If you missed this Rush Limbaugh clip from yesterday, it's rather astounding when you put it into the larger cultural context and truly appreciate how far right-wing media have ventured out into no-man's land with their ongoing war against Detroit automakers. It's astounding because we're talking about conservative, flag-waving, America-first commentators who in the last few years have declared war on American autoworkers, of all people.
To the point where they cheered Detroit's demise, railed against any attempt by the Obama administration to save the industry via a bailout, and now, as Limbaugh did this week, simply refuse to acknowledge the extraordinary turnaround the American companies are enjoying.
Why? Simple: If Obama is for the car companies succeeding, the right-wing media have to be against them. Aggressively. (Although, it's funny that when GM ad dollars were flowing Limbaugh's way he sang a very different tune.)
The latest case of Limbaugh auto-bashing was prompted by the news that just two years after teetering on bankruptcy, bailed-out General Motors is now the world's largest car maker, selling 9 million vehicles last year.
Great news, right? Wrong.
Last week, Media Matters noted that in the wake of Detroit's extraordinary turn-around, partisan bailout bashers like Limbaugh and Michelle Malkin and Fox News haven't spent much time cheering the sales surge. Proof? Confronted with encouraging manufacturing news about GM, an iconic American company thriving with a payroll of American workers, Limbaugh refused to acknowledge the success.
Instead, he lashed out at the carmaker, and refused to believe that GM's robust sales numbers were accurate. In fact, he denounced them as an “absolute crock.” Because GM and Detroit autoworkers are the enemy of conservative media.