Rush Limbaugh to vote Democratic over John McCain?

By M&C People Feb 5, 2008, 16:30 GMT

Arizona Senator and US Republican presidential hopeful John McCain (C) and his wife Cindy McCain (L) greet supporters after campaign rally in Villa Park, Illinois, USA on 01 February 2008. The Illinois primary will be held on 5 February 2008. EPA/KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI

Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh is critical of John McCain, prompting suggestions that he may have to tone his rhetoric down if the elder Arizona senator wins the nomination and faces off against the Democrats.

But in a twist that has conservatives scratching their heads, Limbaugh said in an interview over the weekend, he would rather see the Democrats win the White House.

"If I believe the country will suffer with either Hillary, Obama or McCain, I would just as soon the Democrats take the hit . . . rather than a Republican causing the debacle," he said. "And I would prefer not to have conservative Republicans in the Congress paralyzed by having to support, out of party loyalty, a Republican president who is not conservative."

Ann Coulter was one of the first outspoken conservative to jump the GOP ship in a bizarre McCain mutiny for Republicans. Now talk show host Laura Ingraham has endorsed Mitt Romney last week, saying, "There is no way in hell I could pull the lever for John McCain."

Sean Hannity, who also endorsed the former Massachusetts governor, disses McCain. Hugh Hewitt is urging the audience for his syndicated radio show to fight for Romney against what he calls a media-generated "McCain resurrection."

But with the biggest audience, Limbaugh is the most vocal and heard opponent against "Saint John of Arizona."

"Yesterday it was Limbaugh vs. [Donovan] McNabb, Limbaugh vs. Michael J. Fox. Before that it was Limbaugh vs. Bill Clinton. Tomorrow it will be Limbaugh vs. Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. And I note the media never applies this template to anyone else in media. Not to anyone in cable news, not to any of the endorsements of the major newspapers. Why are the New York Times and Washington Post not asked about the setback they both suffered when George Bush beat both their endorsed candidates in 2000 and 2004?"

Mark McKinnon, a top McCain adviser, called the criticism from Limbaugh and the other hosts "frustrating," saying: "Our question is, 'Isn't it better to get behind a Republican you may disagree with from time to time than work for an outcome that puts a Democrat in the White House with whom you will disagree all of the time?' . . .

"We don't expect Rush to fall in line. We know he's an independent guy, just like McCain. And we know he and McCain will continue to have differences, and we respect those differences."

But McKinnon said he hopes "a respectful relationship can be established" if McCain wins the nomination.

Limbaugh said on hte air that McCain had "stabbed his own party in the back I can't tell you how many times."

"If a candidate who is asking me and the American people for his vote isn't particularly conservative on a wide array of issues, I'm going to talk about it. It's not my job to get him elected. . . . I'm in the free speech business. I am not a campaign spokesman. I believe it would be a setback for the Republican Party to attract liberals and independents by being like them in order to attract them."

Limbaugh's comments spurred CBS's Bob Schieffer to tell John McCain on "Face the Nation" Sunday that "Rush Limbaugh says you're an impostor."

MSNBC host Tucker Carlson offered McCain his take, saying the Senator should "suck up to Rush Limbaugh."

McCain still refuses to engage with Limbaugh, telling reporters: "I don't listen to him. There's a certain trace of masochism in my family, but not that deep."