Comments on The 7-10: Palmer on Politics: Obama vs. Limbaugh Revisited

It annoys me when people who haven't picked up a p...

2009-03-17T12:39:00.000-04:00

It annoys me when people who haven't picked up a poli sci book in the last 5 to 35 years use and misuse the words "socialist and socialism" like racial slurs - What they fail to acknowledge, including some commentators on this blog, it that we already have socialist elements in our government (Social Security, medicare, entitlement programs, etc.) without having a socialist system i.e., democracy is still in tact - so, don't bitch about socialism unless 1) you can distinguish between uniform and mixed forms of government and 2) you want to do away with programs like Social Security 3) screwing the economic system and the country for your own self interest in un-American, not talking about socialism

http://www.frostillustrated.com/full.php?sid=5342T...

2009-03-17T12:30:00.000-04:00

http://www.frostillustrated.com/full.php?sid=5342

The Emasculation of Michael Steele

Thomas, you're right about them being on the outsi...

2009-03-08T03:22:00.000-04:00

Thomas, you're right about them being on the outside when it comes to policy making. I didn't realize that's what you meant by "washed away."

Even so, they are opinion makers with national name recognition. With disgusting regularity they get to hold forth on national TV and radio, with help from hosts who rarely challenge their spin, lies, exaggerations and ideological nonsense. Rather, hosts present these ultra partisan hacks as experts on government, law, society and public policy, and the hosts treat them like visitng royalty.

This adds up to people like Gingrich, Rove and the others still being in the game, with potential for affecting the outcome.

BTW, every time Chris Matthews has DeLay on his show, Matthews positively fawns over the creep. Maybe something about rubbing elbows with a sex-slave operation's go-to guy in Washington turns Matthews on.

But what influence do this guys have over policy, ...

2009-03-07T11:57:00.000-05:00

But what influence do this guys have over policy, S.W.? Sure, these guys will always have somewhat of a future giving speeches or lobbying or being interviewed on television. (Maybe except for DeLay. Hello, big house, Tom.) But these guys cannot be blamed for whatever policy decisions are made from here on out.

Thomas wrote: "Obviously the Democrats are worried...

2009-03-07T02:48:00.000-05:00

Thomas wrote: "Obviously the Democrats are worried that the truly offensive Republicans have been washed away . . ."

I don't think so. This past week Karl Rove was a guest on ABC's This Week. Chris Matthews had Trent Lott as a guest Monday, then Tom DeLay on Tuesday. Today (Friday) it comes out that Newt Gingrich is interested in running for president in 2012. (My post on that is here.)

Obviously the Democrats are worried that the truly...

2009-03-06T17:45:00.000-05:00

Obviously the Democrats are worried that the truly offensive Republicans have been washed away - Santorum, DeLay, Strom Thurmond, Trent Lott, Rumsfeld, Alberto Gonzales, Cheney and Bush. They need a Republican boogie man where one does not really exist anymore. Rush is that guy. The thing is Rush is old news like some of the comments here already mentioned. People know who he is and they know how much influence he has over policy - none.

All this makes me wonder about efforts to kill Bobby Jindal and his national ambitions now. One speech does not define a person. (Even Obama has given some bad speeches.) A lot of the criticism against Jindal after his speech seemed a tad uncomfortable to me.

Anthony, do you think people think it is easier to criticize an Indian as a dumb hick than an African American man?

Frankly I am surprised by how much we still talk a...

2009-03-06T17:37:00.000-05:00

Frankly I am surprised by how much we still talk about Republicans. They don't really matter much these days, I think. What would be best for them would be for them to disappear for a period of time and let people forget about how bad they did this decade. Republicans don't have enough power or relevant ideas to erase what happened under President Bush. Why try that route?

Anonymous, I heard on MSNBC yesterday that people ...

2009-03-06T01:01:00.000-05:00

Anonymous, I heard on MSNBC yesterday that people under 40 make up only 11 percent of Limbaugh's audience. He's an anachronism now, an '80's success whose time has come and gone.

In fact, Rush Limbaugh is as appropriate for this time and situation as an eight-track tape player loaded with disco-dancing tunes, and less desirable than a Plymouth K-car with 180,000 miles on it.

AP, I think you're right about the efficacy of the...

2009-03-06T00:53:00.000-05:00

AP, I think you're right about the efficacy of the Democratic strategy linking the GOP with Rush Limbaugh as closely as possible in the public mind, making him an albatross.

However, you keep mentioning "a wing of the Republican Party," referring to the radical right. The party really only has one wing. It consists of fundamentalist Christians, White, largely older southerners, free-market religionists and big-money groups and individuals.

What distinguishes all those people is absolutist attitudes about politics, government, faith, society, the economy, foreign policy and so on.

The Bush administration came by its "you're either with us or you're against America (or against the troops)" attack habit honestly. It reflects the understanding and mindset of Bush's base and the radical-right Republican base.

Think the government is the only tool in the shed big enough and with enough resources to tackle the economic mess Bush and his favored people left behind? You just want socialism. That makes you un-American.

Think the multifaceted, exquisitely expensive dilemma posed by our problematic health care system will only be solved using government as the organizing, reforming force? Again, you just want to go socialist and become like all those thoroughly miserable Europeans — dolts supposedly so dense they don't realize they're miserable, overtaxed drones controlled by their socialist governments.

Think women should have the right to decide whether to carry a pregnancy to term, whether or not you personally condone their reasons for deciding one way or the other? Why, you must be a God-hating heathen.

On and on it goes. If you consider yourself a Republican, you either march in lockstep or you're marginalized and at most barely tolerated. Chuck Hagel didn't give up the idea of running for president and leave the Senate because he was having such a good time. He was entirely too moderate.

And now, you've got Michael Steele threatening the last remnants of Northeastern relatively moderate Republican Sens. Collins, Snowe and Specter with primary challenges for not voting against the Democrats' stimulus bill. Woe be unto them.

I suspect you could get all the truly moderate Republicans involved in national politics together for coffee in one small Starbuck's and have room left over for the mid-morning rush.

If Republicans too moderate for the leaders, movers and shakers, elected officials and major money backers of their party want to get somewhere, they would stand a better chance by forming a new party of their own. The GOP isn't a big-tent party because, deep down, it doesn't want to be one.

The GOP is in a tough position. They need to "grow...

2009-03-05T19:41:00.000-05:00

The GOP is in a tough position. They need to "grow" their base, but following Limbaugh and his exclusionary approach to conservative politics only hurts the movement. How can you increase your group membership by putting all your positions into a tiny box with no room for slightly different opinions? It isn't possible. Limbaugh, Hannity and the rest of them are advocating a hard-right position which only increases the chances that people will not follow. The further extreme (right or left) a movement goes, the smaller it becomes.

Limbaugh also a demographic deficit when it comes ...

2009-03-05T13:21:00.000-05:00

Limbaugh also a demographic deficit when it comes to women: Limbaugh To Convene A ‘Female Summit’ To Figure Out Why Women Hate Him: http://thinkprogress.org/2009/02/25/limbaugh-women/

As relevant as Limbaugh is, (How can he not be? 20...

2009-03-05T10:13:00.000-05:00

As relevant as Limbaugh is, (How can he not be? 20 million folks a week listen to him), he's not as relevant as he used to be. The conservative base he preaches to is contracting, not expanding.

I like the poll question, but I wish you had an op...

2009-03-05T10:12:00.000-05:00

I like the poll question, but I wish you had an option for "Other." To me, it's interest groups, and I highly recommend Mancur Olson's, "The Rise and Decline of Nations" as a primer.