Audio: Bob Dole defends Bob Dole’s record on the Laura Ingraham Show
posted at 12:59 pm on February 8, 2008 by Bryan
Bob Dole didn’t appreciate being called a loser, and Bob Dole didn’t like the press saying that he had endorsed John McCain when he hadn’t, and Bob Dole isn’t one to let people think he was the tax collector for the welfare state, so Bob Dole called up Laura Ingraham to have a chat about it all.
I do think Dole gets a bum rap for 1996. As he says in the clip, sometimes you get beat up when you don’t deserve it. The Clintons still had their young president thing going, they had successfully put the blame for Oklahoma City on conservative pundits in a way that unfairly put the right on the defensive, they had boatloads of illegal cash coming in from China to fuel their campaign, and Clinton was the master at the smarmy politics of the 90s and the vacation from history. Dole never really lit up the Republicans, Jack Kemp didn’t deliver the vaunted and always mythical youth vote as the GOP hoped he would, so that ticket never stood a chance.
But I don’t think that comparisons between Dole then and McCain now really work, beyond the fact that they’re both senators and war heroes. I do think that comparisons between McCain and Kerry ’04 have legs, though. Both won their respective party’s nomination mostly on biography and “electability” without a great deal of thought put into how they would wear on the trail. Kerry didn’t, and I fear that McCain won’t either. Against Hillary, McCain stands a chance and probably wins. Against Obama…he’ll have matchup issues to go along with intra party issues.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
I’ve always liked Bob Dole
bnelson44 on February 8, 2008 at 1:01 PM
Matchup issues like Ellis Hobbs had against Plaxico Burris, and we all know how that turned out.
a capella on February 8, 2008 at 1:08 PM
I actually heard this “interview.” Ingraham, as usual, used platitudes to advise Dole what a “patriot” he is – and then, as usual, proceeded with her disrespectful, rude analysis of Dole, complete, of course, with incessant interruptions.
Prior to the above, Ingraham advised us that she saw McCain and “tapped him on the shoulder” … that she “kidded with Lindsey Graham” … ad nauseum – in her typical, self-centered, it’s all about me and who I know, mentality.
I think that she’s the final headcase of the female Troika:
Coulter – Bruce – Ingraham.
OhEssYouCowboys on February 8, 2008 at 1:08 PM
Bob Dole Knows!
Kini on February 8, 2008 at 1:11 PM
They could be of more benefit ironing someone’s shirt.
a capella on February 8, 2008 at 1:11 PM
Sounds like you can’t handle a strong, intelligent woman OSUCowboys. Enjoy your life as a liberal. :-)
cannonball on February 8, 2008 at 1:11 PM
Bingo, although I’m not sure where the interview was supposed to go (and it sounds like they didn’t either) — a meandering walk down memory lane replete with Ingraham “loser” snark?
Vizzini on February 8, 2008 at 1:13 PM
a capella on February 8, 2008 at 1:11 PM
Ouch! That’ll leave a mark…iron-shaped probably.
dish on February 8, 2008 at 1:13 PM
Dole > Laura.
Spirit of 1776 on February 8, 2008 at 1:16 PM
Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you people? A person decides they don’t like the rhetoric coming from someone’s mouth and that makes them a liberal?? News flash, cannonball, you don’t have the power to decide who is and who isn’t conservative, especially based on a person’s distaste for a conservative’s inflammatory, disrespectful rhetoric. You’re just as bad as any of the Kossacks or Huffpos on the Left. Suck it.
WillBarrett on February 8, 2008 at 1:19 PM
Heh. Counting down,…5,..4,..3,..2,..
a capella on February 8, 2008 at 1:20 PM
“you people”? “suck it”?
Your rhetoric blows your cover. The Left can’t deal with opposing viewpoints without getting their panties in wad and using strong language. At least you didn’t drop an F-Bomb like most KOSian Media Matters types.
Care to state your affiliation? I’m a proud conservative. You?
cannonball on February 8, 2008 at 1:27 PM
Enough with the iron jokes.
Vizzini on February 8, 2008 at 1:28 PM
Talk radio should be ashamed of themselves. Don’t hold yourself up as speaking for ‘conservatives’ Laura. I can’t wait until you declare that Jesse Helms isn’t conservative because you don’t agree with him.
What is wrong with you people. I know you are mad at McCain, but I have lost a LOT of respect for all of you for your misrepresentations and mis characterizing people WITHIN the conservative movement over the past 25 years.
Laura is totally wrong. But because she has time to fill, she keeps spouting off.
Dole is more conservative than Romney – her ‘conservative’s conservative’. Kemp, McCain are both more conservative than Romney.
It’s wonderful for Laura to talk about politicians losing when she hasn’t won a SINGLE campaign.
There weren’t any conservatives running. Had Dole run, Dole would have been the conservative candidate.
Talk radio, Ingraham, Hannity, Rush should all be ashamed of themselves.
Laura is NOT conservative. Laura does not speak for conservatives. Laura should stop bashing REPUBLICANS if she claims to be a REPUBLICAN. You got any problem with Jesse Helms now Laura? You need to learn a bit about the conservative movement over history other than the last 2 months.
If Laura wants to vote for Hillary or Obama, fine. Tell everyone how great they are. If you aren’t going to vote for Hillary or Obama – like McCain – why not spend some time bashing them instead of the R nominee.
PS. There is no such thing as an ‘evangelical’ group of people no matter how many times she says it. I guess she thinks it makes her sound smart.
ThackerAgency on February 8, 2008 at 1:28 PM
I am getting a little tired of the incessant whining. The “pin the tail on the conservative” game and talk show hosts badgering and belittling everyone. Our realty is that McCain is going to be the nominee. Let’s start working on taking back Congress.
Squarestate on February 8, 2008 at 1:31 PM
Sure, if you say so. How about “Thanks, jerks” to the media? That was a joke.
a capella on February 8, 2008 at 1:39 PM
ThackerAgency AMEN brother.
funky chicken on February 8, 2008 at 1:40 PM
Harpies and Harridans for Hillary! Maybe they are just pissed off that Annapolis didn’t allow female midshipmen when McCain attended? That makes as much sense as anything else in explaining their hysteria.
a capella, I don’t agree with your MDS, since we really need to beat back the socialists, and I’m an uppity woman, but I can’t disagree with this comment:
LOL my husband would heartily agree as well, especially since he’s gonna have to wear his Blues instead of the flight suit in a couple of years. And if their screeching manages to install Hillary or (even worse) Obama as his boss, well, he’ll agree even more.
funky chicken on February 8, 2008 at 1:46 PM
I’ve lost a lot of respect for all of you…
D0oM!
Gerard on February 8, 2008 at 1:48 PM
Yea, you people, cannonball. My rhetoric blows my cover? Your rhetoric exposes you for the simpleton that you really are. I am conservative who holds a variety of different positions on a variety of different issues. What I can’t stand is people like you who think that anyone who doesn’t agree with every little thing YOU think makes a conservative, you immediately call them a liberal. Especially when they don’t like blowards like Coulter or Ingraham (to a lesser extent). Yea, so suck it.
WillBarrett on February 8, 2008 at 2:00 PM
Obama hasnt been getting Hispanic votes and Younger voters are least likely to vote. His rallies are full but he still breaks even with Hillary. Obama is still greatly overrated.
William Amos on February 8, 2008 at 2:05 PM
You folks need to chill-the-eff out!
This is the same crap the Bush bots churned out against talk radio luminaries during the Harriet Miers fiasco, which Laura Ingraham was dead-right about from Day 1.
Fact: More than half of the registered Republicans in Super Tuesday states didn’t even bother to show up to participate in their primaries/caucuses, so if you want to want to see how who’s more in touch with conservative sentiment I suggest you check those stats, not the self-serving and patently absurd declarations by McShamnesty that he and his Mexican consulate-loving orcs carried a “majority” of the conservative-Republican vote.
Laura Ingraham, along with Malzeberg, El Rushbo and The Great One, is one of the best syndicated talk radio hosts in the country. Notwithstanding some of her weak points, e.g. her reflexive, unthinking loathing of hip hop, her prudishness, she’s still more respected than any of the scrubs the GOP put up this year. And while I respect Bob Dole as an individual-how can you not like a guy who went to your alma mater-the fact is that nominating him as our presidential candidate, instead of someone who would have had a realistic shot at defeating Bill Clinton, e.g. Pete Wilson, John Engler, among others, was a disastrous move on the part of GOP primary voters.
Gerard on February 8, 2008 at 2:08 PM
As I remember 1996, it seemed Dole never really cared enough about winning. I always resented him for seeking the nomination if he had no intention of giving his all to win the election.
Nosferightu on February 8, 2008 at 2:16 PM
The same radio heads were bashing Romney two months ago, now the think he is a god. I don’t think they would know a conservative if he or she hit them up side the head. So much of this is great big egos.
KBird on February 8, 2008 at 2:17 PM
Which one of them was “bashing” Romney, just out of curiosity?
I presume you’re referring to the ones mentioned in this thread, correct?
Gerard on February 8, 2008 at 2:21 PM
I guess my point was they aren’t nearly as relevant as they like to think. Obama is going to be installed, but it won’t be because of anything conservative pundits say. It will be because of a nonenergized GOP base in the general election, and the disparity in fundraising potential between the two candidates. The difference in party turnout for the primaries was striking, and will continue to degenerate. Without Hillary hate in the general, McCain has nothing to energize the base, unless there is a major terorist attack between now and the elections. The terrorists know this, so you can be sure it won’t happen.
a capella on February 8, 2008 at 2:51 PM
I like The Patriots pass-coverage analogy.
Although, when I think of Rock Around Barack and Her Shrillness the first two names that pop into my head are Tiki Barber and Jeremy Shokey, respectively, i.e. two people who have accomplished absolutely nothing, notwithstanding their boundless self-appreciation.
Gerard on February 8, 2008 at 3:06 PM
McCain is a Conservative, give me a break. The republicans have abandoned the conservative movement and now conservatives will be returning the favor. Get used to it or start acting like you have some stones!
trs on February 8, 2008 at 3:08 PM
I love Bob Dole. What a great American.
CP on February 8, 2008 at 3:18 PM
Bryan,
Excellent analysis.
Here’s an anecdote for ya. Bob Dole did such a great job of getting us to know Bob Dole’s name that when my son was 16 months old and not yet talking in sentences he pointed to a picture in the newspaper I was reading, and said, “Bob Dole”.
I also had my first enounter with rabid moonbats during that election when someone nearly ran me off I 95 in Maine, pulling up right on my bumper and making other aggressive moves for no reason. Or so I thought, until I realized it was my Bob Dole bumper sticker incited the driver’s passion.
Buy Danish on February 8, 2008 at 3:21 PM
I like Bob Dole!
Good guy, and Hero!
Chakra Hammer on February 8, 2008 at 3:44 PM
It took guts on both their parts to have him on. Laura didn’t pull any punches, either.
Comparing McCain to Dole is an insult to Dole.
Valiant on February 8, 2008 at 4:03 PM
It’s wonderful for Laura to talk about politicians losing when she hasn’t won a SINGLE campaign.
That might be relevant if she was a political strategist.
Gerard on February 8, 2008 at 4:19 PM
WillBarrett,
Sheeze… call one person a liberal and you explode? Step away from the caffeine, I’m not sure what set off your tirade.
My first post was in defense of Laura in response to OSUCowboy’s insults and “troikia” comment. I called him a liberal, I could have called him an a-hole. I have no idea what his opinions are, I’m just guessing based on the fact that I don’t know of many conservatives that dislike Laura Ingraham, especially if they actually listen to her and know her stance on Conservative issues.
So since you apparently think Laura is a blowhard, why don’t you “suck it” (to speak in a lexicon more inline with your lack of patience and tolerance).
Free speech… it’s a bitch.
cannonball on February 8, 2008 at 5:00 PM
Then Thacker, can you share with us whom you consider a Conservative? Do you actually listen to her show?
cannonball on February 8, 2008 at 5:01 PM
I still don’t see what the objection to her characerization of Dole is.
He lost all four national political campaigns where he was on the ticket.
Does that make him a winning candidate?
The comparison to McCain might be inapt, but it’s not completely off-base. Both of them essentially walked into the nomination because it was “their turn” and because of a dearth of credible, conservative alternatives. Neither candidate excited the least bit of interest among conservatives. In fact, McCain does worse in this respect because he arouses actual anger and enmity from genuine conservatives, while Dole only elicited apathy.
Gerard on February 8, 2008 at 5:47 PM