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Feb

25

[transcript] The Limbaugh Women’s Summit: Rush Babe – Denial ain’t a river in Egypt

Filed Under conservatives, Gender, Media, Politics, Women | 16 Comments

Many thanks to the numerous folks who’ve been linking to my posts about Rush Limbaugh’s Women’s Summit – now apparently called the EIB Network Female Summit. This Think Progress piece has nearly 150 comments – I’m sure there are some women with advice in there for Rush and why he’s got such an enormous gender gap in his listening audience.

Just a recap: As Rush announced yesterday, this Public Policy Polling report found that:

A new national survey from PPP finds 46% of Americans have a positive opinion of Rush Limbaugh while 43% view him unfavorably.

The numbers break down on demographic lines pretty much as one would expect. Men, Republicans, whites, and older voters like him. Women, Democrats, young voters, African Americans, and Hispanics don’t. The gender gap is one of the largest PPP has seen on any issue it’s polled in the last year, with Limbaugh having a +19 (56/37) net favorability among men, but a -12 (37/49) with women. 31 point gender gaps don’t come along all that often.

Emphasis added.

He was dismayed and decided to call for a women’s summit, as I wrote about here.

Today, he had his summit and you can read the full transcript here.

The highlights (which I hope people truly appreciate because I do not, as a rule, listen to or read Limbaugh but I put myself through the pain of reading the portions from today to get to the parts I thought readers might find the most interesting): Read more

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:57 pm February 25th, 2009 in conservatives, Gender, Media, Politics, Women | 16 Comments 

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Feb

25

Like vultures smelling blood: Casino proponents circle Ohio – again

Filed Under casinos, Economy, Gambling, Ohio, Politics, Social Issues, Ted Strickland | 14 Comments

In any other world, wouldn’t they just be recalcitrant incorrigibles who don’t understand the meaning of “No”?

From OPENERS:

The group backing the plan — led by Penn National Gaming and My Ohio Now– would also include Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert and Cleveland businessman Jeff Jacobs, sources have told the paper.

…

One casino would be in Cleveland, though not in the Flats area where Jacobs owns property, the sources said. The other locations would be in Columbus, Cincinnati and Toledo — all urban centers.

No racinos this time, though.

The article uses the word “desperate” to describe Ohio’s leaders and their relationship to revenue schemes (Bernie Madoff would see them as an easy target too I suppose), but any leader who wants to tell us that casinos are the answer, long-term or short-term, – especially after President Obama’s speech last night which emphasized sacrifice – has failed to either do the research or pay attention to the evidence all around us as to the unacceptable drain that hope in gambling brings to a region (see Detroit, Las Vegas and Atlantic City for starters).

Don’t do it.  Do not do it.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 3:12 pm February 25th, 2009 in casinos, Economy, Gambling, Ohio, Politics, Social Issues, Ted Strickland | 14 Comments 

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Feb

25

Carnival of Ohio Politics, #156

Filed Under Blogging, Carnivals, Ohio, Politics, Writing | Comments Off

Many thanks to Ben of Keeler’s Political Report for compiling this week’s edition of the Carnival of Ohio Politics #156. I think the image he’s chosen as representing 156 will make every visitor smile.

Old or new, wherever you are in Ohio, please feel free to submit entries for inclusion in the weekly round-up of what Ohio political blogs are yammering about. discussing.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 2:49 pm February 25th, 2009 in Blogging, Carnivals, Ohio, Politics, Writing | Comments Off 

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Feb

25

Women don’t like Limbaugh so he wants a women’s summit

Filed Under Gender, Media, Women | 6 Comments

Another really.

First, here’s the information from Public Policy Polling. In addition to the gender gap discussed below, the poll indicates that few people think Rush Limbaugh should have much influence:

Even if voters are pretty split on whether they like Limbaugh or not, there’s more of a consensus on how much sway they think he should hold in American politics, which is not much. Only 23% of respondents said Limbaugh should have ‘a lot’ of influence and the most common answer, given by 42% of respondents, is that he should have no influence at all.

Even among Republicans only 39% think Limbaugh should have a lot of influence, an indication that some GOP elected officials have perhaps been more eager to stay on his good side than necessary in the early days of the Obama administration.

Now, from Limbaugh’s website re: the gender gap found by PPP:

“The gender gap is one of the largest [Public Policy Polling] has seen on any issue it’s polled in the last year, with [Rush] Limbaugh having a +19 (56/37) net favorability among men, but a -12 (37/49) with women.” I have a 37% approval with women, 49% disapproval.  “Thirty-one-point point gender gaps don’t come along all that often.” Now, ladies and gentlemen, this is an opportunity here, because this takes us to the age-old question: What do women want?  Not even Freud was ultimately able to answer the question.  Women generally, for the most part, can’t answer it, either.  But it has never stopped people from asking the question: What do women want?  Given this massive gender gap in my personal approval numbers, a 31-point gender gap, it seems reasonable for me to convene a summit.

How:

We’ll have a summit of all the women in this audience — or as many of them as we can get into breakout groups — and perhaps devote an hour in an upcoming program to calls only from women who genuinely want to talk to me. They can be liberal, conservative. They could be non-audience members, could be audience members.  But I want some of these women to start telling me what it is I must do to close the gender gap — or, if not what it is I must do to close the gender gap, what it is I’ve done that has caused the gender gap; assuming the gender gap is true and that the poll is true.

Ummm, you know – the women, who aren’t listening – they’re the ones ya probably need to hear from the most, yah?

When:

I don’t know if we’ll do it tomorrow because we got Obama’s big speech tonight, but we might.  So, you ladies be on standby. Be ready at any moment for me to declare the summit officially underway, and we will take calls only from women who want to seriously discuss the proposition of this giant gender gap that I have, and what I could do to close it.  In other words: What could I do to attract a higher favorability rating among more women in America?  I own the men, and what must I do now to own women?  And who better to ask than women?  Including some of those who may agree that that I’m unfavorable.

After the non-sensical GOP response from Bobby Jindal last night – whom Rush says is the next Ronald Reagan (who was called The Great Communicator – that same Ronald Reagan?), I am seriously, seriously worried on behalf of my conservative friends.  Who on earth are your real leaders and icons right now? Who measures up?

Me – I say Arnold and the Mods (the two GOP Senators from Maine – Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, and PA Senator Arlen Spector).  But I’m really not the right audience to be addressing this question.

Who – who measures up?

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 1:41 pm February 25th, 2009 in Gender, Media, Women | 6 Comments 

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Feb

25

Jindal: I just gave the GOP response; now I’m going to Disney World

Filed Under Barack Obama, Bobby Jindal, conservatives, Government, Whitehouse09 | 2 Comments

Really.

There are plenty of reviews out there – you can find pretty much anything you want to support what you thought.  My thoughts are in the live-blog here and my thought about how he talked down to viewers/voters/adults and spoke as if he were speaking to first-graders is echoed in many places.

Here are four for you to check out:

The New York Times‘ David Brooks (hattip Blogger Interrupted):

YouTube Preview Image

Nate Silver from 538:

10:29 EST (Nate): If it sounds like Jindal is targeting his speech to a room full of fourth graders, that’s because he is. They might be the next people to actually vote for Republicans again.

I don’t know who Kenneth the Page is other than what Andrew Sullivan includes here but I see what people are talking about:

Stylistically, he got better as he went along but there was, alas, a slightly high-school debate team feel to the beginning. And there was a patronizing feel to it as well – as if he were talking to kindergartners – that made Obama’s adult approach so much more striking. And I’m not sure that the best example for private enterprise is responding to a natural calamity that even Ron Paul believes is a responsibility for the federal government. And really: does a Republican seriously want to bring up Katrina?

Winners and losers, according to the Washington Post.

One more, just one more – from The Moderate Voice editor-in-chief, Joe Gandelman:

Can Democrats, Republicans and independents put aside political biases and just bluntly say it after they’ve taken their hands away from their eyes?

Lousiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s speech in replying to President Barack Obama’s speech to Congres wasn’t “da bomb” but “a bomb.”

To paraphrase the late Jackie Gleason, his response made the atomic bomb look like a firecracker.

His entire post is worth reading.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 1:37 pm February 25th, 2009 in Barack Obama, Bobby Jindal, conservatives, Government, Whitehouse09 | 2 Comments 

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Feb

25

[videos] President Obama’s Address, Gov. Jindal’s response

Filed Under Barack Obama, Bobby Jindal, Congress, Whitehouse09 | Comments Off

President Obama:


Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal:


Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Huge hattip to Jack and Jill Politics.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 8:18 am February 25th, 2009 in Barack Obama, Bobby Jindal, Congress, Whitehouse09 | Comments Off 

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Feb

25

[Text] President Obama’s Address, Gov. Jindal’s response

Filed Under Barack Obama, Bobby Jindal, Congress, Economy, Politics | Comments Off

What I remember: President Barack Obama didn’t say anything about coal or labor. Jindal didn’t make any sense but did mention Katrina and natural disasters a lot. Obama does still seem to be in campaign-mode – I’d heard that from 

I hosted this live-blog on behalf of the Political Voices of Women – which was packed to the frame’s edge with participants (thank you!) and you can read the re-play – it’s got some great exchanges.

Many thanks to the other PVOW hosts:

Janet Shan of Black Political Thought

Marcia G. Yerman of The Huffington Post

Tami Winfrey Harris of What Tami Said

Pamela Lyn of Pam’s Coffee Conversation which I just added to my blogroll (sorry Pam!)

And founder, Catherine Morgan

If I’ve missed anyone, please leave a link in the comments and I’ll update the post.

Text of President’s speech

Text of Jindal’s response

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 7:49 am February 25th, 2009 in Barack Obama, Bobby Jindal, Congress, Economy, Politics | Comments Off 

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