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Rush Limbaugh defends Rubio’s debate answer: He’s absolutely right about Obama
Hotair ^ | 02/08/2016 | AllahPundit

Posted on 02/08/2016 12:40:30 PM PST by SeekAndFind

Via the Daily Rushbo, that’s the second time in a week that Rush has given Rubio a vote of confidence at a moment when the rest of the field (Ted Cruz very much included) is desperate to blow him up. That feels strange after so many months of Limbaugh mainstreaming Trump on the right — as I said in last week’s post, it’s hard to be pro-Trump and pro-Rubio — but it makes sense strategically. If Rubio collapses, conservatives are left with Cruz and … that’s pretty much it, given that the other remaining survivors in the field are apt to be Trump, Kasich, and/or Bush. Unless you want to (shudder) take a second look at Jeb, you need Rubio in there in case Cruz hits a wall after the SEC primary. For all his faults, from amnesty to hyper-interventionism to his inability to stray off-script even when he’s being mocked for staying relentlessly on script, Rubio would still be more conservative as president than the rest of his center-right competition. Rush is simply playing the long game here by declining to wreck him for his debate stumble.

As for the substance of Rubio’s answer, I wouldn’t go as far in claiming that “Obama knows what he’s doing.” Domestically, that’s true: ObamaCare wasn’t an accident. It’s true in some foreign policy matters too, like the Iran deal. O succeeded there in his goal of neutralizing the threat, if you define “the threat” as “American hawks willing to risk war with Iran to stop their nuclear program.” He took war off the table for the foreseeable future, even at the price of legitimizing uranium enrichment by Iran in 15 years’ time. He knew what he was doing. I’ll never buy that he knew what he was doing in Libya and Syria, though. There’s no strategic benefit to setting red lines for Assad on WMD and vowing that Assad must go and then failing to follow through on either of those threats later. It’s pure amateurism, a bluff with nothing behind it, and emblematic of Obama’s short-sighted approach in Syria of doing just enough so that hawks can’t claim he’s doing absolutely nothing while doing little enough that doves can’t claim we’re on our way to Vietnam 3.0. Rubio, I’m sure, does have some concrete ideas about what the commander-in-chief should be doing in Syria. Whether a McCain-ish ramping up of America’s presence in the Syrian maelstrom would be better than Obama’s “strategy du jour” approach, I leave for you to decide.

Anyway. It’s fine to say, as Rush and Andy McCarthy do, that Rubio was right on the merits of his “Obama knows what he’s doing” talking point. The problem, as McCarthy notes, was Rubio’s insistence on mindlessly repeating the point even while being mocked for mindless repetition, as though he couldn’t delve into the substance of it. The point of Christie’s jab was that a freshman senator is too inexperienced to successfully advance his agenda as president, which is really stupid considering that Obama’s actually done it. He got the stimulus through; he got ObamaCare through; he made a dubious deal with Iran and proclaimed a dubious mass amnesty via executive action. Claiming at this point that young legislators can’t move the ball for their team as president is like claiming that it’s scientifically impossible that the sky is blue. Just look up! But rather than say that, Rubio stuck to his script, and as Ace noted yesterday, once you’ve seen the 25-second speech exposed it’s hard not to see it in everything Rubio says. That’s unfair insofar as all of the candidates are giving canned speeches — Christie’s famous townhall passage on drug addiction is one he’s repeated many times — but Rubio’s dependence on it under fire, when he was practically being dared to say something spontaneous, created a filter through which he’ll be viewed going forward. Not fatal, I think, but it’s a problem now.

One more thing. Rush praises Rubio (and Cruz) here for correctly identifying that Obama has succeeded in moving his agenda whereas so much of the rest of the party, most notably Trump, dismiss Obama’s problem as incompetence and inexperience. Rush’s theory for that is that the establishmentarians have to pretend that Obama screwed up because they’re complicit in his successes. They’ve worked with him, after all. Okay, but … so has Rubio, first and foremost on the Obama-friendly Gang of Eight bill and to a lesser extent in lending rhetorical support for the disastrous intervention in Libya. (McCarthy notes both of those in his piece.) If Rubio knew all along that Obama had bad intentions with his policies, why did he cooperate with him on anything, let alone major initiatives? And why are we knocking Trump for believing that Obama’s an incompetent when the whole premise of his candidacy rests on that assumption? This goes back to what Rush said a few weeks ago about how Trump, in his own way, is making the case for smaller government by relentlessly attacking government as incompetent. Not so. Trump’s problem with government is that it’s run by morons, not that it’s too big and therefore destined to behave inefficiently. Obama’s just the head moron. Replace him with Trump and yuge improvements will be seen. If we’re going to boost Trump, let’s at least be clear-eyed about his message is.



TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Florida; US: New Jersey; US: New York; US: Ohio
KEYWORDS: 2016election; allahpundit; cnsrvtvtreehouse; election2016; erickerickson; florida; glennbeck; hotair; hotwindoutofhisass; hotwindoutohisass; marcorubio; marklevin; megynkelly; obama; pinkstain; pinkstate; politico; redstate; redstategathering; rogerailes; rubio; rushlimbaugh; sundance
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To: pgkdan

Rush is a dependable conservative and may well be our best hope of winning. You should listen to Rush, he is the most informed conservative in radio and he is spot on when it comes to this.


61 posted on 02/08/2016 1:51:07 PM PST by andy1954
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To: pgkdan

You may be right. He was actually pretty solid leading up to the immigration fiasco. I have some first hand knowledge on a professional level dealing with his staff in year 1 and 2. He walked the walk on a number of issues. The immigration debacle lost me. Not only working with those other seven knuckleheads, but basically agreeing to a crap bill and then trying to tell us on the right it was really prime rib. It was awful. His sales job on Rush’s show and on TV was the worst kind of doubletalk and frankly he came across as an amateur, lightweight. I was shocked at how bad he flubbed it.

At the time on FR, I said this issue will make or break him as it could show a masterful effort to pull the issue right and do some good things with minor concessions. Finding a good right-leaning solution on the issue would have been great politics. Instead it was a total capitulation. It probably will break him, and should based on that issues. My thoughts are looking beyond that. Does that cancel out other good positions where he has been consistent, or is he completely untrustworthy? I am undecided. Leaning toward the later with opportunity for redemption.


62 posted on 02/08/2016 1:51:07 PM PST by ilgipper
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To: SeekAndFind

Rush is right that the line does make sense.

Rushmis wrong that conservatives ever had Rubio as a conservative option. Rubio is not a conservative.


63 posted on 02/08/2016 1:52:15 PM PST by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Rush is a RINO, FOX News is leftie, blah, blah, blah.


64 posted on 02/08/2016 1:52:30 PM PST by ozzymandus
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To: andy1954

I’ve been listening to Rush since 1988 and he’s not shining this election.


65 posted on 02/08/2016 1:53:30 PM PST by pgkdan (The Silent Majority Stands With TRUMP!)
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To: pgkdan

I meant Rubio, :). And I have been listening to Rush since his first broadcast. He is right about this.


66 posted on 02/08/2016 2:02:27 PM PST by andy1954
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To: SeekAndFind

Rush and Rubio are 100% correct on THIS one....the other issues maybe not. But Rush is and always has been solid.


67 posted on 02/08/2016 2:11:56 PM PST by rrrod (just an old guy with a gun in his pocket.l)
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To: rrrod; All

These talking heads...Limbaugh, Beck, Levin SOLD OUT!
They know who the big Kst handlers of Rubio are...why don’t they expose them....because they are bought and paid for!

Speeches announcing running for president

Immigration

Trump June 16 , 2015

When do we beat Mexico at the border? They’re laughing at us, at our stupidity. And now they are beating us economically. They are not our friend, believe me. But they’re killing us economically.
The U.S. has become a dumping ground for everybody else’s problems. (APPLAUSE)
Thank you. It’s true, and these are the best and the finest. When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.
But I speak to border guards and they tell us what we’re getting. And it only makes common sense. It only makes common sense. They’re sending us not the right people.
It’s coming from more than Mexico. It’s coming from all over South and Latin America, and it’s coming probably — probably — from the Middle East. But we don’t know. Because we have no protection and we have no competence, we don’t know what’s happening. And it’s got to stop and it’s got to stop fast. (APPLAUSE)
I will immediately terminate President Obama’s illegal executive order on immigration, immediately. (APPLAUSE)
I would build a great wall, and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me, and I’ll build them very inexpensively, I will build a great, great wall on our southern border. And I will have Mexico pay for that wall.
He’s weak on immigration. He’s in favor of Common Core. How the hell can you vote for this guy? You just can’t do it. We have to end — education has to be local.

When do we beat Mexico at the border? They’re laughing at us, at our stupidity. And now they are beating us economically. They are not our friend, believe me. But they’re killing us economically.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/transcript-donald-trump-announces-his-presidential-candidacy/

Cruz Mar. 23, 2015
Instead of the lawlessness and the president’s unconstitutional executive amnesty, imagine a president that finally, finally, finally secures the borders. (APPLAUSE)
And imagine a legal immigration system that welcomes and celebrates those who come to achieve the American dream.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/transcript-ted-cruzs-speech-at-liberty-university/2015/03/23/41c4011a-d168-11e4-a62f-ee745911a4ff_story.html

(Cruz’s speech was all about him and your imagination!)
Marco Rubio April 13, 2015
modernize our immigration laws

Yep...THAT is it....except for this..
En este pais, ustedes van a poder lograr todas las cosas que nosotros no pudimos.
“In this country, you will achieve all the things we never could.”

http://time.com/3820475/transcript-read-full-text-of-sen-marco-rubios-campaign-launch/


68 posted on 02/08/2016 2:16:16 PM PST by AuntB (Illegal immigration is simply more "share the wealth" socialism and a CRIME not a race!)
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To: bigbob

Rush has lost touch with the grass roots.


69 posted on 02/08/2016 2:18:02 PM PST by fortheDeclaration (Pr 14:34 Righteousness exalteth a nation:but sin is a reproach to any people)
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To: andy1954

You’re an amnesty shill.


70 posted on 02/08/2016 2:27:09 PM PST by Lurkinanloomin (Know Islam, No peace - No Islam, Know Peace)
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To: skeeter
Rush is right on Rubio. Rubio has obviously learned from Rush. Obama is dangerous and deliberate. Just because he's dead wrong doesn't mean he's incompetent or stupid. He proved a master at getting his unpopular agenda through.

It would be great to have a champion (Cruz) on our side who can slam our agenda through without giving a damn what the MSM or establishment thinks or says. Trump could do it but he wouldn't give a damn about OUR agenda.

71 posted on 02/08/2016 2:29:50 PM PST by Theophilus (The GOPe are dealers. The Marxist Democrats are duelists.)
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To: skeeter
Rush is blowing it.

No he's not, he's supporting OUR candidates and letting the MSM do the job of systematically destroying our candidates, a task that many folks here are gladly helping them with.

Here's some test questions for you:

Once the MSM and the FR Rubio haters get rid of Marco, who's next? Trump? Cruz?

Will the FR Rubio and Trump supporters align with the MSM and attack Cruz and drive him out of the picture?

And now that both Rubio and Cruz have been eliminated, will their FR supporters fall in line with the MSM and attempt to take down Trump?

And after all is said and done and the FReeperati and the MSM have successfully demonized our three top contenders, who is left?


72 posted on 02/08/2016 2:47:54 PM PST by Hot Tabasco (Dear Santa: Please find a home for every homeless and unwanted cat and dog that is suffering)
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To: SeekAndFind

I never knew Rush played games, I thought he was a straight shooter, but for him to prop up Rubio, it certainly goes against the grain.

Rubio can’t be trusted, he is all about Rubio and how he can make more money to have a better life style.


73 posted on 02/08/2016 3:16:35 PM PST by conservativesister (And FReepers, please quit attacking each other. We're all in this together.-"JR" i)
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To: SeekAndFind

Bookmark.


74 posted on 02/08/2016 3:27:05 PM PST by Carriage Hill
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To: ilgipper
...Rush has defended each of these guys at different times for different things.

Yes, this is what I believe.

Rush's business model wins if he keeps the Republican nomination process as long as possible.   It's good for his business.   As a soon as a candidate is selected, there's less reason to listen to him till the general election rolls around.

And I'm sure the SuperPACs etc. have contributed money to Rush's show.   So Rush wants to do good for those advertisers.

Not sure if Trump's campaign is buying ads, but regardless, Trump is "paying" Rush with tremendous publicity through occasional public praise.  This, in turn, has made Rush Limbaugh's opinions more acceptable to the public at large.

But I don't think there's some conspiracy going on.  That's my read.


75 posted on 02/08/2016 3:36:11 PM PST by poconopundit (When the people shall become so corrupted as to need despotic government. Franklin, Const. Conv.)
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To: SeekAndFind
Rubio = Establishment Rat

Rubio is for Amnesty

Rubio is for TPP. He's all about rigged trade agreements. Although he is dodging it. Rubio voted for the TPA that gives POTUS the fast track to the TPP.

Rubio is for Big Government

Rubio is for war in Syria

Rubio believes is wobbly on Climate Change. Meaning he will cave.

Rubio believes in wobbly on Common Core

Rubio is part of the Gang of 8

DO NOT TRUST RUBIO. He's a Rat!

76 posted on 02/08/2016 3:45:21 PM PST by Enlightened1
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To: SeekAndFind

Rush is losing it. He’s proving himself to be more irrelevant by the day.


77 posted on 02/08/2016 3:56:55 PM PST by Bridesheadfan
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To: skeeter

Rush claimed that the governors can’t say that Obama wants to cripple the United States because they have worked with Obama.

Then Rush says that Cruz and Rubio are the only two who will say that about Obama because they have not worked with Obama.

Well, Rush has to practice a bit of deception to further that narrative. The deception comes in the form of neglecting to remind his listeners that Cruz and Rubio voted for the Obama agenda and worked for Obama when both voted for TPA and the Corker bill. Rubio also voted with Obama when he voted for the last budget bill.

So that begs the obvious question: Are Cruz and Rubio working for the downfall of the United States?


78 posted on 02/08/2016 4:42:19 PM PST by odawg
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To: Bridesheadfan

“Rush is losing it.”

Friday Rush stated unequivocally that the Panthers would win the Super Bowl.

Today, he started off, said he had called it, that it would be a game of defense.

Everyone had been saying that for two weeks.

Has he become so petty to think that we think that he can see into the future?


79 posted on 02/08/2016 4:49:26 PM PST by odawg
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To: SeekAndFind

Queue Fonzie jumping the shark. I am done with Rush. Will never tune in again...ever.


80 posted on 02/08/2016 4:55:59 PM PST by montag813
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