El Rushbo, today:
But I have an idea. If these guys are so impressed with themselves, and if they are so sure of their correctness, why doesn't President Obama come on my show?
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Let's go ahead and have a debate on this show. No limits. Now that your handlers are praising themselves for promoting me as the head of a political party — they think that's a great thing — then it should be a no-brainer for you to further advance this strategy by debating me on the issues and on the merits, and wipe me out once and for all!
Just come on this program. Let's have a little debate. You tell me how wrong I am and you can convince the rest of the Americans that don't agree with you how wrong we all are. You're a smart guy, Mr. President. You don't need these hacks to front for you. You've debated the best! You've debated Hillary Clinton. You've debated John Edwards. You've debated Joe Biden. You've debated Dennis Kucinich. You've debated the best out there. You are one of the most gifted public speakers of our age. I would think, Mr. President, you would jump at this opportunity. Don't send lightweights like Begala and Carville to do your bidding — and forget about the ballerina, Emanuel. He's got things to do in his office. These people, compared to you, Mr. President, are rhetorical chum.
It would be entertaining for Obama to take the bait — or de-bait, I guess — and wipe the floor with Limbaugh.
Of course, Obama won't and shouldn't. The whole point of Rush being the de facto leader of the GOP is that he is small. Not in size, but in stature. Rush is an entertainer and a loudmouth. That is the best the party has to offer. So for Obama to actually debate Rush is to suggest that he is something more.
Rush instinctively knows this. He will soon crow that Obama was "chicken" to debate him. For Rush, this is about ratings. He is an entertainer. And his call to debate Obama will keep the media circus running for (yes, sorry to say) another 24 hours. Tomorrow, he will say something else, which will (he hopes) propel his place in the spotlight well into the Sunday talk shows.
Besides, there was a debate about Obama's policies versus conservatism. It happened last November. Obama won, as did a majority of House and Senate Democrats. Perhaps Rush missed that.
By the way, Rush also said today:
Let's talk about your stock market. By the way, Mr. President, I want to help. Yesterday you said you looked at the stock market as no different than a tracking poll that goes up and down.
There's no "up and down" here. We have a plunge.
The Dow was up almost 150 points today. At one point, it almost broke 7,000 (up 280 from today's open).
RELATED: The DCCC is having some fun with all the Republicans rushing to Rush's feet to apologize.
FURTHER THOUGHT: The Politico reports that this whole "Rush As GOP Leader" is an Obama/Democratic "plan".
Bullshit, I say. Did Carville or Begala force Rush at gunpoint to claim that he "hopes Obama fails"? Did Rahm Emmanuel create the media circus that resulted from Rush's comment? Did any Democrat operative or Obama advisor prepare the text for Rush's speech at CPAC earlier this week?
At best (or worst, depending on your point of view), Democrats have seized on an opportunity. But Rush himself created that opportunity.