Obama was using the name "Limbaugh" as a metaphor for being stuck in the past.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

And that's it. "Limbaugh" is synonymous for: The same old tired rhetoric of the past. The same old failed dogmas of the past.

In no way was he aggrandizing Limbaugh or his influence. He could have said "stop watching Leave it to Beaver" as a metaphor for Republicans being stuck in an idealized small town past that never really existed except on TV and in the cobwebby memories of old white guys who hate to see their worldview of white and male dominance erode.

On the other hand, he could encourage them to watch "Law and Order".

[11 Bravo]

1. Whereas young Dominican boys use "Limbaugh" as a metaphor for being stuck in the ass.

[Bobbie Jo]

3. DU'zy

:rofl:

[Shiver]

4. ...*snort*

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[OHdem10]

2. I saw a piece somewhere this a.m. "Limbaugh is to be made the

poster boy for everything bad about Right Wing Extremists."

Come to think of it, Limbaugh does personify the worst of RW Extremists.

[TheCowsCameHome]

5. Rush really thinks the sun rises and sets over his fat, bloated ass.

He is irrelevant and desperately seeking to prop himself up in front of his shittohead followers.

[AtomTan]

8. If he gets any bigger, it might.

[uponit7771]

6. Legitimize Limbaugh and then tie the hands of the GOP to him, it should shame them at the least...

...cause they're going to be obstructionist until Obama leaves.

[Doctor_J]

7. No, he was naming the filthy pig who's done more damage to this country

over the last 20 years than Osama and George Bush put together.

It's about time, and too bad some of our other "leaders" won't take on these anti-american hate mongers.

[TheCowsCameHome]

9. Bingo.

You nailed it.

He has done immeasurable harm with his lying and hate.

[Cha]

10. The traitor who pumps lies

into the military and throughout the country. Some people can't think for themselves and get sucked in by hatin' blowhards who lie for a living.

[Igel]

11. Give him the credit of assuming he says what he means and means what he says.

It was clear--there were two possible meanings, one of which is more likely than the other, and neither of which fits your interpretation. One is that even hearing Limbaugh is a distraction and will prevent repubs from getting things done; it's the more outrageous of the two possible meanings, so in the true spirit of bipartisan contempt and ill will it's the one RWers opted for. The other is that heeding Limbaugh will prevent repubs from getting things done. Note that these just derive from the usual denotations of the word "listen". At least "Leave it to Beaver" has acquired a general symbolic meaning. One that "Limbaugh" does not--otherwise *that* meaning would have been clear, as well.

There are lots of tired rhetoric and dogmas from the past still around, in both camps, and if he'd wanted to take that on I'm quite sure that his command of English is such that he could have said it rather clearly. He chose not to. I allow his choice to have meaning, and assume that he's not some ignorant bumpkin unable to express himself with a modicum of clarity. Nor do I assume that he's some victim in need of a public defender.