The Audacity of Rush Limbaugh's Hope: Standing Up to the Hubris of a Bully

When GOP defenders said that the impeachment of Bill Clinton for lying about sex was not about sex, you pretty much knew it was about sex. When the same folks say that Rush Limbaugh's despicable line -- "We are being told that . . . we have to bend over, grab the ankles, bend over forward, backward, whichever, because his father was black, because this is the first black president" -- is not about race or homophobia, well, you know.

But let's be fair -- it't not just about race and homophobia. It's about a bully who is afraid of being ignored. The give-away is Limbaugh's statement that he "hopes" President Obama will fail. Not, "I expect he will fail." Not, "I predict he will fail." Not even, "He will fail." Rather, Rush Limbaugh wants Obama to fail. Why? Because people might stop paying attention to Rush Limbaugh.

In saying that he hopes the President fails, Limbaugh is simultaneously saying two things. First, he hopes Obama fails to achieve the objectives that the president is pursuing on behalf of the American people. He hopes Obama will not start credit flowing. He hopes Obama will not reverse unemployment. He hopes Obama will not turn the stock market around. That's what failure would mean; that is what Limbaugh hopes for. Second, the suffering of the American people is an acceptable price for vindicating Rush Limbaugh as a seer of political truth. What else would we get by having the president fail?

To see this point, just ask yourself: If Obama succeeds, who will be made worse off? Not the homeowners who could now afford their mortgages. Not the drivers traveling renovated bridges or the rural residents who would now have Internet access over new broadband networks. Not workers who would see value returning to their retirement portfolios. Nope, the only ones who would suffer if President Obama succeeds are the "Limbaughs" -- those who have made a living pushing the ideological insanity that drove the Bush 43 Administration.

In case we didn't get this, Limbaugh has even made it clear that there is no difference, in his mind, between his wanting President Obama to fail and Obama's presumable hope that Limbaugh is a failure: "I think Obama wants me to fail, there's no question, Obama didn't use the words, but . . . he has said that he wants me to fail." Let's see if I can spot a difference. If President Obama fails, America's economic nightmare persists. if Rush Limbaugh fails, it means more Americans have turned away from the venomous expression of his extreme ideology. That really doesn't seem like the same kind of hope to me.

What Republicans have seemed to ignore over the past decades is that their influence over national policy has not reflected Americans' warmth towards Rush Limbaugh. It has reflected the disproportionate influence the GOP right-wing has enjoyed because of the malapportionment of the Senate and of the electoral college. Because every state, no matter how small, gets two seats in the Senate and at least three in the electoral college, Republican victories in safe rural areas gave them more heft than their national support would warrant. After the 2002 election, the GOP held 51 Senate seats, but represented only 44.4 percent of the United States. If you deduct the two electoral votes that each state gets for its Senators, the electoral count in the 2000 election would have been 225 for Gore to 211 for Bush, rather than 271 for Bush and 266 for Gore.

The problem with this strategy, however, is that Democrats are now making inroads on safe GOP areas, and Americans are profoundly unhappy with how Republicans used their national power. Those who rode the right-wing tide into power and the media celebrities who coached them don't want to move in the direction of the American people. They persist -- led by the likes of Rush Limbaugh -- in maintaining that they failed only to live up to their ideology with sufficient fervor.

A cynical Democratic strategist might well hope that Limbaugh succeeds, that he manages, that is, to cement the allegiance of congressional Republicans to a losing strategy that just ignores what America wants. Maybe Democrats can get 60+ Senate seats in 2010. But the President has urged Republicans to steer a different course. He recognizes Limbaugh for the bully that he is and told GOP leaders, "You can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done."

President Obama is simply following the advice of anti-bullying researchers: "Activating and empowering the bystanders/witnesses through education about bullying . . .is the most impactful intervention."

I hope the President succeeds.

Comments

[Paxhope]

I listened to Rush today. Oh man! He's lost all substance. All he can attack is Obama's style. He is manifestly the symbol of GOP irrelevance now. Keith O. has it right - Rushie is a comedian and that's about all.

[cukooforcommies]

Well if you would all look at the context of Rush's comment you would see that as usual the Liberals have this all wrong. Rush hopes that Obama will fail because he doenst believe in the socialism inherent in the so called stimulus. Just as the DOW takes a dump after it gets passed. Obama has NEVER written a bill and didnt even have a hand in writing this one except to make sure some pork was in it for some cronies. Rush doesnt want to see America go to socialism that has NEVER worked anywhere. Get the facts straight, but since liberals cant see past the front of their Volvo, I am sure this comment will get ridiculed. As the great one Reagan said Government is not the solution, it is the problem.

[elwoodey]

Great article. Rush's worst nightmare -irrelevance- is creeping up on him.

[kothian1]

Rush, that strange noise that you're hearing is the inevitable and inexorable sound of irrelevance creeping up on you. Why not retire now while still somewhere near the top of your game?

[miltonista]

keep dreaming..­.

man, if only we could shut him up with the Fa-irne-ss D0ctrine..­. then we'd be free to have open debate.

[jaslyn]

There's nothing for us to defend here. Rush is sinking and he knows it; by Obama and America failing, he wins??? Huh???? Does he want to rethink this?

[NevaforLeadership]

I am a white middle-aged woman. I believe in the Republican principles of self-initiative, less government, less taxes and free enterprise. I supported Barack Obama every day for over a year to the detriment of my own life goals.

Why: (1) Barack Obama believes in self-initiative, trimming tax-sucking government waste, less taxes for most (middle-class and poor) Americans and free enterprise. (2) He is incredibly honest and has once-in-ou­r-lifetime leadership skills. (3) The Democrat Party has not been hijacked by outrageous, right-wing religious dogma.

Rush Limbaugh is a pathetic, cigar toting character (who must reek of that cigar smoke), who plays to that right-wing religious and bigoted Republican group. His radio-show success is a telling and sad commentary on the state of American society. If he were not tolerated, he would have no show.

Could he not have been prosecuted for inciting Republicans to vote for Hillary Clinton during the primaries in order to defeat Barack Obama. Isn't that interfering with Democracy?

[jazzartkitty]

eloquent and well said. Limbaugh is disgusting, pure plain and simple.

[4evryoung]

I wonder what his opinion is of the RNC choosing Michael Steele to lead them.

I will enjoy hearing Rush fawn all over him - "Now this is a black man I can vote for!'

[lovable]

i am a black american and i want to thank all the reasoned and good whites out there who are backing president obama and even the ones who did not vote for him but are giving him a chance . we can dissagree with hating each other and thats great. MY PROBLEM IS WITH THE BLACK CAUCAS. WHERE ARE YOU!!!!!! WHY ARE YOU NOT OUT THERE DEFENDING PRESIDENT OBAMA AGAINST THE BIGOT RUSH LIMBAUGH . LIMBAUGHS HATRED OF PRESIDENT OBAMA IS PERSONAL . HE WANTS A BLACK MAN TO FAIL . !!!!!!

[NevaforLeadership]

Hi lovable,

Let's all move forward with the understanding that there is only one race in this world: the human race.

Each and every one of us is descended from a small group of Africans who migrated out of Africa and populated the world a few hundred thousand years ago.

The word "race" is a misnomer and should be obliterated from the dictionary, just as the words "black" and "white" to describe people, groups and organizations divide us further.

[oddjob1993]

Here, Here! I second that motion

[chasera]

Yep I agree.....­its all about race isn't it? The country hasn't improved at all for the past 200 years. And I think the next thing we ought to consider is making sure the House and the Senate begin hearings on the Fairness Doctrine. That way we can silence him for good have complete freedom to listen to only those with whom you agree.

[lizt]

worst than that....he wants America to fail, too. I've come to the conclusion that Republicans will always put party ahead of country. The are morally bankrupt. I'm so grateful that President Obama is an intelligent, thoughtful man who wants to lead all Americans.

[rosal]

Right now the Repbs have an inferiority complex, and this "man" has an insecurity problem. They are feeding from each other in the hope they are still "relevant". I guess that's why they want a complete meltdown in the country, misery loves company.

[repallday]

No inferiority complex here buddy. We kinda stuck it to OB and Pelosi etal- a big NO vote for his 'stimulus' package. Loud and clear.

[wdw505]

i agree

[4evryoung]

And that accomplished what? Oh yea, it passed anyway. This is just the Reps way of not claiming responsiblity. But lucky for them the stimulus package is to benefit everyone Reps and Dems alike.

[NevaforLeadership]

Repallday,

Get rid of your religious right faction.

Sign up political strategists who are able to plan beyond vicious, ugly, untrue campaign smears.

Put the word out that you don't tolerate the likes of Rush Limbaugh.

Then the Republicans might have a chance to invigorate a young America and win another election. There is nothing wrong with the principles of fiscal conservatism. Reagan and Thatcher saved Britain, particularly, and the western world from collapse at the hands of Keynesian economics.

Well Keynes is back -- backed by both Republicans and Democrats. The first bailout package was during the Bush presidency; the second during the Obama presidency.

Damage from Keynesian economics may be rearing its ugly head at the end of Obama's eight years (yes eight), but if the Republicans are still latching on to the religious right, they still won't have a chance to do anything about it.

[scrutiny1]

And made yourselves look like complete fools and hypocrites who pit your greedy wants and petty desires against the needs of the country...­and to what end? So much for Country First.

[lizt]

Oh....did you notice that it passed anyway??? lol....it'­s because your politics of hate and no ideas have finally made Americans wake up to the fact that Republicans don't care about America. They just care about their own power. So, keep voting no and see how your base gets smaller and smaller.

[lynettema]

I think Rush lost it and came out with his "hope that Obama fails" line because he wasn't invited to the party Obama held for conservative journalists. Rush ain't no journalist and Obama was not going to validate that blow hard.

[jazzartkitty]

lol, yep

[XME]

"Activating and empowering the bystanders­/witnesses through education about bullying . . .is the most impactful interventi­on."

So true, and what I love about Obama is that is not intimidated by jerks like Rush...whi­ch I think intimidates Rush!

[ciceroette]

What is this silly Rush man going to say or do next? He is kind of like the school yard bully who has power in the 5th grade, but then all the really short kids grew up over the summer, and now the poor bully is all alone. I wonder what he'll come up with next....hm­mmm.
WAIT! I've GOT IT!
Rush will appear before the Women's Club in Wheeling, West Virginia, while closely clutching a piece of paper, and screaming.­.."I have in my hand a list of known communists ( WAIT..make that) known terrorists­.."
Having been through this once before, the good citizens of West Virginia will put Rush where he rightly belongs...­.. buried deep, and below a once beautiful but now razed mountainto­p........

[joeythetrollslayer]

Rush doesn't want Obama to fail, he wants him to FAIL. As in JFK fail. Get it? If he can incite enough, like Palin at the conventions, maybe Obama will just become a tragic figure. Say it ain't so Rush.

[hortonhearsawho2]

stole a box of cigars from monica....

[ColoradoCool]

Good lord! It's like Americans have suddenly been struck sane! Amazing!

[lizt]

Glorious, isn't it?

[oregonideas]

rush, sean, billo, ann, michael and all their hate-monger wannabes make millions pandering to the very worst instincts. so long as there's a market, there will be a product...­..heroin, pornography and right-wing talk radio. Sometimes I wonder which of the three is the most injurious to our society?

[Rogan]

only one item on your possibly-injurious list is barred from MY home...