Rush Limbaugh gets far too much credit. He always has. His days of preaching hatred are numbered.

[mtnsnake]

He has always been nothing more than a tool, a tool that was concocted and used by the Republican think tanks who used him to such an advantage over anything the Democratic think tanks could come up with for nearly 15 years. No doubt, his daily scripts were sent to him every day from the brain trusts of the Republican think thanks and from people like Newt Gingrich.

However, the strategies of Howard Dean, the courageousness of a few brave Democrats like Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton (in the latter stages of her husband's administration) to go after the asshole and be successful despite his best efforts to thwart them, and the election itself of Barack Obama to the Presidency, a black man who stands for everything that Limbaugh doesn't, have all combined to diminish this fat bloated fuck's effectiveness forever more.

Even some of the people with half a brain are finally catching on to this hateful, divisive wimp and realizing that he's nothing more than a tool that was used by the most hateful and divisive elements on Earth. Limbaugh's days of spreading hatred and divisiveness are definitely numbered. He might not bow out immediately, but it's just a matter of time before the very people who invented him, the Republican think tanks, realize that nowadays he is hurting their cause more than helping it.

Limbaugh will retire a very rich man, but after he retires, may he live out the rest of his pathetic life in misery and shame, alongside his pal, George W Bush.

[Chipper Chat]

1. As long as there are 'Dittoheads' Rash will have a following.

But his influence should wane - just like HannityO'ReillyFox Nooze is beginning to show signs of cracking.

[RBInMaine]

2. Nah. He has enough ditto-heads to stay profitable. It's the American facist hard right. As long

as those kool-aid drinkers stand by their man, he'll make money on his ads, make money for his right wing stations, and he'll stay in business. Remember, he's a business man. He only got into politics because he saw a market for it. If I'm not mistaken, he was around 30 years old before he ever even voted. I don't think he even voted for Reagan, at least not the first time. He's a sham, slick business man. That's all. He, like Coulter, is just a right wing shock in and out for the buck. They are right wing Jerry Springers and Dr. Phils. The essence of it really isn't about politics. That's incidental. It's about sleazy, shock propaganda that sells to a certain market. It's about money. However, since Rush and his ilk are so distained and so far into the minority, it makes sense to tag R's with them the way the R's used to tag our people with the left wing "extremists." The political landscape has shifted and will continue to do so. Dems need to continue to organize and build the movement though. Right now we need to be out there like crazy touting Obama's economic plan. Let's do that !!

[Davis_X_Machina]

3. He'll die old...

...die wealthy, and die in harness. His effectiveness doesn't diminish with Obama in the White House, or the Democrats running Congress, nor will it diminish if the two of them together rescue the economy, because his audience is impervious to evidence. You can't refute a theology, and that's what his audience comes to hear.

Rush's imminent professional death spiral has been predicted every 3-5 years for damn near 20 years. But the math's on his side -- there are enough assholes, in a nation of 300,000,000, to make quite a few millionaires.

[RBInMaine]

4. BUT, much of what you say is also correct. I think he'll dimionish but not entirely go away. BUT,

it IS a great opportunity for Dems/Progressives to tag him as the out-of-touch blowhard he is, marginalize him, and glue him to the R's. Yes, he hurts them more than he helps IF Dems play their cards right and frame him and debate the right way. AND if Dems continue to build the party and movement we started in this last election cycle.

[mtnsnake]

6. Couldn't agree more with you. n/t

[creeksneakers2]

5. He's wounded but not finished off

If he continues to be confronted about his bullshit and he loses his influence, he'll shrink down to a harmless size. His people won't follow him unless he's powerful, authoritative and destructive.

If he's ignored, he'll keep spreading lies and hatred until some new anecdote drives the public into outrage.

[mtnsnake]

7. I think you nailed it

We have to keep after him for sure. No doubt about that.

[RBInMaine]

8. I love that we are going after Limbaugh ! Finally, a party with some balls !!

[Danger Mouse]

9. He won't be going away anytime soon...but we'll see his influence decline a lot...

not to mention the Republican party decline with him....

[JohnnyRingo]

10. I think the Republicans themselves will take him out

because he stepped into a leadership role in the party without appointment or election, even edging out Boehner as head of the party.

Sure, they all pretend like they "love Rush", but no ego is greater than that of a lawmaker, and when he began giving orders and making demands, he stepped over the line. These Congressmen can't appreciate checking for Limbaugh's approval before they do their job, and I bet they're looking for a solution that includes his retirement.

I see he already backed down a bit last week by saying "he's not the head of the party", but he continues to loom large over the ruling elite.
I've earlier compared his coup to a takeover of 177 crime families, and he presents himself as large a target that would make Tony Soprano cringe.

How can they rid themselves of this overbearance of power? Limbaugh has plenty of vices, and his addiction to and dependence on sponsors is his Achille's heel. Unfortunately there are a slew of squealing static filled voices on the AM hopeful to take his place.

[sandyj999]

11. He's one of the turds in the punchbowl of life n/t

[customerserviceguy]

12. His popularity grew during the Clinton Administration

He plans on growing it mightily during the Obama Administration, the only thing that might slow that down is ignoring him. And he's counting on President Obama, the Democratic leadership in Congress, and progressive Americans not doing that.

So far, we've been playing into his hands.

[Kahuna]

18. No, we are not playing into his hands. We want more people to hear

his filth. The more people hear his filth the more they know that the republicans march behind him in lockstep. Rush is already rich. He will continue to be rich. There is nothing we can do about that. But what we can do is use it to OUR advantage.

[Hawkowl]

13. He has a monopoly

His power is his monopoly of rural airwaves. If anyone has ever driven extensively in rural areas, non-stop Rush is literally on the air 24/7. And there is little to nothing to combat his poisonous lies. This, imo, is one of the main reasons rural areas are highly rethuglican. Democrats need to shatter the monopolistic stranglehold the right wing rethuglicans have over the media. Ban corporations from owning more than a handful of stations, T.V, radio, or newspapers. Enforce a fairness and public access doctrine.

Yes, Dean's 50 state strategy was key to spreading the truth and victory, but it is not enough.

[Phx_Dem]

14. I agree that his influence and popularity will wain significantly.

Hate is out.

[K Gardner]

15. This spotlight they've cast him in will wind up destroying him and finishing off all but the fringe

of the Republican Party. One can hope.

[Kahuna]

17. Destroy rush? I doubt he's in it for anything but the money. Even if

his radio show is cancelled today, he retires a very rich man. No sweat off of his brow. The same goes for hannity.

[Vektor]

16. His wealth won't last. He'll piss it all away on painkillers and child-sex tours of Thailand.

He'll end up bitter, miserable, morbidly obese, heavily drug addicted, and probably in prison.

Then he will feel the same shaft in the backside that America has been feeling for the past eight years due to him and his sleazy ilk.

[DavidDvorkin]

19. Of course they're numbered. But how big is the number?

[Bullet1987]

20. I fear he has a large enough following (there are too many stupid people) to last him at least

until Obama's 1st term is up. Remember how popular Randi Rhodes and other Air America radio hosts were under Bush. A new Democratic President may be just what Limbaugh needs.

[jacksonian]

21. Rush is the modern version of Paul Harvey

he'll never die but he's on the Walter Winchell road to nowhere.

The Rethugs will have to kick Rush to the curb eventially, just like Winchell when his redbaiting got tiresome.