Alter/Newsweek: How Rush is making the GOP the party of wimps.

[BuyingThyme]

BETWEEN THE LINES
Jonathan Alter
The Limbaugh Liability
How Rush is making the GOP the party of wimps.
Mar 4, 2009


Rush Limbaugh, the man who did more than anyone else to create the modern Republican brand in the 1990s, is now destroying it. Everyone knows he has "jumped the shark" culturally—become a black-shirted joke even as he dominates the headlines. But it's worse than that for Republicans. Limbaugh has taken the great GOP calling card—toughness—and shredded it. The party of Lincoln is in danger of becoming the party of Jell-O.

Witness the specter of party leaders from Georgia Rep. Phil Gingrey to South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford to Republican Party chairman Michael Steele all issuing craven apologies to Limbaugh after uttering the truth, which is that Rush's rhetoric is "ugly" and that he was wrong to say he hoped President Obama would fail. The monster the GOP collectively created—Rush's "dittohead" army of conservative listeners—makes life miserable for anyone who dares criticize the Great Bloviator. By enforcing right-wing political correctness, the dittoheads are making their party leaders look weak.

...

When Obama first mentioned Limbaugh in a meeting with Republicans during his second week in office, he was chastised for elevating him in a way that didn't befit a president. But it quickly became clear that any contest between Barack and Rush was not really a contest at all—and that this is a fight the president is happy to have. The president's popularity is in the 60s, and the entertainer's, according to internal Democratic polling, is in the 20s. So Rahm Emanuel and Robert Gibbs are now piling on, describing Limbaugh as the "intellectual force" and "de facto chairman" of the party.

It works. And it will keep on working until enough Republicans grow a spine. When they show enough guts to ignore the thousands of calls and e-mails from dittoheads, maybe they'll get their party—and their self-respect—back.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/187611?from=rss

[Myrina]

1. ... more than that ....

... he's making them into the party of loud, disgusting, slovenly playground bullies who're so insecure with themselves that they have to insult and belittle everyone who's not them.

And most of the American people really dislike playground bullies, in my opinion.

[Winterblues]

2. They should all line up and yell 9-11 at Rush, that will fix him..

Republicans have not suddenly become a Party of Cowards, they have been for quite some time and their invoking 9-11 at every opportunity reinforces that fact.

[Dr Fate]

3. The GOP is finding out that the "echo chamber" works both ways.

The only difference is Rahm, Gibbs etc dont have to make anything up.

[KharmaTrain]

4. As Usual...Alter Gets It...

Hope KO brings him on tonight to elaborate. Jon's been one of the few in the corporate media that sees through the bullshit and tells it as it really is.

k&R

:kick:

[Z_I_Peevey]

5. He's been on my short list of good guys since November, 2000

when it was apparent that he was one of the few people who truly understood that a bloodless coup was taking place.

[malaise]

6. Boehner is telling the WH to call it off

Of course he says nothing to Rush. I'm lovin' it. :rofl:

[Marr]

7. This is just a brilliant frame. And painting Republicans as cowards for *not*

rejecting Limbaugh is even better.

They're being boxed into a choice between looking like wimps, and giving the finger to Rush Limbaugh and his Dittoheads. Either choice will cost them much of their base. And the one thing that really makes it possible is Limbaugh's own ego. It's hilarious.

[malaise]

8. They are terrified

Ari Fleisher is on with Shuster trying to twist this to post-partisanship.

Yeh wanting the President to fail is bi-partisan. Shut the fuck up Ari and enjoy the licks. This is too good.
Shuster is tearing him a new one.

[Laelth]

9. It's nice to see the R's engaging in the circular firing squad routine, for a change. n/t

:dem:

-Laelth