Comments on: How Limbaugh, Hannity, And The Rest Are Ruining The Right http://donklephant.com/2009/02/27/how-limbaugh-hannity-and-the-rest-are-ruining-the-right/ Big Teeth. Huge Ass. Surprisingly Reasonable. Sat, 20 Mar 2010 03:50:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: John Burke http://donklephant.com/2009/02/27/how-limbaugh-hannity-and-the-rest-are-ruining-the-right/comment-page-1/#comment-437045 John Burke Sat, 28 Feb 2009 01:20:32 +0000 http://donklephant.com/?p=13801#comment-437045 I don't recall ever hearing Limbaugh's show but I've heard other radio hosts and watched Hannity and O"Reilly on Fix. Far be it from me to defend any of these guys, but why is Derbyshire complaining about their ruining the GOP by "yoking themselves to the clueless George W. Bush and his free-spending administration"? I mean, doesn't the blame fall on the "clueless administration?" And really, were CPAC, National Review, The Weekly Standard, and even such cerebral conservatives as Krauthamer less all that less yoked? How about the GOP leaders in the House and Senate? This is the kind of finger pointing that invariably follows losing an election. But McCain didn't so so badly, considering all the liabilities he had to carry. And it was striking that McCain even won the nomination when almost none of the above forementioned folks -- not Rush and Hannity, not the NR crowd, and not most of the CPAC types -- favored the guy. Indeed, they gleefully knocked him at various points before rallying behind him for the campaign and then dissing him again when he lost. The moderate wing of the GOP will reassert itself here and there as a result of political opportunities presenting themselves. Right now, for example, it seems entirely possible that a Republican could beat CT Senator Chris Dodd. And it's about an even bet that Rudy could win either the New York governorship or the Hillary-Gillibrand Senate seat. If so, there will be new northeastern forces to be reckoned with in the GOP. The talk radio hosts are not going to influence such developments one way or another. I don’t recall ever hearing Limbaugh’s show but I’ve heard other radio hosts and watched Hannity and O”Reilly on Fix. Far be it from me to defend any of these guys, but why is Derbyshire complaining about their ruining the GOP by “yoking themselves to the clueless George W. Bush and his free-spending administration”? I mean, doesn’t the blame fall on the “clueless administration?” And really, were CPAC, National Review, The Weekly Standard, and even such cerebral conservatives as Krauthamer less all that less yoked? How about the GOP leaders in the House and Senate?

This is the kind of finger pointing that invariably follows losing an election. But McCain didn’t so so badly, considering all the liabilities he had to carry. And it was striking that McCain even won the nomination when almost none of the above forementioned folks — not Rush and Hannity, not the NR crowd, and not most of the CPAC types — favored the guy. Indeed, they gleefully knocked him at various points before rallying behind him for the campaign and then dissing him again when he lost.

The moderate wing of the GOP will reassert itself here and there as a result of political opportunities presenting themselves. Right now, for example, it seems entirely possible that a Republican could beat CT Senator Chris Dodd. And it’s about an even bet that Rudy could win either the New York governorship or the Hillary-Gillibrand Senate seat. If so, there will be new northeastern forces to be reckoned with in the GOP. The talk radio hosts are not going to influence such developments one way or another.

]]> By: Doug Mataconis http://donklephant.com/2009/02/27/how-limbaugh-hannity-and-the-rest-are-ruining-the-right/comment-page-1/#comment-437041 Doug Mataconis Fri, 27 Feb 2009 21:53:05 +0000 http://donklephant.com/?p=13801#comment-437041 The two most prominent --- Limbaugh and Hannity --- are water-carriers pure and simple. And I do listen to them off and on --- though I will admit I can no longer stomach listening to the vile crap that comes out of the mouth of Michael Savage or the nonsense spewed by Mark Levin. The two most prominent — Limbaugh and Hannity — are water-carriers pure and simple.

And I do listen to them off and on — though I will admit I can no longer stomach listening to the vile crap that comes out of the mouth of Michael Savage or the nonsense spewed by Mark Levin.

]]> By: ExiledIndependent http://donklephant.com/2009/02/27/how-limbaugh-hannity-and-the-rest-are-ruining-the-right/comment-page-1/#comment-437040 ExiledIndependent Fri, 27 Feb 2009 21:45:34 +0000 http://donklephant.com/?p=13801#comment-437040 The writer paints (wow, nice mixed metaphors) with too broad a brush, and clearly doesn't listen to the talkers that he/she is critical of. Some of them are Republican waterboys, while a couple are actual conservatives who were immensely critical of Bush, and not just on the ports deal. Conservatism as a guiding approach to governance is great--but the bearers of the message have been fatally flawed for at least a decade. And anyone who considers Bush a conservative is delusional. The writer paints (wow, nice mixed metaphors) with too broad a brush, and clearly doesn’t listen to the talkers that he/she is critical of. Some of them are Republican waterboys, while a couple are actual conservatives who were immensely critical of Bush, and not just on the ports deal.

Conservatism as a guiding approach to governance is great–but the bearers of the message have been fatally flawed for at least a decade. And anyone who considers Bush a conservative is delusional.

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