Right or Wrong, Rush Opened Up A Huge Can of Worms...
If my Facebook news feed could be considered a barometer (and I don't see why it shouldn't considering I have 936,473 best friends), Rush's comments have opened up a whole new line of attack against conservatives that is being taken up by a whole new generation of ignorants. As someone who grew up thinking abortion was a personal choice of right or wrong, I can tell you that its legality is never really called into question, and repealing Roe never really considered a realistic possibility. Roe is an old issue that few feel comfortable, or feel the need to defend. It's the law of the land and that means there really aren't any more boogeymen associated with it.
But as of the last couple weeks, the narrative implies that conservatives are anti-birth control. Those arguing this position can now use the argument that they are using birth control to prevent an unplanned pregnancy from occurring, an act of responsibility in their eyes. The folks arguing this have no clue on the deeper issues involved. All they know is they can charge the Right as seeing anyone who uses birth control as being sluts. And so we have walked into a trap.
If John Yoo is right, and the requirement to provide contraception is struck down by the Supreme Court, then we may well see the rebirth of a new "get your hands off my body" movement. The Left will have their social issue for the next generation. And the Right will have another deeply inaccurate projection of itself with which to deal and to clean up.
All because one person with a very loud voice called an opportunistic political operative with sinister intentions and constitutional ignorance a slut.
The issue is silly, stupid, frustrating and infuriating. It ignores the real issues at hand and can be read and misinterpreted by the mostly naive citizenry who only hear, "GOP Against Birth Control!" We lost control of the conversation and now have to be in response mode.
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Mar '11
Re: Right or Wrong, Rush Opened Up A Huge Can of Worms...
David Williamson
Ah, yes, the UK - where contraception, abortion, sex-change Ops and assisted death are all free
"free"
Jan '11
Re: Right or Wrong, Rush Opened Up A Huge Can of Worms...
Bingo. Of all the possible ways to have criticized Fluke and her testimony, Limbaugh honed in on the least substantive, most inflammatory one available. I'm glad he apologized for it, but it was an foolish and ill-informed comment.
Jonathan Cast:
Look, Rush could have made the exact same --- completely valid --- point without using the word, and the media would have responded in the exact same way, because this has never been about contraception for them. This is about establishing a precedent that overturns religious freedom.
No, they wouldn't, because it simply wouldn't have made such a delicious story that would shame Limbaugh into (rightfully and to his credit) apologizing and have a bunch of advertisers drop the show.
Mar '11
Re: Right or Wrong, Rush Opened Up A Huge Can of Worms...
John Murdoch
Percival:
If my recreational activities involve firearms, should the Federal Government supply me with free ammunition? I mean, I actually do have a right to keep and bear arms, so I should get ammunition insurance free, right?
Um, actually not a good example.
The Dept. of Defense does provide ammunition, targets, and related materials (I'm not sure if they actually provide the guns or not) to organized youth shooting sports programs, through the NRA.
A good example is 4-H shooting sports programs--we have one in our county. (I think they actually get reimbursed for the ammo, etc., rather than getting the actual ammo shipped to them. Not sure.)
They get all that? When I visited my grandma and we went to the 4-H club she was advisor to, all I got to do was make potholders. If I had known I could have gotten some range time in...
(Actually, I was only about six years old. My dad didn't teach me how to shoot for a whole two more years.)
Jun '10
Re: Right or Wrong, Rush Opened Up A Huge Can of Worms...
Very true what you are saying here and very important.
The only quibble is that we need to address both issues, truth and prudence. We need to separate them, though. Dennis Prager always says: "First tell the truth and then give your opinion." (Dennis is a genius communicator.)
But still, Eric, you are so right that we just don't have the same responsibilities that politicians or pundits do. I love your statement about "the corrupting effect of being careful with the truth." That's it in a nub. It is this problem that gets us so many gutless Republicans.
Dec '10
Re: Right or Wrong, Rush Opened Up A Huge Can of Worms...
Lance, your post is spot on. I have listened to Rush for 20 years. This Fluke satire was a fiasco for us "ordinary" conservatives who are now way back on our heels trying to explain Rush's comments to our lefty friends and family, who are relishing the chance to bash Rush and the GOP. What a mess he helped create.
Dec '10
Re: Right or Wrong, Rush Opened Up A Huge Can of Worms...
Don't defend him. Tell them he was wrong to call her those names. Explain that what he should have called her is Obama's operative the anti-First Amendment crusader and leave it at that.
Get off your heels and lean into it.
Edited on March 7, 2012 at 7:35pmDec '10
Re: Right or Wrong, Rush Opened Up A Huge Can of Worms...
Repeat after me: "This contraception issue is just a distraction. An electoral stratagem. None of this will matter come November, and Barack Obama will go down to ignominious defeat."
I guess we'll see . . .
Edited on March 7, 2012 at 8:34pmNov '10
Re: Right or Wrong, Rush Opened Up A Huge Can of Worms...
This contraception issue is just a distraction. An electoral stratagem. None of this will matter come November, and Barack Obama will go down to ignominious defeat.
Thanks! I do feel a little better now.
Nov '11
Re: Right or Wrong, Rush Opened Up A Huge Can of Worms...
I kind of agree, however by riding this particular conservative hobby horse first of all you give their premise legitimacy (that it's about contraception and not freedom). Libertarians seem to have the same thought patterns & tactics as the socialists when it comes to social issues. (Nasty Conservatives want you to have Vaginal Probe, and Hate Contraceptives and why did they respond anyway). Libertarians are as bad as the Dems by bringing up non-issue, issues, in this election. I wish more could be like Rush saying what it's really about, then go on to another topic that will make THEM react and keep hammering it (in this instance he went on to demonstrate his premise of how the next step in food nazism has taken place- my word not his). He did not attack his own side. Also, I don't see any suggestions except appeasement and shut up. Let's hear some James.Mine is everyone boycott the NYT-no more quotes, no more mentions-they don't exist.
Jun '11
Re: Right or Wrong, Rush Opened Up A Huge Can of Worms...
Meanwhile... Carbonite stock plummeted 13.4% intraday in the the first two trading days after they loudly dumped advertising on The Rush Limbaugh Show. (Limbaugh hasn't lost a dime, but Carbonite shareholders sure have.)
Rush himself is anything but "back on his heels" so I can't understand why anyone else would be. If the Republican Party goes into the November election viewed as the meanies who want to take away America's birth control it won't be Limbaugh's fault. Seriously, if the best thing the D's have going for them is this lie about birth control they're in bigger trouble than Carbonite.
Dec '10
Re: Right or Wrong, Rush Opened Up A Huge Can of Worms...
Jerry Broaddus
Don't defend him. Tell them he was wrong to call her those names. Explain that what he should have called her is Obama's operative the anti-First Amendment crusader and leave it at that.
Get off your heels and lean into it. · 2 hours ago
Edited 2 hours ago
I don't want to have to discuss it all!!! It's being discussed, though, on every damn station I turn on today -- from Dr. Radio on SiriusXM to Geraldo hosting a debate between Kiersten Powers and Gloria Aldrich -- Gah!!!!!!!!
Dec '10
Re: Right or Wrong, Rush Opened Up A Huge Can of Worms...
Rush will never be back on his heels. But he's not on the front lines -- we are -- and he has made it just that more difficult for us!!!!
Jan '11
Re: Right or Wrong, Rush Opened Up A Huge Can of Worms...
KC Mulville
Midget Faded Rattlesnake
So what can be done about it?
If it were only the young and impressionable, I'd feel better and more hopeful. At least they'd grow up. But we have a Peter Pan audience, filled with media-children who refuse to grow up, and who think the media's pixies are tossing magic dust.
I stand up against crowd, say loudly and forcefully "STOP".
My particular methods have not been as successful as I would hope. A year ago, at a high school basketball game, I asked, quite loudly, why all the girls were dressed like sluts? Along with the shush from my sister-in-law, Nana and a few bad eyes from other women, I got at least two other men to make eye contact and nod. I've convinced myself I gave some embattled father some help.
I probably should shut up after saying stop.
I write this to MFR question, what can be done.
My methods are something you can cross off any list of potential approaches.
Mar '11
Re: Right or Wrong, Rush Opened Up A Huge Can of Worms...
This whole thing is WAY out of proportion. First, abortion has never been and never will be the deciding issue in any election. Is it important from a morality standpoint? Absolutely. But, as a front-and-center campaign issue? Voters don't make their final decisions between Donkeys and Elephants based on it. Even NOW doesn't. They vote Democrat because they are big government women, period. I mean, it's not like these women changed to voting Republican once abortion was legalized in 1973! Why? They like taxes and regulation and socialism and a sticking-our-heads-in-the-sand defense policy. So, given all this, I fail to see how a distant cousin of abortion--contraception--is going to make any dent on the national scene no matter if the s-word is used or not.
Lastly, as for the ignorants, something we have to realize is that we can't save everyone. No matter what happens between now and November, Obama is going to get at least fifty million votes. That's life. From now until then, though, we need to focus on the clueless but rational--not the knowledgeable but irrational.
Dec '10
Re: Right or Wrong, Rush Opened Up A Huge Can of Worms...
The problem is that this Rush disaster has created a drumbeat that political neophytes and those who usually don't pay attention are hearing. It damages his image, and more so, damages ours, no matter who or who won't be voting in November.
Aug '10
Re: Right or Wrong, Rush Opened Up A Huge Can of Worms...
Yeah...ok
My particular methods have not been as successful as I would hope. A year ago, at a high school basketball game, I asked, quite loudly, why all the girls were dressed like sluts? Along with the shush from my sister-in-law, Nana and a few bad eyes from other women, I got at least two other men to make eye contact and nod. I've convinced myself I gave some embattled father some help.
I probably should shut up after saying stop.
I write this to MFR question, what can be done.
My methods are something you can cross off any list of potential approaches.
I don't see your method working by itself. But if there's someone around to play good cop to your bad cop...
"Oh, of course you're not a slut, dear. Never mind what that nasty man said. But... don't you ever feel... awkward... about traipsing around with your thong peeking out over the top of your hotpants? Don't you ever worry that you might be giving others the wrong impression? After all, people are shallow. They can't help having impressions. You have to take that into account..."
Aug '10
Re: Right or Wrong, Rush Opened Up A Huge Can of Worms...
Also, just random curiosity:
Does anyone ever open up a small- or medium-sized can of worms?
Where would you go to find one?
Dec '10
Re: Right or Wrong, Rush Opened Up A Huge Can of Worms...
BKelley14
Jerry Broaddus
Don't defend him. Tell them he was wrong to call her those names. Explain that what he should have called her is Obama's operative the anti-First Amendment crusader and leave it at that.
Get off your heels and lean into it. · 2 hours ago
Edited 2 hours ago
I don't want to have to discuss it all!!! It's being discussed, though, on every damn station I turn on today -- from Dr. Radio on SiriusXM to Geraldo hosting a debate between Kiersten Powers and Gloria Aldrich -- Gah!!!!!!!! · 1 hour ago
I suppose we'll always have victims. But by choice, not by circumstance.
Aug '10
Re: Right or Wrong, Rush Opened Up A Huge Can of Worms...
Not a problem, really, and certainly not a disaster. A significant percentage of those who don't pay constant attention (and why should they!) are on our side, and aren't accepting what the left and their media arm is telling them. Rush may not have been artful in his comments, but he wasn't wrong.
Now, for the Carbonite execs watching their stock price plummet, disaster may be an apporpriate term.
Dec '10
Re: Right or Wrong, Rush Opened Up A Huge Can of Worms...
A significant percentage of those who don't pay constant attention (and why should they!) are on our side,
What do you base this on? I sure don't see it, and I don't think the polls show it.
Seems to me that those who pay constant attention are on our side, mostly. Maybe. The "significant percentage who don't pay constant attention" will vote for the most likeable party/guy, and the media will make sure the GOP isn't likeable.