The question of whether or not Rush Limbaugh is the de facto leader of the Republican Party came to light again when the conservative talk show host lashed out at GOP consultants who blasted his rhetoric during the 2012 election cycle. Republican strategists voiced their angst and directed their ire towards Limbaugh. One of them, Mike Murphy, took to Sunday morning talk shows to voice his grievances. The radio personality fired back a day later.
What did Murphy say during his interview?
Murphy was on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday morning. NewsBusters has the transcript of his comments and links to the video. Murphy claimed, "The biggest problem Mitt Romney had was the Republican primary. That's what's driving the Republican brand right now to a disaster. And we've got to get kind of a party view of America that's not right out of Rush Limbaugh's dream journal. We got to look at reality."
What did Limbaugh say in response?
Limbaugh distanced himself from Murphy's statements on his Monday radio show. "What, folks, did I or any of you have to do with the Republican primary? Did not Murphy get the candidate he wanted? [Consultants] get rich no matter who wins or loses. But the Republican primary, as far as he's concerned there were too many conservatives in it saying too many stupid things."
What did another strategist say?
John Feehery was interviewed by The Daily Beast. He said it was time to take a stand against conservative talk show hosts who have "inflammatory" rhetoric. Feehery said it was time to talk back to "the Rush Limbaughs of the world" before citing Fox News' Sean Hannity as well. Only then can the GOP have "honest, open discussions about the future of the country...."
How about journalism professor Thomas Edsall's piece in the New York Times?
Thomas Edsall of Columbia University wrote a piece for Sunday's New York Times. In it, the professor supports Limbaugh's claim that "we've lost the country." Edsall proclaims the next four years will see forced choices such as "raising capital gains taxes or cutting food stamps, slashing defense spending or restricting unemployment benefits..." and the like. Edsall cited several relevant statistics and data sets to support Limbaugh's claim of losing America.
How did Limbaugh react to Edsall?
Limbaugh reiterated his stance to political advisers when he said, "Apparently the country's gone... I'm the reason why... I am to blame for the Republican Party losing election after election after election.... I haven't run a single election. I haven't picked a single candidate. I have not written one word of Republican policy.... I am simply a powerful, influential member of the media commenting on such things."
Murphy responded to Limbaugh's overall assertions with a post to his Twitter account. "I do challenge Rush: he should get in the arena and run for Senate or Governor. Show us all how it's done!"
What is Murphy's record with political campaigns?
Politico reports that despite Limbaugh's claim that "none of [the consultants] win," Murphy was instrumental in getting Arnold Schwarzenegger elected governor of California. The consultant also stated he helped with successful campaigns of Jeb Bush, John Engler and Romney's run for governor of Massachusetts.
The battle for the GOP's stake in the 2014 election has begun in earnest. Even though no candidates have officially filed as of yet, the Republican Party is already discussing the direction it needs to go as it takes on the conservative media.
William Browning is a research librarian specializing in U.S. politics.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rush-limbaugh-gop-consultants-battle-post-election-party-175700516.html
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