Returning from a pedestrian dinner in a boring provincial city last evening, I surfed through the cable TV offerings in the luxuriously- stultifying hotel room.
I was delighted to see CNN report the blog-hyped story about the national polling that was done in preparation for the presidential elections last Novermber.
In an attempt to gauge the changing mood of the electorate last October, a Democratic polling firm conducted a warm feeling/cold feeling, respect/not respect poll about public opinion-makers.
The least liked figure was none other than the drug-addled entertainer, Rush Limbaugh.
"Limbaugh's cold rating was higher than that of all the political figures the firm polled. It was seven points higher than Rev. Jeremiah "God Damn America" Wright and eight points higher than former Weather Underground domestic terrorist William Ayers."
Rush Limbaugh Loses a Popularity Contest
Sean Hannity returned to Fox shows throughout the evening to wax indignant about "Democrats" trying to tarnish the reputation of Rush, but this spin was too lame to evoke much response - even from the usual assortment of odd-ball "experts" on the Fox shows.
The damage is already done. After twenty years of ego-driven tirades of hateful lies from Rush, Americans know very well who he is and what he represents.
The "news" is that this pill-popping charlatan now represents the GOP.
It is the Chairman of the Republican National Committee, attempting to assert his perogative in pronouncing GOP priorities, who was smacked down by Rush Limbaugh.
The Democrats did not start this fight, and they aren't perpetuating it.
They are enjoying it immensely.
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Comments: 44
Exactly, Stephanie.
Rush was a useful idiot, good for inciting the under-educated "base" with innuendo and lies.
When he started his radio career, there were Republicans with real power.
Now, this pathetic windbag is the only "leader" the GOP can boast.
Now is a perfect time for the Obama administration, the liberal media, and the parrot moonbat hybrids to start complaining about a radio talk show host. Change we can believe in....... Priorities we can laugh at........
The last recession in 1980 was worse than this one. We will definitely see what happens when we try something different as opposed to the ideas that solved a bigger recession and kicked off 25 years of historic growth. I agree, "compassionate conservatism" is an abysmal failure. We need another Reagan and I can't think of a better way to get one than to give Jimmy Carter his second term through Obama.
Anybody with an I.Q. with HALF their shoe size would know that that was my point. Democrat policies are blowing up in their face, the American people are getting angry, Obama is dropping in the polls, and the only thing democrats know how to do is the create distractions. Obama policy successes aren't great news, Limbaugh is. That says it all.
Look I am all for liberals having their bogeyman to concentrate their hate on. Now that Bush, Cheney, Rove, Palin, are all gone, the hate had to be steered in a new direction before liberals started to think for themselves and go the way of the unibomber.
I agree, welfare recipients weren't included in the historic growth period and perhaps I am being insensitive to the fact that they are no better off than they were in 1980. I am sorry for being mean spirited and hurtful.
Well said, Dame Ruth.
You can always count on Jeff to miss the point of the article.
That IS the mood of most citizens, Joe.
The romance with "voodoo" , "trickle-down", Greed is Good Reaganomics is over.
You might be getting angry, Jeff, but that's nothing new.
Otherwise, you are dead wrong. There may be a huge reaction against Obama when all the nostrums fail to work, but that isn't happening now.
It's the Republicans who continue to implode.
Republican Party identification fell AGAIN, even since the historic lows in November.
You can always count on Jeff to miss the point of the article.
Peter Wimsey , Mar 5, 2009, 11:14pm EST """"""
Actually I agreed with her point. - "He's the best news the Democratic party could hope for. " She accidentally proved my point but lacked the wits to realise it. Apparently so do you.
As far as Obama, yeah it's early and it will take at least a year to find out if a 2 trillion dollar spending deficit is the best way out of a recession. It's definitely something new and it hasn't been tried before so forgive me for not being happy about it. Wall Street has so far rejected all of Obama's ideas but they might come around if we give hope a chance to float.
""""Republican Party identification fell AGAIN, even since the historic lows in November.""""
I am willing to bet that the Republican party identification was lower in 1976 Peter but I can't thank Jimmy Carter enough for being true to his beliefs. Perhaps Obama is doing the nation a service much like Carter. We will see.
Jeff wrote: "Now is a perfect time for the Obama administration, the liberal media, and the parrot moonbat hybrids to start complaining about a radio talk show host."
Except that NONE of these things is happening, Jeff.
The Chairman of the Republican National Committee is slapping at Rush.
Rush is claiming that he is more important than John Bonehead and Mitch McMangle ( a pretty low bar).
Rush lashed out at the three remaining Republican office holders in the entire northeast USA, and they smugly ignored the druggie.
American voters are still recoiling from Republican negativity and bankruptcy.
This is a GOP game of killer dodgeball that just keeps getting better and better for the Democrats.
You continue to suggest that Democrats have made this an issue, whereas Republicans are putting on this clown show entirely at their own initiative.
"a pedestrian dinner" Is this anything like standing on the corner to eat the hotdog you bought from a vendor?
Doesn't it does take an extraordinary amount of wit to understand the witless?
How can Democrats tarnish the reputation of a man who has already thrown his own reputation in the toilet by proving that's where he belongs?
I assume that you are being facetious about the second (or third) meaning of "pedestrian", Sandy.
And, you are correct that Democrats do not need to point out the weaknesses and errors of an irrational liar like loosebowels.
I love polls!
The article you referenced stated the poll was conducted October 24th 2008, well the very next day the 25th according to the CBS/New York Times poll congress's aproval rating was 15%, 6% lower than Limbaugh's.
On the 1st of February this year Limbaugh's approval rating was 28% with Congress's 26%.
So although congress is doing better the people still liked Limbaugh better. LOL!
From a 2006 pew center poll;
"the most informed audiences belong to the political magazines, Rush Limbaugh's radio show, the O'Reilly Factor, news magazines, and online news sources."
"Audiences with the highest educational achievement, by far, are the literary magazines and online news outlets. Readers of news magazines, political magazines and business magazines, listeners of Rush Limbaugh and NPR, and viewers of the Daily Show, and C-SPAN also are much more likely than the average person to have a college degree."
http://people-press.org/report/?pageid=1068
Rush's listeners are more likely to vote and there are 20 million of them.
"Rush is the best thing that has ever happened to the Democratic Party."
Rush is the best thing that ever happened to the Republican party!
All the Republicans need to do is to move back to their conservative ideals and they will regain control of the congress in the next election.
One keeps hearing about the "20 million" Loosebowels supporters - in a nation of 300 million.
When this 7% of the electorate who cannot distinguish fact from ideological factoid also control the Republican party - Democrats rejoice.
Actually, it is NOT "20 million"...far from it! But, don't tell Jeff that!
Hahahahahahahaha!
Are you going on the road with that routine?
The Republicans don't even know what conservatism is anymore. It will be hard to retrench when they're among the biggest offenders.
Does any fool really believe that the public impatience and disatisfaction with Congress is going to help Republicans?
I recall the many sneering posts (by delusional rightwingers) about the unpopularity of Congress in the run-up to the 2008 presidential election.
A few voices noted that this is irrelevant, that Congress has NEVER been popular, and that the relevant data was found in the polling for voter preference for a Republican or a Democratic Congress.
That data did not change substantially from the elections of 2006 until the second Democratic sweep of 2008; Democrats were NEVER behind in the preference polls .
If you want to see the political future, follow what the public is saying about the parties, not the Congress.
People are tired of Republican hypocrisy and blustering.
Dan's second lame attempt to obscure the continued collapse of the GOP is his ludicrous clumping of all listeners to political commentary.
The same Pew data (confirmed by Gallup) is that Faux News devotees consistently scored less in accuracy and awareness of events in the world.
The best informed and the most accurate? Listeners to The Daily Show.
Big surprise, that.
Excellent advice, Ron B.
It is entertaining, though, to watch pathetic Republican attempts to craft a political future without positions, plans, or strategy.
It's always a pleasure to be linked to Dame Ruth, Aniko.
Thanks for the kind words.
The hot dogs would have been a better choice, Sandy.
The repugs can't even decide who or what to focus their hate on anymore.
Go off into the wilderness and die repugs .
Peter my comments are no more irrelevant than your article! LOL!
A poll is a poll is a poll, nothing more but you tried to use one to validate your hate for conservatives.
'Look nobody likes Rush so there'... neener neener neener!
Guess what? it didn't validate diddly squat.
What the HE double hockey sticks does that mean?
Rush has 20 million listeners weekly!
I'll repeat my earlier comment:
"One keeps hearing about the "20 million" Loosebowels supporters - in a nation of 300 million.
When this 7% of the electorate who cannot distinguish fact from ideological factoid also control the Republican party - Democrats rejoice."
Every intelligent person who listnened to more than the Faux News soundbites of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright would agree with you, Brian.
More evasions and half-turths, Dan.
I don't hate conservatives; the article clearly reflects my gratitude for the endless amusement that these blind, stumbling creatures provide.
You are the one who seized on other polls as a desperate attempt to make a point, which was not made.
Readers of normal intelligence would note the point of the article: the self-appointed spokesperson of the Republican Party is a much-disliked, thrice-married, drug addict.
A fine direction for the Republican party if you ask me. "
Precisely, Francis.
I think it is a fine direction for Republicans, too: "This Way To The Wilderness"
Increasingly, that is the attitude of Americans toward the Republican Party.
It was fun to see how valiantly the Rasmussen Reports tried to put some kind of hopeful spin on the deteriorating numbers of people willing to call themselves "Republican".
HINT: the numbers have fallen 22% since the November election.
I always thought the charges about Jeremiah Wright were overblown.
"I always thought the charges about Jeremiah Wright were overblown."
As did most Americans, Mary Louise.
It was only on Faux News that the "outrage" was hyped every night for months.
It proved to be a losing game for McCain.
There was a lot of fuming about Rev. Wright, but I thought he made a lot of sense. America is "under judgement", just like every other nation.
"There was a lot of fuming about Rev. Wright, but I thought he made a lot of sense. America is "under judgement", just like every other nation."
Excellent point, Martin.
There is a strong Biblical tradition of prophetic doom pronounced on evil governments.
And just today Rush managed to convolute and 5-4 decision by the Supreme Court into a 9-0 decision! Limbaugh is an EXCELLENT reason to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine!