Posted on 11/08/2006 11:54:25 AM PST by Ol' Sparky
'Liberated' Limbaugh flays GOP for lame campaign
Radio host: Conservative values not trumpeted by 'I'm-afraid-of-my-shadow Republican Party'
Posted: November 8, 2006
2:10 p.m. Eastern
By Joe Kovacs
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com
Radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh says Republicans are to blame for their own demise at the polls by failing to run a campaign trumpeting conservative values.
"You and I hunger for ideological leadership and we're not getting it from the top. Conservatism, conservative ideology was nowhere to be found in this campaign from the top," Limbaugh said today in his post-election analysis. "The Democrats beat something with nothing. They didn't have to take a stand on anything other than their usual anti-war position. They had no clear agenda and believe me, they didn't dare offer one. Liberalism will still lose every time it's offered."
Democrats took control of the House of Representatives for the first time since 1994, with the fate of the Senate still uncertain.
Limbaugh said Republicans allowed themselves to be defined by Democrats and the media, and says they instead should have gone on the offensive.
"It's silly to blame the media. It is silly to blame the Democrats. It is silly to go out and try to find all these excuses," he said. "We have proven we can beat them. We've proven we can beat Democrats. We've proven we can withstand whatever we get from the drive-by media. Conservatism does that. Conservatism properly applied – proudly, eagerly with vigor and honesty – will triumph that nine times out of 10 in this current political environment and social environment in this country. It just wasn't utilized in this campaign."
Limbaugh, a longtime proponent of conservative ideology, believes the primary reason Republicans didn't campaign on their beliefs is "fear of criticism from those in the so-called establishment; and nobody wants to be criticized and nobody wants to go through their life in fear."
He listed a number of benchmarks which should have been the basis for successful campaigns including no terrorist attacks on the U.S. since Sept. 11, 2001, gasoline prices averaging $2.08 per gallon, increased take-home pay, a strong economy and an unemployment rate at a historically low level.
"We all know that there's very positive things happening out there, but it was not trumpeted by the people who should have been shouting it from the rooftops because they were proud of it," Limbaugh said. "They should have been shouting it from the rooftops, 'Look what we've done! Look how America can improve. Look how your future is brighter!' ... instead of allowing the template to be set by its critics. ... You have a defensive, Gee-I'm-afraid-of-my-shadow Republican Party."
In answering questions about how he feels about the election results, Limbaugh said, "I feel liberated. ... I no longer am gonna have to carry the water for people who I think don't deserve having their water carried. ... If those in our party who are going to carry the day in the future both in Congress and the administration are going to choose a different path than what most of us believe, then that's liberating. ...
"There have been a bunch of things going on in Congress. Some of this legislation coming out of there that I have just cringed at. And it has been difficult coming in here trying to make the case for it when the people who supposedly in favor of it can't even make the case themselves."
During the last mid-term congressional election in 2002, Limbaugh proclaimed the Democratic Party to be in total chaos, and advised it to drop failed strategies if members wish to see political gains in the future.
"They're a party in total disarray, total collapse, total chaos," he said at the time.
During the 2004 campaign, Limbaugh said the Democratic Party was completely without a leader in its hunt to regain the White House, and members were desperately trying to invent one.
"They are so absent leadership right now it's a joke," said Limbaugh, "and everybody knows this in the media, and the Democrats are out trying to manufacture one – they're trying to create one. And they've got this list of nine candidates for the Democratic nomination, and nobody can name one of them."
I knew when Limbaugh started having all of the GOP clowns on his show over the last few days we were toast. Maybe he won't have to do that anymore. I'll never forget the day the VP told him he was going to "love Harriet Myers."
This whole thing has made me sick to my stomach!
I think so.
I fully expect G.W. to go do battle with mad bunny rabbits, just like Jimmuh. He's been that bad...
Ah, that's not what people around here have been saying; I'm sure they're wrong though.
Unfortunately it isn't the cost of the war that has driven up the debt and caused large budget deficeits. It is discretionary spending, which has grown faster under President Bush than any other President except LBJ. And that was a year ago. He may have passed LBJ by now.
I listened to Rush today and in all the years I've heard him I've never heard him talk like this. He has clearly given up on the Republican Party and this president. He is boldly saying that Bush is obviously just concerned about utilizing the same techniques Clinton did in order to raise his approval rating by pleasing the Dems. Rush said Bush is going to give Pelosi and the others everything they want.
He's saying it's going to get worse before it gets better and when a caller called in saying that, as the result of what will probably happen in '08, conservatives are going to lose their voice - Rush said it is quite possible.
Did you catch that?
We're in deep trouble and Rush not only knows it, he's proclaiming it.
Rush says most in this country are conservative. If they are - one thing is for sure. They have no spine and don't care enough about the unborn and our children to take action when necessary.
He says the Democrats went center in order to win, but he said none of those Democrats will buck Pelosi because she's the one who got them there. She'll promise them goodies if they do as she wants. If they don't she'll let them know they only get two years. So the idea that leftists won't make progress with their agenda is a mirage.
"They were cover to get a far left leadership in place." Straight quote from Rush. He says it's basically voter fraud because the whole thing was manipulated.
With over 45 million abortions and a silent conservative "party"....we're going to pay as a "Christian" country. Most of our pulpits are silent.
We're moving closer to a socialist nation. Time to wake up and get more active and speak out more - before we lose even more freedoms.
If we get a Democrat president and congress in '08 (Clinton/Obama) our freedom of speech on this board will be in jeopardy. Radio programs like Rush's will be altered to accommodate liberals. Freedom to own guns will be under fire by the Democrats. We'll be in serious danger of losing our national sovereignty. Homosexuals will be marrying and people will be forced by law into compliance with everything they want.
This is what awaits us all if we sit on our hands and tape our mouths shut.
My how the worm has turned. Just a short while ago the outright demise of the Democrat party was being loudly trumpeted in that the Party of the Big Tent was in tatters, and couldn't adequately cover the ideals and philosophies of Pelosi, Boxer, Feinstein, Clinton, Gore, Edwards, Kerry, Daschle, Jackson, Shiela Lee, Sharpton, Murtha, et ali.
Sounds like a little Monday morning quarterbacking to me. If I recall Rush was telling his audience just yesterday that Democrats were in for BIIIIIIIG surprise. "They were spinking the ball at the 10 yard line"
I watched the President on the campaign trail and all he talked about was the economy and a strong defense and how Democrats had no plan.
I think we need to look a little deeper - Republicans should have expressed their views a little stronger, but I don't remember this outrage from Rush before the election.
Well, there are quite a few of us around here who have been told for the last eight years we're not conservative enough.
You want us to leave, too?
Just what we need. Another set of leaders who are adulterers and on the take. No thanks.
Sorry, you can keep telling that lie, but it doesn't make it anymore true. Conservatism didn't lose. Far from it. If you look at the campaigns where conservatives did run, you'll notice that the Democrats copied the Republicans and ran as conservatives. (Like the Hayworth race.)
We are not the clueless ones, nor are we the ones who keep rearranging the deck chairs. Continuing to the Left will ruin this party. A return to real conservative roots will lead us to victory.
The American public agrees with real conservatism. We will take back this party.
Now that the 2008 campaign has unofficially begun, can you throw out any names of a "Reagan conservative" who can sock it to Tubba in the next presidential campaign?
Sure, the republican party more closely represents your views. They do mine too.
But as you've stated, character matters. 98% of the truth is not a sign of character.
I am quoting seasoned traditionalist .
I've been pointing out that it's absurd to insist that conservatives support liberals when it's obvious that the RINO-coddlers are not taking their own medicine when a conservative comes up in the primaries or general elections.
To that end, yes, I do believe it's time to purge the party of those pro-liberal turncoats.
The name "Harriet Meyers" comes to mind.
"I no longer am gonna have to carry the water for people who I think don't deserve having their water carried."
What made you ever feel you had to shill for the lowlifes in the first place, Rush?
Like Tony Snow this morning saying "now perhaps they can pass immigration reform the GOP refused to pass?"
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