential liberties and protections, wiretaps Americans without warrant, permits the looting of the treasury under cover of national security for their business associates, and crashes the economy of the nation, can you at all justify thinking that "EVIL" is not an apt characterization of that "other side?"

This is not an abstract group we are discussing here. These are specific people who did specific things, and those things absolutely were evil, and if one does not believe in the concept of evil, one absolutely needs to admit that those who do would see those actions in that light.

Ok, I'm actually on your side on all of this. But part of my fascination with American politics over the last decade or so has stemmed from "that side" - the GOP - and how your conservatives seem so much more crazy than our more mild-mannered versions here in Canada. It was something i NEEDED to know about! So now I've got a bookshelf full of Pat Buchanan books, Tom Delay's latest, Michael Lind, Thomas Frank, issues of the Weekly Standard, The American Conservative and a Commentary anthology from the 70s.

Seems to me they really aren't consciously evil - I honestly believe that most of them subscribe honestly to the tenets of their platform. I think the outcomes of their policies could be fairly described as evil, callous or any number of other terms in that vein, but I do not think that they themselves are evil.

Now this is maybe not that great a defense for them and I'll be the first to admit that. Heck, you could even say that Hitler had a series of rationalizations that the holocaust and the subjugation of the slavs were "for the greater good" - that doesn't change the evilness of his policies. But I do think the distinction holds true even for him.

And I agree with the sentiment that sometimes our outrage at the inhuman policies of a given tyrant, or in this case, "movement conservatives" causes us to forget the essential humanity of the individuals we are discussing and ultimately prevents us from truly understanding how they got the way they are. Its a bit of an intellectual cop-out to wave our hands in disgust and dismiss these policies as the product of "evil".

They are instead - the product of the cultural and political milieu, of expediency and self-interest, and the human need to see ourselves in a positive light - even when enacting what turn out to be horrendous and yes, "evil" policies.

[D'rok]

Ok, I'm actually on your side on all of this. But part of my fascination with American politics over the last decade or so has stemmed from "that side" - the GOP - and how your conservatives seem so much more crazy than our more mild-mannered versions here in Canada. It was something i NEEDED to know about! So now I've got a bookshelf full of Pat Buchanan books, Tom Delay's latest, Michael Lind, Thomas Frank, issues of the Weekly Standard, The American Conservative and a Commentary anthology from the 70s.

Seems to me they really aren't consciously evil - I honestly believe that most of them subscribe honestly to the tenets of their platform. I think the outcomes of their policies could be fairly described as evil, callous or any number of other terms in that vein, but I do not think that they themselves are evil.

Now this is maybe not that great a defense for them and I'll be the first to admit that. Heck, you could even say that Hitler had a series of rationalizations that the holocaust and the subjugation of the slavs were "for the greater good" - that doesn't change the evilness of his policies. But I do think the distinction holds true even for him.

And I agree with the sentiment that sometimes our outrage at the inhuman policies of a given tyrant, or in this case, "movement conservatives" causes us to forget the essential humanity of the individuals we are discussing and ultimately prevents us from truly understanding how they got the way they are. Its a bit of an intellectual cop-out to wave our hands in disgust and dismiss these policies as the product of "evil".

They are instead - the product of the cultural and political milieu, of expediency and self-interest, and the human need to see ourselves in a positive light - even when enacting what turn out to be horrendous and yes, "evil" policies.

You are describing Hannah Arendt's "Banality of Evil".

http://www.amazon.com/Eichmann-Jerusalem-Report-Banality-Evil/dp/0140187650

[RandFan]

While he's got a conspiracy gene in him, he's not a full-on truther. On a number of other topics he's an articulate advocate for his liberal perspective. He's the only talker I know of that routinely invites people on who vehemently disagree with him and debates them in a civil manner. It's a mode the whole nation needs to adopt. I would urge you not to tune him out just for one idiosyncracy.I confess I really have a knee-jerk reaction to Truthers. It seems like such an abandonment of reason. To me it's like someone believing the world is flat. I won't cross him off completely.

[RandFan]

And let me ask you; When "the other side" permits torture, extraordinary transfer of prisoners to other countries for "interrogation," lies about intelligence to start a war, lies about the conduct of that war, fights that war with maximal command incompetence in depraved indifference to the results, craps on American soldiers injured in that botched war, trashes essential liberties and protections, wiretaps Americans without warrant, permits the looting of the treasury under cover of national security for their business associates, and crashes the economy of the nation, can you at all justify thinking that "EVIL" is not an apt characterization of that "other side?". Sounds like, to a significant degree, Truman, FDR, Lincoln and other presidents.

You are naive Ben. I don't mean to be cynical or condone the actions but you are and further you paint these events only in the starkest light. There is no nuance in your world view. There are good guys and bad guys. Good guys? Dems. Bad guys? Republicans.

In your world view these events only happened because evil men wanted to commit evil. Childish and ignorant of history.

It's BS but I can't get people to open their eyes. People see what they want to see. It's not skeptical. It's not critical thinking but hey, it gets you through the night.

[dudalb]

Ben, Several people have posted sound files here of Rhodes in full Truther mode.
She sounds no different then any other Truther.
She is either a Truther or is willing to knowing spread lies to further her political agends. Not good for her in any case.

[Praktik]

You are describing Hannah Arendt's "Banality of Evil".

http://www.amazon.com/Eichmann-Jerusalem-Report-Banality-Evil/dp/0140187650

One more for the list! Thanks! ;)

[SezMe]

Never heard about the conspiracy theory stuff, but what turned me off was learning he has a Ph.D in homeopathic "medicine."
That is a turn off for sure. Like the month he spent in China studying accupuncture. It all fits into his woo box. It's a pretty small box but it is definitely there.
Sort of a left of center Bill Buckley? :confused:
Well, not quite. I hold Bill in pretty high esteem but the analogy is not entirely wrong either.

You can catch him here (http://www.thomhartmann.com/). When he does debate someone, it is usually right at the beginning of his show.

[leftysergeant]

Same rants, same "The Other Side Is EVIL!', same use of half truths and distorted news, and same embrace of extremist opinions in Rhodes 9/11 Trutherism.

Mostly, she just wonders how anybody could screw up as badly as Bushcheneyrummy.

That Air America felt it necessary to get rid of her should tell you something.

It tells us that AAR is not well-run as a radio business. She was one of their best.

She is also one of the few talk-radio people with a clue about military affairs and what the veterans need. Only she has served in the Armed Forces and never been convicted of a felony. When Randi speaks about what soldiers need from their leaders, she speaks from experience. When the fat deaf pill-popper addresses the needs of soldiers or what it means to serve, it is coming out of his trousers.

[Whiplash]

Rush drug using, often divorced, butt cyst kept him from the draft, Limbaugh, really isn't conservative enough for Rush, drug users are bad people, conservative values, Clinton was a draft dodger, Limbaugh. To say he is a hypocrite is to badly malign hypocrites.


With all due respect, I think people are far too quick to dismiss Rush's pilonidal cyst. And I'm someone who can speak on authority with this, because I had one when I was 18.

It started as a feeling of pain at the base of my tailbone, which progressivley got worse until I got to a point that I was virtually unable to do anything without excruciating pain. Walking, moving around at all.. I couldn't even lay down comfortably. It was absolutely awful. I cannot stress this enough, it's position was such that even the slightest movement would cause great pain. It was absolutely debilitating.

When I went to the doctor, they first they did was pop/drain it in an outpatient procedure. This immediately diminished the pain. But in a matter of just a couple of weeks to a month (IIRC), it started to hurt again, just as bad as before.

It was decided I needed surgery to have it removed. I went in and had the operation. After it was over, I found that they had litteraly cut me a new a-hole, so to speak. It was a good inch deep hole/excavation at the top of my butt crack. I had to pack and unpack gauze in it every day for months. It took nearly a year to fully heal, and never fully closed.. even to this day. But at least 6 months of that time I had to change the guaze a couple of times a day, and be careful about keeping it clean and so forth. And I had to move carefully and gingerly for a long time to make sure I didn't tear it back open where it had healed.

There is no way in hell I would have been able to do any military duty during this. Absolutely no way. The pain was excruciating. And even after sugery it was at least 6 months to a year before the thing was finally closed up and healed enough for me to feel even remotely normal down there.

I don't know what procudures Rush may have had in this regard. Maybe he just had one popped and it went away. Maybe he had the surgery. But if his experience was anything like mine, I understand and agree 100% that he was in no way fit for military duty. I couldn't even work during the height of the problem. I was bed ridden in awful pain. And it interfered with my life for many long months after. I couldn't do more than simple labor at best.

I do hope that people will actually consider this experience when they are so quick to dismiss the "little cyst on his butt" because the experience is absolutely 1000 times worse than that.

[Gregoire]

I was amazed when I heard him say it today. He had invented a whole new fallacy. "Pre hoc ergo proctor hoc"

Actually, of course, he was saying that the mere election of Obama had caused us to slip into recession. Of course, in that case he is committing the fallacy of confusing cause and effect.



I heard Rush say just before the election very pointedly that McCain would win because polls always underestimate the Republican vote. (Didn't he also say something like this on TV in 1992?)

So I would ask any of you who listen to his program: Did he ever apologize for being wrong?????;)


No, wait, I think I know the answer.

[Gregoire]

Ben, Several people have posted sound files here of Rhodes in full Truther mode.
She sounds no different then any other Truther.
She is either a Truther or is willing to knowing spread lies to further her political agends. Not good for her in any case.


I haven't listened to Rhodes in a while now, so I don't any concrete examples at my finger tips. But I would say that she and Limbaugh both believe any "fact" unquestioningly that supports their world view, no matter how outrageous. And both are skeptical any evidence contradicting their world view without any real honest critical thinking.

Politics, of course, by nature is filled with this (even on the JREF forum), but I would say the two of them have made it into an art form. And I guess the evidence would suggest that is what the public wants.

[kallsop]

Here's my final thought. If Obama is held responsible for the post election market slump, fair is fair, he will be responsible for any market recovery that comes along. Conversely, all those saying Rush is a fool and are of the opinion that Obama's victory is not responsible for the market, won't be able to credit Obama in any good news.

Certainly there is an economic panic at the moment, promoted relentlessly the last 8 years, intensifying over the last 2 years of the campaign. It might take 8 years of positive media coverage to turn things around. We'll find out, starting .... January 20th 2009. There are still a couple of months left to blame Bush and feed the panic.

[D'rok]

Here's my final thought. If Obama is held responsible for the post election market slump, fair is fair, he will be responsible for any market recovery that comes along. Conversely, all those saying Rush is a fool and are of the opinion that Obama's victory is not responsible for the market, won't be able to credit Obama in any good news.

Does not follow. The policies of the upcoming Obama administration can have an effect on the economy regardless of whether or not his election caused market jitters. That policy effect can be positive or negative. In both cases, the credit or blame will be his. The initial conditions are irrelevant.

Also, Obama cannot be held responsible for market jitters even if his election caused them. He can only be held responsible if he acted towards the economy and a result occurred.

Your opinion (or anyone else's) on the cause of the initial economic conditions faced by the Obama administration is not connected to the results of his future economic policy.

[Grizzly Bear]

Schnitt is actually worse than Rush, if only because he doesn't have Rush's slick production and performance experience to make his rants at least entertaining to listen to. Schnitt just rants angrily.

He's like Free Republic given a radio voice.

Like I said, he's entitled to his opinion, and I openly admit I'm partisan myself. I still wouldn't get near him with a 10-foot pole when I'm debating politics though :p

I'm not a regular listener of his talk show, so if he's done anything like rush calling people to register as another party to vote for another candidate in the primaries then let me know.... That's what got me to stop using Rush as a source for my political stances

[Meadmaker]

It might take 8 years of positive media coverage to turn things around. We'll find out, starting .... January 20th 2009. There are still a couple of months left to blame Bush and feed the panic.

Do you think it is possible that maybe, just maybe, it wasn't the media coverage that created the current economic conditions, but possibly the actual market conditions, combined with the effect of economic policies? I'm just saying that perhaps the existence of 60 trillion dollars of credit default swaps contributed to the problem somehow, independent of how the media covered the Bush administration.

[jman19999]

Michael Savage is the worst. He makes Rush mild by comparison. He attacks anyone who disagrees with him with so much venom and hatred that I stopped listening to him years ago. It's almost like he wants liberals to die a painful death or something. I feel sorry for those who try to get in a word on the phone if they disagree with him. There are no fair two-sided points in politics. I lost interested in politics because of this. Just tired of the b.s from all sides.

The news talk shows? Forget that. Only thing I have learned from them is how to be a better interrupter.

Jeff

[maxfrost]

The difference between the Hindenburg and Limbaugh?

"Oh, the humanity!" as opposed to "Oh, the inanity!"

[leftysergeant]

Michael Savage is the worst. He makes Rush mild by comparison.

Oddly enough, he came off sounding more rational than the rushblob after the election. The Rushblob still thinks Palin helped.

I don't think the auditory nerves were the only neural tissue he damaged with those pills.

[KateHL]

There are many reasons to disrespect Limbaugh, but the clencher for me is his use of Klaus Nomi's remake of "You Don't Own Me" for his Gay Update (why is it even necessary to have a gay update, anyhow?). Klaus was one of AIDS earliest victims and I find it absolutely hateful. So at karaoke my friend and I made sure to sing "You Don't Own Me" in our best sharp German accents in honor of him. Take that, you big piggy lump.

[mhaze]

Do you think it is possible that maybe, just maybe, it wasn't the media coverage that created the current economic conditions, but possibly the actual market conditions, combined with the effect of economic policies? I'm just saying that perhaps the existence of 60 trillion dollars of credit default swaps contributed to the problem somehow, independent of how the media covered the Bush administration.Please do not dissemble attribution with causation.

[RandFan]

There are many reasons to disrespect Limbaugh, but the clencher for me is his use of Klaus Nomi's remake of "You Don't Own Me" for his Gay Update (why is it even necessary to have a gay update, anyhow?). Klaus was one of AIDS earliest victims and I find it absolutely hateful. So at karaoke my friend and I made sure to sing "You Don't Own Me" in our best sharp German accents in honor of him. Take that, you big piggy lump.Why not have a gay update? I don't think it's hateful. The notion that some people can't poke fun at some issues or it is hate is, IMO, political correctness run amok. I'm happy to point out the fact that Rush is crass and thoughtless. His mockery of Michael J. Fox was the epitome of that. But, SNL, Mad TV, South Park, etc., etc poke fun of icons, gay and straight. Why is it that if Limbaugh does it, it can only be hate?

[BenBurch]

Why not have a gay update? I don't think it's hateful. The notion that some people can't poke fun at some issues or it is hate is, IMO, political correctness run amok. I'm happy to point out the fact that Rush is crass and thoughtless. His mockery of Michael J. Fox was the epitome of that. But, SNL, Mad TV, South Park, etc., etc poke fun of icons, gay and straight. Why is it that if Limbaugh does it, it can only be hate?

Might be self-hate; http://pssht.com/biography/rush_limbaugh.html

;)

[RandFan]

Might be self-hate; http://pssht.com/biography/rush_limbaugh.html

;) All well and good so long as we read the fine print.

"All material herein is intended as parody. Any similarity in format or "personnel" is purely satirical."

BTW: Don't get me wrong. There is much to critisize Rush for.

[Nyarlathotep]

Here's my final thought. If Obama is held responsible for the post election market slump, fair is fair, he will be responsible for any market recovery that comes along. Conversely, all those saying Rush is a fool and are of the opinion that Obama's victory is not responsible for the market, won't be able to credit Obama in any good news.


BUt the people already saying that Obama is responsible for the recession don't give a flying f*** about fairness. THe Recession will be Obama's fault and the later recovery will be despite him. Whether eithr of thsoe statments is actually true or not is 100% beside the point.

[Nyarlathotep]

The difference between the Hindenburg and Limbaugh?

"Oh, the humanity!" as opposed to "Oh, the inanity!"

I thought it was "one is a big Nazi gas bag and the other one is a blimp"

[BenBurch]

All well and good so long as we read the fine print.

"All material herein is intended as parody. Any similarity in format or "personnel" is purely satirical."

BTW: Don't get me wrong. There is much to critisize Rush for.

Any lawyer would insist on that disclaimer. But you'll note the ;)

[leftysergeant]

I thought it was "one is a big Nazi gas bag and the other one is a blimp
crashed and burned seventy years ago."

Rush actually does hate the left without concern for the truth. His comments about Michael J. Fox and people with restless leg syndrome also speak to an essential stupidity, which is consistant with delusions of adwquacy.

His own sexual inadequacies may actually drive his hatred of gays and women.

[RandFan]

Any lawyer would insist on that disclaimer. But you'll note the ;):) Fair enough.

[Alferd_Packer]

I thought it was "one is a big Nazi gas bag and the other one is a blimp"

Technically, the Hindenburg was a dirigible.

Blimps don't have the internal framework.

On the other hand Rush is like Flounder in Animal House, "A wimp and a blimp."

[BenBurch]

Technically, the Hindenburg was a dirigible.

Blimps don't have the internal framework.

On the other hand Rush is like Flounder in Animal House, "A wimp and a blimp."

You are close. (And I pick this nit only because I have been writing a book on airships for the last 4 years...)

A Dirigible Airship is a balloon you can navigate - one that is not totally at the mercy of the winds.

A Blimp (and nobody knows the exact origin of the term!) is a non-rigid dirigible airship, that is, one where the envelope has its shape largely due to gas pressure. derigable

A Rigid Airship, of which the Zeppelin is one BRAND, is a dirigible airship whose envelope is a structure that maintains its shape on its own without gas pressure and which typically contains multiple gas cells to provide lift.

Other makers built rigid airships including Schütte-Lanz, Goodyear as a partner of Zeppelin, and The Royal Airship Works in Great Britain, and Airship Guarantee Company in Great Britain.

So, the take away is that dirigible has does not imply rigid.

[Chaos]

You are close. (And I pick this nit only because I have been writing a book on airships for the last 4 years...)

A Dirigible Airship is a balloon you can navigate - one that is not totally at the mercy of the winds.

A Blimp (and nobody knows the exact origin of the term!) is a non-rigid dirigible airship, that is, one where the envelope has its shape largely due to gas pressure. derigable

A Rigid Airship, of which the Zeppelin is one BRAND, is a dirigible airship whose envelope is a structure that maintains its shape on its own without gas pressure and which typically contains multiple gas cells to provide lift.

Other makers built rigid airships including Schütte-Lanz, Goodyear as a partner of Zeppelin, and The Royal Airship Works in Great Britain, and Airship Guarantee Company in Great Britain.

So, the take away is that dirigible has does not imply rigid.

But the Zeppelins are the Zeppelins. (Any airship is called a Zeppelin in German)

[The Painter]

Wow. No wonder Air America went bankrupt and left wing radio just can't even get a toehold in the business. All you lefties are to busy listening to Rush. Is it the Howard Stern effect? You all are increasing Rush's ratings. boosting his status and increasing his pay. Congrats for supporting all that you hate. YOU have made Rush the star he is.

[ImaginalDisc]

Sounds like, to a significant degree, Truman, FDR, Lincoln and other presidents.

It's not fair to anyone to compare modern politicians to historical politicans in this way. I'm not trying to excuse the actions of either group, but compemporary moral standards are different than they were. Lincoln's opinions on the integration of white and black people in society, when viewed with a modern moral eye, seem as though they came from the mouth of Strom Thurman.

We should probably limit our comparisons to the past two decades or so, because many of the same lawmakers and other politicans are still around. If you want to compare Bush's actions in Iraq to, say, Clinton's actions in Bosnia, that's fair game. Just don't bring FDR into this, that doesn't do any good because neither party holds to FDR's platofrms today.

[Tricky]

Wow. No wonder Air America went bankrupt and left wing radio just can't even get a toehold in the business. All you lefties are to busy listening to Rush. Is it the Howard Stern effect? You all are increasing Rush's ratings. boosting his status and increasing his pay. Congrats for supporting all that you hate. YOU have made Rush the star he is.
Or perhaps they listen to multiple points of view instead of just one side, while the "left wing radio" can't get any right-wingers to expand their world. But there is little doubt that naked hate sells much better than boring political discussion. The left-wing, what with their mamby-pamby peace crap and "why can't we be friends" memes can't seem to get a toehold in that market. Except for Olbermann, and he's doing pretty well. I won't watch him because I'm disgusted that he uses the same tactics as Rush.

[CHF]

Limbaugh and the rest of the Loony Right really have some gall.

An economic crisis hits in the eighth year of a disasterous Republican administration (one that doubled the national debt)....but somehow it's the fault of a Democrat who isn't even in office yet.

[ZirconBlue]

Wow. No wonder Air America went bankrupt and left wing radio just can't even get a toehold in the business. All you lefties are to busy listening to Rush. Is it the Howard Stern effect? You all are increasing Rush's ratings. boosting his status and increasing his pay. Congrats for supporting all that you hate. YOU have made Rush the star he is.

You don't know how Radio ratings work, do you?

[Nyarlathotep]

Or perhaps they listen to multiple points of view instead of just one side, while the "left wing radio" can't get any right-wingers to expand their world. But there is little doubt that naked hate sells much better than boring political discussion. The left-wing, what with their mamby-pamby peace crap and "why can't we be friends" memes can't seem to get a toehold in that market. Except for Olbermann, and he's doing pretty well. I won't watch him because I'm disgusted that he uses the same tactics as Rush.


Hell tricky, no one wants to listen to multiple points of view. People are only interested in having their own biases confirmed and having it CALLED the truth. That's why political discussion in just about any medium always seems to aimed at one side or another. Any politically oriented radio/TV show/Blog/What-have-you would immediately be tuned out as "Lefty/Righty BS" by the vast majority of the other side the minute it expressed an opinion that dared disagree with the excepted orthodoxy of that group.

[BenBurch]

You don't know how Radio ratings work, do you?

CLEARLY not.

[The Painter]

You don't know how Radio ratings work, do you?


Sure I do. I think Ben might have a problem with them. That's why he doesn't have any ratings. Ben would get better ratings opening a window and yelling out the window, more people would hear him.



Yeah, yeah, yeah, tricky. The right are to stupid to listen to the other side. Only the intelligentsia of the left can be well rounded. What a load of crap you pompous ass.

[ZirconBlue]

Sure I do.

If so, your previous post on the subject makes no sense.

[Nyarlathotep]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, tricky. The right are to stupid to listen to the other side. Only the intelligentsia of the left can be well rounded. What a load of crap you pompous ass.


They don't. Neither does the left. Nobody listens to the other side, because the other side doesn't confirm their own fears and biases which, in the end, is all most people want.

[Tricky]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, tricky. The right are to stupid to listen to the other side. Only the intelligentsia of the left can be well rounded. What a load of crap you pompous ass.

You call it being a pompous ass. I call it sarcasm.

And I think I may be able to find an instance or two where you've called liberals the equivalent of "stupid". You want me to document this, or would that be too pompous?

[Tricky]

They don't. Neither does the left. Nobody listens to the other side, because the other side doesn't confirm their own fears and biases which, in the end, is all most people want.
That's probably true of the masses. There are, however, some people who listen even to people they disagree with. The reasons for this are many, the greatest one being that you know what kind of propaganda the other side is saying. Occasionally you get the rare treat of finding something that makes you reconsider your own position. Those times make it worthwhile.

Obviously, nobody has time to listen to everything, but if you only hear out of your left or right ear, you never get the benefits of stereo.

[ANTPogo]

Like I said, he's entitled to his opinion, and I openly admit I'm partisan myself. I still wouldn't get near him with a 10-foot pole when I'm debating politics though :p

I'm not a regular listener of his talk show, so if he's done anything like rush calling people to register as another party to vote for another candidate in the primaries then let me know.... That's what got me to stop using Rush as a source for my political stances

I listen to him often (his show is on XM during my drive home from work every day), but not often enough to know if he's pulled anything like that.

The most recent egregious thing that I recall is him angrily shouting (literally shouting in rage, not just making a statement or asking a question) that he didn't know why "any Jew in America" would vote for Obama because of his attending a University of Chicago dinner for Rashid Khalidi (where both were professors), apparently conveniently ignoring the fact that McCain gave a pro-Palestinian organization co-founded by Khalidi half a million dollars.

I rolled my eyes so hard I nearly drove off the road when I heard that.

[MIKILLINI]

Limbaugh's ambiguous right wing ideology continues...Him and avian buddy Sean Hannity.
I'll continue to tune them out.

[RandFan]

It's not fair to anyone to compare modern politicians to historical politicans in this way. I'm not trying to excuse the actions of either group, but compemporary moral standards are different than they were. Lincoln's opinions on the integration of white and black people in society, when viewed with a modern moral eye, seem as though they came from the mouth of Strom Thurman.

We should probably limit our comparisons to the past two decades or so, because many of the same lawmakers and other politicans are still around. If you want to compare Bush's actions in Iraq to, say, Clinton's actions in Bosnia, that's fair game. Just don't bring FDR into this, that doesn't do any good because neither party holds to FDR's platofrms today.With all due respect I don't buy that. I'm not saying that you don't have any point. I think there are differences but I don't think we should simply wave a wand and ignore any and all comparisons. I think FDR is more than fair game. War is often used as an excuse to justify attrocity. Just because you want to agree wtih FDR and don't want to agree with Bush is hardly any justification for your bias.