Left and Right: There is Plenty Of Hypocrisy This Election, But Lay Off Free Speech

As predicted, this election is getting nasty. The Republican nomination process has been dragging and dragging on and because of that the pundits needs to go after other villains. This election cycle it seems to be Rush Limbaugh on the Right and Bill Maher on the Left.

The issue has become that just because these two entertainers talk about politics that the national political parties should take responsibility for what they say. They seem to have made getting hysterical an art form and it is hurting the country.

Let’s examine both of these guys so as to see the lunacy behind what is going on.

Rush Limbaugh: For years Rush Limbaugh has been one of the most successful radio personalities in the world. His talk show is nationally syndicated, and despite the recent exodus of his advertisers, has no shortage of sponsors looking to use his big mouth to reach his audience. His views are ultra conservative and he tends to criticize both Republicans and Democrats with the real emphasis on the Democrats. For all his talk Rush is not a politician. While he may be able to influence voters who agree with him, he is not a serious player in the Republican Party. The issue is that every time he says something stupid the Democrats blow a gasket demanding that every Republican condemn his words. The Democratic Party has also made a political issue over the fact that Rush is highly successful and there are no Left leaning radio stations that compete with him. The part they hate to tell you is that there is no competition for lack of trying. There have been hundreds of left wingers who have taken to the airwaves, they just haven’t been very successful. The Democrats want to make the FCC force radio stations to offer rebuttals to Right Wing Radio.

Bill Maher: What Rush is to the Right Bill Maher is to the Left. BIll Maher has given President Obama a million dollars for SuperPAC’s that support his reelection. He can be seen eery Friday night on his HBO show Real Time. He tends to also slaw politicians from both parties, but his spin is that they are all not liberal enough. Bill Maher stands for Universal Healthcare, Drug Legalization, a strong seperation of church and state and many other leftist causes. As loud as the pandemonium get over Rush the same goes for Bill Maher. Every time Maher opens his mouth and says something stupid the Right demands that Obama gives back his money. Another example of fake hysteria.

Politicians from both parties, continue this nonsense at your own peril. We watch and listen to these two to be entertained. We don’t vote for them to actually do anything. This election is about what direction we see our country going in. Will there be real healthcare reform, are we going to change our awful immigration laws, will we keep imprisoning patients who use medical marijuana and on the front of everyone’s minds is still where are the jobs?

This is grown up time and if you want to sit at the big boy table it is time to start taking these issues seriously. Every time we let the pundits distract us from the candidates and their views of how to make this country better.

Left and Right is a three times weekly column by Inquistr writer H. Scott English examining the hottest political issues of the day, the candidates running for public office and the 2012 elections.