Has Limbaugh's ratings doubled since his Obama attacks, as some pundits have reported? OK, how?

[zulchzulu]

Not to make this whole ridiculous upping of Rush Limbaugh as the head of the GOP (and who wants America to fail) even more obtuse, but it turns out that various news pundits are saying Limbaugh's ratings have doubled (like his weight gain) since this recent episode. The Washington Post has apparently bit the bait too.

Well, it turns out that Howard Kurtz spawned the myth and then Chris Matthews carried on the story. Who knows where else this assumption has landed and is being seen as the "truth", but Media Matters does a great job getting to the heart of this untruth:

The only evidence Kurtz offered to support his claim that Limbaugh's "ratings have nearly doubled" was a quote from Talkers magazine publisher Michael Harrison, whose "research" suggested that Limbaugh's ratings had grown dramatically in recent days:

"The people who love him are a very small segment of the public," said Michael Harrison, publisher of Talkers magazine, whose research indicates that Limbaugh's weekly audience has spiked from 14.2 million to about 25 million since the controversy escalated. "A lot of people still think he's a shock jock, a hatemonger, a right-wing radical, or hold his personal baggage against him."

http://mediamatters.org/items/200903080013?f=h_latest

So just what data is used to get to the assumption that Limbaugh's "ratings have nearly doubled"?

Harrison said his estimate of a big spike in Limbaugh's audience this week -- some 25 million, a figure quoted in The Post -- was also based on his discussions with station program directors around the country. Although there's no actual survey data to support such a figure, Harrison said "it's what we're hearing, based on the e-mails, the calls, all the buzz this controversy is generating. We put a little bit of our interpretation on it, added it all up, and that puts you in the ballpark."

http://mediamatters.org/items/200903080013?f=h_latest

What a fabulous explanation! Putting a little interpretation and "adding it all up" is exactly the magic formula for Rush Limbaugh's antics. Rush's weight has perhaps doubled since he started his career. He is a picture of gluttony and narcissistic selfishness in its highest form.

Maybe that's where these oafs got it mixed up...

[OmahaBlueDog]

1. So, in other words, he pulled the figure out of his ass

[snowbear]

2. The only thing that has doubled is... the size of his ass.

.
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[Sarah Ibarruri]

3. I believe it. The GOP is moribund. The only one that acts as if it isn't, is the fat junkie

And he's the one Repukes listen to because he cheers them up and gives them hope.

[Big Orange Jeff]

4. It's not a WAG... It's not even a SWAG...

It's a PIDOOMA!

[cooolandrew]

5. He has got a lot of focus lately probably has got higher ratings out of peoples curiosity alone.>

Maybe not double ratings but folks will have tuned in to see what's going on. I don't imagine it will last.

[PM Martin]

6. As you said.