Rush to Newt: Lay Off the Media
Criticism is indicative of wary conservative support of Romney's biggest rival.
| Posted Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012, at 12:27 PM
Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images.
Rush Limbaugh wants Newt Gingrich to ease up on his recent offensive against the media, warning that such theatrics may play well with some conservative voters but will only get him so far in his quest to be the next president.
Yes, that Rush Limbaugh. According to the Daily Caller, the conservative radio host took some time on his show Monday to warn Newt on his favorite debate subject. "The days of being able to keep this momentum going by ripping on the media are over. The standing ovations for taking on the media are over, or they have very short lifespan," Limbaugh said, adding, "You can only go to the well so many times on this stuff."
At issue is not whether the media deserves the criticism or not -- Limbaugh more or less agrees with what the former House speaker has been saying about the media's liberal bias, among other things -- but in what Gingrich might be getting away with by effectively articulating a hot-button issue for some parts of the American conservative base. The worry seems to be that Gingrich is dodging questions on his record by prodding audiences for loud applause on less substantial issues. As Limbaugh says, "Newt's not out of the woods here," citing Gingrich's admiration for FDR, and "some unflattering things" he has said "about capitalism" in the past. Not to mention the candidate's time working with Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, which, actually, Limbaugh does.
Limbaugh, despite seeming to accept the idea of a Gingrich nomination, isn't exactly a steadfast supporter. Here's a clip of Limbaugh accusing Gingrich of using the language of "left-wing social engineering."
Although Gingrich is emerging as the best hope poll-wise for Republicans who are unsatisfied with Romney as a candidate, the prominent voices among the most conservative (including Evangelical) wings of the party are far from satisfied, even if voters (at least in South Carolina) seem to be going for it. Santorum was the candidate awarded the endorsement of a gathering of Evangelical leaders in Texas two weekends ago.
