Posted on 03/25/2011 5:44:32 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
BEGIN TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: Craig in central Florida. You are on Open Line Friday. Hi.
CALLER: Hey, Rush. Dittos. It's great to talk to you.
RUSH: Thank you, sir, very much.
CALLER: I'll get right to my point here. I just have a simple question for you. Are you going to endorse a GOP candidate?
RUSH: You mean in the primaries?
CALLER: Yes.
RUSH: It would only be the second time if I did it. I know, the pressure is on, the pressure is on. Everybody says look what happened last time when I didn't, I know.
CALLER: If you don't plan to, I beg you to do it, you know, considering the circumstances in the country right now, and based on the results from last time, getting McCain.
RUSH: Yeah, I know. You're blaming me for that?
CALLER: No, no, no, I'm not blaming you. I mean, everybody has a reason for what they do but, you know, the country needs conservatives, in particular need that kind of leadership.
RUSH: Let me ask you a question. I'm gonna turn it around on you. You know who the field is right now pretty much, right?
CALLER: Yeah.
RUSH: Who do you endorse?
CALLER: If I had to vote for somebody right now I'd probably vote for Bachmann.
RUSH: Michele Bachmann.
CALLER: I mean I like Palin. I don't really understand all the hatred for Palin. I think it's almost like an infection that a lot of even conservatives buy into that --
RUSH: Fear. It's fear.
CALLER: I don't understand it, but I would vote for Bachmann. But you know it's gonna save the candidates a ton of money, a tone of hard feelings and backbiting. And it's gonna allow them to save their money to go up against Obama who's gonna have, they say, a billion dollars in the bank.
RUSH: Well, some of that goes beyond the scope of my responsibilities here, saving money. But nevertheless, I understand your concerns. It's a question I've been asked by many. If you look at the way this field is shaping up, you've got Bachmann, you have Palin, Christie, Trump, any number of people here that you could coalesce behind. It will be an interesting period of time. Did I hear you say that you like McCain or did you say Palin?
CALLER: No, no, no, I like Palin.
RUSH: Palin.
CALLER: McCain, I feel the same way that you do about McCain. I mean I voted for him but I held my nose when I did it, though.
RUSH: Well, the real question is who is Colin Powell going to endorse because he is said to be the prototypical Republican and he's not gonna be running and we've always been told that General Powell, keep a sharp eye on how he's thinking, who he endorses, that's probably the best route the Republican Party could take.
CALLER: Well, I could kinda care less about that, but I think you're ducking me here. You're really not gonna give me a yes or no?
RUSH: (laughing) I'm just having fun with you.
CALLER: I know.
RUSH: No, I don't know. Look, what do you want me to do? If there's nobody in the field that I am jazzed about, which is entirely possible, if there's nobody in the field, what I'm gonna have to do then is say, okay, this election had better be about Obama, and I think it ought to be anyway. This election should be all about Obama because, frankly, I would vote for Elmer Fudd than Obama. I would vote for whoever the Republicans nominate.
CALLER: Of course.
RUSH: I don't care.
CALLER: Everybody would. Any conservative would, but you're in a unique position to just clean out the field, allow all these candidates to back up the person --
RUSH: No. No wait a minute, now. Wait a minute -- (crosstalk)
CALLER: -- spending their money trashing them.
RUSH: I'm not trying to slither out of this. I'm trying to tell you as honestly as I can, what if there isn't anybody I'm passionate about? I could do that, I could pick somebody, but if I don't have passion about it, I can't. I'm not a liar. I can't come in here and tell you I'm razzmatazz, rolled, and ready to go.
CALLER: Nah, you don't have to be passionate to endorse somebody.
RUSH: Thanks to you my own staff is ganging up on me in here.
CALLER: Good.
RUSH: The election is going to be about Obama. (interruption) I'm suggesting to you that it is entirely possible a loser candidate will get the nomination. That's what I'm telling you. It has to be about Obama, it has to be. That's what all this is about. It has to be about Obama. We can't handle four more years of this. What do you mean, if it's you-know-who? Who the hell is you-know-who? (laughing) Now they're throwing names at me, folks, they're telling me, "If you know it's such-and-such it's gonna be a disaster and if it's that person it's gonna be a disaster." It may well be. That's what I'm telling you. It may well be a disaster, and regardless what it is, the election has to be about Obama, it's got to be. That's the only logical thing anyway. We have got to stop this, even if it's a stopgap, Elmer Fudd, I don't care, pick a name. This is why I don't understand all this talk, and I hear about people, "I don't think Palin's the one, do you, Rush?" Well, she's a lot better than some of the others already in the field, all right? We could say that about a lot of them. (interruption) Yeah, I know, I know, I need to -- (interruption) No, because nobody knows that.
Snerdley's just said, "You gotta pick the person who can win." I gotta pick the person who could best beat Obama, who has the best chance of beating Obama, that's what you think? Who can win the nomination or beat Obama? Saving the country is about getting rid of Obama, and I'm telling you, you guys are not hearing me. You're not hearing me because you don't want to face the truth. The truth is, the sad reality is we may end up with Milquetoast as a nominee. We still have to get rid of Obama, in which case it has to be, the election has to be about Obama. It has to be. You'll see. You'll see. Staff still doubts me. I know some of you people do, but they know me best, they still doubt me. I'll tell you this. Whoever in this field takes it to Obama the straightest, the hardest, and the most direct is who's gonna win. Somebody's gonna have to take it to Obama. This is not a pussyfoot around type election. This is not, "Well, we gotta worry about what they say about us, gotta worry about our PR, we gotta worry about charges of racism." Somebody's gonna have to be willing to take it to Obama. It's going to be about him and four more years of this stuff, and we'll see if there's anybody in this field willing to do that. All right. Thanks for the call out there. I appreciate it.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: I'll tell you something else. This Libya stuff and the Japanese earthquake has created an impression that might not be accurate. Let me just put it this way. Do not believe that the Tea Party has forgotten about this budget business, the spending, what the Republicans on Capitol Hill are doing, make no mistake. They are as focused, they're gonna be as demanding, they're gonna be watching. It's only intensifying. This reluctance on the part of the Republican leadership to deal seriously with spending and defund Obamacare, there is a lot happening, it's not being reported on 'cause the press shoves it aside for this sexier stuff, the Japanese earthquakes, the tsunami, the Japanese syndrome and all that stuff, then Libya and everything else, but the pressure being brought to bear on Republicans regarding spending, Tea Party, they're swelling in their ranks, their enthusiasm's growing, their demands are intensifying. Just 'cause you're not hearing about it doesn't mean that it's been forgotten or the energy or passion has evaporated, because that isn't the case at all.
END TRANSCRIPT
I don’t see that as a problem. Rush could endorse Palin and, if she lost, he could switch to the person who won.
He’d just have to be careful not to diss any other strong possibilities, just concentrate on Palin’s good qualities.
Rubio needs time. He is a young gun. No one will trust a candidate that young and fiery. A few good years and we might just have an honest to G-d Conservative dynasty on our watch. I am patient. His day will come, but not today.
LOL. Now that's funny. Best laugh on the thread.
He is right 98% of the time because he researches almost everything he takes a position on. Neither of them like being wrong.Especially Rush.
It's gonna be interesting. Probably none of us know what he will wind up doing.
Absolutely, Marco is a rock star of the future. He will be high up in the party and probably President one day.
At this early point in the process, Rush has to say what he has to say, when cornered like that by a caller. He's not ready to really speak his mind, and I can't say that I blame him. There isn't even a declared field of contenders yet.
Who? If Palin and Bachman don’t run there’s no real consrvative candidate. In that case I would just let the process take it’s course and endorse whoever the eventual nominee is nad like he sayd...make the whole election about the epic failure that obama is!
Oh, I agree. I did say that West might swing a few minority votes to the Republican side. Like you, I'm a realist about that.
As far as blacks not respecting conservatives of their ilk, I've got personal experience in that area .. LOL
Allen West, a black Republican former lieutenant colonel, won Florida’s 22nd Congressional District. Its racial demographics are 82.3% white, 3.8% black, 1.7% Asian, 10.7% Hispanic, 0.1% American Indian and 0.2% other.
Tim Scott, a black Republican candidate, won South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District. Its racial demographics are 74.8% white, 21.1% black, 1.3% Asian, 2.5% Hispanic, 0.4% American Indian and 0.2% other. ...
WE are soooo racist I ust might have to slap myself.
Thing is, will black people go out of their way to vote for someone who ISN’T black?
Want a good laugh? You gotta read this!
Politics
A Pre-Emptive Political Obituary For The Young Man Who Wants Allen West’s Seat
http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/juice/2011/03/fresh-faced_young_accountant_w.php
I howled!!!
At that point he does not want his audience to stay home or lose enthusiasm as the stakes are just too high.
If all Rush cares about is his personal fortune and radio empire, then what good is he really? Do you honestly believe that's all that really matters to him? I don't.
He stood and championed the cause of conservatism when most considered it to be professional suicide, and he won. He's remained a steadfast voice for America's founding principles, ever since.
I don't believe that he takes any of this lightly, nor is he only looking at it through the lens of his career and business. He wants what we want, but he also understands that he holds a great deal of influence and power in his position - power that, unless carefully used, can do great harm to those he most wishes to support.
So far, Trump is the only one that has shown brass to fit the bill.
I totally agree! Cain/Palin is not going to make any gains.
I totally agree! Cain/Palin is not going to make any gains.
There is some bad blood between Rush and gnewt...especially when gnewt declared Reagan Conservatism d e d. I think Rush would swallow his tongue if gnewt got it, but he would support him for all the reasons you stated. Rush doesn’t need the money. He is a patriot. He has proven that time and time again, yet people still question it. I have to shake my head sometimes...
Sarah Palin has been showing her "brass" and taking Obama to the woodshed for two and a half years. Have you forgotten that already?
Not now. Right now, with the islamic horde clawing at our throats, we need someone who knows and understands islam upside-down and inside-out. WEST absolutely does. Let Ryan and his people deal with the economy from where they are.
Our enemy is already through the gates. Palin will need a strong right hand she can trust. I have watched Col. West since his days in Iraq. He is the man. No doubt in my mind. He is honest and he is not corrupt. He is loyal and has already put his life on the line for us, US.
I would trust him with my life and I would trust him with the country I love.
Yet Hannity has Newt on his show three times a week, despite every turncoat thing he's done. I tell you, that boy is entirely out to lunch when it comes to who he supports. He's starting to seem like the conservative equivalent of Ed Shultz, or Chris Matthews to me.
Rush is obviously giving Newt the cold shoulder he deserves.
I think Rush would swallow his tongue if gnewt got it, but he would support him for all the reasons you stated.
If some dastardly miracle were to happen, and Newt became our nominee, I think that Rush would take off on one of his extended vacations to calm down. I, for one, don't believe that he'd ever wholeheartedly give a RINO like Newt his full support. I think he'd tell his listeners to "vote your conscience."
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.