Rush Limbaugh Has It Wrong

Logic Times ^ | 11-9-2006 | Dan Hallagan

[Arizona Carolyn]

You win the prize.... because you placed your finger on the real problem; dumbed down society, just what the Clinton's envisioned when they were running things down in Arkansas. Bill Hemmer commented this morning Fox was getting more hits on Britney Spears divorce than on the election results.

[perfect_rovian_storm]

I was enthused about it. They just failed to sell it to the people properly.

[Richard Axtell]

Conservative isn't something you are... its something you do. That being understood, the Republicans that lost didn't do enough "Conservative" to create the traditional and expected results. So, they were fired.

That doesn't mean Conservative ideas are rejected, as most of Rahm's Ramrods were at least superficially conservative in appearance. Now, do you think Nancy will allow a Conservative agenda to pervade her glorious reign as Queen Speaker? I think not.

So... Rahm has sold the American public a bill of goods, that are not really Conservative. It is up to us to not only stridently and vigorously point that out, but to offer the American electorate the real thing once again.

[incredulous joe]

The Washington Post took out Allen. The macaca gaffe and the issue of his grandfather being a Jew (coverage of this was skewed that he was ashamed of it when he did not actually know about his Jewish ancestry) was screamed from the front page for weeks leading up to the election. While the issue of Webb's salacious fiction was buried, along with his admission of having used the "N" word.

It's what amounted to a couple million dollars worth of the most prominently placed advertising that any candidate could have wished for - and all for FREE! And certainly well worth 7,000 votes.

Oh, well,...like Hugh Hewitt says; "If it ain't close they can't cheat."

[mhx]

Yeah I'm getting tired of hearing that Republicans have to stop being conservative, because, look at all the conservatives who didn't win.

The conservatives didn't show up to vote because they were angry that the Republican party was completely ignoring them. That's why the Republicans, including the conservative Republicans, lost. It doesn't mean that conservatism is a losing proposition. It means that if you actually try standing up for conservatism, all those people who didn't vote this time will show up and vote for you.

I fear we're about to make the classic mistake of thinking "we'd better become more like our opposition because they beat us". We are never going to be as good Democrats as Democrats are. If you want someone who's just like a Democrat, why not vote for the real thing?

If the election results are such a condemnation of conservatism, someone tell Lincoln Chafee.

[Arizona Carolyn]

Lindsey Graham is thrilled, said the next two years will probably be his best in the Senate.... translation, he can happily caucus with the dems -- if Sean keeps having him on his show then I will tune Sean out once and for all...

[Pukin Dog]

The article is stupid, foolish and wrong.

Limbaugh is 100% correct.

Conservatives didn't lose, they just didn't VOTE. They didn't vote because the Congress ran from Conservative issues for the past two years and what the Congressional Conservatives finally did near election time was not enough to overcome scandal and the MSM drumbeat.

Democrats ran as conservatives, and now moderate idiots want us to think that Conservatism is dead, so they can sneak McCain into office and govern from the squishy middle. One only need look at recent comments by Lindsay light-loafers Graham and Christy Todd Whitman to understand what is going on here.

Just as with the other side, we are now in a war for the soul of the Republican party. If it chooses moderates, it will be another 40 years before they regain power (and moderates don't care to lead anyway) but Conservatism ACTED upon never loses.

Being Conservative is not enough, if your party doesn't ACT conservative in front of media cameras and in the halls of Congress. Too many Republicans wanted Cocktail party status instead of remaining faithful to the Conservative ideal.

Why did Santorum lose? He supported Arlen Specter over a REAL conservative, who proceeded to almost kill our chances for Conservative Supreme Court justices. Santorum checked his standards at the door, as did those who gave money to Chaffee.

Conservatives stayed home.

The article is bull$hit.

[Steven W.]

He has a position of unique power, and he blew it the last two years by shielding his eyes from Republicans flaws and endorsing even the most liberal. Hannity is not a conservative

I'm as big a critic as any of Hannity but this is totally wrong - Hannity, like Ingraham + Rush & others ripped the congress over & over for any number of things (can't even begin to count) all the while still supporting Republicans as otherwise superior to DemoncRATs (same as myself and other conservatives)

[mhx]

I would add that if the Democrats stood up and opposed the amnesty for illegals, the GOP would face an awfully long dry period too. Luckily there's no chance of that (but you know, if they were paying attention, they might think about it...)

[Jackson Brown]

OH, I get it... Conservatives didn't go to the polls?!??

You got it...right on the button!!!!!!

The purists got in a snit and gave up ANY say they (and we) had in order to "teach the bastards a lesson".

Now, what have they got -- just a WHOLE LOT MORE to whine and bitch about -- along with weak security to come, NO chance for anymore Aliotos(sp) or Roberts on SCOTUS, higher taxes and more entitlements, a NO chance for tough border and immigration laws, etc. etc. -- not to mention, a BIG slap in the face of the troops.

My tag line says what I think!

[unsycophant]

Good summary. Thanks for posting it.

Blackwell ran on "Family Values" in a state where family values weren't an issue (so 90s). His opponent campaigned with education, financial incentives, economy, and government.

Blackwell didn't lose because he needed to be more conservative. Voters rejected him for those very concepts and instead went with someone who identified their core issues (jobs, education, government, economy).

[Arizona Carolyn]

No thanks... I think every Freeper should boycott CNN and MSNBC permanently.

[The Hollywood Conservative]

[quote]

Voter fraud had a lot to do with close races. Until voter fraud is investigated and prosecuted, this will keep happening.

[/quote]

Im sorry... But there really isnt any evidence of this... And there just WERENT that many close races.

Voter fraud has been going on for 200 years in this country. We held Congress for the last 12 DESPITE IT.

This election isnt a SURPRISE... People from both parties have seen Tuesdays results coming for MONTHS... We lost close to 30 seats in Congress... Many by 5+ points or MORE... You dont lose in those numbers, by those margins because of voter fraud... We got our hats handed to us, and concentrating on self-deluding excuses like these makes us no better off for the next election.

[Arizona Carolyn]

Which is why I hold out hope that in the 250,000 absentee votes they are counting the majority there are elderly and conservative and voted for JD.

[bboop]

Well, YEH, the Minimum Wage Propositions on the ballots, a very smooth move, actually, by the libs. Snakey but effective.

[goldstategop]

Did we hear REPUBLICANS advance conservatism? As far the public was concerned, they may be forgiven for thinking if they were ALL Democrats and deserved to be fired.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[Billyv]

The biggest problem the REPs have had since Reagan (The Great Communicator) is the ability to present every stand or issue from a position of functional illiteracy. With the exception of the contract w/ America (Newt - The next great communicator) it seems to me that the GOP goes out of its way to always find the most convoluted means with which to communicate issues to the voters.

Newspapers are written to a 3-4th grade level, 65%-70% of adult Americans are somewhat functionally illiterate - can't fill out job applications, etc. 30% of our students never graduate from HS. You can earn a GED if you read on an 8th grade level.

Reagan always new his audience and briefed accordingly- always from the OVAL OFFICE, suit and tie (RESPECT) for the American People, straight to the point, the choices, the choice He believed was best for America and why, charts and graphs, plain language, and who to call as well as how to contact their representative and make their will known.

President Reagan realized WE THE PEOPLE make the decisions THROUGH our elected officials. HE governed through the people on every tough choice, and made sure we were part of the process. He always knew that the people will always make the right choice when given the straight facts and kept informed, He TRUSTED us, and we respected and trusted him and his leadership in return.

[MaineVoter2002]

Another reason why the GOP lost so much in 2006 and Rush said this many months ago and touched on it again yesterday is that the GOP depended solely on Talk Radio to get their message out which is a major mistake because talk radio is independent from the Bush WH on several issues including Miers, Illegal Immigration, UAE Ports Deal...etc. Not all Americans are faithful listeners to AM radio therefore, if you didnt listen to AM radio your only alternative was the MSM.

Many months ago Rush mentioned this and said it was a big mistake. I agreed 100% with Rush.

I think you will find that instead of being creative, melhman was tuning into Talk Radio and getting his talking points for the campaign. It appears that the GOP ran using an anti-Pelosi scare tactic platform. There's nothing wrong with using this, but they totally left out issues.

The democrat opponents not only ran on the "we need a change" message but also (where it would help) ran on God, Guns and Pro-life.

Mix this all up with already angry conservatives and you have a distaster waiting to happen. And it did.

Democrat Win, Conservative Mandate

You can bet they will lead pushing liberalism

[TYVets]

Rush Limbaugh has it wrong,,,

Darn, and I thought Rush was perfect.

(/scar off)

After 18 years and 20,000,000 listeners he must get a few things right.

Rush is right. (That might make a good tagline?)

[paulat]

IBTZ?

Since when is this kind of criticism zottable? We are not all Bushbots or Rushbots!