Posted on 02/13/2012 7:00:54 AM PST by SeekAndFind
A strong case could be made that Rick Santorum owes much of the credit for his recent surge to Rush Limbaugh -- whether Rush wants that credit or not. Events of this past week seem to indicate that Senator Santorum would concur. In the past few days his campaign has wisely exploited some of Rush's words and they are proudly featuring them everywhere.
The implication -- if not the explicit language -- is that Rush prefers Santorum to either Newt or Mitt.
And beyond doubt, there are a couple of show segments which could fairly be interpreted just that way. And it may be true for all I know.
Which begs the question, if Rush is not endorsing Santorum, will he sit by and allow Santorum to use snippets of his show to lend that impression? It also begs the question about how thoroughly Rush has checked Santorum out -- given the unusual disparity between the reality of Santorum and what Rush has said about the former Senator.
I submit that upon further review, Rush might not really want ownership of this fast rolling train.
Now to be clear, Rush has not overtly endorsed Santorum or anyone and has expressly said many times that he will not do so. A review of his show will verify that he has had various segments that were friendly to Newt Gingrich and at times to Mitt Romney as well as his positivity for Santorum. Meanwhile, Rush has been -- consistent with Limbaugh doctrine of many years -- critical of both Newt and Mitt on numerous occasions. In fact he has criticized Mitt's moderate moments for many months.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
Rush didn't play that game in 2008, the whole world knew that he supported Romney and despised his challengers.
All of which is *entirely* your projection, not based in reality. If Santorum becomes president, I don't think Rush will have buyer's remorse any more than he had buyer's remorse with Bush (and he did have some with Bush but he'd LOVE that today over where the country is with Obama). We do not know if Santorum was genuinely as conservative as a Northeastern Republican senator from a heavily unionized state can be and whether that projects to how he would govern the entire country rather than representing the people of Pennsylvania. Only winning the election would tell us how he would govern as president. And I'm still amazed that Newtbots think Santorum will be hugely unpopular with the general electorate while pimping a candidate who is demonstrably already hugely unpopular with the general electorate and already at war with the mainstream media. Or do you not look at Newt's high negatives because they instantly thwart most of your theories on getting Newt elected?
I agree with your piece. For those who isten to Rush with a practiced ear, honed over many years or decades of regular listening, he is now fully on board with Santorum. He played his cards a little closer to the vest as long as Bachmann and Perry were still in the race, making frequent proclamations that they, plus Santorum, were the “true” conservatives in the race.
Rush was warming up to Newt a little bit after a few of Newt’s better debate performances. It was when Newt started the attack on Romney about his role at Bain that Newt completely lost whatever chance Rush was willing to give him.
For Rush to look more deeply into the supposed conservatism he imparts to Santorum, and his wholesale write-off of Newt’s candidacy, would require time and effort that I don’t believe Rush is willing to expend. Rush has acknowledged for the most part that he didn’t even bother to watch hardly any of the debates. He’s just not that into it.
These days, unless it’s about marketing tea, playing golf, or watching football, I’m unconvinced that Rush has much interest or passion in anything else, including politics. As a Rush fan of nearly twenty years, it’s been sad to observe. I still listen every day, mostly out of habit and out of a genuine affection for the guy. But it’s been several years since I felt like Rush knew a lot more about the issues and the players than I do.
I look for Rush to wait until the contest is down to Romney and Santorum (if it keeps going the way it appears to be going), at which time he will formally endorse Santorum. As a Newt supporter, saying this brings me no joy.
I agree that the attacks on Bain soured Rush on both Newt and Perry. He felt that was an affront to capitalism and capitalism is probably as close to his heart as any other issue.
Well, you oughta know cause it looks like you’re the author of this irrational essay.
Give a link, please, referencing any time Rush EVER took credit for the results of an election.
Otherwise, you have outed yourself as an imbecilic liar.
Rush does not endorse; he only tries to keep the appearance of his own effectiveness as high as he can.
*
>> “What does a man who has been dead for over a hundred years got to do with this?” <<
.
One third of this country is stupid enough to worship that dead idiot.
I think Rush was more forgiving of Perry and his attacks on “vulture capitalism” because Perry started out as a candidate that Rush felt he could support. As far as Newt was concerned, he had to earn Rush’s good will from the get-go. Rush was disinclined to be forgiving about the couch time with Pelosi. Particularly after the Juan Williams debate, Rush was in the early stages of thinking he might trust Newt again. Then Newt started the Bain bashing (which Perry subsequently joined in on). IMO, when both candidates knocked that off, in Rush’s eyes it might be forgiven in Perry’s instance, but not in Newt’s. I could be completely wrong about all of this, but I don’t think so.
IMHO, Rush really started watching Newt with a wary eye a few years back when Newt declared, "the era of Reagan is over." Rush blasted Newt on air to the point that Newt requested to come on Rush's show and clarify his remarks. IIRC, this was around 2008 or 2009.
Rush, as a communications professional, though it was a poor choice of words even if well intended, and he was right.
A stronger case could be made that credit goes to Newt for his performance in Fla.
Not so. In 2008, he waited until the primary field was narrowed down to Romney and McCrazy, at which point he endorsed Romney.
These GOP elitists HATE Limbaugh. Hate him worse than any democrat.
But your point was more central, you wanted to know when he took credit for influencing an election. So how bout this?
Obama is burning cash fighting Operation Chaos. Here's the latest poll numbers. "Barack Obama's big national lead over Hillary Clinton has all but evaporated in the U.S. presidential race, and both Democrats trail Republican John McCain, according a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday. The poll showed Obama had only a statistically insignificant lead of 47 percent to 44 percent over Clinton, down sharply from a 14 point edge he held over her in February. ... The poll showed Arizona Sen. McCain, who has clinched the Republican presidential nomination, is benefiting from the lengthy campaign battle between Obama and Clinton." Well, yes, which was the primary purpose of Operation Chaos. So his stupendously successful Operation Chaos had a purpose of influencing the course of an election!
How about this one?
Now, I know this sounds like an ego thing, it's not. I'm trying to make a point here. Imagine if I had gone with the flow and said, "Okay, he's a new president, deserves a honeymoon, we gotta give him a chance," that was the Republican call to arms, that was the conservative intellectual call to arms. We've gotta give him a chance. He's a centrist, he's well spoken, we gotta give this guy's ideas a chance. I was the most public opponent to all this. What if I had gone along? If I had gone along, I don't know where we would be. Would we have gotten health care in August? Well, that's arguable, Snerdley. I don't know that we would have. We might have had cap and trade. Would there have been a Scott Brown?
Personally, although Rush, Levin and Beck may have helped, it is Santorum tireless efforts that have ultimately helped his campaign. Plus, Milt’s insincerity and unfair attacks against underfunded opponents, and Rick’s own outstanding debate performances in Fla. have jolted his campaign in a positive direction. Bob
If you have to ask.........
[CITATION NEEDED]
That is about the sickest post you have made, at least of the other Cr@p post of yours that I have read.
Take Palin’s advice, don’t do the MSM’s work for them. They really don’t need any help.
So, why hasn’t Sarah Palin wholly dispatched Romney, and urged the candidacies of Rick and/or Newt from Day One?
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