Stop Repeating and Retelling What Rush Says!

I have a simple question for non-conservative Tweetsters, Tweetrices, bloggers, bloggettes and the like: Why do you track, note and reiterate every idiotic statement uttered and belched by Rush, Sean or Beck? Seriously. Why? Have you nothing better to say? Have you no spokespeople or pundits that you'd like to highlight? Why mention these folks in that most Americans don't listen to them and have never heard of them? Seriously. Why?

Their followers care not of what you say or write. You merely alert the folks of your camp who haven't heard of these guys to tune them in and check them out. It seems to be an obsession of yours. Everywhere, Rush is mentioned. More than ever. And what's odd, he isn't mentioned on Faux News that much. Why?

Because you do their work.

Now, if you must mention these guys, at least try to make the connection that he'/they're the voice of the Republican Party. They're anti-Sotomayor and anti-Latina. Fine, I dig. But the aforementioned commentators have an obsession with Rush, Sean and Beck. Is your goal to expose their falsities? To whom? Those reading you already know this. Your ideological enemies couldn't care less of what you write. So why?

So I repeat: Why do you track his and their thoughts more than your own? In fact, what are your own thoughts?

I attribute it to the fact that most of the aforementioned non-conservative commentators and pundits are such tyros, so inexperienced, so consumed with anger over being ignored for years, that they don't know what to do. Rush attacks liberals and only his constituency nods in obeisant affirmation. Why attack Rush and give him publicity? Attack the Republicans.

It's simple.

Unless you just plain hate Rush and the wannabes, lock onto how the Republicans are anti-Latina, anti-Big Tent, exclusive, bigoted, name it. Invite folks into the Democratic camp. Remind them of what they say in the big picture. If you have to mention Rush, note that he's the de factor spokesperson of the GOP and that Steele is dead. They've no intellectually-consistent moorings, no anchor, no ideology save hate, exclusion and bigotry.

And as much as Olbermann is goading Sean anent the waterboarding challenge, why hasn't Sean responded? Let's see. Because he's won. Sean suckered KO and KO bit. Keith had on that ChiTown Cowman guy (desperately seeking an identity), who was waterboarded for a picosecond and screamed like a little girl that it was torture, and gave Sean a commercial. It seems that Sean had pledged to be waterboarded himself for charity. KO took that bait as well and taunts Sean nightly to be a man and pay up or hit the boards. Sean got him again. His fans couldn't care less that Sean welshed on a bet, for charity, no less, and is impuissant. O'Reilly wouldn't deign to mention Keith. No one would of that camp. I know they're number one compared to Keith... wait, do you think that's why? Hmmm?

Look, I'm no Rush fan. I haven't heard an entire show of his, Sean's or Beck's ever. And I mean ever. I used to work with him and he was a nice guy. So is Sean and Beck for that matter. They're masters of the work, the shtick. They sucker the self-righteous and comically-media-unsophisticated in. But listen carefully . . .

Don't play into their shtick!

Jesus, all you whatevers, grow a pair and think on your own. What do you think? What do you believe? I detest Rush's angle, but it's shtick. Shmaltz. It's an act. In wrestling parlance, it's a work. An angle. Don't you see? Can't you see? (What that woman's been doing to me.)

The Dems have an über-majority. Sotomayor will be confirmed and appointed Associate Justice. Nothing, repeat, nothing can stop that from happening, especially Rush and his wannabes. So, in peroration, don't merely repeat and recite what he said and they say.

Carville et Begala: Geniuses.

You see, James and Paul did some polling. Ee yi ee yi oh. And on that poll it appeared that the anti-Rush sentiment was inordinate. So what these two sons of the South did was make the juxtaposition that the evilly-perceived Rush with the GOP, not conservatives but the GOP. Poor Mikey Steele, he tried to pull in the moderate Republicans (oxymoron?) that he needed by distancing the party from El Gordo. Bad move, the Rush minions took offense, rejected Steele, raised Rush's ratings even more and wreaked political havoc on the GOP.

Great. The GOP's on its heels and the heels are scattering. So what do the so-called anti-GOP, antipodal conservatives do, they merely repeat what Rush said and says. If you do, at least charge them for ad time.

Try this, just see what happens: pledge to mention not a word about these guys for six weeks. Just do it. It'll drive 'em crazy(-ier).

So, listen to Uncle Lionel, and don't take this the wrong way . . . but enough with Rush, already!

Let us prey.

Comments

[anghiari]

I so agree with you. I tell friends who call/email/write to tell me the last specious statement by any of those losers, I remind them that they are helping those haters' ratings. I wouldn't listen to that scrum for any reason. I think its beyond stupid for so called liberals to be listening to any of these folks...why not do our own blackout...do the speak about them listen to them...

[truthartbeauty]

why do people watch mud wrestling, or boxing or car wrecks, car shows, carnivals etc.........

[allegorphian]

And don't forget "bread and circuses."

[Just Margaret]

Lionel--I'm of two minds on this issue.

On the one hand, I like your advice to stop regurgitating the BS spewed forth by these people--why lend credence to the nonsense? On the other hand, my biggest fear is that the uninitiated will hear that BS and believe it in the event that there's not refuting of said BS.

Unfortunately, the rightwingers seem to have a louder, uglier voice. It's easy to prey on people's fear and insecurity, and not so easy to educate them.

[anghiari]

Are you crazed, who in the heck is uninitated these days? You're one of the women who thinks if only the guy falls in love with you, you will be able to change him....there are no uninitiated. Whether you are working or not, where you live, who you grew up with, who you married, the school your kid attends...all this and much more initiates you into some political strata...so the idea that you can change the mind of some guy or gal, who listens to Rush for his political spin, is a huge joke.

[RealityBaseCamp]

Kerry tried to ignore the swiftboaters. Gore tried to ignore the "invented the internet" misquote. Dukakis tried to ignore Willy Horton.

Obama shot down every attack, publicly addressing race and Rev. Wright, and ridiculing all the others.

I see a pattern here.

[Dolmance]

Three days ago I saw a clip of Karl Rove on Fox News talking about Obama's pick for the Supreme Court. He said he'd read about her when Justice Stevens was being considered, how he'd said she was an opinionated, awful and obnoxious woman when they served together.

Turned out, they'd never served together. Rove was lying. And it's necessary for the press to counter the endless lies that get turned out of the Republican smear machine, the one that's served them so well for so long.

Focusing on the utterances of Rush Limbaugh and his ilk are important. It helps make sure the people will not be fooled again. Because if they are fooled again, and the Republican Party in it's present incarnation gets into power again, it could very well destroy the country.

[anghiari]

First, anybody who can walk and think at the same time, knows Rove is a liar...about everything. so please don't try to save us...there is no need and fairly arrogant on your end. And do you really think folks listening to Rove/Rush are open minded, thoughtful folks? You people are beyond naive...bordering on really out of it.

[mlr710]

Look in the mirror - you're no longer even "bordering".

[noamjunior]

the left tried ignoring the right wing noise machine in the 90's- FOx was then the fastest fgrowing station and a # of conservative talkers - including coulter prospered becasue no one on the left knew what they were about.. At least now, someone is keeping an eye out- Also- I want to know what lies the right is spreading but do not want ot watch or listen to right -wing media myself.

[billyboy949]

So, as someone who is 38, votes democrat almost 100% of the time, contributes heavily to political and charitable causes and is gay, it's thanks to KO and Rachel that I am now "graduating" and understanding that I am actually a progressive. Having tuned out the local news channels long ago, I was content to pick through Yahoo news feeds and CNN for my information.

Not too long ago, I caught the end of one of KO's shows...He was talking liberal politics. i was stunned. Watching his Worst persons, his ranting and the "look into the camera" dress downs of Bill-O and the Bush administration, quite frankly, gave me political wood. He was thoughtful, pointed and heartfelt, but most of all....he was fighting back. He was telling the pompous, self righteous right wing wacko's to shove it...and I LOVED IT.

I watch KO and Rachel regularly and finally had to check out the "blogosphe­re"....and am now reading blogs as if they were Potter books.

I thank KO for helping me feel empowered after years of feeling disenfranchised by the Bushies and Evil-gelicals. People like KO serve a useful and vital purpose....I think of him as "Democratic K-12" or "primary and secondary liberal education". He helps people like me become "Progressive Freshmen".

[wordvarc]

Lionel, I generally agree.

Yet it may be worth noting the words of the 'intellectual leaders' of political opponents who call us their enemies and are willing to use their villifications to justify and incite violence and murder.

These shock jock 'entertainers' pander hatred and radical provocation under the guise of free speech to enrich themselves and increase ratings at the expense of playing on their listeners fears and inciting violence.

The 'media' is powerful. The recent Serbia-Cro­atia-Bosni­a war is generally agreed to have been due to a one sided government controlled media which reignited centuries old conflicts among people who had lived peacefully together for the past generation or two.

[jjgg5]

Limbaugh is boring.

[DavidDahlbacka]

I agree with both sides on this. Yes, we have to respond vigorously to political attacks. No, we should NOT be obsessed with repelling said political attacks as such. If we do that, we are letting our opponents control the discourse. Have you noticed that experienced politicians never even mention the names of their opponents during the campaign? Of course not. Why give them free advertising?

What we should be doing is working out what OUR positions are on these issues and vigorously promoting them. On the way we can refute their talking points all we want, but we should very carefully avoid mentioning the names of our attackers or their media outlets. After all, chances are the talking points were composed in some backroom by a paid hack. Why give paid hacks free advertising?

[Nina28]

If everyone read Mein Kemp prior to Hitler's rise, they would have known this man is sick and a danger to the Nation. Since we needn't bother reading anymore, alerting and speaking out against tyranny does prevent evil history from repeating itself by mindless masses who don't feel there is a cause for concern.

Perhaps if Reagan Republicans knew what opening up the flood gates to the Religious Fundamental groups would cost them their party, they would still be in charge today.

[Leper]

I completely disagree with you.

When Rush, Sean, Glen say something stupid, we need to remind everyone that their views represent modern conservative thought. Is it spreading their message? Absolutely. It spreads it in such a way that it gets ridiculed and dismissed... much in the same way that the right had spread liberal view in the 1980's and 1990's to such an extent that liberals refused to call themselves liberal. Your arguments are the same I heard from liberals in the 80's and 90's and allowed conservatives to use snark for wit.

We can't let that happen, again.
The price for democracy is vigilance and our vigilance requires that we meet them head on in their use of lies and half-truths to form public opinion.

We do not dare allow them to be the Aristophanes to our Socrates.

[Dolmance]

It would be so convenient if the Republicans could say the things they say to their base that constitutes 20 percent of the electorate and not have to be called out on it by the media. But the Democrats have learned that they have to be vigilant about answering the Republican smear machine's 24/7 lies.

Republicans have been using Rush Limbaugh to keep their base excited for decades. And they aren't going to get away with it anymore.

[PersonaNonGrated]

Some of my favorite progressive talk show hosts have fallen into this trap and have not been able to crawl out for months.

[hdj8501]

I do have to agree. I watch MSNBC and Keith Oberman and he has Bill Oriley as worst person so much I wanted to see for myself since I had never seen Bill's show. Yes, it was pretty bad and so obviously biased it was laughable but having said that I don't have any reason to watch or hear about him so much.