Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Anti-Rush Campaign Was in the Works
Commentary Magazine ^ | 3/15/12 | Alana Goodman

Posted on 03/15/2012 7:08:41 PM PDT by Nachum

Wonder how the left was able to mobilize so quickly on the Rush Limbaugh boycott? According to the architect behind it, Media Matters online strategy director Angelo Carusone, the project was actually created in 2009, but stayed inactive until the Sandra Fluke controversy boiled over (via Legal Insurrection):

I started Stop Rush in 2009, 2010, and when I went to register the domain, I saw that Rush owned StopRush.com….

The Beck work was working, and I kind of froze the Rush work, and experimented with it a little, to get a sense of who Rush’s advertisers were and what their comfort level with him was. It was definitely valuable, and I am glad I spent some time doing it. It has informed the work I am doing now.

Legal Insurrection’s William Jacobson connects the dots on the story most of the media missed: that the entire Limbaugh boycott was pure, undistilled Astroturf.

The secondary boycott of Rush Limbaugh advertisers is portrayed in the media as a reaction to a groundswell of public outrage. In fact, the secondary boycott was initiated by and driven by Media Matters, which had a “Stop Limbaugh” campaign on the shelf waiting to be used, and was executed by Angelo Carusone, Director of Online Strategy for Media Matters.

But while Carusone depicts his campaign as a response to the Fluke controversy, it seems obvious from the timeline that Media Matters played a large role in creating the controversy. According to the New York Times, the dormant “Stop Rush” twitter account run by Carusone snapped to life on Wednesday, Feb. 29, the day Limbaugh made his now-infamous comments. Media Matters also appears to be the first media outlet that reported on Limbaugh’s remarks, with Think Progress picking up on the story a few hours

(Excerpt) Read more at commentarymagazine.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 2009; 2010; 2012; 201202; 20120229; angelocarusone; antirush; beck; billmaher; campaign; carusone; fluke; mediamatters; mm; mm4a; mma; partisanmediashills; rushlimbaugh; sandrafluke; soros; stoplimbaugh; thinkprogress; waronbeck; waronrush; works
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-37 next last

1 posted on 03/15/2012 7:08:54 PM PDT by Nachum
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Nachum

It may have been in the works and no one doubts it, but it didn’t work, actually has backfired.


2 posted on 03/15/2012 7:11:37 PM PDT by svcw (CLEAN WATER & Education http://www.longlostsis.com/PI/MayanHelp2012.html)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Nachum

So it was all planned a long time ago by Brock’s “boys” down at Meateaters Matter? Figures.


3 posted on 03/15/2012 7:12:55 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (The first lesson you learn as a pollster is that people are stupid. - Dem pollster, Tom Jensen)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Nachum

Like ants at a picnic.


4 posted on 03/15/2012 7:13:05 PM PDT by ILS21R (Never give up.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: svcw

Rush Is protected by GOD.

So the sons of perdition will avail not.


5 posted on 03/15/2012 7:15:54 PM PDT by LtKerst
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Nachum

Silly rabbits over at MM should know trix are made for kids!


6 posted on 03/15/2012 7:22:34 PM PDT by Trueblackman (Yes I am Breitbart too.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: svcw

“It may have been in the works and no one doubts it, but it didn’t work, actually has backfired.”

He was lucky, and a fool to walk into it. He made his point well initially, then just hammered it to death. The Slut deserved to be called on it (as does anyone who participates in hearings intended to destroy our way of life, like the Hollywood bubbleheads who address our government as though they have any qualifications at all except a willingness to undress for movie parts), and he should have left it there. It filled air time, and did little else by day 3 (though it is entertaining to hear callers still refer to her as a “slut”).

We live on eggshells, while the enemies of our country and faith freely spout their views; the double standard is sickening, and a real indication that this country really should be (at least) two.


7 posted on 03/15/2012 7:23:35 PM PDT by kearnyirish2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: kearnyirish2

Personally I think he knew exactly what he was doing, and the whole event was brilliantly executed.
It was a risk and he was right.


8 posted on 03/15/2012 7:31:37 PM PDT by svcw (CLEAN WATER & Education http://www.longlostsis.com/PI/MayanHelp2012.html)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Nachum

Not at all surprised. Not one iota.

You know what I’d like to dig into? Fluck’s upbringing: parents, classmates, etc. She grew into one vicious little commie and I’m curious as to what surrounded her at home.

She is a democrat operative and no doubt was solicited. Just how did that come about anyway?

Many unanswered questions in my mind.

The reason they think it worked with Beck is because Beck is weak, emotional and borderline unstable imo. He would have crumbled on his own and his behavior invited attacks. Don’t get me wrong, Beck was a pro at the investigations. I really wish he had been more stable because the information was invaluable.

Rush is a rock though. He’s the same today (only stronger) as he was back in 91/92 when I started listening to him. And that disposition has served him well.


9 posted on 03/15/2012 7:32:03 PM PDT by Outlaw Woman (The biggest Hate group in America is located in the White House, Congress & DOJ)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; ColdOne; Convert from ECUSA; ...

Thanks Nachum, sidebars:
10 posted on 03/15/2012 7:34:58 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: svcw

He is a smart man, but what was the reward for that risk? He made his point well, and then just used it as filler. I wouldn’t exactly say he benefited from the whole thing, and in the long run it may still turn out to be a bad idea.

In any case, I’m glad he came through it, and hopefully that slut will forever more be known simply as “The Slut”.


11 posted on 03/15/2012 7:36:47 PM PDT by kearnyirish2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: kearnyirish2
To be truthful Rush never called Fluke a slut directly. He was asking rhetorical questions. What DO you call a woman who wants someone else to pay for HER birth control, at a rate of 3 vaginal sexual encounters per day over 3 years?

He let Fluke's words lead the listener to their own conclusions. Any sane person would say: "What a slut", which is what he actually implied.

12 posted on 03/15/2012 7:52:56 PM PDT by boop (I hate hippies and dopeheads. Just hate them. ...Ernest Borgnine)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: svcw

“It may have been in the works and no one doubts it, but it didn’t work, actually has backfired.”
********************************************************
I agree that it has actually backfired and has had some UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.

Previously, I vowed that I would never go on Twitter—thinking “what’s the point?”. But today Rush finally went on Twitter and I decided, in the “fired up” state this whole Fluke thing got me into, to register on Twitter myself. Of course Rush’s twitter address was the first contact I added to follow.

This is going to exponentially expand Rush’s timeliness & reach. And my suspicion is that, while he may have been considering it for some time, this whole ‘slut’ flap may have been the final straw getting Rush to make the Twitter move. And to think he owes it all to the looney lefties who thought they’d destroy him.

The only thing the lefties accomplished was to further demonstrate what idiots they are; just as Soledad O’Brien demonstrated her idiocy recently. Their shared mistake was going up against a “target” whose intelligence & nimbleness vastly exceeded their own limited intelligence—without first stacking the deck in some fashion.

It’s turned out to be a VERY good week.


13 posted on 03/15/2012 8:01:37 PM PDT by House Atreides
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: kearnyirish2
I am beginning to sense that this was a calculated move by Rush. He was able to focus attention on The Dems hypocracy and make them think twice before calling him out when they are guilty as well. Rush knows these people and how they work. It also let him know the true leanings of his advertisers.

I was LOL when he said The Slut should apply for a Wilt Chamberlain scholarship.

14 posted on 03/15/2012 8:02:39 PM PDT by IAGeezer912 (Carpe Diem, Per Diem, Doris Diem)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Nachum
DEAD HORSE AWARD, DEAD HORSE AWARD
15 posted on 03/15/2012 8:03:40 PM PDT by FrankR
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Nachum

The one bad thing that came of this was it changed the subject from Obama’s disregard of the first amendments protection of freedom of religion to an argument about contraception.


16 posted on 03/15/2012 8:09:34 PM PDT by Lurkina.n.Learnin (The democratic party is the greatest cargo cult in history.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Nachum

It’s been in the works for over twenty years.

Heaviest come election time.


17 posted on 03/15/2012 8:12:29 PM PDT by NoLibZone (Liberal concern for womens rights is fake. I submit their love of Bill Maher as proof.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Nachum

It almost looks like the whole Fluke think was set up to try and get rid of the biggest lefty irritant of all, Rush, once and forever. Fluke was practically begging someone to call her an onjectionable-—and truthful (by her own admission) -—name. Rush being Rush couldn’t resist. And the left pounced thinking they finally had something on Rush. But once again, the left overreacted forgetting their own (and far more frequent and fouler) namecalling of conservatives. Virtually no long-time Rush listerners (like me) left Rush, while once again the left’s extensive history of hypocrisy was gleefully trumpeted by conservatives.


18 posted on 03/15/2012 8:18:29 PM PDT by driftless2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: House Atreides

A good week indeed.
I like Twitter.
Interesting I have 3X as many followers as people I follow, all political.
You can say what you want to many people in a few words, I like that.
Rush’s twitts are good because he links to his “stack of stuff” which I re-tweet.
Twitter has changed a lot in its focus the last year, it has become very political.
Enjoy.


19 posted on 03/15/2012 8:21:28 PM PDT by svcw (CLEAN WATER & Education http://www.longlostsis.com/PI/MayanHelp2012.html)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Nachum

the question is how to take down media matters ....lawsuit anyone?


20 posted on 03/15/2012 8:26:28 PM PDT by woofie (It takes three villages and a forest of woodland creatures to raise a child in Obamaville)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-37 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson