Limbaugh Rule (vote for most conservative candidate in primary)

Conservative radio talk show host Ruch Limbaugh announced, on September 14, 2010, a new “Limbaugh Rule” about primary voting. The older “Buckley Rule” (after William F. Buckley) is to vote for the rightward most viable conservative candidate in a primary. A “viable” primary candidate is one who can win the general election.
 
Limbaugh said that it can’t be known what candidate is “viable” (who will win in the general election); thus, simply vote for the most conservative candidate. “To me, this requires clairvoyance,” said Limbaugh about the Buckley Rule’s “viability.”
 
   
Wikipedia: Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III (pronounced /ˈlɪmbɔː/; born January 12, 1951) is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in conservative politics and Conservatism in the United States. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United States. Limbaugh signed an 8 year, $400 million contract extension with Clear Channel in 2008 that pays him $50 million a year.
 
RushLimbaugh.com
The Limbaugh Rule: Vote for Most Conservative Candidate in Primary
September 14, 2010
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We still have people who think that professional Washington politicians are the way to fix this, and clearly it isn’t.  Some of these people are citing the Buckley Rule.  Now, I can honestly say that I know what the Buckley Rule is.  I can honestly say I knew William F. Buckley and Buckley was a friend of mine.  The Buckley Rule is, ostensibly, that you vote for the most electable conservative option against a Democrat in November.  You vote for the Republican, slash, conservative who can win.  To me, this requires clairvoyance, as is being currently applied in the Mike Castle-Christine O’Donnell race in Delaware, to use an example.  The polling data is that Castle will win big and O’Donnell will lose big.  If she gets the Republican nomination today, if she wins the election she’ll lose big.  The polls say she’ll lose by 25 points; that Castle will win by 20 points.  But who knows this?  The election’s a long time off.  In a year like this, it seems to me that Americanism versus socialism can make up 25 points.  Why the hell not try to?  Is what I don’t understand.  Why not try to make up the 25 points?
(...)
RUSH:  Let me expand a little bit here on the Limbaugh Rule, which needs to take over from the Buckley Rule.  You know, some of these people on our side—who all of a sudden now—lovingly invoke the Buckley Rule are the same people who told us, “The era of Reagan is over.”  Well, Bill Buckley and Ronald Reagan were inseparably good friends.  Isn’t the era of Buckley over?  Isn’t it amazing how selectively these people call up some of our heroes and use little slivers of what they’ve said or believed?  Buckley ran against a RINO Republican for mayor of New York knowing full well he had no chance of winning.  He violated his own rule then!  “Buckley says you vote for the Republican most likely to win.” 
 
Media Matters for America
The Limbaugh Rule: Vote for the Most Conservative Candidate, Period
September 14, 2010 4:00 pm ET
Throughout today’s show, Rush Limbaugh discussed the “Buckley Rule,” the principle that conservatives should vote for the most conservative electable candidate, and suggested it should be replaced with the “Limbaugh Rule.” Limbaugh described his rule this way: “In an election year when voters are fed up with liberalism and socialism, when voters are clearly frightened of where the hell the country is headed, vote for the most conservative Republican in the primary, period.” Limbaugh used the term while discussing the Delaware Republican primary for Senate between Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE) and tea party-endorsed Christine O’Donnell. Limbaugh continued to refer to Castle as a “RINO” and to criticize the congressman for cooperating with Democrats. Limbaugh continued to criticize the Washington political establishment throughout the episode.
   
Lucianne.com
The Limbaugh Rule: Vote for Most
Conservative Candidate in Primary
RushLimbaugh.com, by Rush Limbaugh
Original Article
Posted By:placergolddigger, 9/14/2010 10:33:08 PM
COMMENTS
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Reply 12 - Posted by: pedant_von_knowitall, 9/14/2010 11:16:06 PM
The Limbaugh Rule, as the headline formulates it, would have led to Carly Fiorina and Dino Rossi not being nominated and the GOP having no shot at winning in either California and Washington, with Boxer and Murray returning to the senate.
 
The Limbaugh Rule is stupid. But then Rush has his lapses, like when he made his sham endorsement of Pat Buchanan for President in 1996. I suppose that’s been forgotten, though I suspect a lot of O’Donnell’s loudest net fans were Buchanan supporters back in 96.