http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/rush-limbaugh-thinks-hungry-children-should

Now, don't get me wrong - there's a lot of bullshit on this blog or whatever it is, but when I saw this today, I...I got no words. Fuck Limbaugh.

(This isn't exactly a political debate or whatever, I just didn't know where else to put it)

_________________
mechaphil

He's got to be doing it for ratings. There's no way someone could be this big of a fucking scumbag

_________________

He does it for the ratings, just like all the other nuts on the right, and to a lesser extent, the left.

Problem is his listeners don't listen for the ratings; they actually BELIEVE this shit.

Saying stuff like that doesn't increase his listenership.
He's got a huge core audience that's not going away.

He's not a shock jock, he's just a windbag that needs to fill 3 hours every day.

_________________
Hold my beer and watch this...

Someone is going to have to take Pat Robertson's place when he dies.

The sad part is that though most people know this guy is full of shit, tons of others still tune to his program and think they're listening to gospel. Scary.

_________________

most of his show is parody and music and funny BS.
It's entertainment.
People tune in for the same reason they tune into the Daily Show.

_________________
Hold my beer and watch this...

I agree with your political thoughts for the most part Cross, but not so much on this one. There is a huge difference between The Daily Show and Rush......and that is presentation.

Stewart makes it known his show is a farce. He makes no attempt to be taken seriously, and actually laughs at when others decide to take what he says seriously. Rush on the other hand makes no like attempt. In fact, Rush would like to think that his word is Gospel many times and to question him is heresy.

I listen to Rush quite a lot and agree with many of his points on many issues. He MAY have been trying to be funny this time, but the simple fact that he takes himself, and his show, so seriously, precludes many of his less intelligent listeners from distinguishing between what he deems as "comedy" and his real feelings.

_________________
"I can't really hear what Jeremy says, because I got my two Stanley Cup Rings plugging my ears...." -Patrick Roy in reference to Jeremy Roenick's trash talking

Regardless, both are entertainment products.
So is cable news, most news aggregators, political web sites and sometimes Reuters and AP.

If the consumer is too dumb to realize the difference, why blame the producer?

_________________
Hold my beer and watch this...

I'm not trying to start a fight with ya Cross but I have to say that Stewart tells people that try and say he's a "news" guy: "I come on after talking puppets for fucks sake!" while Rush touts himself as: "America's Truth Detector". The two may be offering entertainment but it's how they market their product that is the issue. One states that he is a comedian and his show is satire while one tells America he's the voice of truth. When people turn on Jon Stewart, for the most part, they know they are getting a blend of comedy and satire with a dash of news. When people turn on Rush though they are told they are getting a facts and news soup with some comedic garnish. Not the same animal here.

This has nothing to do with my opinion of their messages. I'm just calling it like it is. One is a well known comedian and the other has been suggested to be the real voice of the GOP.

_________________

The problem with both is both shows have overzealous fans who refuse to admit both are very distorted images of American politics and news. It's just that one will tell you "Hey, I'm a fucking comedian" and the other goes nuts with his rants.

_________________
mechaphil

Again, we come back to the same place Cross....if the consumer is too dumb to realize the difference, then there is nothing I, you, nor anyone else in this country can do. Ignorance is ignorance and I cannot defend it, nor make excuses for it.

My point was you said that "both are entertainment products" and I agree, 100%. My issue was simply that Stewart makes it known he is nothing more than entertainment while Rush takes every opportunity available to make it seem like his opinions are are statements rooted in truth and should be seen in no other way.

Also, just because I agree with most of what Rush says doesn't mean I love him. The dude has HYPOCRITE written all over his face. The man spent YEARS ridiculing, degrading and basically labelling as second class citizens, and/or degenerates.....any person with a drug problem. He then conveniently ignored the topic of his own addiction when it became an issue he was forced to deal with. My parents raised me to be a man, admit to, and deal with my problems like a man should. Real men don't hide and pretend things never happened. After the way that guy handled that situation, I find it hard to respect him or his opinions any longer......

_________________
"I can't really hear what Jeremy says, because I got my two Stanley Cup Rings plugging my ears...." -Patrick Roy in reference to Jeremy Roenick's trash talking

Pretty much.

Meh. I'll get excited when someone points out actual unbiased news.
Arguing Fox News vs. MSNBC or Limbaugh vs. Stewart seems a bit pointless.

_________________
Hold my beer and watch this...

Pretty much.

_________________
mechaphil

Stewart goes out of his way to make fun of anyone who would consider him to be an legitimate news source. At the same time, he'll still ask some pretty thoughtful and interesting questions. He's also an equal opportunity satirist. He picked on G-Dubs when he was president, and picks on Obama just as much.

When people do something stupid, regardless of the letter after their name, Stewart works them.

Rush plays the same game that Beck does, although Beck turns it up to 11. Make as many outrageous comments as you want, and position them as fact. 90% of the time, listeners will eat that up and you can move on with your day. When you get called out for saying something blatantly false / racist / derogatory / insulting / insensitive , just wrap yourself in the convenient cloak of satire and dance around it until the fire goes out.

Stewart cracks jokes to point out the absurdity of the government and media. Rush does whatever he can to undermine anything done by Democrats so that the Republicans can get back into power.

They're quite different animals.

Right after the election when the GOP imploded there were speculations from everyone including the media, GOP leaders and political analysts saying that Rush would emerge (or already had) as the Rep's voice, a light in the storm (yes vomit now). No one is running around saying Jon Stewart is "the voice" of the Dems or anything close to a political leader.

He's a comedian. He says he's a comedian. He says he IS NOT anything that should be interpreted as a journalist. He markets his show as satire. He has opinions just like everyone else but he packages them so you know what you're getting. Rush on the other hand will dish you a bunch of shit pellets while telling you it's Turkish Delight. He styles himself as the voice of the Republican party and states daily that he hopes Obama fails so the Dems sink. Convincing people that your rants and views are actual news is just plain sickening, especially when you'd a racist, small minded piece of shit.

Rush is a steam vent for the country. People everywhere are pissed off at Big Brother in one form or another and when they tune into Rush they have this cathartic moment. People sit and want someone to blame for their mortgage, their dwindling retirement funds, terrorism, their kids medical bill, their generally shitty lives. Rush takes that frustration and injects it with hate then directs it onto the Dems and Obama. Dangerous, disingenuous, hateful and harmful. I'm all for free speech but I also believe in false advertisement and not making a saint out of a sinner.

_________________

Anyone who bases their political or cultural opinions on Stewart or Limbaugh is a fucking moron.

Who cares?
Untwist your panties here people.

_________________
Hold my beer and watch this...

Well we all grew up (well I did) tuning into the news for accurate (mostly) non-partial journalism. Somewhere the shift was made from legit news to partisan garbage. Most people tuning into the "news" are still expecting truth so when it's advertised as such but spews hate, fear mongering and lies, it is hard for a lot of people to make a distinction.

Yeah people are morons and they tend to believe whatever furthers their particular world view but the reason people have their panties all bundled up over Rush is because he tells his morons that he's the voice of their affiliated party and claims to be legit. Are they stupid? Hell yeah, I agree with ya. Are they being lied to? Yup, and that's where the danger is. If the audience were told that he's a comedian or an entertainer then fine, write him off but they aren't.

_________________

Partisan hacks abound on both sides.
Kieth Olberman is just as fucked up as Limbaugh is, I think the real complaint of people on the left is really about audience size, not the message.
If Rush had the same tiny audience as Olberman, no one would complain.
You know why Rush has a larger audience? Because he's actually entertaining.

_________________
Hold my beer and watch this...

No one said the left doesn't have soap box idiots. This thread isn't about Olberman, Stewart, Beck or Hannity. It's about Rush. Yes there are people on both sides who market their bias and hate as legit journalism, but this thread is about one guy. And I'm sorry but Rush's racism, bigotry and hate speech isn't even in the same league as Olberman. Yeah Olberman has obvious and drastic left leaning tendencies but nothing like the shit that Rush spews out.

_________________