ok, serious question: WHY is Limbaugh so damn POWERFUL in the RNC?

[Lerkfish]

no, yeah, i know he has a talk show, but seriously, SERIOUSLY.
I mean FRIGGING COME ON!

they all wet themselves in fear of this guy. FRIGGING CHENEY doesn't scare them as much as this loser drug addict.
Whenever they speak out against him, they APOLOGIZE.

It reminds me of the time Cheney shot that guy in the FACE and he apologizes for any trouble he may have caused cheney and his family.


I'm telling you, there is some nasty-ass bizarro secret society crap going on here.

Why limbaugh?


no, really, what does he have on everyone?

[Skittles]

1. he represents the GOP perfectly

he's a bloated gasbag, ignorant piece of shit, racist, sexist, homophobic, and pure hypocrite and hence his asshole followers adore him - the GOP could not ask for more

[knowbody0]

2. now and again, like in a traffic jam

I tune in to his show. his listeners revere him, you may indeed be right about the repukes and a secret society. they are in a hard corp panic knowing that by 2050 white males will be the minority in the usa, that must be the driving force. fear.

[NRaleighLiberal]

3. I just think he has mighty appeal to their various dysfunctions.

He is fat, loud, ugly, stupid, tells people what to think, and those who have the need to follow just love some loud asshole telling them how and what to think. All those unpopular, antisocial losers have their poster pig.

[glitch]

4. Good question. Who is backing him, really?

Because that is who they are all afraid of. It's not him and his 5 million listeners, that's for sure.

My bet is he backed by the same people who back the BFEE and that is who they will always be afraid of.

[Lerkfish]

7. yeah, its starting to look like that whole bildeberger thingy might have merit

big stone owl and all.

[The Hope Mobile]

66. Exactly! nt

[onetwo]

5. He has the ears of 15-20 million "dittoheads."

[Lerkfish]

9. so? that's less than 5% of the population

its not even the whole 21% that support bush.

[onetwo]

20. Assuming most vote, that's a not-insignificant portion of the electorate.

Not to mention the fact that these millions pass the BS on to their friends, who pass it on to their friends, who pass it on...

15 million in a week is a big number, especially when you consider the demographics of his listeners.

[Hippo_Tron]

27. Those 5% do the groundwork for the Republicans

Knock on doors, make phone calls, etc. Without talk radio and evangelical churches, Republicans would have very few volunteers to get out the vote for their candidates.

[TheCowsCameHome]

14. And that's per week, not daily.

[Name removed]

31. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[glitch]

68. That's what I heard, it's really more like 5 million who listen daily. nt

[AnotherMother4Peace]

42. Link? - I know he blows up his own numbers, & find it hard to believe anyone takes him seriously.

[certainot]

48. we wouldn't be in this mess w/out limbaugh and the radio monopoly he is point man for

coordinated UNCONTESTED repetition from 1000 radio stations to a crowd the size of the one that voted for obama makes the difference. their general audience is estimated at between 50-70 MI. it is the biggest soapbox the country has ever set up and they have call screeners to protect the m from real calls. they all get similar material from the RW 'think tanks' every day and it is very likely that they have paid callers for special occasions.

progressives have been analyzing american politics in a talk radio vacuum. every day another republican biggie must kiss the hand of limbaugh, but somehow it is generally irrelevant or people can't figure it out.

early 90s was the rise of talk radio. the throw the bums out, they're all the same mantra went out full blast in those years. america has lost 20 years of progress, reaching the edge of disaster, because its political analysts continue to ignore the biggest threat to democracy- the talk radio monopoly.

the talk radio megaphone with its coordinated uncontested repetition allowed the RW of the GOP to take lee atwater national. it did and still does the groundwork for everything the GOP does, centered around attacking and swiftboating progressive causes and representatives.

obama finally exposed limbaugh as its leader, doing what clinton, gore, and kerry should have done, but it is still effective for manipulating a lethargic trad media and enables the GOP obstruction, holding the GOP together by threat and intimidating red state (limbaugh) dems.

consider the effect of those 1000 radio stations if the pirates had killed the captain in a rescue attempt authorized by obama. the heritage foundation/ limbaugh/hannity machine was hoping that to be the case. or a national emergency if the flu had been more deadly.

the trad media is full of examples of mountains the radio monopoly made from molehills, myths that continue, talking points and one liners that would not exist without the prechewing they got first on talk radio to a crowd the size of the one that voted for obama. UNCONTESTED, with their liars protected by call screeners and sometimes taking paid callers.

we wouldn't be in iraq today, we wouldn't have had bush/rove/cheney, we wouldn't have deregulated to this disaster, we would have been dealing honestly with global warming. the GOP couldn't have sold any of this disaster without their talk radio monopoly.

since reagan killed the Fairness Doctrine in 1987, the rise and mobilization of the extreme right in all it's facets was largely a function of the talk radio monopoly.

ignoring the talk radio monopoly continues to be the biggest political blunder in decades.

[Arugula Latte]

50. Good post, certainot

:thumbsup:

[Cha]

65. And, it's not just the hate radio monopoly..

It's the tv corporatemediawhores who sold bush and the War on Iraq of which we wouldn't have had without them.

Agree completely..oh, and the NWHORETIMES with judy miller..who could forget their contribution?

[AnotherMother4Peace]

69. He does have a monopoly & he panders to a minority group of right wing radical/militants

I believe his number of followers or "ditto heads" is really not that great. I'm hearing more and more people get through his screeners and play him for a fool (just disagreeing with him is enough to play him for a fool - he cannot handle a challenge). And these people identify themselves as listeners. I agree that he is the head of the GOP, and they bow and apologize and are eager to please him. But I honestly believe his number of ditto heads have fallen.

[certainot]

71. i agree the dittohead count has fallen

but i don't think the effect can be measured in hard core dittoheads since it is coordinated with the rest of the GOP machine. theyre still the only option for politics in most parts of the country if you're in a car or at work- and in an emergency those 1000 stations will be doing a lot of 'informing'.

[AnotherMother4Peace]

72. Factoring him into GOP strategy & positioning him as the "only option" for emergency info

is a very scary thought - and does make him a greater danger to democracy - the racist pig (sorry - pardon my French).

[peaches2003]

44. 20 million listeners WEEKLY

To me that is 4million listeners, because 20 mil divided by 5 days is 4 mil per day. Most of the dittoheads listen everyday, so it is not 20 mil different listeners, but 4 mil listeners. The weekly figure is always given as his listenership, but I think that is greatly exaggerated.

[The Straight Story]

6. Because he tells people what they want to hear

He defends most those on the rw with fervor and blames the left for all of the problems here, so that those on the right can feel justified in who they voted for - thus easing their conscience.

So people listen to him to make themselves feel better about themselves, and feel like they all fight a common enemy.

[msongs]

8. No republican politicians have ANY charisma or star power, only the medianazis nt

[Mr. Sparkle]

10. I think a large number of elderly, the unemployed who listen to his show ..

like to send a large quantity of emails off to people who diss him. In the case of republican Congressmen and Senators, it doubles their yearly email intake whenever he complains about them.

It also gets them into trouble with republican extremist's or as they like to call it , their base.

[Lint Head]

11. Because he 'is' what a Re-Pubic-Rat 'is'. He is the definition of

a Re-Pubic-Rat. Bigotry, racism, pro torture, cowardly, hypocrite, hides his sexuality, on and on.
:dem:

[Lerkfish]

12. well, see that explains why they identify with him, it doesn't explain why they FEAR him

there's more to it.

[TheCowsCameHome]

13. Because they don't want to risk being ridiculed in public.

They don't have the backbones to stand up to this fat, pathetic bastard.

[madamesilverspurs]

15. Limbaugh has always reminded me of

one of my older brother's schoolmates. The guy could fart melodically. On command. In junior high and into high school, he was always in demand with the guys, especially the ones who swaggered with no reason to. Whenever things got boring or they needed attention they'd 'sniff him out'. He'd 'perform' and the guys would guffaw while the girls gagged and ran.

Unless Limbaugh's show is sponsored by truck-nuts and whoopee cushions, I can't imagine his devoted listeners providing a sufficient customer base to warrant a $400million contract. So, yeah, who DOES pay for him to stay on the air?

[rucky]

16. Hours and hours and hours of free talking-points promotion.

[certainot]

55. and then fox TV tops off that lie turd pie with some visual whipped cream

[AllentownJake]

17. The people that watch the polls, knock on the doors, distribute the literature all listen to him

Well those outside of a church that is backing the GOP, those people follow Dobson or Roberts, all listen to Limbaugh.

He can single handily cause you a headache locally and get you a primary challenge by calling you a RINO on his show.

[leftist.]

18. I believe the primary reason is their takeover of the McCain campaign.

Hate radio counted McCain out early on - I recall Hannity for instance being "so excited" about their three front runners - Romney, Thompson, and Giuliani. McCain, much to the chagrin of Limbaugh, Hannity, and the rest of hate radio, did however end up securing the nomination. The party's far right base - represented exclusively by hate radio - felt left out and betrayed, and immediately commandeered the campaign forcing McCain to lurch with abandon to the right (e.g. Palin). It was during McCain's rather pathetic campaign that hate radio - led of course by Limbaugh - secured the reigns of the republican party. Even now, as a few in their ranks are suggesting that they might consider moderating their message, hate radio is pushing back in massive effort to enforce party purity (e.g. Limbaugh and Powell).

They've gotten themselves into a real mess over there and I don't see any easy way out of it given the ease with which these hate radio hosts can command their audience.

[customerserviceguy]

19. Seriously, he is the only semblance of a "leader" they have

Clearly, there was no great consensus on who should have even gotten the Repuke nomination a year ago, while McLame was able to get the math right, he did so only by dividing the fundies (who wanted Hucksterbee) from the country-clubbers (who wanted Ghouliani) from the moderates (who wanted Mittens) from the racists (who wanted Tancredo, Hunter, and a few other also-rans), and won by default.

Of course, now they are in total disarray, and they have not coalesced around whoever will bear their party's nomination in three years. Limpballs is the one leading the opposition to President Obama (the rest have not found their 'voice' on this subject, but they will) and by the same default that made McInsane the nominee a year ago, he has become their leader.

Enjoy it, it won't last for long, probably no longer than the 2010 mid-year elections. I say enjoy it, because the gasbag who is leading the Rethugs isn't, nor will ever be, on the ballot for that party. Right now, he's stealing the oxygen out of the room for the person who will be the opposition in three years, depriving them of a head start.

[creeksneakers2]

21. Limbaugh can ruin any Republican if he wants

He has 3 hours a day to do it in too.

[agentS]

23. There it is in black and white.

The wrath of druggie Limbaugh is quick and powerful.

The GOP cowers in fear because he controls the fundies to some extent.
:hide::hide::hide::hide::hide::hide::hide::hide::hide::hide::hide:
:hide::hide::hide::hide::hide:
:hide::hide:
:hide::hide::hide::hide:

:hide::hide::hide:

[opihimoimoi]

22. WHY???? Because he thinks like them, talks like them, breathes like them, he LOOKs like them

He is the FACE of the GOP....front and center

[Lerkfish]

25. well, again, that explains why he may be their avatar, but does not explain why he's their enforcer

as an example, Mike Tyson was a great fighter and a household name, but Don King controlled everything.

[opihimoimoi]

33. He has more Fear Power than King....Tyson was outta control thus his follies

Them Pubs FEAR Zitt Butt big time....

[Lerkfish]

46. absolutely, which is kinda my question: WHY do they fear him so? I think

there is something behind the scenes that we aren't privy to.

[certainot]

53. he is point man for the radio monopoly that forms the backbone of the GOP

he gets first dibs on all the framing and talking points and one liners that are channeled into the RW radio monopoly everyday. he starts it rolling and then hannity puts his spin on the same shit and so on all day and week, etc. he is definitely more talented than most of them and he's got seniority and the royal certitude they all wish they had.

then the prechewed spun bushit is picked up by the rest of the media and viola - the center is moved to the right- or seen to be, and a 20% minority has the intimidation and media management power of 50%. they have the biggest megaphone and soapbox in the country - 1000 radio stations blasting coordinated UNCONTESTED repetition.

the GOP all owe the talk radio monopoly everything and limbaugh is top dog. and look where he's taken them - and us. they've painted themselves into a corner- they're doomed with him and doomed without the radio monopoly. nice that they owe their destruction to limbaugh and sons but they took us to the edge of a cliff and they're still intact and obstructing, intimidating senators of both parties (limbaugh dems), especially in the red states. that giant megaphone, still left intact by dems, will continue to extract compromise on health care and global warming and energy and military spending, etc.

[opihimoimoi]

63. Great analysis....thanks :o)

I suspect the 400 mil he gets is from the big time GOP who is desperate to reverse current downward spiral as he did in 94 when hooked up with Newt and his contract...they even made him Honorary Member of the House...

fast forward to 2009.....they want a replay using Rush...forgetting he has lost his way...he preaches to the Choir...Moderates are bailing in droves...either Indy or to the Dems....

Rush has lost his Luster......

He is full of Bluster and BS....

He needs a Lobotomy....

[Canuckistanian]

24. There's a serious power vacuum in the GOP

And if anyone can fill a vacuum, it's Rush.

[vaberella]

26. I thought it was because he had money. Lots of it and donated to the RNC. n/t

[Lerkfish]

47. he doesn't have THAT much money, compared to, say Halliburton or Goldman Sachs

so I don't think its money and plus I don't think he donates much of his own wealth.

[Initech]

28. Because he's a drug addicted, fat sack of crap?

[ljm2002]

29. In my opinion...

...it is that he can deliver a 20 million + voting bloc. And if he doesn't like something, then the same bloc lets their voices be heard, loud and clear, and it scares the pants off the Republicans so they stay in line because of it.

[shellgame26]

30. he is responsible for the shrinking

Of the GOP. Let him continue to spew his filth and marginalize the party further. It's amazing how lost they are. If you stop and think about it NOT ONE of his strategies has resulted in victory for them. Let them continue to worship him. The less GOP the better.

[RomanHoliday]

32. Beats me.

He's a drugged-out old fart on a has-been medium. I guess the Republican Party still tends to be more of an older crowd so they're still stuck on this fat loser.

[polichick]

34. The GOP is all about bullies and that's all Rush is.

[Enthusiast]

36. That about says it all, right there.

Like the brown shirts of the Nazi Party. The bullying is a way to force followers into a party line of thinking. How would a German citizen have been received if they disagreed that Jews weren't responsible for every societal ill? Just like Rush would react if a caller suggested "liberals" are not responsible for every societal ill-now. Very 1984-like. "Wonder what Rush will have to say about this."

[AngryOldDem]

35. He's got the loudest mouth.

And, he's an easy way in to the rabid pack of dogs that's known as the GOP's base. You can get your points across without having to do any of the heavy lifting.

Rush is a godsend to them.

[annabanana]

37. Because legions of the brain dead listen to him and believe him.

And those legions vote Republican, because Republicans have TAUGHT them to.

[Soylent Brice]

38. simply put...

he is the centerpiece of their propaganda.

you know how long it would take to grow another one of those?

pffftttt...

it looks like these days though the puppet has become the puppeteer.

[LynneSin]

39. No fucking idea but there's still alot of stupid in this country

and they like to rally around their own personal mecca.

[LatteLibertine]

40. Unfortunately Limbaugh is good at what he does

He reminds me of many very wealthy con artist "televangelists".

He knows his audience and panders to the worst among them.

Honestly, I don't think the man believes the rot he spews. I think "Rush Limbaugh" is character he created to get wealthy.

The scary thing is there are more vile "conservative" radio personalities out there than Limbaugh.

[santamargarita]

41. If you put a trunk on this pig, he could be their mascot

:puke:

[workinclasszero]

43. Limpballs has turned the GOP into a flat earth cult

He is the modern day equivalent of the nazi propaganda minister.

He along with the other lesser demons of hate radio, seized control of the rethuglican party.

It is truly and forever their playground now. No GOP'er has the balls to cross Limpballs.

Its great to watch them purge all their opposition from the party sorta like the nazi "night of the long knifes" in slo-mo, leaving them weak and irrelevant in national politics.

I say keep up the good work Limpballs, Beck, Handjob etc.

Purify your hateful asses into the dustbin of history! YAY!!!

[peaches2003]

45. Back on drugs????

Have you watched video clips of the Oxy King lately. Not just the one where he bounced around and couldn't stand still giving that speech to the RNC I think it was, but the clips shown constantly of him while broadcasting his radio show and screaming into the mike. He is bouncing around, can't sit still, arms flailing, and pulling on his shirt constantly. Not normal behavior.

[RoadRage]

49. Because.. Unlike Democrats

Republicans really like to be told what to think. If Rush tells them to like candidate A instead of B - then they like candidate A. If you're candidate B, you do whatever is neccessary to get Rush to like you.. because if he doesn't, then his followers...err.. voters won't get you into office.

The beauty of this of course is that Rush is an entertainer with a huge ego trip - and he can't see past his own giant shadow far enough to realize that he's causeing more harm then good. AND he doesn't care - his #1 priority is to make MONEY for Rush.. and he does that well. He has no alliance to the Republican or Conservatie party- but they're not smart enough to figure that out on thier own!

[Orsino]

51. He helped popularize, or even invent, much of the framing...

...that keeps GOP voters hypnotized. A Republican who disagrees with Limbaugh is alienating himself from the party base.

They don't have ideas; they have dogma. Limbaugh connects daily with millions of patsies, getting the jump on actual politicians who only talk to voters every two or four years. The RNC is always playing catch-up with Rush.

[certainot]

56. not sure how much inventing he did

he's a supremely talented rationalizer with irrational levels of denial and certitude and he can expand within his simplified 'free market conservative philosophy' for hours on one topic or another but i think every day there's a bunch of material ready for him, collected from a variety of sources and all reduced to a form he prefers. the rest of the talkers get similar material later and they all reinforce it. there is no way he does his own research - he gets the basics the GOP wants him to sell and he sells it from the biggest soapbox in the country- protected by screeners to make sure he doesn't get any real calls. the general and specific material lasted out on those 1000 stations has always been well coordinated- from turning a particular molehill into a mountain to rousing the base to attack a critic or harass a politician.

[Orsino]

59. It doesn't take research to invent memes...

...or to do anything else Rush does.

I couldn't swear to how much scripture he penned himself, though--I didn't listen to him much. He may deserve credit only for various unflattering nicknames for the Clintons.

[Tim4319]

52. $400,000,000 contract.

[tpi10d]

54. GOP is rudderless ship

Limbaugh represents enough of the base to retain power and call shots as he sees them.

I can't think of any other explanation. If the dynamics were to change in the GOP and it was decided that Limbaugh's rhetoric was causing harm, I suspect silencing him would be relatively easy. First the big money would push in a different direction, and second I don't think Limbaugh's personal life would stand up to much investigation. As much as anything I think the silencing of Limbaugh by the GOP powers would be good evidence of a major shift in strategy. I don't think it will happen soon, I think it will take several more failed elections.

Edit: probably more distinct possibility than shutting him down would be shifting gears. We know he's a phony hack, he could emerge one day with a completely new GOP line to spew. A "new" Limbaugh.

[JNelson6563]

57. Because he is master of GOP propoganda.

That makes him puppetmaster in chief over the wretched masses in their tent. He appeals to the dark side and they love him for it. They are blinded by the hatred of those he tells them are to blame for all their troubles. So blinded they do not see that the real enemy is the party they are convinced best represents their interests.

Very sad really.

Julie

[harun]

61. Agree. It isn't easy convincing people to vote against their interests and

take pride in doing it, even enjoy it. They are willing to pay big money to the person who can do that.

[JNelson6563]

58. delete--dupe

oy.

[marlakay]

60. I see his people kind of like Colbert's nation on the left

both are intense fans to the max. His fans are nuts but they are obsessed. Tell me nation fans are not obsessed a bit too? but I happen to think in a good way...maybe the republicans the 20%ers think while he is a bit much he gets their voice out.

[The Hope Mobile]

62. Both Cheney AND Rush are the ultimate schoolyard bullies.

In their circles and to their way of thinking that is something to be revered and aspired to.

[opihimoimoi]

64. Bullies Gone Wild: Arrogant, charming, charismatic, but devious and cunning

When researching BULLY.....one can find all them Traits/Signs/Hints of their negative behavior....they lie cheat steal and will do anything to advance their POWER...EVEN IF IT MEANS TO THROW nATION UNDER THE BUS...

The GOP is a CANCER on this Planet....

[ieoeja]

67. Limbaugh speaks, and his followers jam the switchboards.

When a politician gets a thousand phone calls on the subject, and 990 of them are angry at the politician, the politician panics.

Limbaugh has a following that loves to place those calls, send off those faxes, and mail in those letters.

[Myrina]

70. ... why was J Edgar Hoover head of the FBI for 50 years?

Just ask yerself ... :tinfoilhat:

[Generator]

73. Because without PROPAGANDA and fear they got nothing

NOTHING. He is the Goebbels of our modern times. He deserved EVERYTHING Sykes said about him and more. The propagandists are as bad in my mind as any Cheney. They aid and abet murder and get off scot free.