I Don't Know Who to Believe Any More!

NASHUA, NH - I've arrived in New Hampshire and the route from the airport to my hotel was a lot… whiter and more powdery than it was in June, the last time I was here. Those plentiful, home-stenciled "Ron Paul 2008" and "Google Ron Paul" signs are submerged under a not-too-high pile of snow. But Operation Live Free or Die—the ad hoc Ron Paul group that's way outpacing the official campaign's work—has found a workaround. Last night volunteers piled into a park in Exeter and spent four hours building Ron Paul snowmen. (I should have pics up later.)

I switched Boston's WKRO for the drive and heard Rush Limbaugh lacing into Mike Huckabee and Rudy Giuliani: Jonathan Martin recounts the show here. What Martin didn't hear (he's in Iowa) was the ad at the second hour break for… Mike Huckabee, who I'm informed is "a proven leader and an authentic conservative." Does coverage like that turn any of Limbaugh's listeners against his take? Whose dulcet tones do they believe: the Huckster or El Rushbo? (This is one of Huck's weaker states, so probably the latter.)

Also: Wondering where all of Ron Paul's money is going? As I was typing this post, at 2:46, Paul's "stop illegal immigration" ad ran on CNN.

Comments

[sixstring]

Anatomically, or just politically correct snowmen?

[Fluffy]

That ad sucks.

The "We Have Hope" ad is a little better, but a bit too messianic for my tastes upon second or third listen.

[joe]

Whose dulcet tones do they believe: the Huckster or El Rushbo?

"They" being people who self-describe as "ditto-heads," I'm guessing the latter.

Mitt Romney is the candidate of big business. The Republican Party, whatever it might have whispered in your ear at 2 AM, is the party of big business. Rush Limbaugh is a self-admitted water-carrier for the Republican Party.

Of course he's slamming the two strongest challengers to Romney.

[crimethink]

joe, there are plenty of other reasons Rush would slam Huckabee and Giuliani besides a grand pro-Romney conspiracy.

[Lost_In_Translation]

I thought conspiracy theories were reserved this election season to us Paulbots?

Also, I have it on good authority (my own logical deduction) that Dondero is actually supporting John McCain's bid for president and using Rudy as the red herring to distrct us.

[joe]

Sure, crimethink, but leaving Romney out of his criticism is the dog that didn't bark.

[joe]

Rush Limbaugh spent 1996 accusing Bob Dole - Bob Dole! - of being "not a real conservative," and now he goes after Huckabee and Guiliani without touching the Mittster?

That's a little funny.

[Lost_In_Translation]

joe,

Rush just thinks Mitt is dreamy.

[crimetink]

joe,

Since Dole was the 96 GOP nominee, doesn't that go against Rush's status as water carrier for whoever the GOP wants?

[James Ard]

Wrong again, joe. The only candidate Rush has said anything positive about is Fred Thompson. I am thrilled Rush is exposing the hayseed religious side of the GOP for the government loving moralists that they are. They would just as soon legislate morality as go to bible study.

[Justin]

I find Rush entertaining, but sadly, he's a gigantic contradiction, claiming to be "conservative" yet supporting big government republican candidates.

Frankly, I'm tired of "El Rushbo" and Michael Savage claiming to support conservatism. They don't. They're warmongering neocon's just like most of the Republican and Democrat candidates. And they're BOTH willing to support big government in its effort to drive the dollar into the ground.

[joe]

crimethink,

Rush still shilled for Dole once he got the nomination, and in doing so even after slagging him during the primary, demonstrated even more clearly how much of a water-carrier he is for the Republicans.

[joe]

James Ard,

The way this works is that if you want to accuse me of being wrong, you have to disagree with something I wrote.

For your homework tonight, I want 200 words on the difference between "Rush attacked Romney's opponents" and "Rush said nice things about Romney."

[Episiarch]

Uh, Rush is an entertainer. He says whatever he thinks will get him ratings. He has to be careful that he doesn't piss off his audience, but at the same time give them some red meat to chew on. He is not a shill for the Republicans, he is a shill for what his audience likes to hear.

[joe]

After the 06 elections, Limbaugh admitted that he was a Republican shill, Episiarch.

He took a beating from his listeners for his dead-ender shtick in the months leading up to the election, and said how "liberating" it was not to "have to carry water for" the Republicans anymore.

You can look it. Limbaugh's own words.

[Episiarch]

You can look it. Limbaugh's own words.

Sounds more like he realized that his audience was actually pissed enough at the GOP to not vote for them and then just pandered some more.

[mpp]

Welcome to Nashua.

I've seen a lot of Ron Paul signs pop up in my neighborhood in the last few weeks. It's kind of unexpected as I'm in the low rent part of town and surrounded by immigrants.

[TrickyVic]

""""We Have Hope""""

Hope? That's where Bill Clinton's from!

""""I am thrilled Rush is exposing the hayseed religious side of the GOP for the government loving moralists that they are.""""

Exposing? Are you kidding? There is nothing to expose. It's been well known since the right wing was hijacked by the religious right.

""""Uh, Rush is an entertainer. He says whatever he thinks will get him ratings. He has to be careful that he doesn't piss off his audience, but at the same time give them some red meat to chew on.""""

Exactly, same as the 24 hour news channel clowns. I've always found it a hoot when right wingers slam the left for idolizing entertainers when they are doing the same thing.

[joe]

Episiarch,

Sounds more like he realized that his audience was actually pissed enough at the GOP to not vote for them and then just pandered some more.

You know, you might be right. That's definitely plausible.

[joe]

I can back up what mpp says.

I live in the part of Massachusetts just south of Nashua, and Ron Paul signs outnumber everyone else's combined by a good margin.

[Ali]

Ron Paul on Larry King Tonight!

[Brett]

My wife (unfortunately) listens to righty talk radio and they all (with the exception of one...Medved? they all start sounding the same) bash Huckabee. I'm certain that it's b/c they feel he'd get killed in the general election, otherwise they'd find a reason to fully support him.

They'll all get behind whoever is eventually nominated.

[Taktix?]

I've always found it a hoot when right wingers slam the left for idolizing entertainers when they are doing the same thing.

Fred Thompson's entire campaign was based on the fact that he was on Law and Order.

The GOP's 20th Century messiah was Reagan, and actor.

These things make me laugh when I hear right wingers chide the "Hollywood elites."

Laugh out loud, even...

[Edward]

Ali, if you wet your pants, you're one of them. There's still time to save your sanity. Watch Turner Classics instead.

[Click \'n\' Learn]

I've asked more difficult questions than Weigel has all during his entire "reporting" career (link, link), and I'm not even paid to do that. Or, perhaps it is because I'm not paid to do that.

If Weigel is unable or unwilling to ask politicians real questions, the least he could do is ask the MSM "reporters" why they refuse to ask those real questions.

[James Ard]

Joe, pardon me for thinking your first post implied Rush supported the big business candidate, Romney. So, since i'm not allowed to argue with that premise, I'll just tell you that Thompson is the only one Rush has said sounded conservative in the debates.

[Taktix?]

So, since i'm not allowed to argue with that premise, I'll just tell you that Thompson is the only one Rush has said sounded conservative in the debates.

He must have setting on his implant that filters out Paul, or reason...

[James Ard]

As a hawk, the only Paul position I can't get over is isolationism. I suspect Rush is probably as hung up on this as I am. Otherwise, Paul would probably already be the darling of talk radio, and ten times more likely to win the nomination. Then again, when you've made millions off the peaceniks, who needs the nomination.

[James Ard]

Should be a question mark there.

[crimethink]

James Ard,

There would also be his position on the Drug War to deal with, along with the fact that he doesn't support abortion laws at the federal level, among other things. So, I don't see him getting along with Rush types just by playing along on foreign policy.

[James Ard]

Crimethink, not suprisingly, Rush never talks about the WOD these days, and also says abortion should be fought in the hearts and minds of individuals. I've never heard him advocate a national ban. Although Rush types may feel that way. Rush is taking a huge risk painting half of his audience as less than conservative for supporting Huckabee, but someone has to make the point that conservative does not mean evangical christian.

[TrickyVic]

"""Rush never talks about the WOD these days,"""

Not since his oxycotin bust!

"""As a hawk, the only Paul position I can't get over is isolationism."""

How is he an isolationist?

He is America first, and wants America to be a great leader in the world by example, not by force. Just because he wouldn't subsidize the world, nor fight other people's wars, nor meddle in the affairs of sovereign nations, doesn't equate to isolationism. He is not an imperialist.

I think some people are wrongfully concluding that anti-imperialism = isolationism.

[pluckyduck2]

No other candidate from either party will cut spending enough to save this economy/country.
Neither Obama, nor the other GOP candidates has the inclination nor balls to take the Dramatic spending cuts that are needed.
Paul's position used to be cuts for smaller govt, now we need them just to stay afloat and keep the bare social essentials.
We're on our way to completely busted.
So, IMO, it's Paul or the dollar becomes Monopoly money in 3-5 years.

Kyle Bass has characterized the idiotic activity of both parties as (paraphrasing)...
"Two golfers looking at each other across large green... with 100' puts, with 20' breaks, in 30 mph winds..
Saying to each other 'good/good', giving each other puts/You don't touch my entitlements, I won't touch your spending".
And that's over a 'soft' $1 trillion reduction over 10 years when we need, IMO, 5x that.

Of course, he's going to have to let the Bush tax cuts expire as part low-deficit budget as well. That's where we might have a problem with RP. That, along with cutting some muscle as well as fat.
We need to throw the kitchen sink at this deficit and Revenues as well as spending cuts are needed. Join the debate at http://findoutforum.com