Rush Limbaugh says "Robertson and Falwell Were Wrong".

September 18, 2001 5:51 PM

Rush Limbaugh says "Robertson and Falwell Were Wrong". I never thought I'd see the day where I'd actually think about sending a thank you note to Rush, but it may be time. Limbaugh derides the fundamentalists' recent comments, stating "Suggestions of this kind are one of the reasons why all conservatives get tarred and feathered with this extremist, bigoted, racist, sexist, homophobic label or image that isn't true. The words of Robertson and Falwell are not the words of all conservatives - they are the words of Robertson and Falwell." Is this the beginning of a kindler, gentler Limbaugh?
posted by mattee (41 comments total)

Having listened to Rush since he day he signed on the air nationally, I don't see it as the beginning of anything, but rather the continuation of what was always there.

I'm glad he condemned these bozos - everyone with a lick of sense should do the same and shout it from the rooftops.
posted by ebarker at 6:07 PM on September 18, 2001

So Limbaugh had his site hacked...what's the big deal?
posted by rushmc at 6:08 PM on September 18, 2001

It woz Noam wot did it, rushmc!
(A selection from the Private Joke MeFi Assortment of Bonbons)
posted by MiguelCardoso at 6:13 PM on September 18, 2001

Golly. I had thought that what was said was ok and to the point. Then I heard Rush and now I know better. Thanks Rush.
posted by Postroad at 6:14 PM on September 18, 2001

He's a Mac user, he can't be 100% evil...
Is this really a big risk he took? Even within the context of speaking to the converted, Falwell still sounds like a fool. It was apparant after his apology that Falwell still doesn't get it, and sees the need to shoebox everyone into the secular and non-secular worlds.
posted by machaus at 6:15 PM on September 18, 2001

this is the same limbaugh who once called feminists "a bunch of fat cows"?
posted by moz at 6:20 PM on September 18, 2001

Is anyone on the right even defending Falwell and Robertson? Sounds like Rush is just doing what everyone else is doing. No need for an award ceremony.
posted by skallas at 6:24 PM on September 18, 2001

What is with his VOICE lately? You know what I'm talking about -- it's like he's imitating himself. Does he have a disease of the vocal cords? If he did, would this be a form of divine retribution?
posted by nance at 6:31 PM on September 18, 2001

moz, got a reference on that quote? Air date, a few more sentences for context?

Color me curious.
posted by ebarker at 6:39 PM on September 18, 2001

I have this hunch, maybe more wishful thinking in fact. But, could we perhaps be witnessing the maturing of the republican party? Have we reached the improbable time that American conservatives are finally joining the rest of the world as they recognize that there *really* is a rest of the world?

Humanity grows and perhaps improves because of this horrible calamity.
posted by crasspastor at 6:39 PM on September 18, 2001

it's like he's imitating himself. Does he have a disease...

To abuse Maxwell Bodenheim's dictum: Rush Limbaugh suffers from the hallucination that he is Rush Limbaugh...there is no cure for a disease of that magnitude.
posted by Bixby23 at 6:43 PM on September 18, 2001

ebarker: sadly, not. it was seen in the form of a video clip from my psychology of gender course back when i took courses not too long ago.

color me badd.
posted by moz at 6:58 PM on September 18, 2001

I don't know what to think anymore. First I start thinking that maybe we're lucky that Bush is the one who ended up in the White House, and now I'm thinking Rush Limbaugh is an OK guy. What next?
posted by kd at 7:01 PM on September 18, 2001

could we perhaps be witnessing the maturing of the republican party?

I sure hope so. My hunch, tho, is that right now, the Republicans, nay, the right wing, which includes a fair number of Dems, are licking their chops - they have had handed to them on a silver platter everything they have always wanted: perpetual war and carte blanche to root out the "enemies of America;" no more need to hide in secrecy the doings of the CIA and FBI; and an obedient public to boot. Now, all the Republicans have to do is not mess it up; thus, Rush's apologies for these comments. (Uh oh, I can hear the outraged keyboards tapping away already.)
posted by mapalm at 7:02 PM on September 18, 2001

You know, I never thought I'd say this, but: Ditto.
posted by nathan_teske at 7:05 PM on September 18, 2001

"People talk about Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson saying "this was our fault."
...Barbara Lee voted against funding this war. She's the extremist."

Rush Limbaugh
posted by BarneyFifesBullet at 7:14 PM on September 18, 2001

I should post that I got that here, I didn't hear it myself.

That's an interesting Falwell cartoon, also.
posted by BarneyFifesBullet at 7:18 PM on September 18, 2001

I should post that I got that here, I didn't hear it myself.

That's an interesting Falwell cartoon, also.
posted by BarneyFifesBullet at 7:18 PM on September 18, 2001

pfft.

rush limbaugh's just embarrassed that someone cut from the same cloth spoke honestly (i.e, as in how they really feel) for a moment.

now he's just covering his ass.
posted by jcterminal at 7:19 PM on September 18, 2001

Interesting effect...

Hit button once and post twice...
posted by BarneyFifesBullet at 7:21 PM on September 18, 2001

I respect other people's right to agree to disagree and therefore I use my right.. NOT to respect Mr. Limbaugh. His statements on the air today 9/18/01 around 1:30PM were totally absurd. His demeanour when he talked about peace activists was full of ignorance, arrogance and bigotry.

When a caller commented that an all encompassing attack on Afghanistan and other nations designed to "wipe out" them from the face of the earth would be violence, Mr. Limbaugh replied "Well, They Started It."

From there on I preferred to switch my car radio off and go through the horror of listening to my own singing.
posted by adnanbwp at 7:40 PM on September 18, 2001

this is the same limbaugh who once called feminists "a bunch of fat cows"?

Yep, but this is WAY different than claiming that satan sends feminists down in UFO's to eat babies. Falwell is a psycho religious nutball. Rush is an articulate and convincing version of your redneck uncle.

I would never expect Rush to agree with the comments on 700 club and am not at all surprised by his reply. Sheesh have you guys ever listened to the guy? He's an annoying right wing talk radio host...but not even nearly as offensive as Pat Buchanan.

..Barbara Lee voted against funding this war. She's the extremist

Not too dramatic a statement considering that she was the SOLE naysayer. The ONLY ONE. Good or bad, that would be taking the extreme.

Sometimes folks here can be so homegenously and dogmatically left wing it drives me to fits of uncontrollable devil's advocacy. Did I just defend Rush Limbaugh? Lordie.
posted by glenwood at 7:52 PM on September 18, 2001

First of all, my nick has NOTHING to do with Limbaugh. I rarely agree with him, but find myself compelled to listen for reasons unknown.

Someone commented about his voice, and I've noticed the dramatic deterioration as well. I can only attribute it to his cigar smoking. I have acquaintances who smoke cigars and they have the same phlemgy tone that the MahaRushie has exhibited in the last year or so. It's a shame, because he once sported one of the greatest broadcast voices.

It's interesting to listen to him since the events of last week. You can hear him wrestle with himself to avoid his usual mean-spirited partisan palaver. So far he handles it by letting callers get through to spout off on how the tragedy (like everything else) is Clinton's fault. Instead of pouncing on the opportunity to pile on, he just lets the caller do his dirty work and lets the caller pass without much personal commentary.

My personal liberal bias aside, I do think there are benefits to having people like Rumsfield, Cheney, and Powell on the case. And Bush, despite his obvious shortcomings, is the type of steady plodder who might just get this done.

I do wonder how Rush and his ilk would have opined on this crisis had it occurred with Clinton still in power. I can't help but feel that we would be seeing a lot more blaming and finger pointing then we're seeing in the current climate of patriotism.

Our president and his team are in my thoughts and prayers. I don't think our nation has ever faced a graver crisis. The Roman civlilization faced its final collapse while in conflict with a comparitively primitive people.

As for Falwell and Robertson, I believe their comments may be their McCarthyistic swan song: "Have you no decency?"
posted by russh at 8:18 PM on September 18, 2001

..Barbara Lee voted against funding this war. She's the extremist

Not too dramatic a statement considering that she was the SOLE naysayer. The ONLY ONE. Good or bad, that would be taking the extreme.

I didn't say it was "dramatic" or anything, not that you would stop looking down your nose long enough to notice that.I GOT CAPS TOO!

Sometimes folks here can be so homegenously and dogmatically left wing it drives me to fits of uncontrollable devil's advocacy.

(flips bird)

Gee, maybe if we try real hard, we can perfect, ....just like you.

Nah, the world has too many pompous types as it is.

If you think I'm a raging liberal, you can't read either.

Have a nice day.
posted by BarneyFifesBullet at 8:39 PM on September 18, 2001

Oh my God, mark the date on the calendar. I think this is the first time I have ever agreed with something Rush Limbaugh has to say. : )
posted by SisterHavana at 8:42 PM on September 18, 2001

Oh my God, mark the date on the calendar. I think this is the first time I have ever agreed with something Rush Limbaugh has to say. : )
posted by SisterHavana at 8:42 PM on September 18, 2001

I'm not too surprised that Limbaugh denounced Robertson and Falwell. I am sure though, that he waited to see what the public reaction would be before he did it. If no one had noticed what a horrible reflection this was on the right wing and conservatives he would have chimed right in with the Revs.

As someone stated before: they just got caught saying very plainly what the have been thinking and hinting to all along. Now all the conservatives who have begged for their help and endorsements are saying "Falwell who?" Very loyal indeed.
posted by bas67 at 8:48 PM on September 18, 2001

"Rush Limbaugh is a big, fat idiot."
posted by dopamine at 9:39 PM on September 18, 2001

i'm sorry aaron, i'm just unsure of the point of personal attacks. eye for an eye, yes; the so-called man-haters do it to, yes; it just doesn't win you much respect -- not with me, anyway.
posted by moz at 10:40 PM on September 18, 2001

First I start thinking that maybe we're lucky that Bush is the one who ended up in the White House,

Amen.
posted by redleaf at 12:39 AM on September 19, 2001

Not too dramatic a statement considering that she was the SOLE naysayer. The ONLY ONE. Good or bad, that would be taking the extreme.

Of course it is useful to look at what she really said about her vote.

"However difficult this vote may be, some of us must urge the use of restraint," she told the House before the vote. "Our country is in a state of mourning. Some of us must say, 'Let's step back for a moment and think through the implications of our action today so that it does not spiral out of control'.

"I have agonised over this vote. But I came to grips with opposing this resolution during the very painful memorial service today. As a member of the clergy so eloquently said, 'As we act, let us not become the evil that we deplore'."

For that matter, I've found myself being the only dissenting voter on a number of unpopular occasions where I felt the entire process of coming to a decision was being rushed. A reluctance to jump into rushed decision doesn't strike me as the mark of an extremist.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 1:33 AM on September 19, 2001

This just in: Rush also condemns child molestation, and the murder of the elderly. What a humanitarian. Dittos, big guy!
posted by Doug at 6:11 AM on September 19, 2001

So, what the majority of you are saying is that Rush Limbaugh, because he is Rush Limbaugh (and based on speculation and hearsay), is immediately wrong, and that all Conservatives/Republicans/Christians/etc. actually are "extremist, bigoted, racist, sexist, homophobic"? That's akin to the psychotics around the world claiming that all people with brown skin are "Afghan" or "Arab terrorists".

Fuck you people with your unrelenting Anti-Conservative, Anti-Republican, Anti-Christian, Anti-Everything dogma. Every time I make the mistake of reading past MeFi's front page, I find I'm forced to swallow your ridiculous ? and often unfounded ? contempt for all things Right.

Sickening.
posted by Danelope at 6:27 AM on September 19, 2001

he's talking about the militant feminists, the man-haters, the ultraleft lesbian radicals that have been sadly been running NOW into the ground for at least the last 15 years. He used to have an oft-used quote that went something along the lines of "There are only about 25 actual feminazis in the entire country."

If he really believes there are only 25 people in the group he derides as "feminazis," why does he spend so much time talking about them?`
posted by rcade at 6:47 AM on September 19, 2001

(flips bird)

Gee, maybe if we try real hard, we can perfect, ....just like you.


I don't even know how to respond to this. Are you 8?
posted by glenwood at 6:50 AM on September 19, 2001

If he really believes there are only 25 people in the group he derides as "feminazis," why does he spend so much time talking about them?

Actually, it seems to me that Limbaugh's critics spend a lot more time talking about "feminazis" than he actually does, at least in the few occasions I've had to listen to him on the radio.

What percentage of each show, rcade, do you believe he spends talking about "feminazis" and what is your basis for that belief?
posted by mikewas at 7:38 AM on September 19, 2001

Rush is the man. Why do you think that he has been around so long?
posted by MaGoo at 7:42 AM on September 19, 2001

Limbaugh intentionally stopped using "feminazis" many years ago, specifically so he could see how long the critics would use it. Any critic using the term obviously isn't really familiar with him nor his show.
posted by SEWilco at 4:15 PM on September 19, 2001

That wily Rush -- such a trickster. Anyone who listens to him often enough to know that he has abandoned the term feminazi "many years ago" has my profound sympathy. As for me, I only hear him while changing stations, but once I recognize the program I move on. I haven't had any use for the slimebag since he held up a picture of a 12-year-old Chelsea Clinton on his late-night TV show in the early '90s and called her "the family dog."
posted by rcade at 4:42 PM on September 19, 2001

"Rush Limbaugh is a BIG, FAT, IDIOT."
posted by dopamine at 4:55 PM on September 19, 2001