It’s okay to disagree with Rush Limbaugh
I make a living disagreeing with people who are far more successful, famous, wealthy and important than I am. I have spent thousands of hours on television and thousands of column inches criticizing the President of the United States. If you think I’m going to apologize for suggesting that it might be okay to disagree with a radio host sometimes, you don’t know me at all.
But I guess I’m not surprised at the rancor. For one, part of the point I was trying to make was that the impulse to defend anything and everything that a party heavyweight says — to the death — has the deleterious effect of making conservatives seem irrational and herd-like. No one is right all the time, and no one is above reproach. Limbaugh, who has frequently criticized Republicans, knows this better than anyone…
The other point that the reaction to my Rush comments proves is that conservatives continue to view criticism (even the constructive kind) through a lens of ideological suspicion. Even though I defended conservative principles as right, strong and popular, and explicitly said this isn’t about casting strident conservatives out of the party but reworking our messaging, Rush’s fans still decided that my conservatism was discredited. Disagreeing with him, or merely offering that we should feel comfortable disagreeing with party leaders now and then, suddenly made me an untrustworthy, sell-out liberal…
It’s not my desire to silence anyone, but amplify other voices, many of whom don’t feel like they have permission to disagree with party heavyweights. We don’t need permission, and in fact conservatism has a hallowed tradition of healthy skepticism toward authority. It’s that skepticism toward authority that has made Rush Limbaugh a very successful man.
Blowback
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To steal from George Will, she’s a pyromaniac in a field of straw men.
Purple Fury on February 19, 2013 at 3:41 PM
Disagree with Rush Limbaugh, disagree with civil society, disagree with the proper way to talk to and about women in a country that’s not Iran… potato, po-tah-to.
KingGold on February 19, 2013 at 3:41 PM
She’s just building up cred with her lib buddies. The easiest way to do that is dump on Sarah Palin or Rush Limbaugh.
ddrintn on February 19, 2013 at 3:41 PM
By calling attention to a disagreement with statement Rush made 5 months ago, SE Cupp has successfully put herself and this stupid comment back in the spotlight.
portlandon on February 19, 2013 at 3:42 PM
[Dusty on February 19, 2013 at 3:37 PM]
And now that I think of it, maybe you should expand your project by including courses teaching Republicans to guard themselves against being baited by MSM network interviewers into calling other teammates comments “stupid crazy and dangerous.”
Dusty on February 19, 2013 at 3:42 PM
And what kind of credibility to you hope to burnish by dumping on Cupp, I wonder?
KingGold on February 19, 2013 at 3:42 PM
You sound like The Church Lady.
sharrukin on February 19, 2013 at 3:43 PM
Count me among that number, Sharr. I don’t think Rush had a damn thing to apologize for. We’ve gone from $lut shaming to $lut-shamer shaming. We can argue all day long about whether that’s been a step forward or back, but the reaction to what Rush said was entirely out of proportion to what was said.
gryphon202 on February 19, 2013 at 3:43 PM
Rush Limbaugh, like Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert, is an entertainer and a pundit with a particular political leaning and point of view.
That’s it.
Why Democrats make Rush Limbaugh their hobby horse is beyond me. I would be embarrassed if Republicans moaned and whined about Stewart and Colbert — even going so far as to ask elected Democrats to disavow them on live TV — much like Democrats do Limbaugh. Grow up, Ms. Cupp.
Punchenko on February 19, 2013 at 3:44 PM
None. I’m dumping on a dump-worthy and obviously suck-up statement. Who cares if she disagrees with Limbaugh?
ddrintn on February 19, 2013 at 3:45 PM
I guess this is why I could never be a Republican. I too think that Rush said something stupid when he called Sandra Fluke a “slut.” As for whatever people think he has or has not done for the Republican cause over the years, nothing he’s accomplished gives him immunity from criticism.
NorthernCross on February 19, 2013 at 3:45 PM
She just has to remind the progs that she disagreed with one of their satans, so she’s cool.
ddrintn on February 19, 2013 at 3:46 PM
Myself as well. It’s the whole No Judging nonsense. Of course that never applies to leftist judgments regarding conservatism, but that must just be a coincidence.
sharrukin on February 19, 2013 at 3:47 PM
Straw man. Who ever said Limbaugh is immune to criticism?
ddrintn on February 19, 2013 at 3:47 PM
And only liberals are claiming that it does.
sharrukin on February 19, 2013 at 3:48 PM
S.E. Cupp helps make money for MSNBC. Nothing else needs to be said.
reddevil on February 19, 2013 at 3:48 PM
Not womEn. Just one womAn in particular. You’re conflating the two.
CycloneCDB on February 19, 2013 at 3:48 PM
He’s the most successful talk radio host in the history of the medium. Believe me, you’d sell your mortal soul to be able to live like he does. Of course nothing gives him immunity from criticism, but any significance people attach to him beyond “talk radio host with more money than God” is precisely that: the significance that others attach to him.
gryphon202 on February 19, 2013 at 3:48 PM
Fluke was being used by the democrats to buy the college women vote. She demanded that the promiscuous behavior of these women be subsidized by others. There was nothing about her that deserved respect.
Rose on February 19, 2013 at 3:49 PM
You mean MSNBC is making money? Has Cupp actually persuaded a few viewers to tune in and watch? Hmmm…
gryphon202 on February 19, 2013 at 3:49 PM
You sure about that? Don’t they need ratings in order to make money?
Doughboy on February 19, 2013 at 3:50 PM
Here’s the ayatollah to tell us about “the proper way to talk about women”.
ddrintn on February 19, 2013 at 3:50 PM
That is a strawman and you are a liar.
besser tot als rot on February 19, 2013 at 3:50 PM
Climb down off the cross S.E. … we need the wood.
HondaV65 on February 19, 2013 at 3:51 PM
Yeah, right. Party heavyweights. Let’s see how she defends those who express criticism of, say, Marco Rubio in the future.
ddrintn on February 19, 2013 at 3:53 PM
You’re compared anonymous criticism from the right on a conservative website with SE Cupp burnishing her credentials as a useful idiot for left wing media in NYT, MSNBC, NY Daily News? If Cupp truly wanted to make a political point about Limbaugh, she should have done it on Fox, Blaze, and hotair.
sauldalinsky on February 19, 2013 at 3:55 PM
Main issue here is this … she LOST a pi$$ing contest with Rush – ON THE MERITS … and now she’s trying to say all these “ditto heads” are persecutiing her for simply taking issue with something Limbaugh said.
Uhm no … S.E. … the “ditto heads” disagreed with you because you were …
WRONG.
HondaV65 on February 19, 2013 at 3:55 PM
Rush Limbaugh isn’t a “party heavyweight.” He is a member of the Republican base who happens to have the most successful long-form talk radio show in the history of the medium. Can we get over this crazy, stupid, and dangerous notion that Rush Limbaugh is a “party heavyweight” just because most of his 22+ million listeners agree with him most of the time? THAT is the kind of stupid that will damage movement conservatism far more than Rush himself could ever damage the Republican party if he tried!
gryphon202 on February 19, 2013 at 3:56 PM
BINGO!
HondaV65 on February 19, 2013 at 3:56 PM
Another msdnc shill
cmsinaz on February 19, 2013 at 3:57 PM
This is where you and Sarah Beth buy into the faulty premise that to criticize Fluke is to criticize all women. Wrong. To criticize Obama is to criticize all blacks. Wrong. Criticizing one person is criticizing one person. It’s really just that simple.
CycloneCDB on February 19, 2013 at 3:57 PM
Go ahead. Keep attacking me on this. Validate the most slanderous accusations against conservatives by the Democrats. Tell me the way you should talk about women.
I dare you. I f***ing dare you.
KingGold on February 19, 2013 at 3:57 PM
Speaking of which, I think S.E. Cupp just secured a permanent place on my shit list for this monumental display of self-righteous stupidity.
gryphon202 on February 19, 2013 at 3:58 PM
Sandra Fluke was a skank who wanted others to pony up the cash for her sexual escapades.
sharrukin on February 19, 2013 at 3:59 PM
True, but I find it hiloarious that these suck-ups want to pretend that it takes sooooooooo much courage to stand up to bad ol’ Limbaugh and the like. You know what would take real courage? Get on MSNBC or post the NYDN that “Ya know what? I LIKE Sarah Palin!!!!”
ddrintn on February 19, 2013 at 3:59 PM
Since when did you become some great savior of women?
HondaV65 on February 19, 2013 at 4:00 PM
* hilarious
ddrintn on February 19, 2013 at 4:00 PM
I don’t think anyone here has gone anywhere near telling you how you should talk about women. You, on the other hand…
/facepalm
gryphon202 on February 19, 2013 at 4:01 PM
My point is that I disagree with the apology, and that I agree with the initial assessment. It was an appropriate thing to say, and Ms. Fluke was way out of line. I would humbly suggest that she exert some self-control if her life so that she doesn’t act on impulse every second. It builds character, and would spare her from the need to have others pay for her birth control.
Stoic Patriot on February 19, 2013 at 4:02 PM
Straw man. Who ever said Limbaugh is immune to criticism?
[ddrintn on February 19, 2013 at 3:47 PM]
Agreed. S. E. Cupp needs to work on her messaging.
Here’s a standard response to the MSM baiting Republicans to attack one another: “Well, I haven’t heard the comments in context, but I know X, and he’s been known to say controversial things to stimulate debate and raise awareness of the crazy stupid and dangerous ideas that Democrats propose everyday. I’m sure he’ll clarify what he said over the next few days and maybe apologise for the errant comment. I don’t always agree with his way of doing it but it seems tame compared to to the insults coming from the mouths of Democrat politicians and journalists on a daily basis.”
Dusty on February 19, 2013 at 4:02 PM
Oh, I dunno, Knight in Shining Armor, Mirror of Chivalry. Maybe we could talk about them the way your ilk talks about the Palin women, Christine O’Donnell and Sharron Angle.
ddrintn on February 19, 2013 at 4:02 PM
Yeah. Me too. And she was pretty high up on my list before this. Just blew it. Whoring herself to MSDNC now. (Is it okay if I use that simile, KingGold?)
CycloneCDB on February 19, 2013 at 4:04 PM
KingGold: “What, some TV comedian called Sarah Palin a wh*re? What’s wrong with that – she’s put herself out there in the public eye – she needs to grow a thick skin!”
KingGold: “What? Rush Limbaugh insinuated a liberal busybody was a wh*re? HOW DARE HE!!”
HondaV65 on February 19, 2013 at 4:05 PM
“Thou varlet, thou knave, thou!!! Prepare thyself to be chastised soundly at the lists! I command thee…I f***ing command thee!!!!!“
ddrintn on February 19, 2013 at 4:06 PM
Thank you for reminding me, Honda. I forgot about that. It’s enough for me to rethink this whole notion of who is considering who immune to criticism. Heh.
gryphon202 on February 19, 2013 at 4:07 PM
I disagree with Rush Limbaugh all the time … in fact, I DISAGREE with him that he owed ANYONE an apology for his Fluke comments.
HondaV65 on February 19, 2013 at 4:07 PM
LOL, exactly.
ddrintn on February 19, 2013 at 4:08 PM
Look at it this way, Honda: Rush speaks from the heart. If he had any reason to apologize for calling Sandra Fluke a nasty name, it wasn’t because he changed his mind.
gryphon202 on February 19, 2013 at 4:09 PM
Yeah, I do too. I think he was wrong about Romney and he’s wrong about Rubio. But the “moderates” like to set up this mythological beast called the “fanatic devotee of Rush” and then try to get brownie points by attacking it.
ddrintn on February 19, 2013 at 4:10 PM
No one has said Rush is immune to criticism, well except for Cupp, which I’d note is a both a strawman and disingenuous. It the character of the criticism that folks object to and the manner in which it was offered.
I haven’t followed this but it appears she was interviewed. I haven’t read the NYT article and don’t intend to give them a click. What was the question she was asked that elicited this comment from her? Was she just another Republican duped into extremely critical of a teammate of ours? If so, maybe she should be target one for her project to revamp our messaging.
Dusty on February 19, 2013 at 4:12 PM
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