Taibbi writes: "It's hard to say whether it's good or bad that the Rushes of the world are too clueless to realize that it's their attitude, not their policies, that is screwing them most with minority voters."
Rush Limbaugh speaks in Missouri. (photo: Julie Smith/AP)Rush Limbaugh speaks in Missouri. (photo: Julie Smith/AP)
Hey Rush Limbaugh, Attitude Not Tokens Get Minority Votes
10 November 12
ike a lot of people, I listened to Rush Limbaugh the day after the election. Pure Schadenfreude, I admit it; I just wanted to hear the reaction. I searched the right-wing media landscape far and wide and tried to find even a hint of self-examination, self-criticism, and I didn't find much. Then again, they didn't lose the presidential vote by much, so they didn't take the election result as a total repudiation of their belief system, as they probably shouldn't have, anyway.
But some introspection was probably in order, particularly with the question - soon to become the dominant question in American major party-politics - of what the Republicans have to do to do better with women and minorities. They dominated with white males, but lagged with almost all other groups.
Rush addressed the question with a long, passionate soliloquy. It was fascinating. Let me excerpt it here. He began with the difficult (for him) admission that his party is not doing well with minority groups. The emphasis here is mine:
It's being said once once again that the Republicans have an outreach problem, that we don't have Hispanics, we don't have blacks, and we don't have women and it's... Okay, fine, we don't, what are we supposed to do?
From there he self-apostrophizes, asking what the Republicans need to do to get those votes. He answers the question in a mocking tone that in fact is the entire source of his problem - the very answer to his question is drop the freaking sarcasm when you talk about minorities and minority issues, and you just might get their votes - but he's so psychologically well-defended that this never occurs to him, and he just plows on. Note the excellent homage here to the "Get the fuck out of here/No, I'm serious!" routine from Beverly Hills Cop:
Are we supposed to embrace amnesty? No, no, no, I'm being serious! We have achieved [sic], brilliant, intelligent, accomplished African Americans, Hispanics, you name it - throughout the Republican party. It doesn't count! It doesn't count with the media, it doesn't count with the Democratic party, it doesn't count with Obama supporters.
Here he pauses, then goes on some more, wondering, hilariously, why it isn't enough just to have Condi Rice in the tent. Again, the emphasis is mine:
It doesn't count. Why not? Why, putting it coarsely, doesn't the Republican Party get credit for Condoleeza Rice? Why doesn't the Republican Party get credit for Marco Rubio? Why doesn't the Republican Party get credit for Suzanne Martinez...?
I could throw these examples out there for you all afternoon. Why don't those people, the Marco Rubios, the Alan Wests... What a great man, what a great American, what a great role model! Clarence Thomas! Herman Cain! None of it counts. Tell me the Republican party doesn't have outreach - we do!
But what are supposed to do, in order to get the Hispanic vote now? Does that mean, open the borders and embrace the illegals? I want you to think about this. So - the Republican establishment, does that mean, if we're not getting the female vote, do we become pro-choice? Do we have to start giving out birth control pills? Is that what we have to do?
This next part is awesome. He again asks the "isn't it enough to have Condoleeza Rice" question, and here even supplies an answer - it should be enough, because, get this: she's not just black and a woman, she's WELL-SPOKEN! He actually plays the "well-spoken" card:
Okay, if that's what we have to do, pretend we're doing it. Pretend that in the next couple of weeks, couple of months, the Republican Party announces that it is for contraception being given out by the state, and in fact the Catholic Church must give contraception away and make abortion available. Are we going to get the votes Obama got last night. We're not? Really, we're not?
We won't. But we're not getting the votes that Obama got last night because we have Condoleeza Rice - and she is a pinnacle of achievement, and intelligent, and well-spoken . . . You can't find a more accomplished person. Marco Rubio. And really, speaking in street lingo, we're not getting credit for it. Now is it that Republicans are looking for credit? And it's not perceived as genuine? Are these people perceived as tokens?
The fish is swimming with the line way out to sea at this point . . . Just let him run, he's tiring himself out:
And the white Republican establishment is putting these people out front, but they really don't believe that Marco Rubio is that good of a deal. Window dressing! If that's the perception of Obama voters, than how do we change that?
And he concludes here by offering mock suggestions for how to win back the votes lost in such huge numbers Tuesday night among almost all groups but white men:
Youth, the youth vote! I tell you what we should do, let's announce, starting around Christmastime, so that we can get close to being Santa Claus ourselves, let's announce that we are for the legalization of marijuana, and that as a party we're in favor of forgiving all student loans . . . Is that how we do it?
All these examples . . . Latinos! We're not going to get the Latino vote by opening the borders and saying, you know what? Let anybody in who wants to come in.
Women. Let's start our own abortion industry. Let's go out and get the women's vote. I just want you to think, would that work?
There's been a lot of hand-wringing among conservatives of the Rush/Hannity school in the last few days, a lot of concern about this outreach question, and honestly, the tone of the discussion is beginning to sound like the last days of a failed 1950s marriage. The husband who's gone all day at work comes home and throws his hands up in the air in mock frustration: what do you want from me, another Cadillac? Another fur coat? I just got you new shoes last week!
And the wife, who's loved this man for 20 years despite his abject stupidity, just sighs. All she wants her husband to do is listen to her, or take a day off work sometime and take her for a drive in the country, or make some spontaneous show of affection, maybe popping home for lunch like in the old days - just some evidence that he's even faintly aware of what's going on in her head. But when they try to talk it out, things just get worse, because in his very manner of asking her what's wrong, all hubby does is reveal that he thinks of his wife entirely as a nagging, financial parasite who's always on his ass about something.
Similarly, the fact that so many Republicans this week think that all Hispanics care about is amnesty, all women want is abortions (and lots of them) and all teenagers want is to sit on their couches and smoke tons of weed legally, that tells you everything you need to know about the hopeless, anachronistic cluelessness of the modern Republican Party. A lot of these people, believe it or not, would respond positively, or at least with genuine curiosity, to the traditional conservative message of self-reliance and fiscal responsibility.
But modern Republicans will never be able to spread that message effectively, because they have so much of their own collective identity wrapped up in the belief that they're surrounded by free-loading, job-averse parasites who not only want to smoke weed and have recreational abortions all day long, but want hardworking white Christians like them to pay the tab. Their whole belief system, which is really an endless effort at congratulating themselves for how hard they work compared to everyone else (by the way, the average "illegal," as Rush calls them, does more real work in 24 hours than people like Rush and me do in a year), is inherently insulting to everyone outside the tent - and you can't win votes when you're calling people lazy, stoned moochers.
It's hard to say whether it's good or bad that the Rushes of the world are too clueless to realize that it's their attitude, not their policies, that is screwing them most with minority voters. If they were self-aware at all, Mitt Romney would probably be president right now. So I guess we should be grateful that the light doesn't look like it will ever go on. But wow, is their angst tough to listen to.
|
THE NEW STREAMLINED RSN LOGIN PROCESS: Register once, then login and you are ready to comment. All you need is a Username and a Password of your choosing and you are free to comment whenever you like! Welcome to the Reader Supported News community. |
 18 May 2013
|
 16 May 2013
|
 16 May 2013
|
 17 May 2013
|
 16 May 2013
|
 18 May 2013
|
|
17 May 2013
|
 18 May 2013
|
 17 May 2013
|
Comments
We are concerned about a recent drift towards vitriol in the RSN Reader comments section. There is a fine line between moderation and censorship. No one likes a harsh or confrontational forum atmosphere. At the same time everyone wants to be able to express themselves freely. We'll start by encouraging good judgment. If that doesn't work we'll have to ramp up the moderation.
General guidelines: Avoid personal attacks on other forum members; Avoid remarks that are ethnically derogatory; Do not advocate violence, or any illegal activity.
Remember that making the world better begins with responsible action.
- The RSN Team
Eventually, I did pay the bill, but I found out that they also were paid by the government.
It's well to remember that the Republican Primary was "give us any one except Mitt." Still 48% of the voters voted for Romney.
They won't see this as cause for ideological re-examination. They will think they have to do a better job of doing anything to win: more money; more voter suppression; more ALEC style local politics.
In the glow of Tuesday elections we liberals need to move to ensure elections that are fair.
Indeed. Getting money out of elections seems like an impossibility, but legislation to ensure fair elections is the first must do.
and telling
They even have a statue erected to this elitist panderer in Jefferson City, Mo as though he were of great consequence.
Can anyone name one thing Rush Limbo has done that has truly helped America?
Has he ever done anything other than polarize our Country?
He's certainly helped himself to the tune of about 500 million dollars, but how are we improved by his propaganda and comedy routine?
Which was followed by about 60 balls thrown from both dugouts by the players. Rush was relieved from the job by mid season.
At 11:15 EST on 6 November 2012 the message that Obama was no anomaly was curtly delivered. The loss threw our modern Mississippi-min ded Dixiecrats, Boll Weevils & Peckerwoods into shock and disbelief. Their most fervent beliefs blew up in their faces - they disintegrated. Despite all of their power, pelf and propaganda to the contrary, the unthinkable happened! An uppity (black man from Chicago) "had-just-ate" their lunch right off of their plate and at their own dinner table.
It will take years- if ever - for the right wing faithful to realize that their arsenal of racial code words, their recruitment of trophy tokens and their general derision of minorities are the best selling points that the Democrats have working for them.
Funny thing ...Blacks were closed own or turned out in Boll Weevil land yet tooooo many of them bend over to be one.
Time the Blacks, and all supposed 'minoirities' get their own Party together and really weevilize the south.
Eh? In English please.
That's exactly your problem, RLF. Next time do not vote the candidate based upon his color and do not look for stereotypical performance.
Let's not get carried away - 48% of the American voters believed enough (in Mitt or were against enough Obama)to vote for the Republican line. I'll bet that all the Republicans will want to tinker with is that 10% of the middle ground to do better the next time. Those of us in the 47% will not count. Our chore from the left should be how to shrink the bigoted and retro-folks to only 25% of the population. We have our work cut out for us!
Granted. However, I submit that a significant portion of Romney's 48% can be attributed to a deep-set longing ---particularly in the deep South--- for a return to the good ol' days, pre Lyndon Johnson, Rosa Parks & Selma. Since day one, I have maintained that ---were Obama white ---his margin of victory would have been on par with Reagan's in 1980 ... an election which ALSO strong carried racial overtones. Do you recall his "Democrats for Reagan" or Nixon's "Southern Strategy"??
I leave you with two questions:
1. What concrete proposals did Romney offer as reasons for We The People to suport him?
2. What concrete reasons did Obama give We The People to vote AGAINST him?
Many of them are getting it into their minds that Hillary is a good next presidential candidate.
That should have sunk in and ripened by then, regardless of millions or billions of superPAC money against her.
It's slow but certain demographics that are turning the tide.
Republicans are Republicans...t here is not comparison to any Creature that is fair to the Creature.
Yes may the become extinct like the animals they have killed, float to the bottom of the water like the poison they dumped, become enmeshed with the plastic island they helped create. They are no longer an acceptable being. Out Out Dam Spots....
How true. As a retired geologist I owe an apology to dinosaurs, they were rather wonderful. All right everyone, what entity can we use to describe Limbaugh and the rest of the hate and greed mongers.
pond scumb
sleeze
low-life
denizens of the Outer Limits
You can't explain these people to themselves. They don't want to learn, because learning would mean letting go of their delusions, and their delusions are the basis of their self-concept. They're walking-talking Psych 101 case-studies in projection and authoritarian personality syndrome.
My question is: If Rush is so rich, why does he look so...uncouth?
It makes a mockery of conservative values. I think they do have a place at the table discussion, but Republican stances dont.
Like Hitler, Limp-balls and his ilk never really learn and don't want to change; maybe are constitutionall y incapable. -It's always everybody else's fault and they've let their cheerleaders and super-PACs down by not doing it right or being dirty enough.
Old Yorkshire saying, "They's all daft but thee and me and thee's a but funny".
What else do you expect from people who howl one-way epithets and scream falsehoods from a safe, comfortable studio at an audience who are incapable of entering into a state of critical thinking and follow the shepherd to the slaughterhouse of free-thought. -And who shun any kind of debate.
"The honest man, though e'r sae poor, he looks and laughs at a' that". Robert Burns.
No wonder they don't want improvements in public education; they'd really be without an audience then.
By the way, I thought motor-mouth/Via gra-man threatened to move to Costa Rica "If Obamacare passed". Maybe somebody told him that they have universal healthcare there.
Another candidate for sequestering at the Bush compound in Paraguay. Sorry to belabor this but it's a delicious thought; -all those disgruntled out-of work reactionaries sweating it out in the jungle or on the Pampas, including the ones on RSN and around where I live who have been suggesting that I "move back to Europe immediately".
The Republican Party is behaving like a mad dog, crazed with paranoia, snarling at everyone. Why would anyone vote for such a party? This election gives hope that people have finally caught on.
The contemptuous way he wants to attract minorities (We have Marco Rubio, isn't this enough? What else do you want?) is simply repulsive from disrespect.
Anyway, don't worry about the Republicans- they're a dying breed. Like most extinct species, they don't see it coming. They'll cause a lot of pain between now and then and I doubt there's much to do about that except hurry them down the road. I guess the only serious question is whether they're covered under the Endangered Species Act. Do we need to reserve some protected habitat for them, say in Southern Arizona?
Again, we may wish that they be an endangers species, but I am afraid that they are not; they should be considered and invasive species - constant weeding will always be necessary.
Think about this:
'12 Obama won
'08 Obama won
'04 bush won (probably by stealing Ohio, AND during a "war" which he started and people were too afraid to speak up against)
'00 bush LOST the popular vote by 1/2 a million
'96 Clinton won
'92 Clinton won
'88 - the last time a republican candidate viably and believably won a presidential election. Even that was, at least in part, due to the big lie about Willie Horton. Notice that that big lie was racist in nature.
---------
As we speak the ONLY reason repugs control the House is that they managed to gerrymander the map after winning in '10. The only reason they won in '10 was because angry LEFT-wing morons (such as ME) stayed home to punish the Democratic Party for not magically enacting all of our agenda as quickly as we naïvely thought possible.
Good comments!
Limpbaugh? Genuine? Surely you jest.
But, in re-thinking your word "genuine", you are correct; he's a genuine builshit artist, a genuine sociopath, a genuine doper, a genuine porker, a genuine demagogue . . . . Let me count the ways.
A genuine sociopath, genuine demagogue and genuine
We need to give him a pay cut.
Rushbo & Coulter can be excused from knowing that article of wisdom, but what about the Rev. Huckabee?
Herbert Hoover greased the skids for the New deal with elegant Bay Bridges, TVA and Hoover Dam projects in the works when he handed off to FDR.
Few modern Republicans, near zero Tea Potters, can carry on a discussion about aquifer depletion or the economics (EIOER) of energy. We NEED all political players in on engineering savvy discussions ASAP!
NAWAPA is easy to search and research the individual engineering components making up a truly grand solution to drought, saltwater intrusion and loss of food independence.
Energy Independence must include renewables directly linked to and grown with, local railway platform and service interface. Book: "Electric Water" gives methodology & rationale.
EMP threat is real and so, needful water and transport engineering must include Faraday cage provision for vulnerable solid state components in the various control facilities and sites.
Hopefully next CIA Director & Homeland Security planning team are familiar with these essentials.
----------
It remains to be seen if the Republicans as a matter of vision and awareness of legacy bring grand engineering solutions into the USA economic solution set... How many Professional/Ci vil Engineers call themselves members of the Tea Party Patriots" or other like affiliated organizations?
Finally, as the ranting and raving came to a boiling point, and the fists were flying fast & furious; as they edged closer and closer to the edge of the roof, they both tumbled over the parapet and fell 60 stories to the pavement.
Their fellow pundits, being true scientists, able to calculate the number of angels that could fit on the head of a pin, tried to predict who would hit the pavement first, Rush or Karl. They took into consideration the relative weight of each; the force of the wind at that time of day, the clothes that each were wearing, and other scientific data that true scientists use in high level serious calculations.
I happen to be near by as these discussions were going on; they spotted me, and decided to use me as a sort of a control for their calculations since I appeared to be a common citizen of no consequence. They explained all the factors, figures and such, as well as the whole background story, and asked me for my prediction. Would Rush or Karl hit the pavement first?
I did not have to take out my calculator to figure this one out.
My answer: WHO CARES!
Hey Matt. You know my wife too?
I don't think so. Rush and his fellow soliloquizers will continue to act as role models to the millions of vitriolic assholes who wish to retain their edge in conversations with those they don't agree with. It's their fantasy land, where they're powerful and in control of what they don't (or refuse to) understand.
They remind me of someone screaming at the driver of a bus that's gone on without them because they were late.
These incredibly outrageous, obnoxious reactionary voices are making millions of dollars by continuing to drum their simple-minded, pernicious propaganda into the barely conscious, "low information" brains of their enthralled listeners, most of them already brainwashed with this crap to the point of fanatical religious conversion. It's business, galactically lucrative business! Between the hundreds of millions spent by both sides on ads, and the additional millions spent by other sponsors during every broadcast hour audiences lap up this crud, Roger Ailes and his crew, Limbaugh, Beck et al. are raking in the riches. The hard truth of their profound tone-deafness, racism and social atavism is merely filler for so many car commercials. Ah, capitalism!
Yes, even blacks, Latinos, women and (occassionally) young people DO PAY ATTENTION and can't be won over with words alone - even if they're well acted.
It's not the attitude. It's the philosophy.
Romney was president he would have had to assume the role as the Chief Apologist. Hate sells best for El Rushbo. Taibbi absolutely hits the bulls eye here. People are just repulsed more with every passing day by the racist hate talk, blatant lies and ironic Anti-American vitriol that defines Rush, Hannity, Coulter and the whole Fox business plan.
Can't help thinking about Hitler's crew, whining about the criminal aggression of 1914-18 collapsing in defeat.
to and fooled by them?
I'm sure some will stay, but a few have to be disgusted enough by the whole thing to seek other sources of information or entertainment.
What will happen to the Conservative audience?
rush's analysis about what women want, the youth want, spanish speaking folks want all plays into the republican constituencies beliefs about these groups, as well as the santa claus metaphor giving stuff out like food stamps, cars and sell phones that made it into part of our collective consciousness during this interminably long election theatre
granted it did not seem to be a winning strategy this time, but you noted the election was close, and regardless of the breathless commentary by the press obama was favored to win all along, not even including that guy silver's utter geniusness,
there will be a coming austerity in this country and the democrats will offer up a limp candidate that will lack any colour or reason to get up and vote and all the while the rushs will continue to talk about santa claus , funny the republicans will be the ones warring on christmas,
of course the dems could wake up and maybe get liz warren in 16 that would def. change the future up, we'll see,
the dems continue to play for draw and there is no reason to conclude that will change , as this last campaign demonstrated yet again, karls inability to concede may seem like a buble but he's fighing a war and this election was but a battle
the supreme court did not strike down healthcare bill ,
Is there ever a time in which tax funds ought to be used to aid the citizens of a nation? Not according to the guys who pay the lowest taxes as percentage of income, AKA rich bastards.
Those who do not pay income tax at all are generally poor. They do pay taxes of various sorts but that is just not enough. If they are not visibly starving they are simply moochers?
I suspect that you are simply ignorant and am comfortable with your ignorance as being adequate to your role as a citizen.
Now, I'm gonna relax with a joint, send in my letter of non-paymenT for these college loans, have my girlfriend take another church-issued contraceptive pill, and eat my pizza that
I bought with my unemployment cash.......than ks
gop!!!
I would never expect a R dominated government to reach across the aisle, but hope the D's do attempt (and hope they pull back more than a bloody nub). We're running out of time for any more happy horse$#@^ in CA.
Rob Feldman
Host of NPR's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me
RSS feed for comments to this post