Tuesday, February 10, 2009

The William Raspberry Experiment


Today I am dispensing with our normal format to post a special edition of the DUmmie FUnnies. The reason is that yesterday I was consumed by an idea. It hit me in the morning and absolutely consumed me all day yesterday. This idea is still grabbing me and won't let me go until I announce it to the CyberWorld via this edition so here goes...

Rush Limbaugh has often said that it takes about six weeks of constant listening to get what his show and he are about. However, the amazing thing is very few of Rush Limbaugh's many critics have ever listened to him regularly. In fact, they have almost never listened to a Rush Limbaugh show in its entirety and have probably only listened to snippets of the show only a few times each year. Most of what they have heard have come to them second-hand from people who claim they heard it from others who also rarely listen to Rush. The other source for their "expertise" on Rush Limbaugh comes from partial out of context soundbites of Rush on the Web or on the tube. So what would happen if those liberals now hostile towards Rush listen to him more regularly?

Well, we already have one very notable such example. It is William Raspberry who was a Washington Post columnist. In 1993 Raspberry wrote a column blasting Limbaugh for his "demagoguery ... his gay bashing, his racial putdowns." Like the Mississippi segregationists of his youth, Raspberry said, Limbaugh "is so good at ... tossing the raw meat of bigotry to people.... Limbaugh is a bigot."

So what happened after that heated blast? Jeff Jacoby explains:

Eleven days later, Raspberry wrote a second column retracting the first.

"Rush, I'm sorry," he began. He confessed, to his great credit, that the earlier piece had been written in ignorance. "My opinions about [Limbaugh] had come largely from other people -- mostly friends who think Rush is a four-letter word. They are certain he is a bigot. Is he?"

Raspberry -- who by this point had listened to several hours of Limbaugh's shows and perused one of his books -- went on to answer his own question. Limbaugh might be "smart-alecky" and love "to rattle liberal cages," he might be "unrelenting in his assault on ... political correctness." But he was no more a bigot or hatemonger than Art Buchwald.

So what would happen if other liberal critics of Rush, who never listen Rush except via erroneous second hand reports, listen to Rush on a regular basis? Fortunately there is a way to find out. I am hereby proposing that the EIB Network conduct the greatest psychological experiment of all time. I call this "The William Raspberry Experiment." The idea that was consuming me all day yesterday until now as I set these words down on this blog is that a group of mostly liberal volunteers be monitored as they listen to Rush Limbaugh daily for six weeks...a total of thirty 3 hour shows. After careful screening the volunteer group could be broken down into the politically apathetic, "moderates" (meaning liberals who pretend to be unbiased), liberals, and some really far left types who think George W. Bush should be sent to The Hague for war crimes which would include most non-LFTs in DUmmieland. I am thinking that the total number of volunteers for The William Raspberry Experiment could be around 50. The two main groupings would be regular folks as well few celebs.

To ensure that the volunteer listeners are actually listening to Rush and not faking it, they would be gathered at central locations in 3 to 5 metropolitan areas around the country and monitored to make sure they are listening to the full Rush broadcast. Talking among the volunteers during the broadcasts would be prohibited. However, they would be free to later publish their impressions on their blogs or other outlets. In addition, the volunteers would be hooked up with electrodes to measure their brain wave reactions to Rush as well has be recorded on video to observe their facial reactions to El Rushbo. When the six weeks (30 shows total) of the William Raspberry Experiment are over, the volunteers would be debriefed detail in order to determine how their attitudes toward Rush has changed.

The monitors of this grand experiment could be people trained in psychology. They would also be required to release a very detailed report which would be posted on the web as "The William Raspberry Experiment."

Celebrity volunteers would not need to be screened as to their political leanings since it would already be well known. Here are some of the people I would love to see volunteer to become part of the Rush Challenge:

Tom Brokaw: He appears on Morning Joe a lot but his afternoons seem to be free. Mark him down as a "moderate" which means he's really a liberal going through the pretense of being liberal.

Susan Estrich: Perhaps a strong dose of Rush would inoculate her from ever again having a meltdown when the Democrats lose as in 2004.

Eleanor Clift: Monitors should remain on alert to place Clift in an isolation booth in case she almost inevitably starts screaming in protest at Rush during his broadcast.

Caroline Kennedy: Let's face it. Caroline has lots of time to kill nowadays so she has plenty of room in her schedule to be a volunteer in this experiment. Her late brother, John, was fairly open minded so I think he would have loved to have participated. Plus Caroline could learn why her father's tax cuts to stimulate the economy were a good thing.

Pinch Sulzberger: Could the publisher of the New York Times take time out to participate in The William Raspberry Experiment? Actually this could be helpful to the Times since the less time Pinch is spending to pull down that newspaper with his always erroneous ideas, the better it is for that publication.

Ken Norton: I can certify that PJ's pal is completely apathetic politically. In fact, I knew Ken for over five years before any mention of politics ever passed his lips and that was only because he was surprised when I showed him my PJ's Comix cartoon stories on the web. However, because he now lives in the Georgia sticks he is too far away from a major metropolitan area to participate.

So why would people take the Rush Challenge? One reason is that it would be a challenge. Another reason is that I recommend they be paid to participate. Payment would be both in money and free lunches they can eat while imbibing Rush during his broadcasts. Finally, the this would give the liberal volunteers who are bloggers great material to work with and could expect great increases in the number of visitors to their blogs. Participants who are MSM journalists would also have a great subject to report about.

This would also be great publicity for the Rush Limbaugh show since many people would be fascinated in reading about the William Raspberry Experiment. The results should be quite interesting.

My ideas on The William Raspberry aren't set in stone so if you have any suggestions about this...go right ahead and suggest. Have at it my fellow dittoheads!


33 Comments:

Blogger Tazzerman said...

I think that this is a GREAT idea! Unfortunately, I doubt seriously if you could ever pull it off and even if you did, the liberal mind, once convinced of something, will no longer hear ANY arguement to the contrary. No matter how wrong they might be.

A perfect example of this can be found within the whole Global Warming 'debate'...

I find my wife doing this also. Her and her friends will decry Mr Limbaugh has being the worst kind of chauvenist etc but when asked if they've EVER even listened to his show, they ALWAYS end up saying that they heard it from a friend who heard from a friend etc etc etc.

Not a one, including my wife, have EVER actually listened to Rush first hand... Not a one.

9:19 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well, it has possibilities, if you greatly expand the numbers and do away with that little 'Voluntary' qualifier. We could use store space vacated by the 50 million new unemployed every month for the "Test Centers," which contrary to moonbat dogma would mean we couldn't use WalMarts for this.

9:34 AM  
Blogger PJ-Comix said...

Volunteers could be screened to see if they are authentically liberal or politically apathetic by having them read aloud the following sentence:

"Ronald Reagan was our greatest president."

Liberals would be unable to say that aloud without grimacing. The politically apathetic would be expressionless. My friend, Ken Norton, would be completely focused on those free lunches so reading that aloud would have no visible effect on him since he has absolutely no political views.

9:43 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

How might you set it up such that the volunteers don't know that it's Rush they're listening to to avoid name-recognition bias? That way you could focus on their reactions to the ideas and not the stereotyped image of the Great One.

1:39 PM  
Blogger Barco Sin Vela II said...

I am not a Dittohead, nor do I listen to Rush. There have been occasions I heard the show in the car, but I would rather listen the Ramones.

Just happens that I think he is a blowhard who has delusions of adequacy. I don't hate him.

But I agree with most of Rush's politics, just don't care for the show.

The Raspberry experiment would be fun, if only to hear the wailing liberals scream as they are reborn as thinking Ameicans.

4:59 PM  
Blogger Paul Heinzman said...

Maybe troglaman will volunteer. The pay's better than selling plasma.

6:21 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"So what would happen if those liberals now hostile towards Rush listen to him more regularly?" PJ Inc

1. We'd jam a pencil in our eye.

2. Our genitalia would explode.

3. Our first-born would be sold to the highest paying demon.

4. We'd be Stupidly designed.

5. Our mothers would stalk us in the basement of our deepest desires.

6. We'd have sudden and urgent desires to visit the Dominican Republic (which has nothing, absolutely NOTHING to do with the two tabs of Sunshine V I just snorted).

7. We'd drool. Buckets.

8. Projectile vomiting and explosive squirts.

9. We'd kick you insane mofos out of government.

Thought for the day: How can you negotiate with the insane? If you were to ask your best friend "What would you like to do tonight?" And they answered, "I dunno. How 'bout getting our balls cut off over at Fred's place..." Where would the negotiations start?

3:09 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Paul, Troglaman would never volunteer for such a thing. Being exposed to reality and logic would drive him insane to the point that either his head would explode or his brain would vapor lock leaving him only capable of howling like a mad dog.

Of course his posts sound like he already howls like a mad dog so maybe it's a little late for that.

Speaking of which, Troglaman the Guttersnip DID post something semi-coherent...

TROGLAMAN THE GUTTERSNIPE: "Thought for the day: How can you negotiate with the insane? If you were to ask your best friend "What would you like to do tonight?" And they answered, "I dunno. How 'bout getting our balls cut off over at Fred's place..." Where would the negotiations start?"

When you figure out the answer to your own question, slick, let us know. Dealing with your pathetic efforts at coherent thought are proof enough one cannot negotiate with the insane.

12:57 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Speaking of which, Troglaman the Guttersnip..." jerome

"TROGLAMAN THE GUTTERSNIPE" jerome

So is it "snip" or "snipe", jerome. I'm sure you understand the implications.

4:18 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Troglaman is one funny dude .... about 40% of the time.

10:25 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Two problems I foresee:
1. The experiement is too long and requires too much commitment. Good attention span and seeing things through are not liberal strengths!

2. There is an obvious excuse to explain the outcome... Rush was playing nice while he knew we were listening and he cut out the racial hatemongering, etc.

The way around this is to base the experiment on recordings of old Rush shows! This would have the added advantage of allowing the subjects to evaluate how prescient Rush was or was not based on knowing "the ending", and it would also invite comparisons between what they hear and what they were hearing from other sources at the same time.

I am not a Rush fan by the way, not because I don't agree with him, but more because I think his style plays into the stereotypes that liberals love to promote about him.

4:24 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"The way around this is to base the experiment on recordings of old Rush shows! This would have the added advantage of allowing the subjects to evaluate how prescient Rush was or was not based on knowing "the ending", and it would also invite comparisons between what they hear and what they were hearing from other sources at the same time." sherlock (I'm not going for the 'no shit' thing. Too obvious)

I, troglaman, think this is an excellent idea...as does Korg, my clan's shaman. He's thrown the hog-knuckles dozens of times now and things look favorable.

I'll start. Ready?

Did Rush think Obama would win? That's a 'yes' or 'no'.

Your turn.

1:17 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow. Seriously. I think you're onto something here. In fact, maybe "The Raspberry Experiment" could be part of a larger "Fairness Challenge" sponsored by EIB and FOX News.

How about some televised debates? ie: O'Reilly and Olbermann, Laura Ingraham and Rachel Maddow etc.

1:53 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Did Rush think Obama would win? That's a 'yes' or 'no'.

Your turn.

Since you would never lower yourself to listen to Rush How would you prove us wrong?

6:32 PM  
Blogger The Gunslinger said...

Who are we to interfere in the chosen delusions of the insane?

I just want to bail out.

Secession. I say leave them sitting in their own piss...and set up a new country.

It's the only answer now.

I friggin' give up.

7:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Since you would never lower yourself to listen to Rush How would you prove us wrong?" Thomas F

Nice non-answer. But I do listen. Rush is never right. So buck the fuck up. Assume I listen.

Last I heard, Rush and Bin Laudin both want Obama to fail.

That sort of aligns you Chaotics with the terrorists, doesn't it?

But then you've been always been their little tools.

1:43 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You have no way of proving that you listen to Rush, I will not "buck the fuck up" to make you feel better about your retarded little self.

Rush wants Obama's dumbass Socialist/Marxist policies to fail..... If that means Obama fails then oh well.

Now Ole Jug Ears has got him some stimulus, all by his party's lonesome he better hope it works, because 2-4% higher unemployment and the Republican's are going to sweep House in '10.

the DEMS better get ready to own whole effing stimulus debacle and wear it like a badge of honor, because we are going to drum Arlen Specter out of the party in '10 and we will deal with those two other moron RINO scumbags in '12.

8:20 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Now Ole Jug Ears has got him some stimulus, all by his party's lonesome he better hope it works, because 2-4% higher unemployment and the Republican's are going to sweep House in '10." Uncle Tom

No, Fat Ass. People will remember who fucked it up in the first place. Fact of life. Intelligent Design obviously didn't work. Move over, melon head. Evolution's about to kick your great big fat ass. Dumbshit.

4:38 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

People will remember who fucked it up in the first place. - troggie

Ignorant, lazy, and parasitic people will believe your anti-capitalist propaganda that "capitalists" fucked it up, troggie.

The truth is that "political entrepreneurs" fucked it up. Those are people who seek to use government force and power to enrich themselves and suppress competition.

Statist political systems always oppress the individual and "sacrifice" the individual to the mob. Statism and collectivism is the religion of human sacrifice and the nihilistic worship of death.

How can you advocate such barbarism and still call yourself rational?

10:19 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Great idea! Can we get college students to write book reports proving they can comprehend Ann Coulter as well?

4:37 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"You have no way of proving that you listen to Rush, I will not "buck the fuck up" to make you feel better about your retarded little self." thomas

What a dumbshit thing to say. OK thomas, you can't prove it either. Fuck you too, dumbass.

"The truth is that "political entrepreneurs" fucked it up." classic spin

That'd be you.

2:20 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am not going to prove anything, I am making a statement, I will not assume that you listen to Rush so that you can attempt to make fact something that is not true.

Specifically, Rush did not say that he wanted Obama to fail, he said that he wanted Jugears comunist/socilaist/marxist polices to fail.

And I have another contention for you Obama Hates white people, prove that he does not, and if he does why did he not go to the midwest to survey the dammage that resulted in a million without power and 24 people dead?

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/storms/winter/2007-12-10-ice-storm_N.htm

Finally, why are you such a racist, why would you tag me with a moniker like "Uncle Tom" unless you think that I am the "house negro"?

9:52 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"I will not assume that you listen to Rush so that you can attempt to make fact something that is not true." Thomas

Then you're an idiot. I listen.

Thomas...when has Rush been right?

2:43 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"I friggin' give up." gunslinger

God Bless. He was a brave man.

2:52 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anytime he talks about Obama being a socialist....

10:55 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Thomas...when has Rush been right?" mighty troglaman

"Anytime he talks about Obama being a socialist...." Thomas

Socialist. So stupidly scary. You're the socialist, tom. We don't have to go over all the things the government has had to take over because of your boy's numerous fuck-ups, do we? To avoid collapse? And your boys made it all possible. You must be proud.

The army, navy, marines, airforce are all socialistic. So are police, firemen, and EMT's. Who pays your congressional representative's salary? Their health care? That'd be you and I, comrade. You socialist pig. And don't get me started about the teachers. Public education and all that. Fucking communists.

How'm I doing?

3:10 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Pretty pathetic,

Till now the govt. has not had or needed a Car Czar, let them declare bankrupcy and restructure out from under the corrupt union contracts.

There is no need to socialize / nationalize any bank let them fail be bought up.

And in what Bizzaro stretch of your addled imagination, do you see the military as a socialist organization, let me guess they provide benefits and services for members who honorably serve their country. (but provide no benefits to those that are dishonorably discharged - in a socialist dream land everyone that serves regardless would get benefits).

And why do you ignore Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, Charles Schumer, and Mr Rangle's role in blocking FannieMae and FreddieMac re-regulation, that Bush and McLame both brought up numerous times from 2000 forward.

Paying a salary vs dictating socialist economic policy are to very different things.

And how is spending more money (that by the way is being mortgaged on my children back's) and adding 10% to the national debt in exactly two weeks in office a good thing?

Oh and I love the 22% drop in the stock market since O'bambi was elected, people have real confidence in the anointed one..... The republicans are going to crush in '10.

And why did O'bama sign an excutive order preventing non-unionized companies from working on govt construction...... if he is so worried about jobs and all?

....you are doing pretty pathetic.

7:10 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Till now the govt. has not had or needed a Car Czar" thomas

Lee Iacocca: "Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, "Stay the course." Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America, not the damned Titanic. I'll give you a sound bite: Throw the bums out!"

Thanks for the memories, thomas.

1:15 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

That's all you got....

a washed up auto exec trying to earn points with the lefties, turn down the lights in your mother's basement, and cry yourself a river, the Dems own this debacle and are going to wear it in the next election people are going to remember 1,000 billion in pork that produces no jobs.....

those are the memories that you better get ready to cherish.....

11:30 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"turn down the lights in your mother's basement" thomas

Are you fucking kidding me? I, troglaman, am again banished to my mama's basement. Again.

It's sick. What the hell does any reasonable human being think of while pondering "mommy's basement"?

Personally speaking, I don't want to know. Maybe all those 'missing time' experiences I had as a child took place in mommy's basement instead of an alien spacecraft. Maybe that's what made me a lib - the anal probe.

So maybe you guys could just shut up about my mommy's basement. OK? I need to sort this shit out.

3:25 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I suppose that it will not be completely dark however, I suppose that this will light up your little corner of darkness.......

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_L6pDyjqqsvY/SaWYr1k7BnI/AAAAAAAAaPU/HakXzqX-ikY/s1600-h/debt.gif

10:38 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yeah, Thom. Interesting graphic. You guys did a really good job of fucking things up.

Go back to bed...or should I say your little corner of darkness.

2:42 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

All that spending in a democrat controlled congress and and you figured we effed it up, God you are delusional....

9:36 AM  

Post a Comment

<< Home