Why would the White House possibly care what Rush Limbaugh's ratings are?
March 27, 2009 5:57 pm ET by Eric Boehlert
Conservatives are crowing that Limbaugh's ratings are up (big shock, we know), and pretending that it's all a huge rebuke for Obama and the new Democratic White House.
See, according to the Noise Machine, the White House's occasional passing references to the talker this year, references which were part of the larger public debate about who really leads the GOP, were actually signs of a coordinated "attack" on Limbaugh--a "war"--and that the White House's true intent was to drive down Limbaugh's ratings.
So by calling attention to his show, the White House was actually trying to wreck Limbaugh's ratings. Riiight. But nothing gets conservatives riled up like playing victim, so it's game on.
"Given this blockbuster [ratings] data, will the White House think twice before targeting Rush again?" demands professional Limbaugh cheerleader Brian Maloney.
"President Obama declared war on Rush Limbaugh and his ratings went through the roof. If that's not a magnificent backfire, I'm not sure what is," declared the MRC's Brent Bozell, who was so excited he issued an official statement about Limbaugh's ratings.
And no, BTW, there's no indication that Limbaugh's ratings have doubled nationwide this year. Although, there are indications that a new ratings method employed by Arbitron is a key reason Limbaugh's actual rating numbers (and talk radio ratings in general) are up so much in 2009.
wow, they sure don't get it, do they? If there WAS a strategy to define Rush as the symbol of the Republican party, then haven't they succeeded by drawing more listeners to him? I suppose I'd be worried if a higher percentage of likely voters rated him favorably, but to have him become more visible is a win for the strategy, not a defeat.
More RUsh!!!
They're scared.
This is the kind of hollow and a-little-bit-too-loud sound that people make, when they're afraid.
Ah, forget about him. Limbaugh is so yesterday. He had his big superstar run. Now he's bascially Fat Elvis headed for the bowl.
El Rushbo has degenerated down to your basic garden-variety shock jock. I suspect the poo-poo, pee-pee jokes are next, followed by interviews with super models about their fetishes, and maybe some good old-fashioned on-the-air towel slapping with the football jocks that he sniff-worships.
The mega ditto heads or whatever geeky nickname they have for each other will just go on listening while the rest of us who can think and act independently will evolve. It is a pretty simple scenario really. Move on thinkers, we have better things to do unless you are just in it for cheap yucks. I can give you that and say more power. Laughs are laughs, even if they are morbid. And there is that curiosity in watching the gas bag slowly die.