# Is Bill Maher the Dem's Rush Limbaugh equivalent? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 16, 2012, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bill-maher-the-dems-rush-limbaugh-equivalent/615964 "2012-03-16T14:36:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bill-maher-the-dems-rush-limbaugh-equivalent/615964/41 "2012-03-18T00:49:57Z")
I’ve never heard Matthews use racist or sexist language. Being partisan politically doesn’t make you the equivalent of a hate-spewing douchebag. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bill-maher-the-dems-rush-limbaugh-equivalent/615964/42 "2012-03-18T19:16:47Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > My best guess is that Fluke decided on her own to testify because she thought it was important to do so. So she heard that there might be a hearing and she called up her favorite congress person and volunteered?? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bill-maher-the-dems-rush-limbaugh-equivalent/615964/43 "2012-03-18T22:08:01Z")
> [@What\_the](#): > > So she heard that there might be a hearing and she called up her favorite congress person and volunteered?? She’s an activist, so yes; she probably did something like that. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bill-maher-the-dems-rush-limbaugh-equivalent/615964/44 "2012-03-18T22:18:56Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Chris Matthews is the one I nominate as Rush’s equivalent on the left. Although several of the msnbc tv commentators are just as bad. I watch cnn. Almost never watch msnbc its just to biased. > > Thrill up my leg Mathews. :rolleyes: > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=no9fpKVXxCc](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=no9fpKVXxCc) Another ridiculous comparison. Limbaugh spews hate speech and is consistently dishonest. Matthews is just partisan, and openly admits it. He trips up sometimes, and then apologizes for it. A real apology, expressing regret for his own actions, and labeling them wrong. Limbaugh is nothing but an old fashioned rabble rouser. I wouldn’t call him a misogynist or racist, because I have no idea what he actually believes. But it is obvious that he will say anything that increases his income and following among the imbeciles who listen to him. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bill-maher-the-dems-rush-limbaugh-equivalent/615964/45 "2012-03-18T23:29:49Z")
I’m really not aware of any prominent liberal commentator who distorts and fabricates his facts as consistently as Limbaugh. MSNBC hosts, and Olbermann, are flagrantly liberal, and it shows in the stories they choose to report or ignore, but they at least try to get their facts straight, and their rants are directed against things that prominent Republicans actually said or did. Rush’s rants are usually based on his secret knowledge the sinister hidden agenda of Democrats, rather than what they actually say or do, or else they are based on the actions of some nobody, maybe some anonymous protester at a rally, which he then somehow extrapolates to Obama or Pelosi. What’s alarming is that Rush’s technique has pretty much been adopted by not only Fox News, but the top Republican politicians. Almost everything they blast Obama for is made up, from his war on religion, to his plot to raise gas prices, to his non-citizenship and Muslim faith. Romney is the sanest of them, and yet he talks about how Obama has doubled the deficit. The closest thing to a leftist Limbaugh was a guy named Mike Malloy, who used to have a show on Air America, before it went under. Don’t know what he’s doing now. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bill-maher-the-dems-rush-limbaugh-equivalent/615964/46 "2012-03-19T14:22:02Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > So it’s just coincidence you all think Limbaugh is worse than Maher? :rolleyes: Objection; assumes facts not in evidence. Further, even assuming a group of people all agree on a single issue that is not, in fact, evidence of groupthink - some conclusions are obvious. I.E. : The sky is blue. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bill-maher-the-dems-rush-limbaugh-equivalent/615964/47 "2012-03-19T14:31:59Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > Objection; assumes facts not in evidence. Further, even assuming a group of people all agree on a single issue that is not, in fact, evidence of groupthink - some conclusions are obvious. I.E. : The sky is blue. And it’s just a coincidence that all you Dems say the sky is blue? Tell me another. ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bill-maher-the-dems-rush-limbaugh-equivalent/615964/48 "2012-03-19T18:49:01Z")
I always assumed Limbaugh was a political version of Howard Stern. Their listeners aren’t interested in boring ol’ facts or political discourse, they want to hear people being ridiculed and laughed at. If Stern decided to talk liberal politics, he would be the anti-Rush. ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bill-maher-the-dems-rush-limbaugh-equivalent/615964/49 "2012-03-19T19:12:08Z")
There’s no direct leftist equivalent of Rush Limbaugh. There just aren’t that many people in general that have had as much exposure for as long as he has and is as polarizing. I do think Bill Maher is probably the most like him in the sense of how they approach issues. Both seem to think that making a joke counts for as many rhetorical points as real logic or research. Neither of them can make a good argument, where Maher’s best response tends to be “Really? REALLY?” when someone on his panel calls him on his bullshit. I imagine Limbaugh would do the same if he had a panel. But ultimately, Maher doesn’t have anywhere near the exposure or pull that Limbaugh does. Of generally left leaning personalities, I’d say Jon Stewart is probably the closest to having as much pull, though still not as much. However, Jon Stewart is a lot more respectable and funny and generally equal opportunity in offending people. He’ll push causes he really cares about from time to time, and it does seem to have an affect, but he’s generally much more concerned about being an entertainer and any influence he has is more incidental. IOW, other than what amount of pull he does have, he’s really not at all like Limbaugh. But really, I can’t think of any left media personality that has even half the pull that Limbaugh does. So, really, I’d go with Michael Moore. He makes bad arguments and likes to spend a lot of time pointing fingers and all of his arguments are pretty much tuned toward an echo chamber and aren’t convincing to someone that doesn’t already agree with him, and at least seems to have som small amount of pull, which is more than Maher has. ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bill-maher-the-dems-rush-limbaugh-equivalent/615964/50 "2012-03-19T20:07:59Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Olbermann (when he was with MSNBC) and Shultz have these novelties called “editors” that check every word they say for accuracy. They just don’t say things that are factually incorrect. Shultz was suspended for an inappropriate comment about a woman, for which he profusely and genuinely apologized. To compare these two to Limbaugh is a grave and inaccurate insult. Rush has no editors and answers to nobody. > > I’m aware of the history of the term dittos and megadittos and the occasional “ottid”. The point remains that a huge segment of Rush’s audience are completely incapable of forming independent opinions and rely on him to tell them how they think. You don’t have that personality cult with any left-leaning radio or television personality. Those “editors” must have been “off” the day Schultz used dishonest “editing” to imply that Rick Perry was a racist. He then had to “apologize” when called on his “slander”. He also called a woman a slut on the show because she had her own opinions which is very similar to what Rush did. The largest difference is that Limbaugh does a three hour radio show with no guests which by its nature must seem much more conversational and less scripted. Shultz and Olbermann do an hour on TV with many guests. They can write out a good bit of the show before hand and have it vetted. However, they are well known misogynists and use an exagerated personae to entertain their audience, just like Limbaugh uses an exaggerated personae. A study done in 2008 found that Limbaugh’s audience was much more likely to be informed about politics than MSNBC’s audience or CNN’s [Link](http://pewresearch.org/pubs/993/who-knows-news-what-you-read-or-view-matters-but-not-your-politics) ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bill-maher-the-dems-rush-limbaugh-equivalent/615964/51 "2012-03-19T20:30:14Z")
I think you have to take the comments of a comedian with a grain of salt. They say things for the purpose of being funny. Maher is trying to get laughs. He’s finding comedy in the political landscape. He may discuss serious issues, but it is for the purposes of humor. Rush is not a comedian. I suppose he is more of an entertainer. He is having serious discussions about the issues. I don’t see disparaging remarks made by a comedian to be the same as someone seriously discussing the issues. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bill-maher-the-dems-rush-limbaugh-equivalent/615964/52 "2012-03-19T21:53:16Z")
Jon Stewart implied that Ed Schultz is the lefts Rush Limbaugh. I would tend to find that much more plausible than Maher. I know this thread is more about misogyny among the two, but Maher is an intelligent person who comprehends issues fairly deeply and speaks that fact with eloquence. Limbaugh is none of those things. ---
**Author:** ![Bemused](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/46a35a/32.png) [@Bemused](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bemused)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bill-maher-the-dems-rush-limbaugh-equivalent/615964/53 "2012-03-19T21:58:09Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > I think looking for the Left’s ‘Rush Limbaugh’ is a wild goose chase. The Left is not as prone to the kind of unanimity-seeking groupthink as the Right. Oh, now, that is one of the funniest things I’ve read in a long time. What I’m trying to decide right now is whether you intend the statement as irony, or whether you mean it. Limbaugh often sounds idiotic. Sometimes, Limbaugh is vile. Maher is ALWAYS vile. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bill-maher-the-dems-rush-limbaugh-equivalent/615964/54 "2012-03-20T05:43:49Z")
> [@Blaster\_Master](#): > > I do think Bill Maher is probably the most like him in the sense of how they approach issues. Both seem to think that making a joke counts for as many rhetorical points as real logic or research. Neither of them can make a good argument, where Maher’s best response tends to be “Really? REALLY?” when someone on his panel calls him on his bullshit. I imagine Limbaugh would do the same if he had a panel. But ultimately, Maher doesn’t have anywhere near the exposure or pull that Limbaugh does. Maher is a mixed bag, but some of what he says is stuff nobody else is saying, and some of what he says is right. So when he does both at the same time it’s pretty significant. I’d say he does about as good a job as anyone who is opinionated but fairly reasonable. > [@](#): > > So, really, I’d go with Michael Moore. He makes bad arguments and likes to spend a lot of time pointing fingers and all of his arguments are pretty much tuned toward an echo chamber and aren’t convincing to someone that doesn’t already agree with him, and at least seems to have som small amount of pull, which is more than Maher has. Moore produces relatively few hours of material and his tone is a bit more sullen than Limbaugh’s bombasic outrage. And Moore’s advocacy had at least an initial basis in reality given the impact of corporate decision making on the lives of working people. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bill-maher-the-dems-rush-limbaugh-equivalent/615964/55 "2012-03-20T13:04:05Z")
> [@Bemused](#): > > Oh, now, that is one of the funniest things I’ve read in a long time. > > What I’m trying to decide right now is whether you intend the statement as irony, or whether you mean it. > > Limbaugh often sounds idiotic. Sometimes, Limbaugh is vile. Maher is ALWAYS vile. It’d be a lot funnier to me if it weren’t true. I could bombard you with cites, but I suspect you’d continue to have the same opinion as the rest of your ilk. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bill-maher-the-dems-rush-limbaugh-equivalent/615964/56 "2012-03-20T13:09:56Z")
> [@Bemused](#): > > Maher is ALWAYS vile. Does he wear a black hat and twirl his mustache also? ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bill-maher-the-dems-rush-limbaugh-equivalent/615964/57 "2012-03-20T13:16:25Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > It’d be a lot funnier to me if it weren’t true. I could bombard you with cites, but I suspect you’d continue to have the same opinion as the rest of your ilk. Agreed. As the saying goes, “Democrats fall in love. Republicans fall in line.” The truth is, Democrats just aren’t as monolithic in their goals as Republicans are. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bill-maher-the-dems-rush-limbaugh-equivalent/615964/58 "2012-03-20T13:44:23Z")
Maher projects humourous mild contempt. Rush projects dry contempt with forced humour and outrage bordering on hate. ---
**Author:** ![tullsterx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tullsterx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tullsterx)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bill-maher-the-dems-rush-limbaugh-equivalent/615964/59 "2012-03-20T19:34:01Z")
Pretty much. You can put John Stewart in that mix as well. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bill-maher-the-dems-rush-limbaugh-equivalent/615964/60 "2012-03-22T12:19:35Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > She’s an activist, so yes; she probably did something like that. …and what activist, deep down in their ever-loving liberal heart, doesn’t want to be a public figure when they grow up! Thank-you **DT** for an honest answer. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bill-maher-the-dems-rush-limbaugh-equivalent/615964.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bill-maher-the-dems-rush-limbaugh-equivalent/615964.md?page=4)