Why Rush?

Why is Obama attacking Rush Limbaugh? There is more than one answer. There is a long term and a short term strategy working here.

In the long term, the Dems lack a boogie man now that Bush is gone. Rush is not going anywhere, so it gives them someone to attack for years on end. Second, they need someone to demonize and tie to the GOP. So, Limbaugh becomes "The Leader." It's false. If the GOP listened to Limbaugh then they would not have acted like Democrats for a decade. Third, they hope to marginalize the Republicans and make them look extreme. Over the past decade, the GOP has been like Democrats of old. However, by attaching them to Limbaugh, they hope to drive a wedge between the Republicans and Independents.

The short term strategy is obfuscation. Their policies cutting tax deductions on housing and charitable donations and the out of control spending has many worried that Obama is a classic liberal. Democrats are calling his policies extreme and several senate Dems are in revolt. Attacking Rush Limbaugh is a distraction. Instead of talking about national bankruptcy and the destruction of the middle class and poor which will happen with many of these policies, they are talking about a talk show host.

There is one major drawback to this strategy. By attacking Limbaugh, Obama admits his policies are not working. So, as the economy continues to tank, Limbaugh may gain listeners and Obama could lose support as he tackles irrelevancies such as Limbaugh while ignoring the important issues.