I rarely disagree with Rush Limbaugh. In fact, I’d say I agree with him 99.9% of the time.
However, when it comes to the idea that the GOP missed an opportunity of using a government shutdown to send a message and demonstrate that the GOP is serious about getting spending under control misses an obvious point.
Yes, I agree it’s important to take a stand on principle. However, what Rush failed to acknowledge, not that he doesn’t know it, but what he failed to consider in his arguments is Obama’s plummeting approval rating.
If we all know that Obama and the Democrats would demagogue, in fact were rooting for the shutdown to hammer Republicans why give them the bullets?
At the end of the day, the GOP leadership is a bunch of politicians that will do what it politically expedient for them.
It sucks and I wish it wasn’t the case.
I’ve been extremely rough on the GOP leadership on this blog to the extent I’ve dubbed them the Pussies-R-Us club. My conservative credentials are on par with not only Limbaugh, but also Sean Hammity as well who wanted the shutdown. Having said that, my arguing to avoid the shutdown doesn’t make me a moderate or less conservative.
I’m only thinking strategically.
Although going into shutdown may give us conservatives opportunity to pound our chests and show our ideological purity. In reality, the pounding the media would be gleefully giving Republicans while simultaneously praising and propping up Obama would far outweigh the “good feeling” of standing on principle while losing politically.
Since the shutdown has been avoided, Obama has received little credit for it. Yeah, the press is gonna make him out to be a winner anyway as they usually do. But, it’s far far less than the mother-load of coverage that they we’re ramping up to give Obama during a shutdown.
It’s more important not to give Obama what he wants to dig himself out of a hole. Letting him sink is more important than anything else.
