There seems to be a popular line emerging in the Rush Limbaugh/Sandra Fluke controversy that says his comments are especially harmful because they distract attention from the real issues.
Kathleen Parker (Washington Post, 3/4/12):
Inadvertently, Limbaugh also helped advance the argument from the left that Republicans are waging a war against women…. He has given his “feminazis” justification for their claims that conservatives hate women.
Peggy Noonan (ABC‘s This Week, 3/4/12):
But what he said was also destructive. It confused the issue. It played into this trope that the Republicans have a war on women. No, they don’t, but he made it look they that way.
Sally Quinn (Fox News Channel, 3/6/12)
I say that Obama has just been given a huge gift by the Republicans and by the religious right and by Rush Limbaugh because what he has done, what they have done is managed to make the Republicans and the religious right look as though they are anti-women.
Of course the other way of looking at this–which Quinn, to be fair, mentioned later as a possibility–is that this is not a distraction but an illustration of Republican policies that are on, their face, anti-woman.
The irony is that you have the Democrats “championing” women’s rights in order to capitalize on this “gift”, and the genesis of all this is Dear Misleader’s capitulation to bogus claims of the denial of “religious freedom” through his “compromise” on reproductive healthcare.
And irony upon irony, mainstream women’s groups like NOW proclaim this as a “victory”, as they gear up to back his re-election campaign.
(See here for why this wasn’t a “win-win”: http://www.accuracy.org/release/obama-contraception-compromise-barrier-to-access-fostering-unequal-attitudes/)
Here’s an scenario, which I think plausible, but have no empirical evidence to back up.
Obama met with Catholic bishops a few months back, yet he didn’t make this “compromise” at that time.
Why?
Perhaps he wanted this “controversy” so that he could offer his “eminently reasonable” solution, knowing full well it would be rejected by the bishops and anti-choice crowd in general, and thus he would be seen as having been willing to address their objections, but was spurned in his attempt at “accommodation”.
Points for “willing to go halfway”, and votes for doing so “without harming women’s rights”.
Limbaugh’s horseshit is an unexpected windfall for the strategy.
It’s a theory, anyway.
(I think I may have set the record for quote marks. I’ll have to check.)
“Real issues” defined by Repubs as being issues where they don’t lose control of the narrative.
See my comments at length in the following article:
Title: ALL THEM FAMILY GUYS
Link: http://deyanbrashich.com/home/2012/3/8/all-them-family-guys.html
Anytime anyone anywhere wants to have a matchup of how conservative woman are treated, as opposed to liberal girls- we on the right are ready to throw down.It is not even close folks.And……I notice our side apologized.Im still waiting for your side to try that.So if I were you I would let it drop.You don’t want to go there.The last three years have been brutal for any woman espousing conservative values.You just can’t want to go there.
What are the real issues?Oh how about Obama asking the Israeli minister to delay attacks on iran until after the election?
Off topic Obama derangement troll is off-topic Obama derangement trolling…
Hey, Michael e – big talk for a “Non”-woman. Also, can you prove that crap your wrote in your last sentence which was totally off-topic?
What if we see the attack on Limbaugh as a way of distracting progressives? Obama rushes in, plays Sir Gallahad to an aggrieved female student, and then rides off into the night where we ignore his Wall street contributions, his failure to support even the smallest WS financial tax, and his failure to restore Glass- Stegall. Of course, only 1 in 100 (the real geeks) knows that B of A still carries 53 Trillion (That’d be a T) in derivatives on its books, or that the US taxpayer is still underwriting the casino capitalism that the Fed makes possible through its 1/4% interest rate for megabanks. Of course, on a moral scale, Rush is wrong, and Ms. Fluke is right, but are we really surprised at yet another outrageous statement? Allegorical it was, so no one thought of Ms. Fluke as a prostitute. Would that Obama vent his spleen at Gingrich’s slur against the Palestinians (“an invented people”), a slur fully endorsed by each of his peers in the debates. But, that wouldn’t be easy, not qualifying as low hanging political fruit. Obama even supported the close range head shootings and killings of 5 of the 9 passengers who died on the Mavi Marmara, and has refused, when asked, to urge Israel to return the video and audio recordings the IDF seized from its passengers. I guess his new Chief of Staff, Citibank’s Jack Lew, won’t let him venture beyond the boundaries of political opportunism. The Right has used social issues to distract its adherents from focusing on broader concerns, particularly economic ones. Let not progressives fall into the same trap.
Since Limbaugh has been saying and doing this sort of thing pretty much forever, and idolized by
the right wing superconservative pseudo christians that whole time, the mere fact that he continues to be their little darling is an issue. They just don’t want it to be an issue.
Agreed, john. Glenn Greenwald pointed out the same thing. Limbaugh’s self-immolation via his vile lies is a perfect distraction for liberals who don’t want to think about things a little too close to home, like the things you mentioned The “Market” is now doing it’s best to torpedo the Republicon’s chief leader and spokesperson, and there is simply no reason to bother with it by now. The irony is beautififul: the libertarian right crows about the magic of the marketplace, and now one vestige of it’s “magic” is squeezing the life out of Limbaugh (perhaps temporarily only, but it’s great fun to watch). And there isn’t a goddamn thing they can do about it. Their heroic god (The Market) has turned on their chief spokesman, who couldn’t resist airing his disturbing thoughts about women.
TimN….I know you want to believe this hurts Rush and I suppose on some level in some way,if you really dig deep you could say it does.I would liken it to politics.Obama knows the hard right hates his guts but does it hurt him?I think he expects it.Rush knows the left hates his guts and he too expects (and laughs at)this overkill.I think his apology to his fans was the moment a week or so again where he felt that he had done a bad show,and that does mean a lot to him.Beyond that the sponsors that bailed he sees as part of the game.He made a mistake, lost some sponsors(instantly replaced)and has moved on.He is under contract a 400 million dollar man who in effect owns the show.If he lost ALL his sponsors he could still go on.This is not about attacking Rush because in something like this he is not really a target.This is about attacking his listeners,and opposition speech to this president.In that you are shooting spitballs at the sun.We have not even begun this fight called an election.You sitting there whining with your spitballs is a humorous thing for us to see.But we wont be distracted by your wee little smokescreens.We SEE YOU.And were a cumin.
P.s How r u doing attacking Bill Maher’s show?He is a better target.Does not own his show and actually has a boss.Tell me how the attacks against his advertisers are going .I have not heard you mention that.
It’s interesting but sad how many conservatives post white hot replies en mass for any FAIR article now-didn’t used to be that way. Clearly a lot of resources are being spent getting robo-bloggers on the job spin-doctoring, distracting, trying to get people to not notice the truth. You guys are being tasked by what organization? Shame on you.
Bill Maher’s show is on HBO….he doesn’t have any sponsors. More importantly, he’s not using the public airwaves for his hate speech.
Besides, he defended Rush over the Fluke flap last week adding that he “hates intimidation by sponsor pullout.”
He’s no better than Limbaugh.
update on rush’s lack of sponsors via judd legum
Radio-Info.com reports that Premiere Networks, which syndicates the Rush Limbaugh show, told its affiliate radio stations that they are suspending national advertising for two weeks. Rush Limbaugh is normally provided to affiliates in exchange for running several minutes of national advertisements provided by Premiere each hour. These ads are called “barter spots.” These spots are how Premiere makes its money off of Rush Limbaugh and other shows it syndicates.
But without explanation, Premiere has suspended these national advertisements for two weeks. Radio-Info.com calls the move “unusual.”
steve benen adds:
In the Radio-Info.com report, there’s some ambiguity about what prompted the two-week suspension — the article noted that Premier “does not offer a reason, and does not mention a possible connection to Rush Limbaugh,” — but it’s certainly not what the scandal-plagued host wanted to hear under the circumstances.
Thanks for that, woodward burnstein. Hey–isn’t cumin a spice? If someone says they’re “cumin”, are they going to “spice” things up when they get here? I think Maher has a large interest in Indian cumin, which might explain why reactionaries and trolls are trying to use clever “humor” to one-up Limbaughs’s secret admirer. Or maybe not.
A politico poll today said 53% of Americans think Rush should be canned.And somehow they were able to come up with a stat that said one third of republicans feel the same.Look Im not going to even argue with politico today.There are so many screwy poll reactions going on all over the spectrum.I will say that they forgot to mention that Rush really CANT be fired.He owns his show.He is contractually to be paid 400 million.I suppose he could loose listenership but i doubt it.I suppose he could loose more sponsors but i doubt it.Im not even sure that this won’t GROW his listenership.You know Dems in their basements trying to sift through his words and catch him saying something they can spin.I hear people say all the time we should fire Obama.Just does not work that way there either.Well except for impeachment and elections.All in all i think Rush will be about giving opinion long after BAM is gone from public office.I am very very interested to see if FAIR can somehow squeeze more juice from this story next week.of course avoiding the real news…
the poll about firing limbaugh was done by bloomberg.
the real fallout is that almost 100 companies, including ford, mcdonalds, mastercard, the us army, wal-mart, rent-a-center, state farm and gieco have asked that their ads not be run on ANY right wing radio talk show.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/85058542/Premiere-Networks-List-Of-Advertisers-Asking-Not-To-Advertise-On-Limbaugh-And-Other-Right-Wing-Hosts
this is without question the biggest us media story of the year…i would expect a media blog to cover it.
ps
the biggest media story of the year is the mass criminality of rupert murdoch’s news international
“On Tuesday, former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks was among six people arrested by Operation Weeting officers on suspicion of conspiring to pervert the course of justice.
The early-morning police swoop brought the scandal to Prime Minister David Cameron’s immediate social circle. Cameron said at a news conference earlier this month that Charlie Brooks, Rebekah Brooks’ husband who has now been arrested, was a longtime friend.”
Woodward did you say the Rush silliness is the biggest news story of the year?Well don’t THAT beat all.I am going to accept that on face value as your viewpoint.And maybe even the viewpoint of some of those on the left.I am going to hold that up as proof…..Proof positive of why we have to get rid of this whole ilk in the next election.With all the God awful misery, and evil, and loss in this world.With all the problems that impact people like a brick in the face.To think that this is what is important to you.Or problems at news international.My lord what animates those on the left is truly astounding.
One of the biggest news stories of the year happened quietly yesterday.The CBO had a few preliminary figures on Obama care.They rated the first 9 years(not ten),and even taking into account 4 million less than Obama had promised to insure were added in……..The price tag has doubled!!!!!CBO will have to wait another year to see how much higher the estimates will run.The sky is the limit
“Woodward did you say the Rush silliness is the biggest news story of the year?”
no…..i wrote “this is the biggest us media story of the year.” emphasis on media.
i stand by that statement.
to clarify: the “this” meant that 100 major advertisers have asked to drop all the ads running on all of rightwing talk radio…..rush was the tipping point, this is the story
re the cbo on the aca
The new report adds more detail to this week’s update of the law’s coverage provisions, which CBO released Tuesday. Compared to a year ago, the law is now anticipated to cover 2 million fewer people but cost $50 billion less over 10 years, after factoring penalties paid by individuals and businesses that don’t get or provide healthcare coverage.
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/216223-cbo-millions-of-americans-could-lose-their-employer-coverage
Woodward Im not even gonna let you go there.We are at double the cost and climbing.No accounting shenanigans allowed anymore.This insanity(a new entitlement program started during the crash)that was called a money saver is a complete disaster.On every level.As we told you it would be.70 percent want it rolled away.Now admitting you will loose your insurance to be given gov insurance.Rationing.Puplic insurance companies will be unable to compete.This is every hell the public option could concieve.Look at the CNN Gallop poll today.Lowest it has ever been.And most think these polls are padded…UPWARD!
It was also said that the cure to the crash has now become worse than the crash.The cure being endless borrowing.Today we also heard that the US has 60x the amount of reserves Obama has stated.Enough for complete 100 percent self sufficiency for over 200 years.Yet gas goes up every day.Pipelines blocked.Only alternative energy gets the government stamp of approval.Obama is a complete Cluster fuck.
Turn Rush on.He is giddy today.Having a ball.Doing another fantastic show.I forgot i swear.what was that huge story he was involved in?Oh yeah the Republican war on woman.Is this really what the left is going to try to prove?That Rs hate woman?Santorum wins woman in the south.The left goes into a state of shock.You on the left think all you have to do is level an accusation and away you go I heard Bill Maher is getting hit today in a kickback.Sorry to be so happy but this is such a bumper day on the right.I can’t find anything on the left that is working.
today’s gallup poll has obama’s approval at 45%…they had it at 43% last oct 1st.
other recent polls
Rasmussen Reports 3/14 Obama 47%
FOX News 3/12 Obama 47%
Bloomberg 3/11 Obama 48%
Reuters/Ipsos 3/11 Obama 50%
CBS News/NY Times 3/11 Obama 41%
Pew Research 3/11 Obama 50%
ABC News/Wash Post 3/10 Obama 46%
—————-
this week’s pew poll show that 35% of people want the aca repealed…the rest want it left as is or expanded.
————
i’d note that santorum won women in an election against other republicans in the south, a result that shocked absolutely no one.
———–
ps
When The Wall Street Journal/NBC News survey asked last summer which party should control Congress, a slim 46-42 percent plurality of women said it should be the Democrats.
But in a survey released Monday, compiling polling since the beginning of the year, that figure had widened considerably to a 15-point advantage for the Democrats, according to polling by the team of Democratic pollster Peter Hart and Republican Bill McInturff. Fifty-one percent favored Democratic control; only 36 percent favored the Republicans.
—————–
plus
The real news of the CBO estimate is that, according to its models, health care reform is going to save even more taxpayer dollars than previously thought.
http://www.tnr.com/blog/jonathan-cohn/101741/cbo-obamacare-cost-deficit-lie-double-price-fox
I think you are trying to say Obama is actually doing well in the polls?Come now we are both educated people.His polls are terrible and trending worse.Negative 6 by CBS polls today.Difference between he and Romni are maybe 3 points.At this point the president should still be carrying a huge bump with the bully pulpit.He has no record to run on.No idea to support.In a real sense he has shown who he is.Romnis chance will come soon to tear away the facade(or whats left of it)and point to every disaster.I saw a discussion group today saying that if it were not for the wording of some of the polls that are doing backflips to NOT show how bad it is…….Obamas polls would show the true free fall that is going on.And you are not going to try to resurrect health care with a straight face.It is on life support and will be DOA if any one on the right gets in.If they don’t…. it still will die a slow death.A stupid idea at a stupid time by a stupid man.In the end the story will be he did the best he could.But for an unqualified community activist with socialist underpinnings ,steering the helm of this capitalist monster was too much for him.He never had a clue.I still don’t think the race will even be close.I think it will be Romni in a landslide.
And I got the shot about southern woman.To libs there is New York and LA.Everything in between is a scene from deliverance.
“His polls are terrible and trending worse”
obama’s approval numbers aren’t trending down…they’re basically unchanged from january and are up from september thru december 2011
full polling here
http://realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/president_obama_job_approval-1044.html#polls
“Difference between he and Romni are maybe 3 points”
pew 3/14/12
Among all voters, Obama leads Romney by 12 points (54% to 42%) and Santorum by 18 points (57% to 39%). Obama’s advantage among women voters, while largely unchanged from a month ago, remains substantial â┚¬“ 20 points over Romney and 26 points over Santorum.
http://www.people-press.org/2012/03/14/romney-leads-gop-contest-trails-in-matchup-with-obama/
“Difference between he and Romni are maybe 3 points”
Reuters/Ipsos 3/13/12
In a survey of registered voters, Obama led Romney 52 to 41 percent in a head-to-head match-up, nearly double the margin from February. Obama led Santorum 52 to 42 percent, and Gingrich 54 to 37 percent.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/13/us-usa-campaign-obama-idUSBRE82C1AN20120313
“We are at double the cost of [healthcare] and climbing.No accounting shenanigans allowed anymore.’
On Tuesday, the Congressional Budget Office released its 2012 estimate on the ten- year projected cost of the Affordable Care Act. Instantly, the anti-Obamacare crowd took to the airwaves and social media to proclaim that the numbers reveal the costs of the Affordable Care Act to be double what was promised when the law was passed.
Wow. That’s some scary stuff.
Too bad it is a complete and utter falsehood.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/rickungar/2012/03/15/anti-obamacare-forces-introduce-their-latest-effort-to-mislead-the-public/
michael e “Santorum wins woman in the south.The left goes into a state of shock.”
my reply: “i’d note that santorum won women in an election against other republicans in the south, a result that shocked absolutely no one.”
michael e” And I got the shot about southern woman.To libs there is New York and LA.Everything in between is a scene from deliverance.”
there was no shot about the south. everyone who studied the demographics of the gop primary voters in mississippi and alabama knew that there was a very high percentage of evangelicals.
since that’s a bad fit for romney [and woman dislike newt’s multiple divorces] santorum winning those voters in those elections was no surprise……..what that has to do with deliverance is beyond me.
ps
i live in ohio, where the republican party, especially governor kasich, is incredibly unpopular with women: 55% disapproval 2/7/2012
“His polls are terrible and trending worse”
The latest Allstate/National Journal Heartland Monitor poll finds President Obama’s approval rating rose to 51% up from only 44% in each of the previous polls taken in October and December.
That’s Obama’s highest approval rating in the Heartland Monitor since the survey taken immediately after the killing of Osama bin Laden in May.
The survey, conducted from March 3 to 6, showed Obama recording clear progress. Compared with the December survey, the new poll found his approval rating rising by 11 percentage points among independents; 8 among nonwhites; 6 among all whites; 7 among both college-educated white men and women; and 9 among the so-called waitress momsâ┚¬”Âwhite women without a college degree. Only noncollege-educated white men showed no gain from December.
Read “why Obamas poll numbers are crashing”5 theories.This week there are a million such stories, but I think that about hits the mark.
Im seeing true numbers around 41%,though Im not a big believer that polls extend very far.I think it more interesting to hear lib commentators saying this week that the polls, and the people taking them,are …stupid.
Of course if I dug I could find polls somewhere showing he(Obama) is beloved and trusted.I will give him his due though.He does not have anything to run on .Just imputing fear about his advisories is all he has.I give him credit for keeping anyone at this point.It is like watching a magician.You know he is full of shit,but you still pay to get in.But like a magician that has done his show and now has a man standing up explaining the illusions…….it can’t last forever.
We all know the accounting tricks to get the healthcare numbers under 1 trillion.Pay for it for 4 years before implementation blah blah blah(Read dick morris’s piece)Bottom line is projected cost 900 billion.New projected cost 1.8 trillion.
Savings are without foundation at this time.Pie in the sky hopes.Real cost …hard to ascertain.We will know more next year though an educated guess says far higher.Impact on private sector insurance companies…devastating.Choice,probably very little.Amount of people covered …far less.Rationing…assured.Go ahead and blow more smoke up my ass.Feels good.Better than the truth.
Read “why Obamas poll numbers are crashing 5 theories.”
i did read that article….the problem is the numbers aren’t crashing…it’s all polling”churn”
“Of course if I dug I could find polls somewhere showing he(Obama) is beloved and trusted.”
no, you don’t have to dig….. this is every poll from march 2012
pollster—–date—-approve/disapprove
Gallup 3/13 – 3/15 44-50
Rasmussen Reports 3/13 – 3/15 49-49
FOX News 3/10 – 3/12 47-45
Bloomberg 3/8 – 3/11 48-47
Reuters/Ipsos 3/8 – 3/11 50-48
CBS News/NY Times 3/7 – 3/11 41-47
Pew Research 3/7 – 3/11 50-41
ABC News/Wash Post 3/7 – 3/10 46-50
NBC News/Wall St. Jrnl 2/29 – 3/3 50-45
as you can see there is no trend……..average of all polls 3/7 – 3/15 46.9-47.1
———————–
“Bottom line is projected cost 900 billion.New projected cost 1.8 trillion.”
as previously discussed, those numbers are wrong.
“I think it more interesting to hear lib commentators saying this week that the polls, and the people taking them,are â┚¬Ã‚¦stupid.”
if you say so, i haven’t said any such thing….nor have i seen anyone say that..why would they?
the poll results are the poll results.
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