Rush the vote: is "operation chaos" killing obama? Or are democrats?

The myth of Saint Barack is unraveling and Rush Limbaugh is taking the credit.

He and Laura Ingraham (KKOL m-f, 6-9a) are urging listeners to switch party affiliations and vote for Hillary Clinton to keep Democrats guessing all the way to the convention.who will be their candidate.

Limbaugh (KTTH m-f, 9a-12p) calls it Operation Chaos, and it's helping elect John McCain, a flawed candidate whose own Party dislikes him and ought to be polling in single digits.

While Big Pants' "campaign" is mostly hot air -- the kind that's made him the highest-rated radio talker in the history of the world. In Pennsylvania, where the crucial April 22 primary is closed to independents and Republicans, there are reports that at least some Republicans are switching their party registration by the March 24 deadline.

But Democrats are doing the best job of making sure John McCain wins in November.

While liberal pundits lead a chorus of praise for Obama's wonderful, groundbreaking, out loud white paper on race -- the average schmuck probably never heard it all at the same time.

What they've heard are snips of the speech with scornful commentary by such as Rush Limbaugh, Michael Medved, Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck. Fox News has kept the Pastor Wright mishegoss front and center in their coverage and made it the filter through which all campaign news is filtered. The fiery sermons are looped over and over.

Of course, most liberals we know don't pay any attention to right-wing media. They're oblivious to one of the most important ways the pulse of America should be taken.

And there's no sign yet that the speech had any effect whatsoever on the spiraling Obama numbers.

Tracking polls show the precious, vital but volatile and fickle independents are having second thoughts -- in big numbers. Clinton's numbers have swung upwards by 9 points in week.

(These polls are notoriously unreliable at this stage of the race, but Obamers have been pointing to them for months as measures of his great popularity and ability to reach across all political boundaries).

Of a sudden those independents who loved Obama and considered him "just black enough," are thinking: maybe he's a little too black like the scary preacher turns out he's been hanging out with all these years.

We're worried about Obama's base supoort. Is he Howard Dean 2004 except with the black vote?

Obama has energized African-Americans in a way no one ever has. Stands to reason, of course: he's kick-started participation from people in the black community who have never seen a viable black presidential candidate or felt they had much of a stake in American elections.

That said, many African-Americans who have sat out other elections feeling disenfranchised are by definition politically unseasoned and a little naive. In a community where the idea of being disrespected is taken very personally, they may not understand that the shit-flinging is equal opportunity here in political America.

They may be already thinking this is just business as usual and feeling dissed by the gloves-on campaign jabs by Hillary Clinton. We doubt they'd turn out in November if Hillary beat Obama  -- Obama's negative and self-righteous campaign has seen to that.

With the other large segment of Obama support -- young voters who have a perfect record of being reliably unreliable, the campaign's base looks troublingly effervescent.

Big Pants' audience aren't all right-wing hatemongers, mind you. There's a shitload of those blessed, sought-after independents listening too. His huge audience is huger than that's apparent looking at his numbers. Significant, too, are his many imitators, and clones across the country who do what he does, grokking correctly that his broadcasting instincts are correct. and they can ride his rhetorical coattails to ratings success.

(This is nothing new, of course, the AM talk radio industry has been built on this strategy).

That's why the stirring bloviations of Pastor Wright aren't going away. That's why Obama's numbers are volatile --  independents are scared -- and, having taken a chance by considering him in the first place, are going, if not due south, at least sidling southwest.

Meanwhile, Obama told CNN's Anderson Cooper that the controversy's "shaken me up a little bit and gotten me back into remembering that the odds of me getting elected have always been lower than some of the other conventional candidates." 

No shit. There'll never be "new politics" any more than there'll will be "new human beings."

This is about the transferring of power of the most powerful country in the modern world, here. Not becoming America's Idol or chairman of a sociology department.

The Republicans play it that way, the Democrats don't. The Republicans win with bad candidates, the Democrats lose with good ones. 

Pastor Wright will be out of the news eventually. But these videos of him ranting like a Black Panther are a direct link to the racial politics Barack's been trying to stay above. He's not put it away, and cannot. It's the crack in the plaster icon the R's have been praying for. All future attacks will emanate from it.

Race anger will be the subtext of the Republican campaign against Obama forever more.

It had to happen, but what's the most maddening and troublesome is that the amoral, craven Republicans have hijacked the highroad on race.

Lord have mercy, god damnit...

Comments

[abob]

Rev James Manning sez Hillary Clinton is a better choice for President because Obama is a
Mack Daddy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khuu-RhOBDU

[chucks]

Michael
This is the most up lifting post that I have ever seen you write. The only point that I find objectionable is when you state that the Democrats lose with good candidates. I look back as far as Eisenhower and do not see one time that a good Democrat candidate has lost. Can only think of one really bad that did win. Carter.
Anyway, thanks for the post.
Your "delusional fan"
Chuck

[abob]

Obama has a major problem. His entire campaign is built on the premise that his good judgment mitigates his inexperience. Obama's 20 year association with a race baiting, America hating pastor erodes the foundation of his appeal. White voters will begin to doubt the basis of Obama's candidacy; his good judgment.

[sparky]

As I said to Duffman, the latest polls were taken before Obama's speech. Let a few days go by and then see if he has gained any of it back, or not.

[howie in seattle]

I believe it was Mark Twain who said, "Rumors of my death are greatly exaggerated."

[sparky]

Breaking news
2 State Department employees fired for illegal investigation of Obama's passport history.

[chucks]

It is another 23 months until November. Seems like it anyway.
It is going to be a long long campaign season.
Obama told 310WIP host Angelo Cataldi this morning "The point I was making was not that my Grandmother harbors any racial animosity, but that she is a typical white person".
Now I want to know what a typical white person is. Am I one? How about you Sparky? Maybe joanie and Trent Lott or cppi and W J Clinton? Is it Goldy or John Carlson?
Really doesn't matter. There is no such thing. If he keeps coming up with that kind of ammo, he won't be around. It will be Clinton or McCain.
Pretty sure McCain and Clinton will say stupid stuff as well, but that statement is "special". It will be used in October. Maybe not by McCain, but by some PAC.

[abob]

To paraphrase Adalai Stevenson:

Every thinking person in America will vote for Obama. But unfortunately he needs a majority.

[joanie hussein for Obama]

...independents are scared...

Hear that boys? He's talking fear again. All you seem to respond to is fear. That's your trump card - that's your only card. What a bunch of cowardly losers.

...the amoral, craven Republicans have hijacked the highroad on race.

No. Quit giving them credit where credit's not due. High road? Damn, you don't know the high road anymore if you think that. Sound bites do not make the man. The high road is taken by those of us who have an understanding of what went before. By the actions that led to the words.

These guys didn't need a preacher to change their minds. They were looking for reasons. If it weren't the preacher, it would have been something else. That's how white ignorance works.

I don't think Americans know what the high road is anymore.

And I still say Obama will overcome this if he stands strong, committed and sticks to his convictions. The last thing he needs to be is Kerry.

I don't care if the Dems win. I care that America wins. If the fools that take sound bites over substance, who demand more of a black man than they do of themselves, and who prefer war over education and health care give us another round of fascism, then so be it. In the end, they will have lost far more than the rest of us. The rest of us will have seen it coming.

BTW, it is the children and grandchildren who will suffer the most. And all because they took the low road. Let's put the blame where it belongs.

Sometimes those who digs holes end up falling in them themselves.

[Duffman]

Hang on folks...Mrs Clinton is changing the math. It 'had' to happen. This is SOoooo cool, you will soon see that she will be 'leading' in the popular vote. Sen Obama (& entourage) will be scratchin their heads sayin 'whaaat happened'...we were leading. Haha...welcome to Politics 101 'Clinton-style' Senator...you did well, far much better than expected. We'll see you on down the road.
Try to get to Church once in a while. :)

[PugetSound]

Try to get to Church once in a while. :)

Posted by: Duffman | March 20, 2008 at 06:55 PM

"no.no.no.no.nooooo, not god bless hillary, i say god damn hillary...

[Duffman]

Yo Puts...what's up; can't you feel the 'tension' herein in regard to Sen Obama. It's the 'unknown' element and the fear factor that 'WELL....YES I guess I will be voting for Mrs Clinton..even tho I don't really want to. In Tommy008's words: Bwahahahahaha :)

[PugetSound]

Hey Duff
It is amusing to see the usual suspects doing cartwheels in not addressing the problems of Obama vis a vi Rev Wright. Or the fact that Hillary may well get the nomination after all.

Very amusing.

[Duffman]

...and now it appears that someone has been tampering with Sen Obama's passport files...Oh My Toto...indeed we're not in So Chicago any more. Welcome to 'hardball, USA'. :)

[PugetSound]

Hey Duff
You see the legitimate outrage over the Obama passport files. Compare that to the hundreds of raw FBI files that the Clinton Administration requested and received from the Whitehouse under the guise of security clearances.

[Duffman]

Yep...she's 'got the goods' on many and she'll pick the time to use it. Can we say 'super-dels'...sure we can boys and girls. It gets better. Hey Sen Obama...not quite like the Illinois Legislature, eh? :)

[joanie hussein for Obama]

From the NY Times, Nicholas Kristof:

"The outrage over sermons by Mr. Wright demonstrates how desperately we as a nation need the dialogue about race that Mr. Obama tried to start with his speech on Tuesday.

Many well-meaning Americans perceive Mr. Wright as fundamentally a hate-monger who preaches antagonism toward whites. But those who know his church say that is an unrecognizable caricature: He is a complex figure and sometimes a reckless speaker, but one of his central messages is not anti-white hostility but black self-reliance.

“The big thing for Wright is hope,” said Martin Marty, one of America’s foremost theologians, who has known the Rev. Wright for 35 years and attended many of his services. “You hear ‘hope, hope, hope.’ Lots of ordinary people are there, and they’re there not to blast the whites. They’re there to get hope.”

Professor Marty said that as a white person, he sticks out in the largely black congregation but is always greeted with warmth and hospitality. “It’s not anti-white,” he said. “I don’t know anybody who’s white who walks out of there not feeling affirmed.”

Mr. Wright has indeed made some outrageous statements. But he should be judged as well by his actions — including a vigorous effort to address poverty, ill health, injustice and AIDS in his ministry.

...What should draw much more scrutiny in this campaign than any pastor’s sermons is the candidates’ positions on education, health care and poverty — and their ability to put those policies in place. Cutting off health care benefits for low-income children strikes me as much more offensive than any inflammatory sermon.

Of course, this might be a tad to long for your limited attention spans and it does contain several compound sentences; however, you might find it a bit enlightening if you choose to be informed at all.

Then and again, I'm probably wastin' my time trying to reason with ignorant human beans.

[J.Hova]

As Bill Maher just quoted, Obama is the Jackie Robinson of politics.

Maher compares Obama to Jackie Robinson, because just like Robinson was when he broke the color barrier in baseball, Obama is held up to such a higher standard. He must appear flawless in a way that no white candidate would be expected to be. Would Obama's experience or patriotism be as obsessively attacked as it is if he weren't Black? I don't think so.

He also says what I think a lot of progressives are afraid of--"that we're one terrorist attack away from John McCain rising in the polls by ten points" because he's perceived as "tougher". But Maher correctly states that "McCain is not the toughest on Iraq, he's the dumbest."

[KS]

Agree with PS about the Obama passport situation. The Clintonista moles may have had something to do with that - won't put it past them.

The Right-wing talk show hosts think they have the inside on this election, when if you remember they did not want McCain. They have lost credibility with their actions. In other words, I am sick of this election manipulating by the right.

McCain will incur the wrath of the corrupt mainstream media who will try their level best to get a Democrat elected president. Most of the so-called reporters are despicable when it comes to reporting politics by conveniently leaving out the meat of the story, if it interferes with their political agenda. There is no such thing as reporters anymore. Why don't they do something useful for a change like go look for an interview with Osama bin Laden hiding out in Pakistan ?

[Tommy008]

Evil White Mens why they want to hate on Barack its them evil white mens why all the hate holmes? you all evil white mens barack is a prince Pastor Wright done saved his soul ain't nothing hateful about that preacher, Johnson he's a big old teddy bear sure he said you all the enemy cause you're evil white mens he only telling the truth, dog big old kindly teddy bear sure Pastor j said Americe deserved 911 had it comng with all you evil white mens chickens comin' home to rest, dog cause you evil white mens brought it on your own danm ugly selves, G.D. evil white mens G.D. America! you go, Pastor J.! talking about them evil white mens

[joanie hussein for Obama]

Get some sleep, tommy. Or get a brain scan. You lose the book deal?

[abob]

Obama is not the Jackie Robinson of politics. Obama gives good speech but can he hit a curve ball?

[joanie hussein for Obama]

You flunk metaphors in high school?

Figures.

BTW, didn't know curve balls counted in politics...I guess that's a conservative thing, huh?

[joanie hussein for Obama]

Richardson, long-time friend of the Clintons came out for Obama. That's a boost at the right time. Sorry Duffman.

[PugetSound]

"Mr. Wright has indeed made some outrageous statements. But he should be judged as well by his actions — including a vigorous effort to address poverty, ill health, injustice and AIDS in his ministry."

Yep, Pastor Wright probably did address those issues. Judging by the sermons it was pretty much by use of scape-goats and fear-mongering. You know, the gov't introduced Aids and Crack Cocaine into the black neighborhoods, America deserved the 9-11 attacks, et al.

We'll see how that plays in the Purple States.

[PugetSound]

Hey Tommy
Don't mind Joanie's cheap shots. It's all she has.
What she REALLY wants is a starring role in your next Installment of Dori Monson Theatre.

Now that would be funny...

[Duffman]

"Richardson, long-time friend of the Clintons came out for Obama. That's a boost at the right time. Sorry Duffman.

Posted by: joanie hussein for Obama | March 21, 2008 at 12:04 AM"

Yes joanie..I caught that and was shocked. This is a very significant endorsement. This and Dick Morris 'calling it' for Sen Obama worries me some. :)

[Duffman]

Isn't it time for this Designated Attack-Dog to STFU and go home. :)

[Duffman]

As part African American I think your post at 10:21 last nite was a bit over the top T008. I know you're worked up about the good Rev, but that was not called for. You're a much better writer than to post something like that. :(

[wutitiz]

That is a surprise endorsement, given that Richardson was in the Clinton Admin. What does he know that we don't, Duff?

I still say Barack has a steep hill to climb to get back. It's not just the 'GD' America remark, it's Wright's ties to anti-Semite Farrakhan, the bigoted "Black Liberation Theology," which views blacks as the 'chosen people,' and the claptrap conspiracy theories.

There are still plenty of layers for Hillary and McCain to dig up and expose. The story has long legs.

[Duffman]

Yeah wutitiz; should Sen Obama become POTUS, I'll be interested to see what cabinet position he gets. :)

[wutitiz]

I'm guessing he would like Secretary of State, and he would be a good one.

[Duffman]

Just got a CNN bulletin that apparently Secy Rice is saying that Mrs Clinton's passport file was breadhed last year also.

[Duffman]

..now McCain's file was also breached...
Seems our State Dept. is in a pitiful state of affairs. :)

[DT]

"Obama is being held to a higher standard." Just saying this doesn't make it so. Can someone prove to me he's being held to a higher standard? I don't think he is. I think he's being held to the same standard, but now that he's hit a rough patch, people are crying that he's being held to a higher standard.

[coiler]

Yes, let's march into Mc Insanes church and peek into what fire and brimstone his pastor is preaching

[joanie hussein for Obama]

Sometimes I think DT just likes to read his own writing. That made no sense whatsoever.

[coiler]

What Richardson did last night was to signal to everyone to move on and nominate a candidate early and go on the offensive against Insane Mccain.

I think within 2 more weeks it will be a done deal. Richardson is a big player.

[joanie hussein for Obama]

I wish Edwards would do the same.

[yorke]

Can anyone understand the significance of operation chaos? It is similar to when Nero fiddled while Rome burned. Rush and Rush alone stands accused in the American psyche of heedless and irresponsible behavior in the face of a crisis. He claims to be America's anchorman and in effect is the worst spin doctor of them all. He needs to be stopped. Mr. Buckley would not be impressed with Rush in this instance.

[Central Concern]

Rush and Co appeals to the lowest denominator--those Americans who feel demeaned over the last 25 years or so by lower wage jobs and not having the same lifestyle as their parents had--the greatest generation. Rush pulls this off by placing the blame on those he sees as easy to implicate, liberals, which he cannot define as most of us are compassionate but he takes advantage of those inured to problem solving who are looking for their pound of flesh.
Rush is the dog that started out with 5 tics and is never treated and soon the tics divide into hundreds of blood sucking tics. The dog has to be put down.

[Maltboy!]

A poignant quote from this blog:

http://digitaldiatribes.wordpress.com/2008/03/25/the-rush-is-on-operation-chaos-and-how-it-has-flummoxed-the-left/

“The real genius in “Operation Chaos” is not that Rush Limbaugh had an idea that nobody else had. It is not that the mission has led to any huge swing in delegates towards Hillary Clinton. In fact, it’s likely that the real impact has been close to zero. The genius in it is that Limbaugh knew full well that the power given to “Operation Chaos” would be in the publicity it would be given by the very people most vehemently condemning it.”

And you fell for it. Hook. Line. Sinker.

[Maltboy!]

What's so funny about this is that 98% of the people who listen to Rush understand this is all just a big joke intended to get the Dems spun up (like they needed help doing that). All they have to do now is sit back and watch the carnage. Liberals have shown their true colors - they will eat their own for a little power.

If Hillary wins the nomination, the blacks will play the race card and sit out. If Obama wins, the lesbians and blue-collar racist democrats (millions of those in the north) will vote for McCain. Either way, when the smoke clears, John McCain takes the oath in January.

It's a great time to be a Republican - I don't know how this Democrat bloodbath could possibly get any more entertaining, but I have a strong feeling that somehow it will.

[Maltboy!]

"Rush and Co appeals to the lowest denominator--those Americans who feel demeaned over the last 25 years or so by lower wage jobs and not having the same lifestyle as their parents had--the greatest generation. Rush pulls this off by placing the blame on those he sees as easy to implicate, liberals, which he cannot define as most of us are compassionate but he takes advantage of those inured to problem solving who are looking for their pound of flesh.
Rush is the dog that started out with 5 tics and is never treated and soon the tics divide into hundreds of blood sucking tics. The dog has to be put down."

Welcome to the discussion Mr. Obama.

[sparky]

Sadly, Maltboy, you give people too much credit. All of the people I know who listen to Rush see him as the beacon of truth and see nothing joking about what he says...they quote him verbatim and are quite serious.

That is a scary thing to me.

[joanie hussein for obama]

It's a great time to be a Republican

Why? Is it team spirit and loyalty? Or is it about the country and Constitution?

Most conservatives on this blog will attack before they answer a question. Which are you and what do you say?

[Maltboy!]

"Sadly, Maltboy, you give people too much credit. All of the people I know who listen to Rush see him as the beacon of truth and see nothing joking about what he says...they quote him verbatim and are quite serious. That is a scary thing to me."

Replace the word "Rush" with "Obama" and you'll be much closer to the truth. That is a scary thing to me

[sparky]

I know a lot of people who admire Obama and plan to vote for him, and none of them think he is the Second Coming. You are believing the hype you are fed on TeeVee. That is not healthy.

[Maltboy!]

""It's a great time to be a Republican"

Why? Is it team spirit and loyalty? Or is it about the country and Constitution?"

I understand your confusion since those concepts aren’t of much interest to a liberal. Actually, it's about watching democrats demonstrate to the world what a bunch of childish backbiting power mongers they are. Party of the people my ass!

"Most conservatives on this blog will attack before they answer a question. Which are you and what do you say?"

When confronted with facts most liberals will hurl accusations or change the subject. In other words, precisely what you are doing right now.

[sparky]

Well, you are entitled to your opinion, but the idea that liberals somehow don't love their country as much as conservatives is silly.