Axelrod: Limbaugh Markets the "Outrageous,war with people who represent mistruths

[cal04]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/11/01/ftn/main5484194.shtml

In response to criticisms of President Obama made in a TV interview this morning by conservative radio commentator Rush Limbaugh - who accused Mr. Obama of engaging in a "photo op" when he attended the return of American war dead from Afghanistan - White House Senior Adviser David Axelrod dismissed the comments as those of an "entertainer."

On "FOX News Sunday" Limbaugh said the president's attendance at the return of the remains of U.S. soldiers at Dover Air Force Base early Thursday morning was staged "because he's having big-time trouble on this whole Afghanistan dithering situation."

He also suggested the "syncophantic media" covering the ceremony at Dover was used to "create the impression that he has all this great concern."

"He's marketing the outrageous," Axelrod told "Face the Nation" host Bob Schieffer Sunday. "And he does very well with it. But as I said, he's an entertainer."

(snip)
Axelrod assured Schieffer that the White House is not at war with FOX News.

"We're at war only with people who represent mistruths as truth. And that's true of any network, whether it's FOX, CBS or any other network. When errors of fact are stated or when opinion is offered as fact, we will challenge that," he said.

[tularetom]

1. Axelrod should have added

"...and Bob, as a reputable journalist, you should challenge that also. To do less denigrates your profession."

[Ikonoklast]

2. The problem isn't the messenger, or the actual message.

The real problem is the actual and real ignorance of the person listening and watching.

There are far too many citizens of this country that believe everything they hear, and see, on the media outlets without critically examining both those giving out the message, and the ones that back them financially.


They refuse to believe that the messengers tailor-make the message to fit the targeted audience's world-view, and that those very same people telling them what they want to hear do not have their best interests at heart.

Of course, it is far easier to remain willfully ignorant, have your prejudices and fears confirmed by others, and be a mindless follower than it is to think critically, question the motives of the media squawkers, or examine the issues by doing one's own research on matters political.

There is a real reason that the more highly-educated one is, the chance of being a liberal increases.

[EarlG]

3. Ha ha

Axelrod repeatedly labeled Limbaugh an "entertainer." First they called him the head of the Republican Party, now they're dismissing him as just another outrageous talk radio host.

Limbaugh has referred to himself as an entertainer on many occasions, but self-deprecation is one thing - a man of Limbaugh's ego may not stand for the description coming from someone else (particularly David Axelrod).

So in the upcoming week we could see Rush huffing that he is not just an entertainer but a very important person in the conservative movement, followed immediately by a radical right wingnut winning (or coming close to winning) a seat for the Conservative Party in the House of Representatives (NY-23). This after a number of very high-profile Republicans endorsed the third-party candidate over the Republican, despite the objections of Michael Steele and Newt Gingrich.

Things just keep getting better and better for the GOP.