Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Frankly, if you don't like Rush Limbaugh, you're probably not a Republican. I really doubt he's going to "cost" any votes to the Republican Party; he's not a politician, but an entertainer--and he freely admits it.
And here's the link that actually lists the companies who don't want their ads run during Rush's show (rather than a very biased commentator using sources like "Think Progress"): Rush Limbaugh: Over 40 Advertisers Flee, Host Says ‘Everything’s Cool’ - ABC News I haven't even heard of most of these companies, and many of them would obviously have clients who are primarily poor and/or liberal (so advertising on Rush's show won't get them to their target audience). Some advertisers don't want their ads on any shows that are controversial.
Rush serves two purposes: he's entertaining and usually not utterly aggravating (if you're conservative), and he points out issues that the liberal media would simply bury. He's obviously biased, but once you're aware of the issues, you can look up the facts from other sources.
Again, I'd ask Mitt Romney and Marco Rubio what they think of Rush.
As for the rest, Clear Channel is the largest radio syndicate in the country. Cumulus is the second largest, and they both carry Rush. Clear Channel's 8 year, $400M contract with Rush runs out in 2016. The contract he has with Cumulus ends this year. Both businesses have been hemmoraging money since the Sandra Fluke incident. I'm sure that the far right end of the R base still loves Rush--why wouldn't they? The problem for Rush is that it may not be enough. Rush runs a BUSINESS. He sells his show to advertisers--they make money by paying to advertise their product on a high profile show. Without the advertisers, he can still say whatever he wants, but he won't be paid to do it.
No matter what, he's had a long run and he's filthy rich. I don't see any reason to feel sorry for him.
So then what should the GOP do about it? There's that whole pesky first amendment thing and all ya know.......
The GOP doesn't have to do anything. The market is speaking instead. They do, however, need to be concerned about damage to the R brand by letting him go unchallenged for so long. The far right end of the base loves him, but in the leadership vaccum of the R party, Rush has served as a major "face" of the party. He horrifies more the more moderate and establishment R voters who are fleeing the party now--especially women.
Actually, I think you have that reversed. I think there are way more conservatives who would like Rush to go away than liberals, or at least establishment republicans. Limbaugh goes out of his way to attack conservatives who don't tow the line from the far right end of the base--ask Mitt Romney and Marco Rubio what they think of him. The Sandra Fluke comment was the last straw for a lot of conservatives who are in the business of trying to get other republicans elected. You guys keep saying that people want Rush silenced. Nobody is trying to stop him from saying what he's saying--he has the same first amendment rights as the rest of us. The truth is that Rush sells a product--his SHOW, based on his OPINIONS--and because of those opinions, businesses are increasingly reluctant to tie their name to him now by advertising on his show. That's about as free market as it gets. If what you're selling is offensive to a big chunk of the population, it isn't going to sell anymore. Why WOULD people invest in you by advertising on your show if they think it's going to turn off more people than draw them in?
When you say "you guys" , bear in mind I am not a Republican. I used to be, but not anymore. Socially, I am a Moderate. I believe in the free markey system though, and dislike big government. I'm not in lockstep with Limbaugh, though I do agree with a lot of the same ideas he professes.
The ire he arouses in Liberals, I find amusing, but I think I liked him better 20 years ago. I don't agree with the Republican take on legalization of marijuana, gay marriage, and a few other social issues. Fiscally, I am more aligned with the right than the left, and I vehemently disagree with the left on guns and their interpretation of the First amendment as well. The whole church and state thing is way overblown.
As to Repulicans that Rush takes to task, the Liberal pundits do the same with Dems who don't fall totally in line with Obama, so that is a non issue. What you are saying, is that Limbaugh's vehement disagreement with the left is scaring advertisers? Do you feel Leftist control is that strong, that these businesses fear retaliation that much if they put ads in Rushs' slot? That doesn't quite compute. I don't think Limbaugh has gone that over the top, so as folks feel the use of his slot for ads makes them feel they are aligning with the Devil, and live in fear of the Church of Liberalism bringing down the wrath.
Sure, he has made some comments that threw kerosene on the fire, so what? So have a few Liberal pundits, with the vicious thrashing Sarah Palin took from leftist commentators, really jumping out. Its been a tit for tat deal. Nobodies hands are clean, in this derogatory commentary game.
actually rush(and a few others) was correct fluke is a floozy
a female(named Sandra fluke) was demanding FREE BC,,saying they NEEDED it...why because they COULD NOT CONTROL themselves
face facts
it was HER OWN WORDS
SHE BENT facts...she said 3000 over """"the course of law school""""((( that would be 6 years)))
BTW BC(pill) ony costs less than $30 a month...that a dollar a day...even the patch is less than 30 a month
pay the freaking bill...quit asking for free
BC is cheap....why is she demanding it for free
Minestrin 1/20 Birth Control 28 day 1/0.02mg 3 Packs(3 months).......$69.50(23.3/month)
Micronor Discreet 28 day 0.35mg 3 Packs (3 months)......................$57.00(19/month)
YAZ Birth Control 28 day 3mg/20mcg 6 Packs (6 months)................$176.00(29.33/month)
Ortho Cept 28 day 0.15/0.03mg 6 Packs(6 months).........................$125.50(20.83/month)
Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo 28 day noDose 3 Packs(3 months).....................$54.00(18/month)
Ethinyl estradiol/norgestimate noDose 6 Packs(6 months).................$93.00(15/month)
but less than a dollar a day (1/4 the cost of a starbucks coffee) is too much for the fascist *******s
Why do you think your opinion matters on this?
What you think has zero to do with whether advertisers want to continue to run ads on his show or not. They're speaking loud and clear--they don't. It's their money, and their decision on what type of image they want their company and product to project. It's a free country--Rush can say anything he wants--he just can't expect businesses to pay him to say it if they think it will hurt their sales and their brand by having a connection with him.
When you say "you guys" , bear in mind I am not a Republican. I used to be, but not anymore. Socially, I am a Moderate. I believe in the free markey system though, and dislike big government. I'm not in lockstep with Limbaugh, though I do agree with a lot of the same ideas he professes.
The ire he arouses in Liberals, I find amusing, but I think I liked him better 20 years ago. I don't agree with the Republican take on legalization of marijuana, gay marriage, and a few other social issues. Fiscally, I am more aligned with the right than the left, and I vehemently disagree with the left on guns and their interpretation of the First amendment as well. The whole church and state thing is way overblown.
As to Repulicans that Rush takes to task, the Liberal pundits do the same with Dems who don't fall totally in line with Obama, so that is a non issue. What you are saying, is that Limbaugh's vehement disagreement with the left is scaring advertisers? Do you feel Leftist control is that strong, that these businesses fear retaliation that much if they put ads in Rushs' slot? That doesn't quite compute. I don't think Limbaugh has gone that over the top, so as folks feel the use of his slot for ads makes them feel they are aligning with the Devil, and live in fear of the Church of Liberalism bringing down the wrath.
Sure, he has made some comments that threw kerosene on the fire, so what? So have a few Liberal pundits, with the vicious thrashing Sarah Palin took from leftist commentators, really jumping out. Its been a tit for tat deal. Nobodies hands are clean, in this derogatory commentary game.
No--that's not what I said. Calling Sandra Fluke a sl*t wasn't a left or right thing--it was boorish and vulgar behavior. There's no reason to ever call anyone a name like that, and that's what the advertisers are reacting to--women buy most of the products used in the home, and using a highly offensive word to describe a young woman because of her political views didn't sit well with women from lots of political stripes. Businesses have full control over where they place their advertising dollars, and they're the ones choosing not to advertise with the Limbaugh show, because they're afraid that he'll hurt their sales. As far as hurting the R brand in politics--why would it matter what liberals think of R's? They're always going to vote D. Offending moderately conservative women is another matter altogether--those are the folks who are running from the R party. All the democrats are doing is sitting back and laughing at the mess Rush created.
As far as Rush's attacks on more moderate conservatives--that has has nothing to do with the "left" or with Democrats. The R party is fractured right now between the establishment, the hard right conservatives, and the evangelicals. The hard right end of the party loves Rush. He's made it a habit to attack more moderate Republicans--everyone from Chris Christie, to Marko Rubio, to Mitt Romney. Romney was the R presidential candidate last election, and Rubio and Christie are both conservatives who could have the cross over appeal needed to win elections. When you convince a third of the R voting base that those politicians are "RINOS," and what they're proposing (or doing, like trying to work with Obama) is wrong, that doesn't do much in the way of helping the R's win elections. You can nominate the "perfect" hard right conservatives, but they have to win general elections with a much more moderate voting population in everything but gerrymandered Congressional seats. The R establishment understands that, and that's why I think they'll be relieved when Rush is gone.
As for my views, I'm not a liberal. I'm just pointing out the situation.
True, but the farther they get pushed out of mainstream the better we will all be.
Why? Do you have something against the freedom of speech? I'm no Limbaugh fan either, but he and the other RWNJs in the media have just as much of a right to spew their crap over the airways as the LWNJs. Or is it only OK when it's a liberal opinion?
The GOP doesn't have to do anything. The market is speaking instead. They do, however, need to be concerned about damage to the R brand by letting him go unchallenged for so long. The far right end of the base loves him, but in the leadership vaccum of the R party, Rush has served as a major "face" of the party. He horrifies more the more moderate and establishment R voters who are fleeing the party now--especially women.
Do you have a link for this fact? Be careful which one you give.....
They are carried by local stations who advertise local businesses.
Not the Limbaugh show, on smaller local stations, which is a big part of his business. Did you even bother to read the thread? The formula he's used for smaller stations is to offer the show for free in a barter arrangement--he keeps nearly 100% of the national ads, and the small stations get free programming. The bigger stations pay for his shows, and solicit local ads, so if you've been listening to him for years and hearing mainly local ads, then you're listening to a larger station. The show is expensive enough that the smaller stations can't afford to run it based on local advertising. The small stations might be running their ads during the show now to cover the dead air time from the national advertisers pulling out, but they're still getting the show for free until their contract runs out. When they go to renegotiate their contracts with the syndicate, and if the barter arrangement is no longer available, it's doubtful that they can afford to purchase the show based on the local advertising revenue.
Cumulus is talking about dumping Rush and replacing him with Mike Huckabee. He's less controversial, he could get the advertisers, and they could continue to offer the same barter arrangement with smaller rural stations--the target market for these shows.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
