'Liberated' Limbaugh flays GOP for lame campaign

World Net Daily ^ | 11/8/2206 | Joe Kovacs

[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."

[jonrick46]

You gave a perfect account of Rush's remarks today. Your analysis of the left's plans are spot on. This impact of the 2006 election will be felt for many years. The American electorate, thinking they could teach the Administration a lesson, set in motion a dynamics that will further institutionalize Marxism in this great nation. At the same time, the electorate sent a signal to our adversaries that the America wants to change course in the War on Terror. That signal tells them that there is an easy method to defeat America.

The American people have been led to believe that if there is no strategy for victory in Iraq, that we must get out before any more of our soldiers are killed. The DemonRATs have not told the American people how leaving Iraq can secure the safety of our people against terrorism. The American people are not being told that the strategy for victory is a developmental process which requires trial and error effort. This is a process that cannot be scripted out like a football play. It is not a conventional war; unlike any we have fought before. If we cannot come up with a method to fight this war, we risk losing this nation. The American electorate has failed to accept the reality of the huge risk for the future of this nation. Their vote said to the Administration that because victory has not happened before this election, you are going to feel our punishment. This just the results the terrorists wanted.

[El Gato]

Actually "Blame the Libertarians" may be true. Burns lost by 3000 in MT. The Libertarian vote was 10000 and Burns would have easily had a 1700+ marging amongst those voters.

Balancing that somewhat is that Gail Parker, Independent Green Party (Or Independent Grassroots Party, maybe the Greens made them change it) polled way more votes than the margin in Virginia. Now I don't know exactly what the party is, but it is an environmentalism based party, if not as Watermelon like as the "Greens" (Green on the outside, Red on the inside). She likely took more from the Democrat Webb than Republican Allen.

[Uncle Vlad]

Gee, I didn't know my vote is an entitlement program. I didn't know a party was entitled to my vote no matter how badly they had veered from its principles. Tuesday was a very painful loss, but I hope everyone learned a valuable lesson from it. You can't perform abysmally for an extended time and expect to win elections merely with emotional blackmail. You have to stand for something, and you have to stand up.

By all accounts Burns was a bad candidate and and a bad Senator. If he had done his job and stepped aside when he said he would, the Libertarians would not have been a factor.

[El Gato]

Just like when Rush's hero, Ronald Reagan lost 26 seats in his first moid-term election.

The difference being it was expected, it didn't change control of Congress, and the Dems in his day weren't so rabidly anti American, although they were getting there. Ted Kennedy was leading them, but they still had lots of Yellow Dog Southern Dems in the party in those days. Many or even most of those seats were in the South.

The darker green represents states with 3-5 seat gains for the Dems, while the lighter green shows 1-2 seat gains.

[tkathy]

If the so called "conservatives" want their values, they must come up with articulate powerful candidates who can convince others. The democrats have successfully demonized conservatives as religious extremists who obsess about abortion.

[unsycophant]

<< The democrats have successfully demonized conservatives as religious extremists who obsess about abortion.>>,/p>

They have successfully demonized Republicans who then suffer the consequences. IE: Ann Coulter spouting extremist-sounding rhetoric insulting liberals as being "Godless"-leading people who don't know better to believe the Right are obsessed with religion (and abortion)-and Republicans are guilty by association. Granted, the GOP has allowed it to happen for fear of alienating the religious extremists who obsess about abortion (as if attracting religious votes matter the most). Whatever happened to the big tent?

[SerpentDove]

>>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. ...

I'm sure that comment was aimed at W as much as anyone.<<

When he said that, George Bush's face was what I pictured. The man has been a huge disappointment to me, as have the rest of the RINOs.

I want to know why the likes of Bob Dole and George Bush are foisted upon us as candidates?

[SerpentDove]

>>America seems to be moving back to the center---and the extremes of BOTH parties should better start paying attention.<<

What conservative ideas that were voiced in this election do you consider "extreme"?

Very curious statement. Unless you are part of the "mushy middle".

[tkathy]

I am just trying to point out that the MSM has successfully demonized republicans as being extremist ideologues. I don't think it's at all true, but that is how many people I know who vote dim view republicans.

[mjolnir]

I've heard that argument before, particularly from Cal Thomas, who co-wrote the book "Blinded by Might" on that subject. With all due respect, I think he, and you and your father are largely incorrect on this issue. What I see from Jerry Falwell is that he spends most of his time continuing to build a great university. What I see from Pat Robertson is that he puts out a show, the 700 Club, that spends very little time on politics and where it does, it focuses on issue like abortion and traditional marriage.

It's true that James Dobson has probably gotten a swelled head-- this came out when he personally ripped Republican leaders as accesories in the killing of an innocent for spending what Dobson thought was their taking undue time in crafting a loophole-free bill to protect her. As it turned out, he was wrong and they were right, but since then, I'll admit has only gotten more and more arrogant. But I fail to see how the actions or tone of one man indicts the Republican Party or the evangelical movement. The Democrat Party is devoted to advancing secularism-- it is not only anti-Christian, but anti-theistic.

I fail to see how advocating protection for the unborn or traditional marriage goes beyond the bounds of the proper role of government or how social conservatives who advocate such are somehow speaking out of turn. I'm sure your father is a great guy, but I don't see any plausible arguments for his political stance.

[Unknown Pundit]

I pointed to Falwell and Robertson in response to your Jackson, Kuo response to my orginal post.

Whether my father and I are wrong, at least social conservatives need to understand that there are many voters that reject their agenda for reasons other than the simplistic response that they are "pro-sin". If they want to attract these voters to the conservative side, they may want to re-think some things.

I'm not going to argue my point any further. Just remember that if the day comes when the social conservatives over-reach politically and harm the moral credibility of Christianity, let alone set back the general conservative movement, you were warned. Take care. ;-)

[Phantom Lord]

Then you can prosecute the bribary. But you can't prosecute the pardons.

[Phantom Lord]

You're free to disagree, and yes, the sell on privatizing SS can be done, especially to younger people. But they are not close to a majority or even a plurarlity. And to them, retirement is so far off in the distance they don't even bother with IRAs most often, and a surprisingly low number participate in 401(k)s when their employer offers one.

They would rather have the extra $20 a paycheck and spend it on an iPod.

I wish it were different, but it isn't.

[Defiant]

Duh.