Rush Pounds The Table

“When the law is against you, pound the facts, when the facts are against you, pound the law, and when they’re both against you, pound the table”.

Rush Limbaugh isn't working for John McCain for President.
He's working against any liberal (including John McCain) for President.

RUSH: I'll admit it. I don't know what the hell McCain is saying, other than he's spouting some liberal stuff in this speech at Annapolis today about the haves and have-nots. I agree with all that. But I will say this: If he's going to lecture the American people about who they need to be, he might be just a little bit off the mark. Let him attack the liberals (which he won't do). Let him attack the bureaucrats (which he won't do). Let him attack the judges (which he won't do). But the American people, generally, are the people who make the country work. It's sort of way off to start criticizing the American people in general. Look, I will admit I'm confused. If he can't give a speech where we can understand what he's saying, then it isn't a very good speech.

I know that emotion. I voted against George Bush.

Conservatives are stuck with a weak candidate and there's nothing to do but pound the table.

"The Speech" Animates All Media

The reviews of "The Speech" came in today. It was the subject of every news outlet and talk show.

I heard Rush today.

I heard Hannity today.

Do you want to know if Obama's "A More Perfect Union" Speech connected with voters? Just watch, listen to and read the Conservative media.

Rush was spinning so hard today he ended up in circular logic as twisted as it was funny. He played it mostly straight on ideological grounds, right after reaching for the big black "Candidate of Race" brush. Rush claimed the real problem is that Obama is a liberal and he's trying to trick you into thinking only he can solve your problems. But you see, Rush goes on, that you can't trust him because he's a fraud and liberals just want to control everything and force Conservatives to surrender their principles.

Uhhmmm, yeah.

The problem, Rush, is that our Republican President has the lowest approval rating since just before Nixon resigned. We know who the fraud is and we know about the endless war and the broken military. We know about the bankrupt economy and we know the Conservative party has created and dumped a colossal mess on Main Street. And we know who is going to get the bill for cleaning it up.

Rush has a problem. He can't credibly support McCain (he already tried to destroy him) and he knows how weak McCain is if he has to run on Bush's record. That leaves Rush and all the ideologues with nothing to do but savagely attack anyone who looks like the opposition. Obama shouldn't feel special. If Hillary were in the lead she would be getting hit instead.

And then there's Hannity.

Sean Hannity is walking a dangerous line. In broadcasting there is a very fine line between political opinion and liability. If stations drop his show or sponsors pull out over the remarks he is making, the business of broadcasting won't support him for very long.

Today, Hannity sounded like his head was going to explode and I feel sorry for him. This issue has become personally identified with him and he obviously has internalized it to a high degree. He's becoming emotionally unbalanced and teetering on a very high wire. He is calling for a white racist backlash against Obama using guilt by association and the remarks of Louis Farrakhan and the Reverend Wright. The irony is sickening. This is how lynching usually starts which is why we have laws against hate speech and hate crime.

Barack Obama raised the stakes and poor Sean Hannity has to go all in or fold. You'd better believe he's sweating this. And since he too tried to stop John McCain from getting the Republican candidacy, he's got nowhere else to go.

That high pitched, sweat drenched, desperately angry Irish American voice on the radio may be trying to bluff. But it's too late. Barack Obama won't fold. Hannity knows he has to play his cards and he knows he isn't holding a pat hand.

Yup, that was some speech.

Caught in the Hillary Trap

I met Rush Limbaugh once, many years ago, as he started his syndicated radio program. I watched him address a gathering of less than 100 guests at the Santa Maria Hilton.I talked with him briefly at the radio station I worked for.

I don't presume to know much about him. He didn't say anything to me that was particularly memorable. My impression of him was simply that he was a smart broadcaster, a former DJ like me, who was establishing himself in the new format of talk radio. He was polite, soft spoken and even shy as he began his venture.

I've never met Hillary Clinton. But she is asking for my vote for President. On what basis should I respond to her request? Who is she?

That is the nature of the Hillary trap.

My impressions of Hillary Clinton have been formed over the years by what I've heard and read and seen. Much of that opinion was shaped by Rush Limbaugh and others. Knowing that, I still find myself finding common purpose with the staunch partisans who defined her - against my own political views and values. And what they say now is, Don't you see? This is who we told you she is. Negative, vindictive and driven by lust for power.

Perhaps her reflection in the media mirror has become so distorted that she herself isn't sure who she is. That's a troubling issue as she tries to reach Democrats.

This weekend, both boxers went to their corners and sat with their corner men to review the fight and decide on strategy in the next round.

I think it's obvious that her corner will advise her to keep swinging and take a shot below the belt when she can. She'll take her chances on the wobbly media referee and go for a split decision if she can.

Obama has a riskier strategy which he can't change now. He's got to score some knock out punches and show himself to be the "Gentleman Jim" fighter he can be. If he goes Mike Tyson on her, he'll bite her ear and stop the fight, but he'll lose the decision and prove he's just another pug.

As Democrats, we're all caught in the Hillary Trap.

Obama is asking, "How do you want your candidate to win?"
Hillary is asking, "How badly do you want me to win?"

Hillary looks like the class geek on the issues.
Obama looks like the Homecoming King.

But the reasons that David Gergen said he'd take the Clinton's in a knife fight may be the reason that it isn't obvious to me what Obama should do. Once again, Obama is going to have to show us that he knows who he is rather than be sucked into the Hillary Trap.

Check the New Republic Discussion.

UPDATE: 3.10.08

Just released today is Joe Gandelman's blog column:

Bill Clinton Went On Rush Limbaugh's Show
Day of Texas Primary

Listen to the audio clip

...Strange days indeed. Most peculiar mamma!