RUSH: “Barack Obama launched his campaign in unspectacular fashion today at Ohio State University, the largest college in the crucial swing state” of Ohio. “A photo posted to twitter by Mitt RomneyÂ’s campaign spokesman Ryan Williams,” Ryan, not Brian. Ryan Williams. And the upper deck is empty. Twenty thousand people is the capacity, and I think there were just over 10,000 people there. “According to the Toledo Blade, the venue for ObamaÂ’s rally seats 20,000 but ‘there were a lot of empty seats.’ Comparatively, Obama drew a crowd of 35,000 at Ohio State when he campaigned for former Governor Ted Strickland in 2010.”
Two years ago, he drew 35,000. Now he barely draws 10,000 or 11,000! We’ve got Axelrod on ABC yesterday basically running a campaign of hope and change. They’re still running against Bush! And Obama has been reduced to saying, “Well, you may not be better off now than you were four years ago, but you will be in 10 or 15 if you stick with me. But if you go to Romney, if you go back to Bush, you’re not gonna be better off in 10 or 15 years but you will be better off in 10 or 15 years with me.”
They’re stuck.
You know, they moved the convention’s final night to the football stadium in Charlotte because they thought they’d be getting huge crowd — and donors. They want money. They want big bucks buying luxury boxes and all that stuff in the stadium for the final night where Obama accepts like they did in Denver in 2008. But he’s not drawing the crowds. Now, again, it’d be very risky to extrapolate that into votes. But what can be said is the enthusiasm for Obama personally, 65% like him personally…? Unh-uh. Not when 9,000 show up as empty seats at a rally where he’s announcing his campaign.
And how many people didn’t know that he was gonna run again? (laughing)
Anyway, I have to take a break. When we come back, we want to do something with the audio sound bites. This morning on Obama’s website, BarackObama.com, they launched a new TV ad entitled “Go.” And it involves Brian Williams. By the way, have you noticed there are more campaign commercials for candidates — there have been some issues, but mainly for candidates — involving news people and things they’ve said on the air that serve as an endorsement of sorts?
Like the Obama ad entitled “Go” is Obama’s lame attempt at “Morning in America.” It’s a rip-off of the Reagan “Morning in America” ad from 1984. It’s got Brian Williams! So apparently Brian Williams — the objective, right-down-the-middle anchor of the NBC Nightly News — said something that the regime thought constitutes a plug (at least) or an endorsement (at best) for Obama’s reelection. So put it in there. And I’m told that a number of these journalists (not all of them, ’cause some of them are, you know, face-camera hogs and pigs) are worried that their objectivity is being squandered by being used and appearing in these ads.
Maybe it’s just they’re not being paid and they don’t want to say that.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: We’re kinda chuckling at this crowd — or lack of a crowd — for Obama’s “official” announcement that he’s seeking reelection. But, folks, this says something pretty important about the campaign. We are led to believe (and many people think it’s just by virtue of history) that the Obama campaign is flawless, tops, best, gonna run rings around anybody we have. It’s just the way people think. I, of course, don’t. I don’t believe in the infallibility of liberals or Democrats. But I gotta tell you something.
This was a huge, huge error.
Now, granted the media is hiding pictures of this. You have to see pictures of this half-filled arena at Ohio State on right-wing blogs, and certain left-wing blogs. Mainstream media are not doing anything with this at all, certainly not as much as they did when Romney spoke in front of 50 people at Ford Field, capacity 90,000 or whatever it is. They had a lot of fun with that. This is a big faux pas on the part of the campaign. You don’t do this. Even if you have to, you know, get cardboard cutouts of Colombian prostitutes and put ’em up there on the upper deck, you do something!
You get somebody in the seats. But look at what they did. I’m sure they assumed that just announcing would draw a crowd, ’cause they’re living in the past. They still think it’s 2008, and they just assumed: “Obama’s coming? Overflow crowd!” Just assumed it. Didn’t happen. They don’t have a handle. They know things are bad polling data-wise, but I think every day is a shock for ’em. I think they show up on the Sunday shows shocked. Axelrod looked like he was in a state of shock trying to explain this, deer-in-the-headlight eyes and all that.
It’s tough.
You know, for football players, the cheering stops and the meaningfulness in life stops. This is what they were saying about Seau. He couldn’t go on anymore. There was no cheering. Football was his life, it was his regimen, and nobody cared about him anymore, and there were no cheers. Plus the concussions and it all added up to suicide. Well, they’re not cheering for Obama. Now, he doesn’t have concussions (unless golf balls hit him all the time and we haven’t been told about it), but the cheering is not happening. People aren’t fainting anymore. It isn’t 2008. Let’s listen to the ad. On the BarackObama.com website today new TV campaign ad entitled “Go.”
I’d kind of like to retitle it “Just Go.” Just go! Just go! But it’s not called “Just Go!” It’s called “Go.” And here it is.
WHISPERING ANNOUNCER: (dramatic music) 2008, an economic meltdown …
BRIAN WILLIAMS: Worst financial collapse since the Great Depression.
WHISPERING ANNOUNCER: … 4.4 million jobs lost.
KEITH OLBERMANN: American workers were laid off in numbers not seen in over three decades.
WHISPERING ANNOUNCER: America’s economy spiraling down, all before this president took the oath.
OBAMA: So help me God.
WHISPERING ANNOUNCER: Some said our best days were behind us. But not him. He believed in us, fought for us. And today, our auto industry is back, firing on all cylinders. Our greatest enemy brought to justice by our greatest heroes. Our troops are home from Iraq. Instead of losing jobs, we’re creating them. Over 4.2 million so far. We’re not there yet. It’s still too hard for too many. But we’re coming back, because America’s greatness comes from a strong middle class. Because you don’t quit. And neither does he.
RUSH: That’s pretty inspiring, wouldn’t you say? I mean, that’s really uplifting! Man, that makes me want to go out and get a second job today, maybe a third job, too. Man, we’re back! All that horrible stuff? Yep. They’re running against Bush. They’re still back in 2008. There are 4.2 million jobs created? Ha! Ha-ha-ha. Bin Laden dead? Still gotta live off of that? No longer in Iraq? I don’t know, folks. He’s still running on “hope,” still running on “change.” It kinda reminded me of the Super Bowl ad…
CLINT EASTWOOD: I’ve seen a lot of tough eras, a lot of downturns in my life, times where we didn’t understand each other. Seems like we’ve lost our heart at times. In the fog of division, discord, and blame it’s hard to see what lies ahead. But after those trials, we all rallied around what was right and acted as one, because that’s what we do. We find a way through tough times. And if we can’t find a way, then we’ll make one. All that matters now is what’s ahead. How do we come from behind? How do we come together and how do we win? Detroit’s showing us it can be done. And what’s true about them is true about all of us. This country can’t be knocked out with one punch! We get right back up again and, when we do, the world is gonna hear the roar of our engines. Yeah, it’s halftime, America — and our second half’s about to begin.
RUSH: Right. And here it is.
(playing of EIB Eastwood Super Bowl Ad spoof)