# Rush, Rush, Rush... liberals are equivalent to murderers and rapists? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 20, 2009, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-rush-rush-liberals-are-equivalent-to-murderers-and-rapists/486680 "2009-02-20T05:01:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-rush-rush-liberals-are-equivalent-to-murderers-and-rapists/486680/61 "2009-02-20T18:06:46Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > An insinuation supported by a rock-solid innuendo. Wait a minute! He had an ironclad inference in there – I heard it. ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-rush-rush-liberals-are-equivalent-to-murderers-and-rapists/486680/62 "2009-02-20T18:11:04Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I like food processors better than mimes. What about putting mimes in food processors? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-rush-rush-liberals-are-equivalent-to-murderers-and-rapists/486680/63 "2009-02-20T18:16:01Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > Bah. A distinction without a difference. Okay, contrary to the thread title, he didn’t **say** that liberals were **equivalent** to murderers and rapists. He plainly **insinuated** that liberals were **comparable** to murderers and rapists. Yes, he did. And rather than everyone addressing that issue, some try to defend the literal claim as though it’s defensible and others attack the literal claim as though gainsaying it proves something. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-rush-rush-liberals-are-equivalent-to-murderers-and-rapists/486680/64 "2009-02-20T18:21:26Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > The people screaming that **Shodan** and **Rand Rover** is wrong are idiots for not acknowledging that Rush did not, in fact, say that liberals are equivalent to rapists and murders No one I can see is screaming anything. At the very least, there would have to be some posts with ALL CAPS or multiple exclamation points!!! or something. As for your argument, I don’t buy it. Anyone who’s ever listened to Rush for more than five minutes knows that innuendo is his stock in trade. I just wish people would stop getting so upset about him. Large radio audience or not, he seems hell-bent on making himself irrelevant to serious political discourse, and he’s well on his way to becoming the sort of laughingstock that Paul Harvey, who pioneered this sort of thing, became in his later years. In any event, substitute ‘comparable’ or ‘on the same level as’ in the OPs title, and it acccurately enough describes what Lamebaugh was going for there, IMO. Anyway, c’mon, folks; I seriously doubt that **Rand Rover** or **Shodan** really give a rat’s ass about this issue; they just can’t allow themselves to ever miss an opportunity to wind up some people they just love to hate. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-rush-rush-liberals-are-equivalent-to-murderers-and-rapists/486680/65 "2009-02-20T18:54:17Z")
You went way out on a limb, **Stoid**. I read your quote. He did not equate liberals to murderers and rapists. The point he was making was very clear, and he even repeated it at the end: > [@](#): > > I don’t care why anymore. If I figure it out I’ll be glad to tell you because it’s interesting to know, but it doesn’t matter in terms of defeating them. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-rush-rush-liberals-are-equivalent-to-murderers-and-rapists/486680/66 "2009-02-20T18:59:05Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Yes, he did. > > And rather than everyone addressing that issue, some try to defend the literal claim as though it’s defensible and others attack the literal claim as though gainsaying it proves something. The issue was raised in the thread title. There wasn’t much more to the OP than a misleading title and some abuse. And a subsequent post was from the administrator who previously identified another misleading title (about a topic she cared about), and no warning was issued. So, apparently, the thread title was OK. Cool. **Stoid** starts a thread with intent to mislead and irritate. **Rand** and I point out the obvious. And here we are. If you would like to start a thread entitled “Rush Limbaugh Says He Doesn’t Care About the Motives of Democrats And Wants to Use All Constitutionally Legitimate Means To Defeat Them Within the Arena of Ideas” , feel free, but I don’t think it will fit in the title space. You do realize that **Stoid** edited the transcript and removed this - > [@](#): > > Within the confines of our Constitution and the political arena of ideas without bothering with ellipses, do you not? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-rush-rush-liberals-are-equivalent-to-murderers-and-rapists/486680/67 "2009-02-20T19:08:41Z")
If liberals were murderers ,Rush would have been gone long ago. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-rush-rush-liberals-are-equivalent-to-murderers-and-rapists/486680/68 "2009-02-20T19:23:19Z")
Well, that was a trenchant insight. Who helped you? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-rush-rush-liberals-are-equivalent-to-murderers-and-rapists/486680/69 "2009-02-20T19:24:07Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > Care to explain how I’m wrong, then? Or do you just want to assert I am and be done with it? I think it’s the second. It’s his way of lying to reframe the debate. Like he did about the thread title. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-rush-rush-liberals-are-equivalent-to-murderers-and-rapists/486680/70 "2009-02-20T19:28:47Z")
Poor misunderstood Rush. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-rush-rush-liberals-are-equivalent-to-murderers-and-rapists/486680/71 "2009-02-20T19:34:28Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Now, **Rand Rover** and **Shodan** are also idiots for failing to acknowledge the undeniable: Rush picked “rapists and murderers” to draw his analogy rather than, say, mimes or reality TV producers or people who talk loudly during movies… So, really, Rush was being pretty gentle to liberals… ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-rush-rush-liberals-are-equivalent-to-murderers-and-rapists/486680/72 "2009-02-20T19:35:02Z")
> [@](#): > > …Within the confines of our Constitution and the political arena of ideas… Well, that’s certainly reassuring! So he fully intends to stick to the honorable course of lies, slime, slander, and innuendo? He has no intention of invoking his authority as a drug-addled fart zeppelin? Since he has no power to do otherwise, what does it matter that he declares that he will not do things he has no power to do anyway? Well, OK. To further the cause of justice and freedom, I will continue to refuse all offers of abject, hot monkey love from Salma Hayek. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-rush-rush-liberals-are-equivalent-to-murderers-and-rapists/486680/73 "2009-02-20T19:35:33Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Poor misunderstood Rush. Well, it was their own choice to put all that Objectivist philosophy in their music and… What? What do you mean someone’s already done that joke in this thread? Ohhhh… Never mind! ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-rush-rush-liberals-are-equivalent-to-murderers-and-rapists/486680/74 "2009-02-20T19:36:44Z")
[size] matters. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-rush-rush-liberals-are-equivalent-to-murderers-and-rapists/486680/75 "2009-02-20T19:37:11Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Well, OK. To further the cause of justice and freedom, I will continue to refuse all offers of abject, hot monkey love from Salma Hayek. You know, if you were a starving Third-World baby, you wouldn’t even have to ASK to latch on… Edited: See if I ever offer you a(n ironically) straight line again, **luci** … ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-rush-rush-liberals-are-equivalent-to-murderers-and-rapists/486680/76 "2009-02-20T19:40:34Z")
If you want to condemn somebody for their irresponsible rhetoric it behooves you not to use a deceptive title or misquote the person you’re condemning. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-rush-rush-liberals-are-equivalent-to-murderers-and-rapists/486680/77 "2009-02-20T19:40:50Z")
The thread title does not mislead. Rush plainly invited his listeners to infer equivalency. The wording of the thread title merely shows that **stoid** correctly identified what Rush was inviting his listeners to infer (and **Bricker** also identified it). Well, to be fair, she did put it in the form of a question. If anyone wishes to suggest that she (and **Bricker** ) guessed wrong, please feel free to post what inferences Rush _was_ inviting… ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-rush-rush-liberals-are-equivalent-to-murderers-and-rapists/486680/78 "2009-02-20T19:44:50Z")
> [@Scylla](#): > > If you want to condemn somebody for their irresponsible rhetoric it behooves you not to use a deceptive title or misquote the person you’re condemning. Because of course that completely exonerates the person in question and we don’t have to talk about him at all. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-rush-rush-liberals-are-equivalent-to-murderers-and-rapists/486680/79 "2009-02-20T19:46:38Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Well, to be fair, she did put it in the form of a question. This holds no water, I’m afraid. Fox News routinely misuses the question mark in the same way. “Obama a terrorist?” Pretending it’s an innocent question is just being disingenuous. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-rush-rush-liberals-are-equivalent-to-murderers-and-rapists/486680/80 "2009-02-20T19:49:48Z")
> [@Scylla](#): > > If you want to condemn somebody for their irresponsible rhetoric it behooves you not to use a deceptive title or misquote the person you’re condemning. It always behooves, especially when the subject _has_ hooves. Or trotters, in this instance… But the strict compliance with propriety, or lack thereof, by someone commenting on the Orca of the Airwaves has no bearing on the subject itself. If I observe every possible nicety of rhetoric, he’s still a lying sack. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-rush-rush-liberals-are-equivalent-to-murderers-and-rapists/486680.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-rush-rush-liberals-are-equivalent-to-murderers-and-rapists/486680.md?page=5)