Is it just me, or was there a defiant tone in George Stephanopoulos's voice this morning as he declared that Rush Limbaugh can't stop John McCain? The "This Week" host was a guest commentator on today's Good Morning America, and co-anchor Robin Roberts began by playing a clip of a recent Rush comment.
ROBIN ROBERTS: Let's start with the Republicans. Of course John McCain, the big lead over Romney, but not everyone is rallying around McCain. Let's listen to this for a moment.
Cut to Rush clip.
View video here.
RUSH LIMBAUGH: I don't think Senator McCain understands nor do I think the Republican party establishment understand just how much disgust there is out there amongst their own voters, people like you in this audience. I don't think they get it.
ROBERTS: Conservative talk-show host Rush Limbaugh. Speed bump, or --
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: He has been on the warpath for weeks against John McCain. He hates John McCain. He wants to beat John McCain. But it's going to be very tough for him to do that tonight. If McCain holds onto the biggest states where he's been competing, the winner-take-all states, New York, New Jersey, his home state of Arizona, Missouri, he's going to be very, very hard to stop. And I don't think Rush Limbaugh can do it.
Beyond the tone of Stephanopoulos's voice, look at what appears to be his defiant smirk. Is this not a man eager to see conservatives go down?
—Mark Finkelstein is a NewsBusters contributing editor and host of Right Angle. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net.
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Clintonopolous has ZERO credibility
February 5, 2008 - 09:44 ET by mattmStefanopolous is the typical smarmy, arrogant, smug, little metrosexual Lefty demogogue. He's a Clinton operative using is undeserved position as a pretend journalist to influence events, rather than report on them.
Limbaugh is a commentator who does not hide behind false objectivity. He does not 'hate' McCain...but I'm sure he hates phony bastards like Clintonopolous. Besides, it won't be Limbaugh stopping McCain, it will be the Republican votes who go to the primaries and caucuses who will do it, if it is to be done.
They are loving it
February 5, 2008 - 09:45 ET by funkdomeThe Dems are loving the conflict among conservatives. It is unfortuante that Rush has been such an asset to them.
Your earlier reference to "dittoheads"
February 5, 2008 - 09:49 ET by RJproves you have no clue regarding what Rush and his listeners are about.
"He was a would-be sharp operator who lacked for the satisfaction of his ambition only the quality of sharpness..." -Michael Chabon
Yeah
February 5, 2008 - 09:58 ET by funkdomeI disagree with you (and Rush) so I must have no clue. Good point.
Reading comprehension, funkdome?
February 5, 2008 - 10:05 ET by RJDid I say anything about "disagreement?" No, I said your statement about "dittoheads" shows you have no clue regarding what Rush and his listeners are about....and you obviously don't.
"He was a would-be sharp operator who lacked for the satisfaction of his ambition only the quality of sharpness..." -Michael Chabon
Right, if Limbaugh were
February 5, 2008 - 10:06 ET by motherbeltRight, funkdome, if Limbaugh were smart, he would just toe the party line. Apparently your aim is to have a Republican President, no matter what his policies are. Will we see you here if McCain gets elected, defending him when he signs his own resurrected amnesty bill? And when he closes down Guantanamo and brings those guys here to swamp our judicial system, with the expense of public defenders, to boot? Will you be here saying "At least he's a Republican and Hillary didn't win?"
There is no "conflict among conservatives." The conflict is between conservatives and those Republicans who are willing to give up conservative principles to win.
MB, if Limbaugh were smart,
February 5, 2008 - 11:21 ET by dscottMB, if Limbaugh were smart, he would not allow himself to be played by the likes of the Clinton MSM Machine. George Stephanopolis is just fanning those flames as much as possible by making these comments. Don't get me wrong I dislike all the GOP choices before us, however, that's not the real choice! It is not either McCain or Romney. We have been played in a very clever cynical game. Our enemy is not McCain or Romney, our enemy is the Clinton operatives in the MSM, starting with George Stephanopolis and others who have deftly manipulated the news cycle to the benefit of Hillary.
Everyone knew going in that Hillary would be the Conservative's rallying cry to move the electorate to the right. George S. and company eliminated the candidates on the right by cutting off the quantity and quality of air time. Hence, now that the Right has no one to rally to, Hillary goes unopposed in the general election. At this point Hillary has to knock down Obama, this is why she is so vicious with him, she can taste the presidency, but Obama is in her way. Guess what happens to people who get in Hillary's way??? Bottom line is conservatives are going to sit out the 2008 election cycle because neither McCain nor Romney will inspire anyone with their psudo conservatism.
My advice to all of you is stop being played by Clinton! If you choose not to vote, fine, but at least if you are going to expend your anger do it constructively by reserving the long knives for the real enemy, Clinton's operatives in the MSM. Your wasting your time on McCain or Romney, in fact it's counter productive as all this does is make the Right look angry, folks, America doesn't like angry people no matter how correct they are! Ask Bob Dole about that one, we kept Bill Clinton in 1996 because Dole came off as an angry person. Take the long view.
Lord Sidious / Darth Vader 2008 Long Live the Empire! Come to the Dark Side, it is your Destiny.
Rush and I are not worried
February 5, 2008 - 12:14 ET by TruthMongerConservatives don't need the presidency, we don't need RINO's, and we don't even need the US - we just need conservatives - and we can wait forever:)...
We do not move with political winds - we are reliable, un-shakable, steadfast, and true - no fear of commitment here...
Damn we are GREAT! Wow...
...weenie libs and rino's eat yer heart out:)!
Very well said!
February 5, 2008 - 12:49 ET by Gary P JacksonVery well said!
Limbaugh would rather have dems blamed for lib agenda
February 5, 2008 - 12:52 ET by MaximusBraveheartInteresting article in Washington post. Limbaugh has a good point on that.
http://www.washingto...
great article - I do
February 5, 2008 - 14:21 ET by TruthMongergreat article - I do concur...
and it's McCain who's done the mutiny - try as they may to pin that on us - but conservatives are not traitors, and we do not back traitors - that's the hallmark of RINO's and Liberals...
For someone who is just an "entertainer"....
February 5, 2008 - 09:50 ET by Prester John....Rush is sure getting a lot of press for his opposition to McCain. Last night it was the Fox All Stars, this morning it was CNBC and Fox and Friends. The MSM is acting like they think Rush is the head of the RNC.
Kudos to Cal Thomas (who really should grow his moustache back) for noting that despite what the MSM thinks, conservatives are not a bunch of mind-numbed robots.
TV Shorthand
February 5, 2008 - 10:09 ET by pilsenerThe TV talking heads want to personalize the story to: "grumpy, out-of-touch Rush Limbaugh against the choice of the people, John McCain."
Instead of the whole story - Limbaugh, Hannity, Ingraham, Levin, Hewitt, and more - a whole panoply of conservative talk-radio hosts who don't trust John McCain to be leader of the Republican party and certainly don't believe that he can ever be the leader of conservatives.
TV's version calls for only smirking heads. The real version calls for questions to McCain about why is it, that on all of these issues, you are out of step with a large percentage of people who have been staunch Republican supporters.
"Smirking Heads" - perfect!
February 5, 2008 - 10:36 ET by mattmThat's exactly what Clintonopolous and his ilk are. They denigrate people like Rush, who honestly give their un-disguised opinion, and who have more of a right to have a say about issues than they do - because they're acting a citizens, not political operatives.
The Smirking Heads are all posers who hide behind their false objectivity to subversively influence public opinion, rather than do what honest people like Rush, Laura, Hugh, etc. do, which is tell us up-front what they're about and what their agenda is.
"At least Mitt Romney
February 5, 2008 - 10:23 ET by Jack BauerAppropriate to pander to conservatives
February 5, 2008 - 11:24 ET by MaximusBraveheartThat Peter Mulhearn statement was great! LOL. I prefer to think of it as pander to doing what is right! Less government so our lives are not squeezed out by government's greedy hands.
I think paying 1/3 our income in federal taxes alone is too much. A bunch of F-n theives. We still owe about the same on our house as 5 yrs. ago but if OUR income was not confiscated we could have it paid off and doing something productive like starting a company. I think it is funny how people don't understand how high taxes hinder economic growth.
Almost simple enough for Funkdome to grasp!
February 5, 2008 - 10:33 ET by IamTinmanThere is a large wing of the GOP who consider themselves conservatives. Hannity, Rush, Levin and many others speak to us but not for us and don't claim to.
Unlike the party of Howard (I hate republicans and all they stand for) Dean, we may disagree but we don't thrive on hatred. Rush, etal have said many times that they respect and admire McCain for his service but have fundemental disagreements regarding his policies. Hatred is not part of that equation except in Stephanopoulos's leftward oriented mind.
My comment is neither original or deep
February 5, 2008 - 10:34 ET by FastEdBut most of the msm(Lsm) are missing the point about what RL does. He comments on the news, as presented by the rest of the media, then inserts HIS opinion into the mix. The listeners of his program and other programs on radio, REACT to what he has to say. As it turns out, most agree with what he has to say (as those who agree with the other talkers). THAT is the point these non-reporters are talking about and don't understand.
It isn't WHAT RL has to say, per se, but that the majority of listeners happen to agree with certain points of view, as given, as opinion/analysis.
These so called "reporters" and talking heads, NEVER listen to what RL actually says, they 'report' what other have spun to them. They haven't figured out that for this election or any other, RL isn't running. And he doesn't "hate" anyone, just disagrees with his policies. Sounds like a little transferrance by the msm(Lsm).
There is no sense in being stupid, if you can't prove it! - my dad V
ratings
February 5, 2008 - 12:38 ET by owlpelletsI can only imagine that this whole debacle has Rush's ratings skyrocketing. I can assure you that if Juan, is the candidate that when the socialists win the election Rush's ratings as the opposition will go even higher. Rush is willing to do what he can to not let that happen. Sounds pretty selfless to me.
I always wanted to get into politics, but I was never light enough to make the team.
While I have my differences with Rush Limbaugh...
February 5, 2008 - 15:14 ET by R D Helm...as I do feel that he was a little too eager to engage in blind water carrying for the republicans up until the last mid-term elections (and he sort of admitted this the next day) he is dead on when it comes to John McCain.
McCain has done nothing to earn the vote of this conservative in the election. He seems mostly interested in playing around in the libs backyard, seeking their adulation and approval, while kicking mud into the faces of all true conservatives.
I applaud Rush for having the courage to be what is essentially one of the few lone voices in the wilderness, exposing the liberalism of this "conservative" fraud, Sen. John McCain.
And does anyone with an IQ over 47 give a flying __________ what little Georgie Stephanopoulos thinks about anything? At the end of the day, all he really is is the Che Guevara-ish poster boy for the Clintonista Regime.
None are so hopelessly enslaved as those who falsely believe they are free. -J.W. von Goethe
I have the Flu BUT
February 5, 2008 - 23:55 ET by DelsaEven though i have the Flu, I simply had to comment.
Rush is NOT trying to stop McCain. He is simply pointing out his record and probably will not vote for him.
Seems simple to me