It had to have been tough for Paul Farhi of the Washington Post to write this:
The dark clouds hanging over Rush Limbaugh appear to be lifting.
Exactly one month after the conservative radio host sparked outrage by calling Georgetown law-school student Sandra Fluke “a slut” and “a prostitute” in a three-day diatribe, stations are standing by him, advertisers are trickling back to his program and the news media have moved on.
Liberal groups that organized petitions and boycotts against Limbaugh say that they intend to keep up the pressure and that they’ve had a lasting impact on the most popular radio host in America.
“The objective has been to show that there are real consequences when someone like Mr. Limbaugh or his company shows no accountability for his actions,” says Angelo Carusone, who has been leading the anti-Limbaugh efforts for Media Matters for America, a Washington organization. “That is continuing.”
Of course it is, dear. Good job! Now finish your juice box.
Limbaugh’s recovering fortunes may be best exemplified by what hasn’t happened. At the peak of the controversy in early March, two small stations — in western Massachusetts and Hilo, Hawaii — said that they would drop his program. Since then, no other station has said it will take him off the air, dashing the hopes of MoveOn.org, a liberal group whose ongoing petition drive seeks Limbaugh’s removal from 180 stations.
Imagine that.
Here’s a possibility: The “dark clouds” hanging over Rush Limbaugh were only a smokescreen. There was no widespread outrage. It was a distraction. And it didn’t work.
Nothing seems to be working for the left lately. Ain’t it great?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIrhVo1WA78P.S. Speaking of Media Matters success stories, here’s the current Amazon ranking for their book The Fox Effect after 5 weeks:
David Brock claims the Daily Caller’s stories about Media Matters were timed to interfere with the sales of this book. Okay, fine. You’re welcome, America!
P.P.S. And on the topic of manufactured outrage: SEIU activists discuss $20 payment for Obamacare protest.