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Has Rush Limbaugh Finally Reached the End Of The Road?
Forbes ^ | April 15, 2014 | Rick Ungar

Posted on 04/16/2014 12:00:15 AM PDT by Pinkbell

(Snip)

At long last, it appears that Rush Limbaugh has run out of steam.

I have to acknowledge that I have sensed Rush getting by on fumes for some time now (yes, I tune into his show from time to time to enjoy his broadcasting skills if not his message). However, it was only recently that the world of Limbaugh crossed that thin red line from partially serious to total self-parody and audience deception—a line crossed from which there is often no return.

It happened on the occasion of Stephen Colbert’s appointment to fill David Letterman’s soon to be vacated chair on the CBS late-night set.

By using this occasion to create a political narrative designed to stir up his listeners, Limbaugh telegraphed to his loyal followers that he is now dependent upon feeding fully faux political nonsense that his audience instinctively—or explicitly—knows is a bunch of baloney.

To be sure, this is hardly the first time Limbaugh has fed his audience a diet of twisted information and bizarre, conspiratorial memes. However, it may well be the first time that he attempted to shove a diet down the throats of any semi-rational listeners still living in the real world made up of nonsense that even his most loyal listener could not possibly swallow.

That’s a problem for Rush.

A show like Limbaugh’s is wholly reliant on his listeners’ willingness to believe—or suspend belief—no matter how ‘out there’ their guru’s arguments may be. While it is one thing for me to sneer at much of what Limbaugh may present, it is quite another when he attempts to sell his loyal audience on stuff they already know, through personal experience, to be false and fraudulent hokum.

Upon hearing the news of Colbert’s new gig, Limbaugh pronounced— as only Limbaugh can pronounce—

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


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: halfbrainbehindback; liberalism; limbaugh; mentaldisorder; ratingsenvy; rickungar; rush; rushbashing; rushlimbaugh; stephencolbert; talkradio
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To: crazycatlady

Yeah, that long ago. I was working my way into college delivering pizzas during that time. Wasn’t way too long after that I was listening when he made his proclamation that there weren’t enough white people in prison for drug abuse. Of course he refused to walk that one back after he ran into legal trouble for drug abuse. I pretty much lost interest in him and his show after that.


81 posted on 04/16/2014 4:19:37 PM PDT by Orangedog (An optimist is someone who tells you to 'cheer up' when things are going his way)
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To: Pinkbell
...CBS wouldn't do it because this timeslot is a perfect time to ridicule conservatives. Humor is one of their best weapons.

They think the perfect time to ridicule conservatives is any time btween 12:00am and 11:59:59pm.

82 posted on 04/16/2014 4:28:31 PM PDT by uglybiker (nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-BATMAN!)
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To: Gaffer

Out here in Los Angeles he was moved to KEIB am. I never listen to KFI anymore.


83 posted on 04/16/2014 4:31:03 PM PDT by US_MilitaryRules (Tastes like Heaven, Burns like Hell! Mmmmmm. What is it?)
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To: Pinkbell

Rush may be done. But that would be because he is mortal and getting older. While I don’t listen to him much anymore, I would bet he has a decade or so to go.


84 posted on 04/16/2014 4:57:13 PM PDT by redgolum ("God is dead" -- Nietzsche. "Nietzsche is dead" -- God.)
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To: al baby

ROFL!


85 posted on 04/16/2014 6:54:00 PM PDT by EveningStar
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To: Catsrus

I don’t think the truth will ever come out about Obama. It came out about Joe McCarthy, but the American people rejected the truth and will continue to do so.


86 posted on 04/16/2014 8:41:26 PM PDT by Theodore R. (It was inevitable: Texans will always be for Cornball and George P.!)
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To: Catsrus
a birther.

The original "birther" was Obama. He claimed he was born in Kenya.

To not believe him would be racist.

87 posted on 04/16/2014 8:58:28 PM PDT by ROCKLOBSTER (Celebrate "Republicans Freed the Slaves" Month.)
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To: Pinkbell
Rush has 20 million followers. The unknown Ungar has about 37. As for Colbert, we will soon see who is right about his being a leftwing a-hole.

I wouldn't bet against Rush at this point, but time will tell soon enough.

88 posted on 04/16/2014 9:18:06 PM PDT by hinckley buzzard
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To: driftless2
The networks believe that the younger adult demographic have all the spending money, that they are starting out in life and need to buy a lot. That is what they tell advertisers.

They say us old farts don't need anything, see through commercial BS, and advertisers don't make money off us. Most of that, actually, is true. Except that thanks to Obama the younger adult demo is broke and only buys the necessities too. That's why the economy is still limping.

89 posted on 04/16/2014 9:25:32 PM PDT by hinckley buzzard
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To: MomwithHope
Got news for you Mom--Rush has always first and foremost been an entertainer. That's the secret of his success. You are welcome to Mark Levine, but his pitchy whiney voice sets my teeth on edge.
90 posted on 04/16/2014 9:28:28 PM PDT by hinckley buzzard
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To: EricT.
Sorry, Rush. It was fun while it lasted. I have moved on.

Yeah, we're sure you have. No doubt Rush is saddened too.

91 posted on 04/16/2014 9:30:55 PM PDT by hinckley buzzard
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To: Arthur McGowan

Ditto! Rush is a dinosaur....but FR is full of dinos...Blast away.


92 posted on 04/16/2014 9:38:49 PM PDT by chasio649
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To: chasio649

My real gripe with most of “conservative” radio isn’t the little quirks. It’s the fact that they pull their punches because they are part of the system. They are, most of them, SLIGHTLY more liberated versions of John Boehner.


93 posted on 04/16/2014 10:31:05 PM PDT by Arthur McGowan
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To: Pinkbell
I used to listen to Rush all the time. He was very entertaining and excoriated the toon with lots of humor, and he was enjoying it.

Somewhere along the line he lost some of that, the show got kinda boring, the Internet became my news source, and my schedule conflicted with his time slot.

So I rarely get to listen anymore, and even when I do, it's just not the same. I really think that he doesn't enjoy it like he used to is a big part of it.

Still news of his demise is over-exaggerated and premature.

94 posted on 04/16/2014 10:46:18 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: hinckley buzzard

Wow. You have problems.


95 posted on 04/17/2014 3:56:38 AM PDT by EricT. (Everything not forbidden is compulsory.)
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To: chasio649
Ditto! Rush is a dinosaur....but FR is full of dinos...Blast away.

Agreed. Actually, make that cranky old dinos. No blasting will come from me on that point.

96 posted on 04/17/2014 4:10:50 AM PDT by EricT. (Everything not forbidden is compulsory.)
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To: Fitzy_888
The left has utterly destroyed the main stream news outlets => nobody is watching.

Criminal conspiracy to deceive the public (fabricating quotes, fabricating the Bush "AWOL memos", fabricating a truck explosion to warn the public of the dangers of Ford trucks, fabricating photos (staged "war crime" photos, photos pilfered from porn sites run as "war crime evidence", photoshopped images on the front page, etc...), collusion with the DNC (on the old Journolist site, collusion on daily talking points, collusion on the pre-determined, pre-approved press conference questions, etc.).

The MSM is completely untrustworthy. They are the media wing of the Democrat Party and LIE daily.

97 posted on 04/17/2014 5:19:28 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (The new witchhunt: "Do you NOW, . . . or have you EVER , . . supported traditional marriage?")
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To: DemforBush
I think you’ve pretty much nailed it. Colbert is a one trick shtick. Unless he’s been holding back some major talent (which I somehow doubt), he’s not likely to fare all that well in the late night wars.

Even if he has some "major other talent", his audience may not like/want it.

Bob Dylan's original base HATED it when he "went electric" or in their view "went into kiddie trash, you know, rock and roll...".

George Lucas tried to make movies other than sci-fi/fantasy but his audience wasn't as supportive.

If you start with a large base, you can lose some (or win a potentially bigger new audience) and still come out successful. I don't know that Colbert can make that transition.

But for this yayhoo to say that advertisers are not pushing politics is bullstalin. Corporate liberalism exists. "Mixed couple" cereal commercials (when much other advertising shows single mother households, absent fathers altogether) or even same sex couple households, it ISN'T just about "reaching out to young viewers".

I tuned out 6 years ago. There is nothing for me in the lamestream media. It spits on my religion, ridicules my politics, and insults my heritage AND this country.

98 posted on 04/17/2014 5:34:57 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (The new witchhunt: "Do you NOW, . . . or have you EVER , . . supported traditional marriage?")
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To: driftless2
It’s a bit of a mystery to me why the networks deliberately ignore the adult audience. When, as a teen, I first started watching Carson, I didn’t expect him to cater to the youth audience. I watched him trying to see how adults operated.

Time was, young people wanted to grow up and become adults. Now the adults never want to grow up.

99 posted on 04/17/2014 5:41:24 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (The new witchhunt: "Do you NOW, . . . or have you EVER , . . supported traditional marriage?")
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