I actually listen to Rush now and then, generally for a few minutes early in his show while I have to be in the office. I can't take too much of it at a time, but now that we are safely on the other side of the elections, it's fun to hear him spout helpless rage.
I heard him when he made the "hope Obama fails" statement, or maybe he said it a bunch. I don't know, because I don't pay that close attention.
But I caught a few minutes at the start and finish of the show today and had a few thoughts about why Obama, who is one of the most circumspect politicians in history with regard to vilifying his opponents, has stepped out of character and taken on Limbaugh.
First, Obama omitted Rush from a party with every other right-wing asshole left of Michael Savage. It was like the most popular girl in school, whom Rush hated and said so, didn't invite him to the party with ALL the other KoolKidz, but he didn't care and wasn't going to obsess about it because he didn't care. Hmmmph!
Obama has drawn a line between Rush and a lot of the rest of the right-wing press.
Some right-wing assholes got ACCESS, something never available to left-wing writers for the last eight years. Rush did not, and from the way Obama talks, will not in the future. Obama is triangulating the right wing toadies.
After partying with the KoolKidz and leaving Rush out in the yard with his nose pressed against the window not caring that he didn't get to go inside, Obama mentioned Rush by name in public, citing him as an example of wrong thinking.
Obama drew blood. Rush isn't the type to silently take smack from the Magic Negro president and he nailed his position down today. He was explicit and redundant. He hopes Obama FAILS. As a person and as a president.
Rush has painted himself into a corner. His listeners represent a huge radio audience but a drop in the bucket of the electorate. If they can be isolated as "them," like the anti-war hippies were successfully defined as "them" in 2003, then the rest of society has a common enemy to unite against, in this case the increasingly irrelevant, spittle-flecked and racist ranting from a man who, as I listen today, seems to be...dare I say it? Running out of words. But whose drug-bloated, decaying visage is now identified as the public face of those who oppose Obama, a man who just happens to be handsome and charismatic and REEEEEALLY popular.
Conservatives can opt for either siding with the Rush camp of political losers, or joining the winning side, but they will surely be divided, while the majority of society has already stated its distaste for Rush and his ilk and is united on the side of the president.
I think Obama's goal is to goad Rush and make him go all stupid on the radio, and then publicly confront the GOP and make them either own him or deny him. It's a given that Rush will provide the ammo.