(CNN) – A conservative media watchdog group says recent Democratic attacks on Rush Limbaugh may have given a big boost to the talk radio host's ratings.
According to the Media Research Center, stations that carry Limbaugh's day time talk show experienced a "dramatic surge" of listeners in February - the month when congressional Democrats and even President Obama publicly took swipes at the conservative talker.
"President Obama declared war on Rush Limbaugh and his ratings went through the roof," said Media Research Center's Brent Bozell. "If that's not a magnificent backfire, I'm not sure what is."
Democrats have been eager to paint the divisive Limbaugh as the de facto Republican leader, especially after the radio host's controversial statement that he hoped the president's economic policies would fail.
Obama himself warned congressional Democrats in late January that they need to "can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done."
From CNN Politics
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Even the most uneducated can have a good point every once and awhile.
that is what he does. only the ignorant accept anything he or any media, political figure says as the fact or whole story. It is very important to keep in mind that regardless of his background he is nothing more than an entertainer. And his job is to get ratings but i give Mr. Rush my congrats at being able to do his job.
Well, yes, of course his ratings have gone up. That was the whole point of labelling him the leader of the Republican party, to further establish them as the party of a right-wing minority. These are the people listening to Limbaugh. The polls are clear–pretty much everyone else hates him. He has Bush-like approval numbers.
With all of this talking that Rush does I challenge him to run for Public office and win. If he doesn't win then he's just full of hot air.
Whatever his ratings are; it still doesn't make him "Limbaugh" right.
I hope the Republicans will now acknowledge him as their leader. This is America where I hope, freedom of speech reigns. But when an American citizen openly says that he wants Obama to fail and the rest of us kept quiet. I don't what is worse. The people outside U.S that hates us or the fact that Limbaugh has a bad flavor for a black man.
President Obama will never get the same amount of votes in 2012. Republicans are the intelligent party.
Voter supression is the key to winning
Keep up the good work OBAMA!!!
LOL – LOL!!!
"... A conservative media watchdog group." 'bout sums up the whole article. Need I say more?
Hey we ALL like good comedy and to listen to someone make a fool of themselves.....that's why I listen to Howard Stern and Rush Limbaugh!! I find it even funnier that some people seem to take Rush's words 'literally'!! I wonder if Sarah Palin would pray with RUSH?!?!?!
Good. Maybe now, the Republicans can now stop denying the guy is their leader. Limbaugh for President!
no one seems to get it, he wants EVERYONE to listen to Limbaugh. People need to listen to Limbaugh to realize who Limbaugh really is.
Everyone should listen to Limbaugh for as long as they can stand it. Eventually, you will learn to laugh at his stupidity and enjoy it.
It was cold in New York – he said that was more proof that global warming was a hoax! John McCain believes that humans are responsible for increased CO2 and increased warming. It's OK to believe the science that warming is happening and then not want to do anything, because we'll be long dead before the planet is uninhabitable anyway. But to just deny it because you don't want it to be true is Limbaugh.
Did he help pay 5 trillion dollars of debt W left us yet? If not, there's no credibility.
So what? His ratings' spike includes more Republicans (Cult of Criticism) who share his philosophy. Limbaugh's campaign of hate is to now, what Palin's inflammatory rhetoric was to drawing large riotous crowds then. Birds of a feather still flock together. No persons of any intellectual and genuine substance would lower themselves to the lodebar set by the Limbaugh types. He's reduced himself to a mouth, a mike, and money that can't even buy him love. Poor soul.....
are we sure these numbers are correct I think Bozell may have just ask his coworkers if they were listening to Rush more. The Media Research Center is the same as the EIB network a fake name given by a far right wing wack-o to his own orgnazation to sound legitimate. I would trudst these numbers as much as I trust Rush to speak the truth. ..... Not at all!!!!
I look at the comment section everyday for affirmation that you guys all believe the same thing and look here for agreement with you own ideas. You can not claim to understand any issue wholly without understanding others' perspectives. Branch out. Please.
It's interesting since the radio ratings come out quarterly and are next due out after the end of March so where is Mr Bozell getting these numbers from ?
Of course these are the same people who usually take the totals from each hour and add them up to get his daily numbers such as
1 million 11:30am to 12noon, 5 million 12noon to 1pm , 5 million 1pm to 2pm and 5 million 2pm to 3pm and then claim he has 16 million listeners every day.
The Dems ran a campaign of hate Bush and now that he is gone they desperately need some one to hate.
They have no idea on the economy and now they want to move the war to Afghanistan and give more money to the auto industry and the banks and they need something to divert the public's attention away form these unpopular bills so they are trying to make Rush the new hate target. Trouble is only the potheads seem to care.LOL
I wouldn't have expected that group to say anything else, no matter what the truth was. LOL
Save us Rush. Obama is destroying our country. We're behind you all the way.
This is democracy. You do what you want but count me out on this!!
I find this statistic very suspect when they cite hugely different numbers on a daily basis regarding Tush's listenership. I also suspect that many people tune in just to hear the nonsense from the source instead of second-hand. The fact that people tune in as they run errands in no wise supports the supposition that these same people are believers who agree with him. The national political polls show that that is hugely not true. Obama approval rating of 64% says it all!!! Next....
Kind of funny to watch the left explain this. It would have been easier if the ratings went down, but alas.
Rush knows that any publicity is good publicity. That's why he trolls Obama supporters to have them facetiously anoint him the opposition's "leader". He played the Democrats at the Republican party's expense.
I think you are giving the Democrat's attacks way too much credit. I think the Dem's policies deserve the credit.
A conservative group says his ratings have gone up. That's reliable.
You mean conservative watchdog group "Media Research Center" led by Brent Bozell, a major Republican backer claims Rush's ratings went up? Isn't Arbitron the service that tracks ratings? Have they said his ratings have gone up? Do some fact checking CNN before you spew this stuff.