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."
bump
Well-said!
You think it is psychotic to not vote for a candidate who supported something you didn't?
Frankly, Republicans gave REPUBLICANS no reason to vote for them, or very little, certainly not enough to get them to turn out in numbers sufficient for a victory. In my case, I've simply lost the ability to deny the glaring truth that we should not still be in Iraq. This should have been over long before this election. What good is it to control the planet's most powerful military if we lack the conviction to project the force necessary to prevail?
Unfortunately, I see it playing out much as you've described. We will win this clash of civilizations, but only after much more bloodshed. We woke up for a minute after 9-11, but if there's anything Bush should be faulted for, it's for letting us fall back asleep.
If the wacko conspiracy nuts had been right, we would have had another 9-11 a month ago...
I think it's psychotic to think that 1 person is going to do what you want them to do 100% of the time. YES.
Exactly right. Rush has just admitted to lying for the sake of expediency.
"Rush didn't say anything that any self-respecting conservative hasn't said over the past 12 years. If anyone is made uncomfortable by Rush's remarks, it's those who sought to liberalize the Republican party with their RINO candidates. And personally, I hope they feel every steel-toed strike of those kicks. They bleeding earned it...and worse."
Absolutely.
Your comment sounds exactly like those of so the called (R's) who wanted to punish the GOP by being the "cut-N-run" "R" "voters"!
Do you belong to one of those?
What happened to the Contract with America???
Well, then avoid Pennsylvania and possibly a few other states because there are some psychos out there. :()
BTW, I don't know 100% for certain that there are folks who voted against Santorum or avoided voting at all due to the Specter deal. I am recalling the posts about the subject from 2004. There were multiple FReepers who said they would not support Santorum after that.
Your comment sounds exactly like those of so the called (R's) who wanted to punish the GOP by being the "cut-N-run" "R" "voters"!
Do you belong to one of those?
What happened to the Contract with America???
At this point we should be helping the shattered Arab and Persian societies by eliminating ALL of what remains of their predestruction leadership and rebuilding the societies with heavy use of Christian missionaries and schools and prohibition of madrassas and mohammedan teaching in schools. The religion cannot be effectively prohibited but as an occupying force in devastated countries we can control the schools. This is, indeed, a religious war, if not for us, it is for the enemy. We must change their religion for our own security. What it is changed to is not terribly important for security but Christianity is the available tool.
You just made my point. Thank you.
Frankly, Republicans gave REPUBLICANS no reason to vote for them, or very little, certainly not enough to get them to turn out in numbers sufficient for a victory. In my case, I've simply lost the ability to deny the glaring truth that we should not still be in Iraq. This should have been over long before this election. What good is it to control the planet's most powerful military if we lack the conviction to project the force necessary to prevail?
Unfortunately, I see it playing out much as you've described. We will win this clash of civilizations, but only after much more bloodshed. We woke up for a minute after 9-11, but if there's anything Bush should be faulted for, it's for letting us fall back asleep.
If the wacko conspiracy nuts had been right, we would have had another 9-11 a month ago...
lol
"It's time we all grow a set the size of grapefruits, take off our gloves, and pound the liberals down into the ground."
Damn right.
There hasn't been a pair of balls in this administration (with the exception of John Bolton) since I can remember.
We've been getting pushed around by everyone, including Iran, Syria, Russia, China and the new government in Iraq. Chavez and Achmadinejad mock us with impunity. Oh, excuse me, I remember now - we can bully Israel all we want. Do the Islamo-fascists fear us? Not anymore.
On the streets of our own country, illegals march by the hundreds of thousands, and what was done? Nothing. Was there a statement made, like militarizing the border? No.
In Congress, they pass a ridiculous restriction on freedom of speech, called McCain-Feingold. Bush thought the campaign finance law was unconstitutional. Did he veto it? No.
I could go on and on, but I'm just too disgusted and dispirited. This country is a laughing stock, now. We've been pacified, feminized and sensitized, and we're being led by cowards and socialists.
I get a kick when I see Freepers deluding themselves as they talk about turning Riyadh or Tehran into glass. We have the might, but we so lack the will. We will never win another war, because we can't stand casualites, ours or theirs. And noone will be stupid enough to fight us with a set-piece army after witnessing the destruction of the Republican Guard in Gulf I.
Thank God I'll be dead for the finale - but my poor grandchildren will have to witness it. And don't forget, the America we knew from it's birth to 1950 or so will disappear when the history books are re-written.
Feh.
Find the guy (or his descendant) who figured out that shaking up Nagasaki and Hiroshima would end WWII. I'll vote for him.
Are you prepared to put 500,000-1,000,000 troops into Iraq to secure the country and protect those missionaries? I think you just decribed the perfect way to prove to the entire Muslim world that bin Laden is "right" about us. You have outlined the perfect plan to reunite the people of Iraq (Sunni, Shia, and Kurd,) against us forever.
If so, you'll be among the lucky ones.
Yeah. Good points. On the 9/11, he could have done a commission---with Mark Levine, and Michael Ledeen, etc. Let THEM torch Clinton. The point is, you cannot, as you point out, in this age of media dominance, cede entire debates about motivation and behavior out of "niceness."
Well, they have two years to do this. It wouldn't occur overnight, and by the time enlistments run out, the Dems could have done their damage.
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.