Posted on 05/17/2007 7:26:05 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Rush Limbaugh, the most-listened-to radio host in the U.S. and America's No. 1 voice for conservatism, says he alone has the power to select the 2008 Republican nominee for president at this point, but he's avoiding promoting one candidate over another so as not to sound like a "cheerleader."
Limbaugh's remarks came today during his analysis of last night's GOP presidential debate in South Carolina, as a caller urged Rush to throw his support behind Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, as the caller claimed Paul was the most conservative of the field of candidates.
"I don't think Congressman Paul has a snowball's chance," Limbaugh said.
"You have the power yourself to make him the Republican nominee," the caller responded.
"That is very true, and that is why I must exercise this power responsibly, not as a cheerleader," said Limbaugh, "which is why I'm not picking a name right now. I alone have the power to move the [Republican] base."
Limbaugh continued:
The exercise of my 'power' – it's not something I'm really conscious of on a daily basis, but it would be foolish and silly for me to deny that I possess it. But the primary effort in the usage of my power is to educate and inform as many people as possible so they get in the arena of ideas and eventually go vote. Because I believe in ideas and ideas triumph, and when elections are won, I want them to be won on ideas, not labels and other things that are devoid of substance. ... But I did want to make note that I finally have now acknowledged what everybody knows, and it is one of the reasons that I am the biggest target of the American left simply because of that power. This is a power, my friends, that could be used for good or evil. I choose to use it for good. ... It's the elephant in the room. Why deny it? That would be false humility, and there's nothing that grates on me more than a person that engages in false humility and tries to laugh it off. ... I'm not going to sit here and deny what you all know.
Rep. Ron Paul
Paul was in the limelight during last night's debate as he was confronted by former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who objected to Paul's suggestion that prolonged U.S. presence in the Middle East was a contributing factor to the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
"They attack us because we've been over there. We've been bombing Iraq for 10 years. ... We've been in the Middle East," Paul, an opponent of the Iraq war, explained. "Right now, we're building an embassy in Iraq that is bigger than the Vatican. We're building 14 permanent bases. What would we say here if China was doing this in our country or in the Gulf of Mexico? We would be objecting.
"They are delighted that we're over there because Osama bin Laden has said, 'I'm glad you're over on our sand because we can target you so much easier.' They have already now since that time they've killed 3,400 of our men and I don't think it was necessary," he continued.
Republicans on stage at University of South Carolina
Giuliani interrupted: "That's really an extraordinary statement, as someone who lived through the attack of Sept. 11, that we invited the attack because we were attacking Iraq. I don't think I have ever heard that before and I have heard some pretty absurd explanations for Sept. 11. I would ask the congressman withdraw that comment and tell us that he didn't really mean that."
Paul stood by his remarks.
"Politics is perception, the perception of what he said is not good for him," Limbaugh said today. "You're not going to be able to clean it up."
Limbaugh also discussed why Paul was at the top or near the top of many interactive polls, explaining the congressman has many loyal supporters who are "spamming" Internet surveys with their votes for Paul. He also says media outlets are being flooded with messages from the Paul campaign.
WND has been among the news agencies deluged with Paul material, including this e-mail today:
C'mon now, according to all polls taken after both debates, Ron Paul is clearly a favorite of the American people. He has either won every poll I've seen, or come in a very close second!
What's a guy got to do these days to get some media coverage? besides having millions of dollars of special interest money, that is.
Think outside the box a little bit, and rise up out of the status quo, because if you don't, people are going to keep flooding to the Internet for there [sic] information.
The people want REAL changes now, and Ron Paul is the only candidate with enough courage and vision to bring it about.
Thanks for listening, a VERY concerned citizen
Limbaugh said Paul leans toward Libertarian views that the U.S. does not belong in the Middle East, which Limbaugh called "not realistic."
He was very tongue in cheek about the whole thing. I thought it quite funny.
Has everyone lost their sense of humor?
Many on this forum denigrate Rush for his addiction, I applaud him for overcoming it so successfully. Most folks lose that battle and die.
As for those of us who are holier than thou,
what would the microscope in your own lives reveal?
All hail to the Rushman!
I did listen today. His remarks were tongue in cheek. He was making fun of those who believe that he alone picks and chooses the nominee.
His making fun of those people should have been obvious to anyone listening.
Rush is probably the one guy in the country that could save America from congress and the illegal aliens, by coalescing the diverse outrage into formidable and focused opposition so intense that congress cannot ignore it.......I don’t think anyone else can do it!
(I’m talking about this monstrous legislation, not the election)
Certainly didn’t SHUT UP Duncan Hunter, who gave an interview to the Lou Dobbs reporter on CNN (what, that’s a NETWORK, I’ve never heard of it.)
I will lighten up :)
It was. I guess you just had to hear it. I can see how reading it could cause it to be taken wrong though.
Rush rules!
Hey Rush, if you have so much power why don’t you use a bit of it to bury the amnesty crap? There’s always time to “annoint” later.
Rush has no power to predestine who will be the Republican nominee. Because, today with that goose George Bush and his Democrat Party Amnesty bill coming from the Senate, the outrage from the base of Republicans in reaction to this is what is going to have the big impact on this nomination, not Rush. Right now, I am watching live on FOX, again the invaders waving Mexican Flags. I am so angry at Bush at this point, I honestly do not have the words for it. And if the Republicans who are against this do NOT go as a committed team and stand before Bush and tell him clearly and publicly for all of us to hear that they oppose this, oppose the Bush-Kennedy Amnesty, then that is the end of the Republicans for years to come. Bush is destroying the Republican Party, he has turned out to be the biggest Buffalo the Republicans have ever put forward - and the base who will not stand for this want to see the real Republicans to directly and publicly confront Bush at this time on this matter. To hell with the six Republican swine who have betrayed us, we know what they are - but as for those other Republicans who oppose this, they need to confront Bush directly and PUBLICALLY right NOW - we are waiting, and if they can’t even do that, then you will see what is going to happen. The anger will be such, that will be way more than just of few who are going to say to hell with it, to hell with it all. This is the issue of this campaign. Bush is the worst President next to Jimmy Carter that we have ever had, this yet again outrageous affront to our national identity to think that imposing a powerless serf class from Mexico upon this nation will in some way make this nation stronger is enough to make me now, and literally, cringe every time I hear that voice of George Bush. This is what is going to have real impact, this anger from the base, it is not Rush.
You took the words out of my mouth.
Rush's comments today were of his normal self-promotional style, "Talent on loan from God; Half his brain tied behind his back; Excellence in broadcasting; etc"
It was all tongue in cheek. Well, mostly.
What an immature thing to say. It is obvious you did not listen to his show. If you did, you would have known he was making fun of those that believe him to have that power.
And bringing up his addiction, which, to his credit, he has apparently beaten, sounds eerily similar to what a far left liberal would say.
Or it sounds like someone who is not adult enough to admit that Rush was strong enough to face his addiction, and overcome it.
I love your tagline!!!
All said tongue in cheek. He does this quite often and if you are not a regular listener you do not understand this.
Listen sometime and see what I mean.
Yeah that's it Rush. The Paul campaign is calling all these places and 5 spammers are spamming the Internet surveys. Guess that's why Fox went to a phone survey. Oh wait that didn't turn out so well did it? Hannity talked the format up until it didn't come out like he wanted. Only then was it the spammers.
I alone have the power to move the [Republican] base."
I used to listen to Rush long ago, but only in the past few years have I realized what a pompous horse's behind he's become. He has the power to 'annoint' a candidate? Don't want us thinking for ourselves eh Rushbo? Well only if you we 'think' with you. How thoughtful....
Come one Jv, you do not think he would say something like this and really mean it do you?
He was just being Rush.
Thanks! One of my FReeper FRiends suggested it when I couldn’t think of what to put there.
I like it. (Especially after the day I had at work today.)
It was totally tongue in cheek. The left loves to quote Rush out of context or pretend he’s serious when he’s joking. It always suprises me that so many freepers fall for it every time.
He was joking, billbears.
Ron Paul may have some interesting and worthwhile things to say but his delivery is not good and he looks a little weird. Democrats would eat him for lunch in a debate.
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