Why Rush Limbaugh Should Endorse Fred Thompson Now (and join his brother David Limbaugh)

http://www.redstate.com/ ^ | Dec. 31, 2007 | http://www.redstate.com/

[reasonisfaith]

How about this idea, suggested to me by another Freeper:

A significant number of Republicans will not vote for Rudy, Mitt, Mike or John, as evidenced by the level of passionate comments against these candidates in the blogosphere. Whether it’s 5% or 25% of total Republican votes, it will be enough to lose.

However, if Thompson is the nominee, all Republicans will vote for him, because he has no significant policy or ideological negatives. Thompson will unite the party like Reagan did, even bringing in many Reagan Democrats.

[fieldmarshaldj]

C’mon, Rush ! Do it ! It’s time to sink the farce candidacies of these RINO liberals Rudy McRombee once and for ALL !

[Thermalseeker]

Keep believing he doesn't influence people or that it's why he has been so successful over the years.

Well said.....

[fieldmarshaldj]

Bingo !

[jveritas]

Let him win the nomination first, which is as we stand today he is done unless he makes some comeback in South Carolina, if he does not then he is finished for good.

[TexasCajun]

Rush & David don't have idealogical differences.

So maybe this IS Rush endorsing Fred without breaking his rule and looking like a flip-flopper.

[proudofthesouth]

If Fred doesn’t get the nomination he needs to run as a third party candidate. I normally don’t support anyone on a third party ticket but in his case I would!

[Ditter]

I think you are sadly mistaken. Rush has tremendous power and he is careful with it, which may cause you to believe he has none.

[captnorb]

Well, well. Another Fred must work harder......Suck up to the msm and promise everything to everyone and then flip-flop; then we will have our candidate? Give me a break.....Fox News is probably the worst of them all considering they are perceived as somewhat leaning to the right.....They are all Washington elites and hores.....when Fred bows down, maybe the msm will give their seal of you may join our snobbish group......

Fred and Hunter are the only conservatives out there. The polls say alot about the republican party of today. Anyone saying they support any candidates other than these two are not the true republicans; they are all RINOS, period. They have given up their repub credentials and joined anyone at all costs; liberal or not.....

Let's see haw Fred does in Iowa; if he does better than expected....lets look at the, doesn't stand a chance crowd here on this blog and also the msm. Will anyone change their mind? If not, they are hands out rinos, period........give me something! RINOS need to change partied now.....

[reasonisfaith]

Your points are rational in a general sense, although I think I am a bit happier about the potential for Fred to win.

Sure there is uncertainty, but I believe Fred’s grassroots approach these past couple of weeks have earned him a following that will surprise us.

[reasonisfaith]

Ping

[Prophet in the wilderness]

Thanks, KEEP UP THE FAITH.
Go read about the struggle during our fight for independence and observe how George Washington handled it.
Read about how Valley Forge transformed Washington and the Continental Army ( a divine appointment ? look at the name VALLEY FORGE ) .. for it forged out the Army that would defeat the British.
When all seemed lost, and hopeless, George Washington sought out GOD's providence, and I hope GOD will shut up the voices of the naysayers.

[taildragger]

This the thread I wanted to start and hoped to author so eloquently.

Thank you.

To Rush and your Staff you know you are reading this.

Do you remember a certain part of the story of the 1980 U.S. Hockey Team during the 1980 Olympics?

Here is a refresher redacted so the moderator won't pull it:

"Herb Brooks came into the locker room beforehand, and said, "If you lose this game, you will take it to your f****g grave." Then he turned and walked almost all the way out, before turning around and saying again, "To your f***ing grave."

If you don't endorse Fred and we end up with Rudy McHuckamney or Hilda/Breck Girl for 4 to 8 years, we all have to live with the consequences, but you know it is a defining moment for you.

It is time to win the game.

[samtheman]

Although I agree, that Rush should endorse Fred, I’m not so confident as the author is that the endorsement would carry that much weight. Not that Rush isn’t a huge voice in the Conservative crowd. Of course he is. But conservatives, by their very nature, are much less persuaded by endorsements than liberals and leftists are. Liberals and leftists need to be told what to think, while conservatives tend to think for themselves.

The reason Rush is so popular is that he sees his job as showing “the other side of the story”, the side the media tries to cover up and hide. Although Rush thinks for himself, he doesn’t try to think for the rest of us, and leaves us to think for ourselves.

Which is part of the greatness of Rush.

[samtheman]

I’ve heard some people speculate that Rush Limbaugh and some other conservative talk radio hosts actually would LIKE to see a Beast victory, since that would bring about the greatest boom in talk radio (until the Beast outlaws it) in the history of the medium.

One reason Rush should endorse Fred is, perhaps, to kill that kind of speculation.

[Shanty Shaker]

Rush Limbaugh does not endorse candidates in the primaries. This is a time when the Republican party defines itself. If a Limbaugh critic is the nominee it does not make Rush more or less popular.

This is not a time to overreact. The candidate that is overreacting will lose. People may want change but the definition of change cannot change or the candidate will fail - either electorally or in the legislature.

There will be a nominee and it will be the best candidate available this year. Even if I think that man is Fred. :)

[Doctor13]

Hear, hear!!!!

[SoFloFreeper]

An endorsement in the primary season would be a big mistake for Rush. Why put himself on the line? There is not an obvious choice in the Republican field...that is why there is so much "infighting" here on FR.

Each of the men have some good conservative credentials.

The best Rush has said, imo, is that we shouldn't vote "for" a candidate based upon one primary attribute--that is the kind of thinking that kills nominees in the general election.

[nathanbedford]

From a purely self-preservation point of view, Rush Limbaugh will not endorse Fred Thompson at this stage, or anyone else for that matter. To do so and to see Thompson not move upward in the polls would be to expose Limbaugh to be ineffectual. There is no upside for Limbaugh. I judge Rush to be first a radio personality and then a truly dedicated conservative. In other words, he knows he has no chance to do good for conservatism if he has no soapbox. His first rule in everything he does on radio is to protect and further his reputation as an important broadcaster.

This is the source of the braggadocio and self-promotion which are the hallmarks of his radio personality and apparently, are 180° in variance to his off air persona. This style has subsequently been copied by many other broadcasters but it was initiated, in my view, by Rush as a matter of personal compensation and also as a matter of compensation for the low esteem in which conservative opinion was held generally. Limbaugh saw the need to tell his listeners that it was respectable to be a conservative.

So Limbaugh has contrived an aura of sagacity and power which he dares not jeopardize. He often refers to as honorary membership in the house class of 1994, and properly so. He is saying to his audience, "look, see how much power I have!"

This is as it should be. This is as it always has been with all radio broadcasters who have survived. The industry is essentially a confection of vaporous unreality. The talk Jockey must manipulate his audience to go along with the shtick. He cannot, for example, permit himself to be exposed as ignorant or misinformed by one of his callers. He certainly cannot afford to permit himself to be labeled a "racist" by his political enemies. Have you observed how vigorously Rush has always defended himself against these kinds of allegations? He cannot be seen to be on the wrong side of an issue which is dear to his listeners. Did you notice how vigorously he defended himself against attacks by the majority leader which distorted his remarks about soldiers? Ultimately, a radio talk host cannot be exposed as being ineffectual.

Fred Thompson has done nothing to indicate that he can gain traction. There is simply no upside for Limbaugh to be gained by falling on his sword for Thompson. This is not to say that Limbaugh has "no influence" only that he does not have infinite influence and cannot at this stage in Iowa anoint a candidate no matter how much we like him or Limbaugh likes him. At this stage in the game, Thompson must do it on his own. I hope Thompson can do it on his own. If not, then we are going with Romney, and the rest of us must pull up our socks, salute, and serve as good soldiers.

[Coldwater Creek]

That’s true. I love to be entertained by Rush, but as far as, to hanging on to every word. Huh huh. I can think for myself.