{"id":11029,"date":"2013-10-28T16:15:38","date_gmt":"2013-10-28T16:15:38","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2013-10-28T16:15:38","modified_gmt":"2013-10-28T16:15:38","slug":"how_in_the_world_did_dr_krauthammer_and_george_will_misjudge_barack_obama","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rushlimbaugh.com\/daily\/2013\/10\/28\/how_in_the_world_did_dr_krauthammer_and_george_will_misjudge_barack_obama\/","title":{"rendered":"How in the World Did Dr. Krauthammer and George Will Misjudge Barack Obama?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Listen<\/a><\/p>\n

RUSH: I\u2019ll tell you what I want to start with today. I was shocked. I was really, really surprised. This explains a lot of my frustration and my curiosity and my wonderment. I didn\u2019t see it, but I had a couple of e-mails from people who told me about it. Fox News ran (on Friday night at ten o\u2019clock) a one-hour special on the life of Dr. Krauthammer, and it\u2019s in conjunction with his new book<\/a>, which came out last week, which is a good thing for him that it came out last week. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s a compilation of his columns. And in the one-hour special, it was revealed — now, get this, folks. When I first heard this, I had to double-check it because I really didn\u2019t believe it. Dr. Krauthammer, in that one-hour special, talks about not getting who and what Obama was early on. He says even after dining with him after the election, he didn\u2019t know. George Will says the same thing. They did not really get that Obama is who he is. This explains so much. You know, I\u2019m sitting here and I\u2019m assuming that all conservatives know a socialist when they see one. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I am convinced that all conservatives know a statist and a big-government redistributionist when they see one, especially people like Krauthammer and George Will. It doesn\u2019t compute with me that they didn\u2019t know. In the one-hour special on Krauthammer, he talks about — along with George Will — not getting what Obama was about early on, even dining with him after the election and not understanding until five weeks after he was sworn in. It took him five weeks \u2019til after he was sworn in that they understood what it was Obama was all about. <\/p>\n

Now, contrast that with me on January 16th, a couple of weeks — or a week or maybe ten days — before Obama is immaculated, and I\u2019m all over everywhere saying, “I hope he fails.” I\u2019m on Fox. I\u2019m on with Hannity. I\u2019m on with Greta. I\u2019m everywhere, and I\u2019m figuring that every conservative knows exactly why I\u2019m saying it and what I\u2019m talking about. I went to great pains to explain it. I mean, I walked it step by step with Hannity on his show. I did the same thing with Greta. I don\u2019t want anybody calling these guys. I\u2019m not being critical here. That\u2019s not my point. I\u2019m way beyond that. I made an assumption that every rock-ribbed conservative knew who Obama was during the campaign. <\/p>\n

I mean, for crying out loud, it\u2019s all there. Rules for Radicals, community organizer, all of the audiotape we had of Obama telling the SEIU people that his objective was single payer. Here he is five days before the election promising to transform the United States of America. And these guys, they say in that one-hour special, it took them five weeks, which is about stimulus time. It took them five weeks to understand what Obama is about. You know, isn\u2019t it their job to know a socialist when they see one? <\/p>\n

Now, I understand the conservative establishment not getting it because they probably didn\u2019t want to understand or see Obama that way. If you go back, if you can remember, from the time Obama was elected all through the transition period and then into January of 2009… Well, let me just tell you a quick little story. After Obama was sworn in and he announced… I think it was the national security advisor. I don\u2019t remember the name. Maybe it was chairman of the chief joints of staff, James Jones. That\u2019s who it was. I remember Newt going on and TV celebrating. He said, “If you woulda told me that” da-da-da-da-da-da, “somebody as leftist as Barack Obama would have nominated somebody like James Jones to run the Pentagon,” and it was accepted as a sign he\u2019s a moderate and so forth. <\/p>\n

And then Eric Holder is nominated, and our legal intellectuals made a mad dash to the microphones praising the selection of Eric Holder. And I said, “Okay, what\u2019s going on here?” I just figured that they were saying the right things, trying to get off on the right foot. We\u2019ve got a new president. It\u2019s historic. It\u2019s the first black president. Nobody wants to be seen as being critical. They want to avoid the racist charge, but at the same time they wanted to be perceived by these gazillions of Obama voters as fair. And I\u2019m figuring that they\u2019re just saying it. They don\u2019t really mean it, they\u2019re just saying this stuff. <\/p>\n

But it turns out, folks — and I think this illustrates why there is a Tea Party, and that\u2019s because the revered thinking inside the Beltway didn\u2019t even see what Obama was during the campaign or in the transition. I just do not, myself — and again, please, folks, I don\u2019t mean this as criticism. That\u2019s not why I\u2019m even mentioning this. I\u2019m mentioning this because it explains so much to me. I\u2019ve shared with you my wonderment and my puzzlement over what seems to be the dwindling number of real conservatives out there, particularly in Washington. And this kind of opens my eyes a little bit about it. <\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know how you can not know who the guy is. Maybe you read his autobiographies and you fall for that, maybe. With everything that was out there? I mean, Reverend Wright? Think about all the stuff that was out there! There was either a willful refusal to see it or there was just real blindness about it. And I\u2019m thinking, “No wonder they look at Ted Cruz and Mike Lee the way they do.” Maybe you want to throw some other names in there — Sharron Angle or Sarah Palin.<\/p>\n

How in the world you do not know. Forget conservative! As a Republican, how in the world you do not know who Barack Obama is, and then five weeks later… Don\u2019t forget, David Brooks during this period of time — the “conservative” columnist, New York Times — actually says that after having dinner with Obama at George Will\u2019s house… Dr. Krauthammer was there. David Brooks is talking about this guy, and says based on the crease in his pants, this guy\u2019s gonna be a great president. I kid you not. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

So we\u2019re sitting here laughing. It turns out these guys were dead serious! Those kinds of things, to Brooks, apparently were really telling about Obama. I guess somebody cares enough about the crease in their pants can\u2019t be, what, socialist? I don\u2019t know. In fact, when I was first told this, I didn\u2019t learn this \u2019til last night \u2019cause I didn\u2019t watch this show on Friday night. I didn\u2019t watch the special that Fox did. I had a note about this last night. I said, “Nah.” It didn\u2019t compute. So I checked it out — and, lo and behold, it was true.<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t get who Obama is, then what must you think of Pelosi, and what must you think of Harry Reid or Bill Clinton? And that\u2019s our side. So to these people, to a lot of \u2019em, folks, you and me are the problem — and Ted Cruz and Mike Lee, they\u2019re the problem. I don\u2019t mean to make this personal, but when I said, “I hope he fails,” that was not in a vacuum. I mean, it was all over everywhere. I wonder what people who didn\u2019t get Obama at the time, by their own admission, thought of that. They were probably just shocked and aghast and embarrassed. “Oh, my God, this is not the way to kick off a new presidency, saying you hope he fails.” <\/p>\n

Well, now George Will is saying he hopes Obamacare fails. He didn\u2019t say it on the air. He said it on the Fox News website after Fox News Sunday yesterday. Let\u2019s go to the audio sound bites. This is Fox News Sunday\u2019s website. They continue the show, but only on the Web. It\u2019s called Panel Plus, and they do this after the show ends. They stay there for a while and just continue doing the TV show but only on their website. Juan Williams is on the panel and they\u2019re talking about Obamacare and the rollout. Again, by the way, speaking of that, wait \u2019til you hear this Obamacare Stack today. I mean, they had a “glitch.” It was out of service for 14 states! I\u2019m getting ahead of myself. (Rein it in, Rush.) It\u2019s one of those times here when I want to say 15 things and the mouth can only say two. So here\u2019s Juan Williams on the Web version only of the Fox News Sunday Panel Plus yesterday.<\/p>\n

WILLIAMS: I just think there was a lot of schadenfreude on the panel this morning, people [saying], “Oh, yeah. You know, gosh isn\u2019t it terrible. Oh, my gosh, Obamacare is having trouble.” Come on.. Republicans don\u2019t want this thing to work. That\u2019s the bottom line here.<\/line><\/p>\n

RUSH: Okay, so Juan Williams. I didn\u2019t see Fox News Sunday yesterday. I don\u2019t watch any of \u2019em anymore. It\u2019s because I stopped learning things that I didn\u2019t know on them. That\u2019s why. It\u2019s not that I dislike any of the people. It\u2019s all formulaic. But apparently on the panel there\u2019s a lot of people, like they\u2019re doing on Saturday Night Live now, making fun of Obamacare. They really trashed Sebelius on this thing. Oh, do you know Obama didn\u2019t know the NSA was spying? He doesn\u2019t know jack, folks. Obama doesn\u2019t know jack. He doesn\u2019t know anything, and he\u2019s really opposed to it when he finds out. There\u2019s nothing wrong with spying on Merkel. That\u2019s the kind of spying we ought to be doing. (I\u2019m getting ahead of myself.) So Juan Williams is upset that all the conservative commentators on Fox News Sunday yesterday seemed to enjoy the fact that Obamacare\u2019s rollout was in trouble. Here\u2019s George Will — on the Web, not on the air.<\/p>\n

WILL: I want to assure brother Williams that there\u2019s no schadenfreude here because I\u2019m not even pretending to be sorrowful. Of course I want Obamacare to fail, because if it doesn\u2019t fail it will just further entangle American society with the government that is not up to this. For a hundred years, Juan, the narrative of progressives — from Woodrow Wilson and on — has been progress will come if but only if we concentrate more and more power in Washington, more and more Washington power in the executive branch, and more and more executive branch power in the hands of experts, disinterested experts such as those who designed HealthCare.gov.<\/line><\/p>\n

RUSH: They\u2019re the people that designed Obamacare. So here\u2019s George Will perfectly comfortable now saying, of course, “I want Obamacare to fail.” Well, if you want Obamacare to fail, you want Obama to fail. And that\u2019s all I said. It\u2019s the same thing, except I said it two weeks before he was immaculated. For the exact same reasons he gave here on Obamacare, I said I want the whole kit and caboodle to bomb out.<\/p>\n

BREAK TRANSCRIPT<\/p>\n

RUSH: Okay, so after that sterling opening monologue, I\u2019m putting the audio sound bite roster back together \u2019cause the two bites I played were 16 and 17. I got my hands full, Brian walks in here and hands me something, and I said, “I can\u2019t take it. Just put it down there.” So I look at it, and it\u2019s the new book by Dr. Krauthammer<\/a>. I said, “Well look at that. I got a publisher\u2019s copy.” How about that? So I open it up, and darn if it isn\u2019t signed. “To Rush with admiration, Charles Krauthammer.” And then there\u2019s a note included that describes the book. “With respect and my very best wishes.” <\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

I looked at the staff. I said, “Your timing couldn\u2019t be more impeccable.” How long has this thing been here? (interruption) Since FedEx got here today? It\u2019s been here since Friday. The Krauthammer book has been here since Friday. (interruption) Right, right. You were gonna put it on my desk this morning, you forgot, and my monologue reminded you of it, right? <\/p>\n

This is why I said, folks, “Don\u2019t you love it? A loyal staff.” Remember what we were talking about last week, wanting the leader, the boss, to look good; being willing to work as hard as it takes. This is why I said during the monologue, “I don\u2019t want anybody calling or writing anybody.” I was not being critical. I was expressing genuine incredulity. I don\u2019t know how anybody on our side doesn\u2019t know who Obama is, but there were a lot of them who either refused to or didn\u2019t see who Obama is. We got Woodrow Wilson incarnate, or FDR incarnate. How do they not know? <\/line>BREAK TRANSCRIPT<\/line><\/p>\n

RUSH: Snerdley thinks that the answer to my incredulity over this — and I\u2019m not gonna belabor this. I\u2019m getting near the end of this here. He thinks that everyone in Washington was just totally caught up in the historical nature of this. We had the first African-American president. There was love. Everybody just got caught up in it and there was no desire to be critical of it, no matter what. It didn\u2019t seem proper. And, of course, there I am on January 16th. I got past the historical aspect of this the day after the election. <\/p>\n

Then the guy became president of the United States. His policies matter not skin color. It didn\u2019t matter to me at all. What he intended to do is all I saw. I didn\u2019t see any history. As I say, been there, done that, back after the election. Maybe a couple minutes after the inauguration, but after that the guy\u2019s president. I don\u2019t care if he\u2019s from Mars. Anyway, I think it explains a lot. (interruption) No, no, no, Snerdley. Look, Dr. Krauthammer knows I admire him. Remember we got in a little contretemps. I forget what it was even about, but the press was trying to make a big deal out of it. I said that I had such admiration for Dr. Krauthammer, that if I had a child I would name him “Krauthammer Limbaugh,” and he commented on Special Report about how he wouldn\u2019t do that to a kid, and I said, “No, I would do it,” knowing full well it isn\u2019t gonna happen. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

So I got this personalized copy of Dr. Krauthammer\u2019s book that the staff has had here since Friday, and they present it to me after the opening monologue this hour. Okay. There we go. Now moving on. Well, no, not moving on, because I\u2019m still asking, “How?” Okay, let me get beyond the “how.” I\u2019ve explained the “how.” Look at what else it explains. I\u2019ve been making way too many assumptions about what I think is my team. I\u2019ve been thinking they know a liberal when they see one and that they oppose it, and I\u2019ve been thinking they know a socialist when they see one, and they oppose it. And I\u2019m thinking some of them are smarter than I am. They see it even before I do. They see it better than I do. Not the case, apparently. <\/p>\n

\"large\"<\/a>Then you take so many events that proved to be controversial that I didn\u2019t understand the controversy of any of them, but now I think I do. Palin is one example. The Tea Party, for crying out loud. You know, this Obamacare rollout, let me put it out this way. This Obamacare rollout has proven every prediction made by the Tea Party in spades. Already Ted Cruz and Mike Lee have been vindicated. Everything they predicted and said has already happened. It only took two weeks, if that. And at the same time, the rollout of Obamacare has proven our news media guardians and pundits wrong on every single point. So who do they mock and ridicule at every turn? The Tea Party, of course, which is our news media in one compact little nutshell. <\/p>\n

But the troubling thing is that people that you and I think are just as conservative as we are apparently are not seeing things. I mean, I\u2019ll tell you what. I am as shocked as if somebody told me that Bill Buckley had said, “You know what, I didn\u2019t know who Obama was \u2019til five weeks after he was inaugurated.” I would not have believed that, but it does explain other things. Pick a controversy I\u2019ve been involved in, in any of the last five years, and check various reactions to it. This might not make sense, but it offers at least a bit of an explanation.<\/p>\n

BREAK TRANSCRIPT<\/p>\n

RUSH: Cookie went back to the Fox News one-hour special on Dr. Krauthammer, and she found the segment in question. This is Charles Krauthammer talking about his having met President-elect Obama at a dinner party at George Will\u2019s house a week before the immaculation in 2009.<\/p>\n