The Rush And Al Show -- What Explains This Odd Pairing?

The Radio Equalizer ^ | June 1, 2005 | Brian Maloney

[ScoopandDizzy]

The Reverend Al Sharpton's fledgling talk radio effort, not yet even off the ground, just got a huge boost from the least likely place imaginable: Rush Limbaugh.

Limbaugh is offering coaching assistance to Sharpton, as he's apparently been invited to guest-host Rush's show for 30 minutes at a time, while being critiqued along the way by the man himself.

Is the man-of-many-cigars serious about making Al "the Limbaugh of the left"?

[al baby]

Rush is giving him plenty of this

[b4its2late]

Rush is great, even with half his brain tied behind his back just to make it fair. But, IMHO, even he can't help lost cause Sharpton.

[Jersey Republican Biker Chick]

I think it is a "keep your enemies closer" type of thing.

[Servant of the 9]

This may seem like an oversimplification, but I think it comes to this: Sharpton is nice to conservatives, where Franken and others are hostile. That might seem silly, but it's also human nature. I have liberal friends and enemies, so do other conservatives.

If I had my choice between lunch with Franken, or Sharpton, I know which one I'd choose, don't you? Which one would be fun?

Rush knows that at this point he will gain listeners by having some healthy competition to generate controversy.

He knows that to be succesful, you need a sense of humor and a certain ammount of civility to opponents.

Sharpton can provide that and no one on Air-Amerika can.

So9

[Jersey Republican Biker Chick]

Well I would not have lunch with Franken. He would start spouting and I would be forced to drown him in his soup.

[T Lady]

*Ping*

[Hegemony Cricket]

Sharpton is a clown. Rush is clever to pick him out of the lineup of the usual suspects and elevate him.

[Ender Wiggin]

This can only benefit both of them. I hope Rush goes ahead.

I like Rev. Sharpton as a speaker and entertainer- dynamic, irreverant, funny, controversial, makes points others dare not speak- what better qualities could a radio talk show host have? [as president or senator, never never never, but during drivetime he'd put AirAmerica off the air by stealing the ratings]

And listening to him being "trained" by Rush would be as entertaining as a duckling slide at a county fair!

[AZLiberty]

Limbaugh knows that people will see through liberalism if it's honestly presented. The more people hear the honest opinions of Democrats like Al Sharpton and Howard Dean, the more they will turn away from the Democratic Party. Sharpton, as much as I disagree with him, sticks to his liberal guns. Howard Dean is trying make a turn to the "Clinton side", where beliefs are determined by what will win, but he hasn't made it a habit yet, so the real Howard Dean regularly leaks through.

[1Old Pro]

Rush is just elevating hoaxster Al so that when Al's show flops he can laugh hard.