Following a Pew Research Center poll in which only 34% of Americans identified President Obama as being Christian, conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh was caught in one of those awkward moments that sometimes happen in radio and television when those talking believe they are off the air.
Shortly after blasting the so-called "liberal media" for failing to report, as Limbaugh phrased it, that "one in 10 Democrats believes Imam Obama is a Muslim," the Porcine Pill Popper, believing his listeners were hearing a sixty second commercial from one of his biggest sponsors — an online Mexican pharmacy — noted that 34% of conservative Republicans participating in the poll believe that the President is a Muslim. He then added, "In other words, conservative Republicans are far more — almost 3 1/2 times more — likely [than Democrats] to be ignorant."
"I fail to see how this should come as a surprise to anybody," said Meegan Toomey, Professor of Modern Media at Pueblo State University, "After all, how else could one explain the fact that Limbaugh’s audience is 3 1/2 times as large as any radio host who makes sense."
Professor Toomey also provided illuminating figures from a recent poll conducted by her department at Pueblo State which revealed that while 76% of Republicans believe that Rush Limbaugh is a Christian, only 22% of Democrats identified him as such. Conversely, 34% of Republicans and 92% of Democrats responded that they believe he is a major douchebag.
According to his press agent, the Bard of Bombast was not available for comment because he was in a music studio recording a duet version of ‘Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word’ with Elton John.
Sponsors of Limbaugh’s radio program seem unfazed by the controversy. ’Hooked-on-Phonics’, a longtime sponsor, issued a statement saying that, "although there may be some concern on our part that Mr. Limbaugh could potentially lose some listeners, we are confident, as has been our experience, that those who have use for our products and services will remain loyal to the program". According to company spokesman Chaim Eyjafjallajokull [pronounced HI-yum], "When it comes to publicity — as they say in show business — what’s important is not what the article says, but how long it is. Free press is free press. As much as Mr. Limbaugh may dislike that particular expression, any attention he draws benefits us as sponsors."