Rush Limbaugh Flips to Obama

After months of advising his listeners to vote for Hillary Clinton in open Democratic primaries, ultra-conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh is changing his tune by urging Democratic superdelegates to force the issue and make Barack Obama their nominee. From CNN:

"I now believe he would be the weakest of the Democrat nominees," Limbaugh, among the most powerful voices in conservative radio, said on his program. "I now urge the Democrat superdelegates to make your mind up and publicly go for Obama."

"Barack Obama has shown he cannot get the votes Democrats need to win -- blue-collar, working-class people," Limbaugh said. "He can get effete snobs, he can get wealthy academics, he can get the young, and he can get the black vote, but Democrats do not win with that."

But Jamal Simmons, a Democratic strategist and Obama supporter, disagreed, saying the Democratic Party has "the best coalition to go out and talk to people across racial lines, which are the unions."

Limbaugh's plan to interfere in the Democratic Primary process, dubbed "Operation Chaos," was given legitimacy yesterday when Obama supporter John Kerry attributed Hillary Clinton's victory in Indiana to the gabber's tactic. What is behind this reversal? Is Rush being sincere? Is he mad at Bill Clinton for "hitting on" his "date?" Or is it all some kind of triple-reverse psychology?


So far in this primary season, Limbaugh has stirred several controversies, such as refusing to endorse the Republican nominee, coming under scrutiny for possible voter fraud, calling the Mayor of Los Angeles a "shoeshine boy," accusing Bill Clinton of hitting on his date, and urging riots at the Democratic National Convention in Denver this August.

This latest ploy begs the question,"What, exactly, Limbaugh is trying to accomplish?"

If he really thought Obama was easier to beat, wouldn't he recommend Hillary, knowing that the Democrats would do the opposite? Or did he anticipate that with his endorsement of Barack Obama? The whole thing is reminiscent of the scene from "The Princess Bride", in which Wallace Shawn tries to figure out which cup Cary Elwes' Wesley has poisoned.

You may recall that it didn't matter, after all, because Elwes' character had spent years developing an immunity to the poison. With national polling showing both Democrats ahead of McCain, the Democrats might just prove immune to Rush's machinations.

A good way for the Democrats to inoculate themselves against interference from outsiders like Limbaugh would be to not legitimize or encourage them. Senator Kerry.