Video: Rush on the media’s Waterloo
posted at 8:47 am on July 24, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
It’s been a great week for ABBA fans, hasn’t it? Their catalog hasn’t been this relevant since Pierce Brosnan warbled his way through Mamma Mia! First, Jim DeMint says that the health-care debate will be Barack Obama’s Waterloo, and now Rush Limbaugh riffs on that to point out that Obama’s flop in the prime-time presser will be the media’s Waterloo, too. He makes a better point than DeMint, too:
Rush has this dead-on correct, especially in the weird promotion of the press conference. Perhaps they did the same thing for George Bush, who held very few prime-time press conferences in eight years, but I don’t recall it. The media, especially the televised media, appear to have hung their economic fortunes on Obama.
US News said that the print media would turn more adversarial in this press conference, though, and that may have been true. None of the questions were softballs of the Jeff Zeleny “what do you find most enchanting about being you” type from just three months ago. Lynn Sweet knew what she was doing when she offered Obama enough bait to make a foolish tactical and political mistake in giving his confessed ignorant opinion of a incident in Cambridge, which overwhelmed his health-care message and had the White House backpedaling the next day. In that instant, Sweet gave Obama enough room to implode, and Obama naively obliged.
The media have a long way to go before they can regain enough credibility to become Obama’s Waterloo, but that’s a start. When the networks start refusing to carry Obama live in prime time, put away the countdown clocks promoting him, and increase their pressure for real answers, then perhaps they can adopt the mantle of independence.
Blowback
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Jeff, why the friendly fire? Why are you so quick to attack a fan who expresses concern about Rush’s health? I didn’t attack Rush’s right to smoke. However, as a cigar smoker, he is at greater risk of several types of cancer and chronic hoarseness is one symptom. I happen to be in stage 4 cancer myself and don’t wish it on anyone — especially not on the irreplaceable Maha Rushie.
Terrie on July 24, 2009 at 11:14 AM
The MSM have a LONG way to go before they’ll get any credibility from the general public. They prostituted themselves to Barry and sold him to the people. They set themselves up as the elite intelligentsia and ‘king makers’, abrogating they’re responsibility to inform the citizens fairly and honestly. Whores have higher moral standards then those displayed by the MSM in November 2008. At least a whore is honest about what they do.
GarandFan on July 24, 2009 at 11:15 AM
There’s an easy way to contact all the Blue Dog Dems on the committee. Just go to Dick Armey’s FreedomWorks website and fill out the form, it will send a pre-written email to them all. Here’s the link:
http://www.capwiz.com/freedomworks/issues/alert/?alertid=13777951&type=CU
califcon on July 24, 2009 at 11:16 AM
No. They’ve gone past the point of no return. I don’t think the current generation of “journalists” employed by every network except FOX can, or should, ever possibly regain their credibility after this.
Cylor on July 24, 2009 at 11:19 AM
The man is the best at what he does.He has the facts,soundbites and transcripts for everything he says.
Greta amazes me with some of her questions but illustrates what Rush has been saying and that is that it is still hard for alot of people to believe this person really is out to destroy(in his words,REMAKE America).I don’t know that they will believe it intil it hits them personally.
ohiobabe on July 24, 2009 at 11:23 AM
So true! I wish all of his detractors would invest the time to actually listen to his entire show for a week. A few might change their minds.
Red State State of Mind on July 24, 2009 at 11:37 AM
Unfortunately the people will forget this nonsense in a few weeks and the MSM will continue to manipulate the public just as all the nonsense our Senators and Mis-Representatives have done over the last couple decades has repeatedly been forgotten and allowed to continue. Why? Because the voters are so accustomed to this sad state of affairs that they just accept it as normal.
Browncoatone on July 24, 2009 at 11:41 AM
yeah, only until “the next time”. the only way to keep the media honest is competition – independent news sources, internet, blogosphere.
runner on July 24, 2009 at 11:45 AM
But the media, *especially* the print media, are in the crosshairs of two problems, not just one.
Rapidly declining circulation, and lack of credibility.
We could end up with an English-style press, i.e. each paper serves its’ own niche – i.e. they’re all partisan, just for different parties.
If this were happening in isolation, I’d believe that’s the end goal. As it is, they’re also dealing with plummeting circulation numbers – in part due to their partisan activities, but in larger part due to Hot Air and Daily Kos and the like. Online news and punditry is much cheaper to produce…. and it’s not hard to be “just as good” – although some sites manage to do even better.
Where will it end? Dunno, but it’s going to be bumpy.
Mew
acat on July 24, 2009 at 12:01 PM
I wonder that the fact that we’ve gone digital with television broadcasting will affect the electorate. Personally, I know of many older voters who still watched the regular networks because they don’t have satellite or cable (they stubbornly cling to their antennae), but have been forced to subscribe now, and will have access to FOX.
atheling on July 24, 2009 at 12:05 PM
I’d say that the past week has been the media’s Borodino rather than Waterloo ( which will come when they stop their nightly 1/2 hour news programs and the major city lib papers shut down )
The press will continue on towards Moscow, but find a mostly-deserted city
Janos Hunyadi on July 24, 2009 at 12:32 PM
Once in a generation we are graced by the presence of a great man. A guy who can cut through the crap and tell it like it is. I know, we haven’t seen one of these in a while and some may believe the type is more fiction than fact but they do exist. Rush is one such man.
Or not.
But he can stand up to withering fire from the left and their lackeys in the MSM and still get the conservative POV out there. Like no other.
Rock on, Rush!
dingbat on July 24, 2009 at 12:45 PM
Many commenters here have assumed that this question was planted. Ed Morrissey seems to disagree.
I’ve never seen any of the commenters provide any evidence of their assertion that the question was planted. Does anybody have any?
orange on July 24, 2009 at 12:57 PM
As usual, Rush IS dead on. He started out as the biggest and most relevant critic of the MSM (still is). And has proven his effectiveness since they now spend much of their time covering him! Maybe the waterloo moment happened after the, “I hope the president fails” comment!
Vanbasten on July 24, 2009 at 1:18 PM
Caught snippets of this last night, but finally got around to seeing it here today…..
An instant classic of Rush at his Apogee…. and a “Thermo-Nuclear Flying Bitch-Slap” at the Press….
And the Media still will not have the guts or intellectual honesty to look in a mirror, and see that he is spot on correct about them.
paragon27x on July 24, 2009 at 1:29 PM
“stenographers for Rahm Emmanuel”….. Ouch. That’s gonna leave a mark!
paragon27x on July 24, 2009 at 1:51 PM
According to Lynn Sweet herself, it wasn’t planted. She claims she just happened to be called on last, other reporters had all asked about the health care plan, and she wanted to ask about something different.
Who knows what the truth is, but her version seems at least plausible.
Splashman on July 24, 2009 at 2:08 PM
OMG…. Rush just called P-Bo Barack NIFONG….
YES!!!! Nothin’ but net!
paragon27x on July 24, 2009 at 2:08 PM
Regarding Rush’s assertion that this is the MSM’s Waterloo, I’d sure like to believe him, but I don’t for a second. Most people who watch TV are sheep, easily led astray, with short memories, and no historical perspective.
Rush needs to leave the optimistic hyperbole to bloggers like Morrissey.
Splashman on July 24, 2009 at 2:14 PM
^^^ This.
As much as I would like to believe otherwise, this poster is spot on.
Even though the truth on Obama was out there and only a few mouse clicks away, the sheep followed the MSM off the cliff and I can’t see that pattern of behavior changing anytime soon.
Sad, sad state of affairs we’re in as a nation.
:_(
RedNewEnglander on July 24, 2009 at 4:02 PM
Califcon: thanks for the link. Went there. Signed a letter and sent same.
Driefromseattle on July 24, 2009 at 4:03 PM
Now here’s the thing regarding the sheep and blindness and all of that: for those of you out there who pray, you might wanna start praying for an awakening in this land. There are many of us that are praying on line for an awakening, both spiritual and intellectual, in this land and we are starting to see the veils come off or are Obama’s sinking ratings in the polls a figment of our collective imagination? Optimism is not necessarily a bad thing. After all, we reap what we sow. And I don’t necessarily think Rush is an optimist. He’s been fairly negative sounding on other issues. He’s a realist. Mainstream news is losing credibility. Their “poll numbers” are sinking as well, which mean more people are tuning out.
Driefromseattle on July 24, 2009 at 4:08 PM
It is just amazing how the media will just back and let Obama lie his behind off about everything from health care to the deficit. People are noticing, there is no way to avoid it.
It might be a good thing for the press that most Americans were not watching that presser.
I watched Rush on Greta last night and the guy was excited. I don’t think I ever seen Rush more intense.
Terrye on July 24, 2009 at 5:12 PM
I agree with Rush here. The press has totally lost it’s credibilty.
However Rush…WHY WON’T YOU COME OUT in support of your collegue Michael Savage who is under attack by England?
rednebulastudios on July 24, 2009 at 11:59 PM
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