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Rush Limbaugh owes Indiana Democrats an apology
By Lauren | May 21, 2008
As long as I’m commenting on the ethical foibles of radio celebs, let’s talk about Rush Limbaugh’s campaign to persuade right wing voters in Indiana to vote for Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary. Limbaugh’s goal, apparently, was to “help” Senator Clinton win Indiana, not because he supports her, but because he wants the race for the Democratic nomination to go on as long it can with as much rancor as possible. It seems Limbaugh’s intent was to promote bad feeling in the Democratic Party, making it easier for the Republicans to win in November.
Talk about an ethical lapse …
Our electoral system starts from the premise that people will vote for the candidates whom they honestly want to see elected. Unfortunately, there are enough quirks in the system that it’s pretty easy to game it, especially in states where voters don’t have to register as members of either party to vote in a primary. It’s an honor system that, sadly, is all too vulnerable to less than honorable assaults.
It’s hard to know whether Limbaugh’s tactics delivered an unearned victory to Senator Clinton. She’s been running hard and effectively, and might well have taken Indiana even if all of Limbaugh’s listeners had been honest enough to stay home. I think it’s great that voters in states that almost never have a voice in the selection of Presidential candidates are finally having an opportunity to participate, so the extended race doesn’t bother me. What does bother me is seeing the Indiana Democratic primary manipulated by voters who wouldn’t dream of voting for any Democrat in November. Indiana Democrats who honestly prefer one candidate over another should have the opportunity to make a choice without Republican interference (and, for the record, I’d say the same thing if the party affiliations were reversed).
Limbaugh didn’t break any laws; the First Amendment allows him to express his political agenda as loudly and as often as he wants. However, I don’t think anyone could call his mean-spirited interference in the Democratic primaries ethical. Shame on you, Rush, and shame on the Republican voters who answered your call.
Topics: Apologies, Personal Ethics, Presidential Campaign, Social Ethics, ethics |
May 23rd, 2008 at 3:29 pm
I know people who participated in Rush’s scheme in Texas.
Senator Clinton won the popular vote, but lost the caucuses.
Most of Rush’s rats didn’t participate in the caucuses, it was a terribly long night in the heavily populated areas of Texas.
Thanks for your article.
P.S. It makes me sick that many of Rush’s rats are “born-again -Christians,” they forgot to teach the basic teaching of Jesus Christ to these people … “Do unto others …”
June 9th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
Let’s examine Rush’s actions from three ethical paradigms.
Under Utilitarianism Rush could argue that more good would come to the world as a result of his action.
Under Kantian ethics Rush’s actions would be unethical; Kantian ethics that our intentions and our duty is what counts. Rush’s intentions were to subvert the political process.
Under Virtue ethics demands moral character. Rush did not exhibit this.
November 19th, 2008 at 8:04 am
MISSOURI STRONGHOLD SHARON L. COOPER-LYONS
TO: JUAN WILLIAMS
I have more to say. As a victim of segregation, my children find it hard to believe that it was just a short time ago that Blacks were not equal. To understand why a lot of us feel, that commentators that defend Fox News and the republicans or conservatives, should have walked away from these people, is because we can see the destruction that they are really doing to the Black community. If this election didn’t wake you up, nothing will. The black republicans have said some nasty things to us on air. They claim they are republicans because of their principles. WHAT PRINCIPLES? The principles that say it is Ok to lie and destroy someone’s character and achievements? Especially those who have to overcome injustices that were placed on them? I will never understand the defense of Imus that several of you took. No one Black person in this country should have been defending Imus in the case of the Rutgers Basketball team. Why? Because he was an old man. He shouldn’t have been talking about young women in that way. These were achieving young women that worked hard to accomplish something they were destined to lose. They deserved dignity. That was mainly your race of young women. It was about dignity they deserved. Where were your principles? Their moment of victory was destroyed. They will never get that moment back. They received hate mail. They didn’t deserve that. That should have hit you in the head about the racism that lingers in America. They didn’t deserve the repetition of the new flashes. They didn’t deserve the chance of seeing it in later years. These were private citizens Mr. Williams. A news media has no right to rape private citizens at their pleasure, the way the please. What principles?
Poor Imus? NO He could walk off and do just fine. He didn’t need the job. But, the main factor in this, is the fact, as with Fox News, it was made clear, no white man deserves to lose anything over some old Black girls. You help then every time they hurt your own race. You have no guts. You have no principles.
November 19th, 2008 at 8:05 am
MISSOURI STRONGHOLD S. COOPER-LYONS
I am sick and tired of hearing the insane connection of Obama and Bill Ayers, trying to destroy Obama’s image as if he committed or is plotting some attack because he worked or lived in the neighborhood with this so called domestic terrorist. I want to try and explain this to the Black commentators on Fox News who constantly defend O’Reilly and Hannity, as well as R. Limbaugh. This is a serious problem that has plagued our minority young men and women, and white, of being harassed and convicted for the crimes of others. Focusing on our young Black men and women, I have used the words: The U.S. motto: Blame the Blackman for everything. As I have worked with my program, I have found this to be extremely true. Many of our young Black men are going to prison for just being near or knowing someone that has committed a crime. I see it happening here in Missouri everyday. Watching the way Fox News went after Obama, has provided me with the most excellent example to prove my case. Bill Ayers committed his crime around 40 years ago. When dealing with the mental hatred of a Hannity and others, the fact that Obama was 8 years old and in Hawaii, has no merit to who they will try and destroy. Normal healthy reasoning and justice does not exist in people of hatred. Satan, who is the creator of hatred, will see justice in the criminal and accuse and convict the innocent. Where in the past has our justice system, as well as scripture, accused and convicted people of a crime they did not commit just because they knew the criminal? We all would be convicted. Although it is happening now and the criminals are going free. To the Black commentators on Fox who defended the injustice directed at Obama and his so called relationship with Bill Ayers, — what is the problem? What are you accusing him of? Has he shown any suspicious terrorist actions? Has he said anything violent? Have you caught him with any type of terrorist weapons? Has he shown any type of violent or radical dispositions? Has he been mean or hateful to any racial group? What is your point? What do you want him to say? Do you have some kind of proof of something suspicious? IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT IS YOUR CASE? Let me put this point blank, why would you help these particular hateful white men try and destroy a very intelligent, loving, caring and hard working man, who happens to be Black and is highly capable of being president? Why would you be part of a sick hateful, attack against someone that has not committed or was not part of a crime that was committed 40 years ago? Has a news media, ever ran one news story everyday for a year and a half? Same thing everyday. A year and a half? Don’t you find that a little sick? This doesn’t include their radio talk shows. Have you ever heard a grown man keep saying –Obama, He’s scared. Look at him? He is scared to death. He can’t talk. Listen to him stutter. He stutters. He can’t talk without his prompter. Look at him. He’s scared. Obama is scared………………… This was Hannity’s radio show over O’Reilly’s interview with Obama. My son said, (Hannity) “Man he is hateful.” The same words went on during the whole show. Anyone would conclude that Hannity has a severe mental problem. This type of mental illness shouldn’t be allowed over the air. It is promoting hate crimes.
The question remains, why would these Black commentators, with Black republicans, defend any of this. Jaun Williams on the Fox News stated, he didn’t understand why people keep asking him, why he remains on Fox News? Larry Elders is another. I don’t know why they can’t figure it out. They never questioned why this same mess goes on everyday for a year and a half and never accomplished anything? They never questioned why would they keep repeating and repeating and repeating……………..? What were they trying to accomplish? Were they taught in college that repetition is what stirs up emotions. Especially hate. You can take something that has no merit or makes any sense, and by repeating it and making it sound serious, you can stir up hateful people to react. Do they feel it is OK to invade and harass a church just because the pastor said something they didn’t like? Cause the people to receive hate threats. Invade the sick list. It never occurred to any of them how clever a person can be by taking seconds of a clip and mislead what is said? People in the media should always be suspicious of this. Unless they are stupid. Did they see them do any of the other churches like this? They openly threatened to do this to all the Black churches. That wasn’t a problem for these Black commentators and Black Republicans? During the Black republican caucus, they claimed 90% of Black churches teach hate. Can you believe these ungrateful, disrespectful people that put down the teachings that motivated their ancestry to fight and give their lives so they can have these positions? I saw Juan Williams the night Obama was elected. He was crying. The tears of a fool. He was probably ashamed of himself. He should be. He took part in an unjust treatment of a highly capable and honorable man that worked hard to achieve what our ancestry sacrificed in order to clear the way for this day. If the attacks had merit, it would be different. These attacks were ridiculous. The people that defended and helped the attacks were enemies to their own race and achievements. I thank God that the rest of America came through. This was for us all. The unmerited accusations and attacks against Obama, as if to convict him of a crime, is exactly what is happening to our young black men and women. They are living with records and end up in prison over this type of injustice that has been directed against them. They are innocent of the crimes on their records. They are easily proven. They need to lie and get a charge on them, so they can’t afford to get out of it. Now they have them trapped and ready to set them up for drug runners. They have been denied lawyers for this purpose. They are being written up on charges that could occur, but didn’t. They are suffering because once these charges go through, they have to pay $10,000 for a lawyer to reverse the charges. The government of Missouri has criminally enforced these actions to bring down these bright and talented young people. I have been yelling for two years. No help. This republican administration knows this is going on. That is why law enforcement can lie on citizens. We have all the proof. That is why the border police in Texas, are still in prison. They can’t have police stopping the drug trade. Didn’t you see them let the repeated drug runner go? Does anyone remember the Duke Lacrosse young men. Their statements said, if they hadn’t had money, they would probably be sitting in prison? They knew there were a lot of innocent people in prison. They cleared the black girl in the case, but Fox tried to viciously attack her until they were stopped.