Steele: Rush Isn't The GOP's Leader -- He's An Entertainer
Check out this interview Michael Steele did Saturday night with D.L. Hughley on CNN, in the wake of Rush Limbaugh's speech at CPAC proudly proclaiming that he wants President Obama to fail.
Finding himself in unfriendly territory, Steele said that Rush is not the leader of the Republican Party -- Steele is:
"Let's put it in the context here," said Steele. "Rush Limbaugh is an entertainer. Rush Limbaugh, his whole thing is entertainment."
"Yes, it's incendiary," Steele added. "Yes, it's ugly."
You start to see why Dems are so eager to tie Republicans to Limbaugh. The man can do an hour-plus speech for the activist base, declaring that he wants the president to fail so the country can survive and succeed -- but in polite society, most people don't want to be anywhere near this stuff.
Josh
Matt
Eric
Brian
We may wait in vain for the ritual apology this time- Steele may just be hotheaded enough to stick to his guns. Break out the popcorn.
March 2, 2009 2:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well. That didn't take long.
No disrespect meant, Steve. In a brief break from reality, you merely made the mistake of overestimating the courage of Republicans. ;)
March 2, 2009 8:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
bad linky. bad me for not using Preview.
Again:
Well. That didn't take long.
No disrespect meant, Steve. In a brief break from reality, you merely made the mistake of overestimating the courage of Republicans. ;)
March 2, 2009 8:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Never pick fights with people who buy their ink by the barrel." Reckless by Steele!
Go, you corpulent drug abuser! You are the *real* leader of the party! WE'RE WITH YA!
March 2, 2009 2:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
And never get into a pissing contest with a skunk.
March 2, 2009 6:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yep! Third one I can think of is not mud wrestling with a pig. Pig enjoys, and you get filthy. All three seem to apply to our case!
March 2, 2009 10:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
All those pundits who thought Obama made a mistake by invoking Rush Limbaugh -- get a clue!!
This administration wants Limbaugh to have a massive platform because he represents everything that is wrong with the republican party and why they're going the way of the Whigs. The more he can be liked to the pugs, the better!
March 2, 2009 2:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Famous last words. I've certainly heard them before. Every time Rush is accused of being a propagandist, he claims that his so-called non-propaganda show is "entertainment." Somebody ought to call Mr. Steele on his BS.
Steven Colbert is entertainment; Jon Stewart, although his show is often more informative than any of the actual news programs, is entertainment. Rush is not. There is a very clear intent behind what gets said and not said on his show.
When someone in the Obama Administration screws up, Stewart and/or Colbert will be right there to make fun of it for laughs - you know, that thing that Comedy Central supposedly has for sale when you tune them in. Comedy is non-partisan; what Rush does is not. Tell me one time Rush made a joke at the expense of anyone in the Bush administration. You can't, because it didn't happen. Not even once.
So Rush is propaganda, not entertainment. Pure and simple. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a liar.
March 2, 2009 2:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
I disagree. Rush is no different from any other entertainer, and the opinions that he offers are those specifically directed at his core market. Hardcore right-wingers.
Rush Limbaugh is no street preacher, spouting exhortattions to help the world at large for free. He is a man who earns nearly $30m per year to tell conservatives EXACTLY what they want to hear.
Steele may want to get the GOP into the ideas business, but he is fighting a losing battle if he thinks the GOP base wants to do anything more than listen to Rush and nod their heads in agreement.
March 2, 2009 3:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
I will also note that while The Daily Show and The Colbert Report both create profit for Comedy Central, I seriously doubt the same can be said for Limbaugh's radio program. For one thing, Rush makes an obscene amount of money, the kind not likely to be recovered in advertising revenue. For another, the last time I was stuck listening to his garbage, the type of advertising wasn't exactly the type for which one usually gets top dollar. Enzyte and ShamWow would be a step up.
The fact that Limbaugh's services end up on someone's expense sheet is further evidence of the actual intent of the program.
March 2, 2009 3:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
While both of your arguments have merit: "He's two! Two! Two fools in one!"
Limbaugh's network EIB renewed his contract for an obscene amount of money, that suggests that he DOES make a profit for them and stations to which he is syndicated.
There is no mutual exclusivity between "entertainment" and "propaganda." In fact, one can connect the dots between the higher the entertainment value is, the easier it is to sell the propaganda.
And expect Limbaugh and Steele (along with other Republicans) to draw the invisible line between "conservatives" as a breed apart from "Republicans" when in fact they are and have been one and the same.
Simply expect to see some Republicans "playing nice" while other "conservatives" go whole hog nasty.
"Dat be da way dey rolls, ma peeps!"
March 2, 2009 3:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Rush just ripped Steele (and the RNC) a new one on his show, and seemed to take great offense at being called an "entertainer."
Sounds like it is too late for Steele to grovel before the might El Rushbo. The hip-hop RNC clown is likely a goner.
March 2, 2009 3:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
WOW!
March 2, 2009 3:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Didn't Steele speak at the same podium to the same audience on the same talking points 2-3 days before Rush? And then Rush got some big conservative award and was introduced as keynote speaker at a conservative POLITICAL action convention.
Now Steele is dismissing this as "entertainment".
This is getting better to watch by the day, it's like a game of Survivor with only morons left on the island.
March 2, 2009 3:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
Also interesting how Cantor said over the weekend he doesn't anybody wants anything to fail -- this was contemporaneous with the fat loudmouth defending and amplifying his asinine remark.
Cantor might as well say he doesn't think anybody named Limbaugh has any radio program.
March 2, 2009 3:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Steele says "I'm the defacto leader of the republican party." The funny thing is he really believes that!
Shhhhhh!! We won't tell him that he's just the hip hop mascot who'll be fetching cars from the parking lot of the next CPAC!
March 2, 2009 3:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
The timing of this great news of the battle of the "idiots". I can hope Al Franken gets his due soon and earns his seat in the Senate to add to pissing the Rushbo off!
March 2, 2009 3:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is absolutely fantastic. The Republican Party is now at the complete mercy of the King of Crazy Baseland, and the King will do nothing to endanger the loyalty and immense income stream he earns by nurturing their extremism. King Rushbo has nothing to gain, financially, by moderating his opinions. As long as King Rushbo has a microphone, the Republican Party will be in the minority at the national level. Long live King Rushbo!
March 2, 2009 6:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sure is entertaining watching all the Republicans play the new and exciting political game 'LIMBaugh-O, How LOW can YOU GO!?'
March 2, 2009 6:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Very nice set up, Mr. Hughley.
I made the suggestion this afternoon (on another site) that the GOP just might want to run Limbaugh for President in 2012. Just think: Limbaugh/Palin or Limbaugh/Jindal. Isn't that music to your ears?
March 2, 2009 11:03 PM | Reply | Permalink