Why does Rush hate America?
Via ThinkProgress:
Limbaugh told his listeners that he was asked by “a major American print publication” to offer a 400-word statement explaining his “hope for the Obama presidency.” He responded:
So I’m thinking of replying to the guy, “Okay, I’ll send you a response, but I don’t need 400 words, I need four: I hope he fails.” (interruption) What are you laughing at? See, here’s the point. Everybody thinks it’s outrageous to say. Look, even my staff, “Oh, you can’t do that.” Why not? Why is it any different, what’s new, what is unfair about my saying I hope liberalism fails? Liberalism is our problem. Liberalism is what’s gotten us dangerously close to the precipice here. Why do I want more of it? I don’t care what the Drive-By story is. I would be honored if the Drive-By Media headlined me all day long: “Limbaugh: I Hope Obama Fails.” Somebody’s gotta say it.
I guess, as of Jan. 20, we’re (magically) no longer at war and so it’s OK to wish for the failure of our commander in chief. Does this mean country radio will start playing Dixie Chicks again?
As someone who listens to country radio for probably 3 hours a day, I can tell you the Dixie Chicks get plenty of play. Or at least their good songs do, which is mostly their older material. They do not self-identify as country artists any longer actually. The Grammy “Country” category is a pretty interesting phenomena in fact – the politicization in 2007, notwithstanding – it is usually totally disconnected from what country music fans listen to, buy, or see in concert. Country music actually has their own awards – the CMAs and ACMs being the most prominent – which are vastly more popular among country fans.
As for Mr. Limbaugh – why are you wasting your breath? He will be eliminated from the airwaves and print, etc. when the changes to the FEC, FCC, and speech laws Mr. Axlerod promised during the election are passed in the next few months.
If what Limbaugh meant by “I hope he fails” is “I hope he fails [in his attempt to implement radically liberal policies, which I believe will destroy our great nation, notwithstanding the lousy shape it happens to be in already]” — rather than “I hope he fails [at upholding the Constitution, protecting and defending our citizens, and promoting general welfare, because I hate Democrats more than I love America]” — then I’m afraid he should probably have helped himself to a few more of those 400 words. (Especially since, as MAT notes, Limbaugh’s supply of words will be forcibly confiscated once the Obama administration strikes down the first amendment. Surely it is only a matter of days.)
Just as a follow-up on the Grammy Awards and country, which is totally irreverent, but since it was mentioned above by Mr. Peñalver, I hope I can be indulged. The fact that Mr. George Straight has never been awarded a Grammy is a perfect microcosm for what is wrong with the Country categories at the Grammy Awards. I think they value novelty for it’s own sake in the country category and show a lack of understanding between the distinctions between Country, Western, and Bluegress – the later of which seems to be valued much more highly than the former two in an inappropriate fashion. They really need more bluegrass categories.
Irrelevant, too.
As for Mr. Limbaugh – why are you wasting your breath? He will be eliminated from the airwaves and print, etc. when the changes to the FEC, FCC, and speech laws Mr. Axlerod promised during the election are passed in the next few months.
MAT,
You are joking, right?
Perhaps this will be President George W. Bush’s greatest legacy:
http://www.catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=31638
May God Bless America and our new President in the Year of St.Paul.
Fortunately, no one ever hoped that George Bush (or conservatism) would fail.
The pope made slightly better use of his 200-some words. Even got in a long-distance blessing!
Patrick — many people might have expected that Bush/conservatism would fail, but if they actively hoped for failure once Bush was sworn in, well, I would call that cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face. And I would fully expect to hear such people condemned as America-hating traitors by the likes of Rush… which is, I believe, the point here.
Why is anyone surprised at this kind of action/reaction by Limbaugh?
Why else is he the highest paid radio or TV talk show host in the US? Why does he have the largest following of all of the pundits? There is a large segment of the population (mostly white men, of course) who dote on this kind of hate. They are gleefully waiting for every bump, glitch and mistake of the next 4 years so they can drink their beer, shoot their guns and talk hate about them there ni**ers. Rush is just their highly vocal spokesman.
All of today’s Kumbaya will tarnish rather quickly once the reality of the enormous challenge facing Obama and the probability of failures and inability to live up to all election ideals and promises sink in.
Yes, I am a white man who enjoys the odd beer or two, but that’s where the connection ceases.
Nancy: your link is what I call damning with faint praise. If that is his greates legacy, then were have more to regret than I imagined about this past failure of a presidency.