APF Battle of the Billionaires Wallpaper: Donald Trump vs Mitt Romney

1280 x 1024 wallpaper: Republican nominee Battle of the Billionaires

Donald Trump is the clear frontrunner of the Republican race whilst Jeb Bush, the expected "establishment" candidate has been sliding in the Polls. Experts like Trump supporter, Ann Coulter have predicted that former Republican nominee Mitt Romney will eventually prevail but there have been no signs of him throwing his hat in the ring yet.

Ann Coulter Predicts Who Can Win in 2016
ANN COULTER: Listen to me, watch the debates, we're going to be so sorry we're not running Mitt Romney and we're gonna demand that he get back in because Mitt Romney would crush Hillary Clinton. You have no idea, you have no idea how good you had it. And you were lied to by fake Tea-Partiers and fake conservatives who cared more about pretending they were the only leaders of Conservatism and only trust them.
As you'll see in the end of the book [Adios, America], I'm evaluating candidates on the one issue, the only issue that matters because it determines everything else and Romney is the best we have on immigration other than Donald Trump and I don't think he's gonna be our nominee.
LARRY ELDER: Who will be the nominee?
COULTER: Mitt Romney
---- crowd applauds, panel laughs ---

Watch the conversation in full here - A Special Evening with Ann Coulter — 7/16/15

Paying homage to the WrestleMania 23 match that pitted Donald Trump vs WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, I present the Republican version of "Battle of the Billionaires".

VIDEO: Battle of the Billionaires [WrestleMania 23 PROMO]

Update: With Donald Trump still leading the polls and Ted Cruz making a spirited run. The only hope for a Trump/Romney showdown is through a "Brokered Convention" - Mitt Romney. A Brokered Convention. Please, Lord, Make the Pain Stop!

Avengers assemble! Glenn Beck's 2014 Summer Rally with Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Ann Coulter and possibly Rush Limbaugh

VIDEO: RWW News - Glenn Beck Teases Pre-Election Conservative Summit 

Beck Teases Pre-Election Conservative Summit with Hannity, Levin & Limbaugh
GLENN BECK: I wrote to Sean about a week before I went on vacation and I said "Sean, I do these summer events and this summer, we haven't announced it yet, but I would like to consider doing the first night of a three night event with you and Mark and possibly Rush [if anybody has the guts to ask Rush] and he wrote back immediately "I'm in. I'll talk to Mark"...
This summer event, we hope to announce in the next couple of weeks. I'm thinking it'll be in June... coincidentally this is the summer leading into the Midterm elections...
PAT GRAY: It'd be weird to be united leading into the Midterm elections... It'd be really sad for the other side

Glenn Beck's Summer Rally 2014:
Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh

Glenn Beck used a cartoon reference to describe this union of Pundit heavyweights, "when Wonder Twins activate… Something big is happening". I would have preferred a wrestling reference but I feel another set of comic book superfriends are more apt - The Avengers!

Glenn Beck's Summer Rally 2014:
"Avengers Assemble!" edition

Ann Coulter as The Black Widow
A femme fatale, perennially in Black. Ann is tasked with coaxing the powerful Rush Limbaugh into the fold.

Sean Hannity as Captain America
Sean is a "Great American" and a leader in his own right. He is a patriot with a throwback style.

Glenn Beck as Iron Man
A wealthy industrialist and recovering alcoholic, Glenn Beck is the head of this motley crew of conservative pundits

Mark Levin as Thor
Wielding his hammer of justice, Levin is a lawyer with a thunderous voice. Despite fighting alongside Iron Man [Glenn Beck], they have had their battles in the past.

Rush Limbaugh as The Incredible Hulk
You wouldn't want to see him angry. A one man wrecking crew, Rush is the Lethal Weapon crucial to the Avengers winning the war.

Play with the new APF animation below. Toggle the button on the corner left to see the "Avengers Assembled":

- War is over: Sean Hannity and Mark Levin call truce with Glenn Beck

War is over: Sean Hannity and Mark Levin call truce with Glenn Beck

Glenn Beck appears on Fox Business' Imus in the Morning (Oct 5, 2009)
Glenn Beck on Career, Life Choices
DON IMUS: Saw you on the cover of Time Magazine. Your book's #1 I noticed this week. Sean Hannity, Rush they both hate you
GLENN BECK: No. No they don't
IMUS: They all hate you

Glenn Beck is arguably the most influential pundit in America today. Placing #34 on the 2013 Forbes Celebrity 100 list. He has amassed upwards of 300,000 paying subscribers for his online Blaze Network and attracts tens of thousands to his Summer rallies. Whilst Beck's popularity with audiences shows no sign of abating, he's always had a mixed reception from his peers.

Rush Limbaugh receives universal praise from his colleagues, Beck previously writing a tribute for the perennial Alpha dog for the Time 100 list. Other pundits are quick to come to Rush' aid when he has come under fire despite being entirely capable of defending himself. Beck hasn't enjoyed such support, in the past Mark Levin has patronisingly referred to him as the "5PM'er", a "circus clown" and the "guy with tourettes". Glenn's 2010 CPAC speech had the distinction of uniting Jon Stewart, Mark Levin and Rush Limbaugh in deriding it.

VIDEO: John Cena chooses The Rock as his partner for Survivor Series

For the most part no pundit is an island. They're cordial with each other, have a sense of solidarity and will appear on each other's shows. Only Limbaugh, Beck and to a lesser extent Michael Savage have the Main Event clout to remain solo. To Beck's credit, he's the only one with the foresight and grace to seek partnerships, mending a rivalry that would not only assist his peers but galvanizes the cause and elevate him higher still. As this exchange on Hannity demonstrates, Beck is doing fine on his own and doesn't really need any help -

Glenn Beck's next Summer rally alongside
Sean Hannity, Ann Coulter, Mark Levin and possibly Rush Limbaugh

Lies, Incompetence & Polling Woes: Hour 3 (Dec 17, 2013)
ANN COULTER: (25m 30s) Is this going to be in Dallas?...
GLENN BECK: We did Dallas two years ago [Restoring Love, 7.28.12]
SEAN HANNITY: You sold out Dallas Stadium?
BECK: Yeah, Cowboys Stadium
HANNITY: You did not sell...
BECK: Yeah we did. Two years ago and only spoken word to do it
HANNITY: How many seats are in Cowboys Stadium?
BECK: For spoken word there is 60
HANNITY: 60, 63 thousand. Something like that. Did you do it in the big stadium with the big
BECK: Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was amazing. It was fun.
...
COULTER: Glenn, do you realise you don't need us
BECK: No I think its really good - I personally think that people on our side, we're winning the argument

Beck explained the dissolution of the "foolish" feud that wedged him apart from influential talkers Sean Hannity and Mark Levin. On the January 30th episode of his show Beck shared the full story:

Glenn explains how he reconnected with Mark Levin and Sean Hannity
GLENN BECK: I am grateful to this audience. I am grateful for you. There was a stupid feud, and the three of us, Sean, and Mark and I, have talked about it... And we know where it came from, and we know who was feeding us lies about each other. And this individual just expected that if they fed us enough lies about each other, we would never talk to each other. And that way he would be able to divide us and keep the Tea Party movement at bay and control it as much as he could or destroy it. And we were foolish.

We are at the end and if talk radio begins to move together and we all understand: I don't do what Sean Hannity does, and he can't do what I can do. Same with Mark. I mean that… Everybody plays a different role. And each of us have an important piece

This is an interesting development for Conservative Talk Radio, especially Beck's consolidation of influence. Glenn not being a wrestling fan used a Saturday Cartoon analogy to describe the improbable teaming of powers "when Wonder Twins activate… Something big is happening... unless you're a progressive then I don’t think you’re going to like this".

Stay tuned as these Avengers Assemble.

Politics is wrestling, Quote roundup: Ann Coulter, Jon Stewart, Mick Foley, Marc Ambinder, Matt Lewis, Wyatt Cenac, Mick Foley

Believers in the 'Politics is Wrestling' meme

1) Jim Cornette, Pro-wrestler manager and promoter

Wrestling legend Jim Cornette rants on the right wing
JIM CORNETTE: Maybe [wrestling commentator, Joey] Styles is like Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity or all these people I listen to that are -- You know that -- they're too smart to believe the sh!t that they say. They're heels cutting promos and its obvious and they're doing it for the marks who are dumb enough to believe it and they get paid big money to do it.

2) Matt Lewis, Political writer, blogger and commentator

TownHall's Matt Lewis: "Arlen Specter as Hulk Hogan"
MATT LEWIS: From a conservative perspective, at least, the Specter story was a classic archetype that has been re-played throughout human history -- and retold in the Bible (Judas), American history (Benedict Arnold) movies (Anakin Skywalker) ... and even in the less sophisticated world of ... professional wrestling!

3) Jon Stewart, Television host and Political media critic

William 'Bill' Kristol - Top wrestling heel (villain)
JON STEWART:... Boy the audience, I don't know when they started thinking this was pro-wrestling. It's the strangest thing -- they literally boo and hiss and cheer like you're the Rock and I'm - you know - The Undertaker.

4) Marc Ambinder, politics editor of 'The Atlantic'

Marc Ambinder: Wrestling with Politics
MARC AMBINDER: When staged correctly, both [politics and pro wrestling] can be mesmerizing... Both professions tend to divide people into good and evil... Politics is exhausting... Both politicians and wrestlers are very hearty, and the fans appreciate when each performs effectively.

5) Marc Maron, comedian and radio host

Marc Maron's WTF podcast Ep 23: Wyatt Cenac talks pundits and professional wrestling
MARC MARON: Like you said before, it really is all professional wrestling. The sad thing is, people are really struggling for a lot of different reasons... and they don't really know what to do with those frustrations. So when you've got these ideologues or these pundits... who are driving media culture leading them in a direction. They just want some temporary relief or some satisfaction and they are so easily misguided in times that are desperate...

6) Don Callis, former professional wrestler

Politics is wrestling - the 2004 edition
DON CALLIS: Witness the verbiage from the front-runner, Senator John Kerry: "I have a message for George Bush: we're coming, you're going, and don't let the door hit you on the way out!" Now come on, if I fed you that line and asked if it came from a wrestling show or the potential next leader of the free world, what would you say?

7) Ann Coulter, Conservative social and political commentator

Ann Coulter: "Political discourse resembles professional wrestling"
ANN COULTER: Political "debate" in this country is insufferable. Whether conducted in Congress, on the political talk shows, or played out at dinners and cocktail parties, politics is a nasty sport...

Instead of actual debate about ideas and issues with real consequences, the country is trapped in a political discourse that increasingly resembles professional wrestling.

8) Mick Foley, professional wrestler

Mick Foley - Politics is just like wrestling
MICK FOLEY: This current mess I believe honestly, and I’ve told Stone Cold this, somewhere around 1998 then-Governor George Bush was watching Raw, and let’s face it, you know he watches the show. He took a look at Stone Cold Steve Austin and said, "That’s who I’m going to be." Because that’s when the swagger came around and it’s my feeling that if Vince hadn’t copyrighted Texas Rattlesnake, Bush would be calling himself that now.

9) Wyatt Cenac, Comedian, Actor and writer

Jon Stewart, Wyatt Cenac and Mick Foley endorse the analogy that American Politics is like pro-wrestling
WYATT CENAC: Jon here's your problem. You think politicians wanna win their arguments when all they really wanna do is keep having them. They know arguments are interesting, they energize voters, they keep the money flowing in.
JON STEWART: You're telling me their interest is in conflict, not in resolution?
WYATT CENAC: Yes. Jon do you watch professional wrestling?

Ann Coulter not impressed by former Wrestling CEO turned Senate Candidate Linda McMahon

Considering Ann Coulter is no fan of the degeneration of politics into pro-wrestling, its no surprise she doesn't endorse Linda McMahon's place as Republican representative for Connecticut. In the piece she pleads ignorance when it comes to her understanding of wrestling, odd considering her persona is built on the template of a classic wrestling heel (Villain).

Coulter has written two pieces citing Linda McMahon, a piece for 'Human Events' and 'Jewish World Review':

1) Coulter on 'Human Events'

Republicans on Track to Snatch Defeat From Jaws of Victory
Naturally, therefore, Republicans are planning on running a World Wrestling Entertainment "impresario" against Blumenthal. Yes, in Connecticut ... a state that is among the wealthiest and most highly educated in the nation ... a state that isn't Minnesota. The average Nutmegger doesn't even know what a turnbuckle is, and that includes me.

Republicans could run Rob Simmons, a Connecticut legislator with a distinguished record of service in the House of Representatives, the CIA, and as a Yale political science professor -- who actually did serve in Vietnam, winning two Bronze Stars and retiring as a colonel.

But defeat is so close! Republicans can almost taste the bitterness of yet another crushing loss!

2) Coulter's piece for 'Jewish World Review'

Instead of sitting around, idly predicting massive Republican landslides this fall, how about GOPers work on running candidates who might actually win?
... But no matter how much the local press flacks for Blumenthal, people won't soon forget that he lied about his Vietnam service...

Connecticut Republicans have done nothing to deserve this gift. All they need to do is field a candidate who isn't inextricably linked to professional frigging wrestling.

Instead, last month, a majority of Republican caucus-goers favored professional wrestling impresario Linda McMahon, based on her offer to spend "up to" $50 million of her own money on the campaign.
McMahon would be a fantastic choice if money were associated with electoral victory. But it's not.

...

So Republicans better have a more impressive reason for picking Linda McMahon than "She'll spend up to $50 million of her own money."
But they don't.
Any half-wit knows Connecticut will not vote for a professional wrestling "impresario" for the U.S. Senate. So unless Republicans have secret information that Blumenthal does enjoy dressing up in diapers, Republicans are forfeiting a Senate seat for no reason.

Rachel Maddow calls Bullpucky on GOP fakery: Says ACORN pimp outrage and Climategate are all fake

As a blog dedicated to the analogy that American Politics is not unlike professional wrestling, one of the more favored threads is fakery in politics. More to the point how the fake can swallow reality and create a new a one. The fakery can at times be innocuous, nefarious or absurd. Consider the impact Tina Fey's Sarah Palin parody had on the real image of the Republican Vice Presidential nominee. Consider the credibility and gravitas of "Fake" news show 'The Daily Show' and "fake" pundit Stephen Colbert. Consider how pundits from Glenn Beck and Ann Coulter have detractors questioning if they authentically believe what they are saying, or if its just a lucrative act for attention.

Rachel Maddow expands on Fakery in Politics in this segment challenging the GOP's outrage.

VIDEO: MSNBC'S Rachel Maddow says GOP's outrage is Bullpucky

The Rachel Maddow Blog - Let them eat fake
RACHEL MADDOW: What we’re dealing with here is the unmooring of politics from facts. The activists pushing the ACORN scandal knew it was fake. After all, they faked it. But it made a political impact anyway, so they win, right?

The climate-gate scandal, not an actual challenge to the homogenous consensus of decades of climate science but it could have a political impact, so go for it. It might work.

If the triumph of fake politics or advantage gleaned from stuff that’s not real - and who cares if it’s not real or if it has a political impact?...

It’s made up. It’s bull. It’s bull. It’s not real politics. Let them eat fake.

These are not real problems to worry about and work on as a country, right? But there’s more bang for the political buck to make stuff up like this than to try to debate real problems in the real world. So just go with the bull.

Ann Coulter speech cancelled after thousands protest at University of Ottawa

Ann Coulter, professional provocateur and one-woman publicity machine has done it again...

VIDEO: Ann Coulter speech Cancelled after
thousands protest at University of Ottawa

Ann Coulter Speech Cancelled After Thousands Protest At University of Ottawa
CHRIS WADDEL (Carleton University): That will generate more publicity for her.
NARRATOR: This media expert says that the University of Ottawa's attempt to handle Coulter only fan the flames of controversy
WADDEL: Why do you want to give her something to allow her to develop her persona further and make her become more controversial

Liberal talker Sam Seder appears on the 'Joy Behar show' to speak on the subject of "Hate Speech VS Free Speech"

VIDEO: Sam Seder and John Avlon on the Joy Behar Show talking about
Ottawa University's cancellation of Ann Coulter's speech

JOY BEHAR: Was it fair to cancel Ann Coulter, John and what do you think?
JOHN AVLON: It was cowardly, you invited her. You know her schtick right? She walks right up to the line, she tries to incite and provoke to create publicity for herself but we can't have free speech in every place but College campuses. This is a good place to teach kids that you can protest, you can disagree but you do it civilly

Coulter is scheduled to appear soon afterwards on Behar's show for her take on yet another uproar surrounding her.

I've written about Ann Coulter's astute ability to court controversy like a classic 'wrestling heel'. Ironic considering Coulter's complaint that political discourse is too much like professional wrestling

Ann Coulter: "Political discourse resembles professional wrestling"
Instead of actual debate about ideas and issues with real consequences, the country is trapped in a political discourse that increasingly resembles professional wrestling.

Michelle Malkin interviewed for the 'Daily Beast'

Lloyd Grove interviews Michelle Malkin for the Daily Beast. In setting up his conversation, Lloyd acknowledges Michelle Malkin's often humorless "concede-nothing" aesthetic in contrast to the likes of Ann Coulter. I've always wondered the same.

Ann Coulter's style of needling opponents always left room for people to think she might have been putting on an act. Like a wrestler or a performance artist? That is not to say that Ann Coulter is no less sincere than Malkin. Simply that Coulter, like Rush Limbaugh delivers her politics valuing that good humor and playful opponent-baiting makes for more digestible and entertaining theatre.

Michelle Malkin Has Feelings, Too
The last thing you’d expect Michelle Malkin to be is charming, funny, or vulnerable.

As an agent provocateur of the hard right—blogger, newspaper columnist, Fox News contributor and, for the past six weeks, queen of the New York Times nonfiction bestseller list—she can project a certain grim, off-putting intensity. In recent appearances on The View and the Today show to hype her latest anti-liberal screed—Culture of Corruption: Obama and His Team of Tax Cheats, Crooks, and Cronies—she was, by turns, shrill and smug, occasionally disciplining an unruly interrogator with a schoolmarmish "Read the book!" And unlike Ann Coulter, whose more outrageous remarks are usually mitigated by a sly grin, nobody ever wonders if Michelle Malkin is for real.

She is, unmistakably, dead serious.

Bill Maher charges Michelle Malkin's book is premature, mocks Beck, Limbaugh and Coulter

VIDEO: Real Time - Bill Maher mocks Malkin for her new book

With fellow Blue pundit Rachel Maddow standing by, Bill Maher cuts a light promo on Michelle Malkin for releasing a prematurely critical book on the failures of the Obama administration. Maher makes his point by presenting faux critical books as released by conservative pundits Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck.

BILL MAHER: He's been in office, our President for 6 months and there is already a book by Michelle Malkin... look at this. This is not a fake book that we mocked up... 6 months in office!! and already we can make this judgment.It blows my mind because Bush always said "You can't judge me now. Only history can judge me".

The 3 mocked up books Bill Maher presented were
1) Clownfall: How Al Franken destroyed the Senate, bankrupted Minnesota and ruined ice fishing forever by Rush Limbaugh

2) Shitfaced: Obama's pathetic descent into Alcoholism by Ann Coulter

3) Painting with Poop by Glenn Beck

Michelle Malkin counters Maher on her site

When they can’t attack the message...
That’s it. Not a single refutation of a single fact in the book. Bill Maher can’t bring himself to open it and read what’s in between the covers. Why? Because he and all of his enablers in Hollywood, D.C., and Manhattan are in a state of denial about Obama’s Culture of Corruption. They don’t want to hear it, see it, or smell it. Unlike many brave whistleblowers who worked in the Obama trenches and who have seen the light, the liberal elites don’t want to know the truth.

Maher sneers that Obama has only been in office six months.

Hey, Einstein: That. Is. The. Freaking. Point.

Pundit Roundup on "Birthers" (Barack Obama birth certificate scandal)

Rush Limbaugh's take on speculation over Obama's Birth certificate

What's the Difference Between God and Obama?
RUSH: What do Obama and God have in common? Neither has a birth certificate. How do they differ? God does not think he's Obama. And there's another difference between God and Obama, and that is that liberals love Obama.

Ann Coulter's take on the "Birthers"
Ann Coulter: "Obama Birthers" Are Wrong

ANN COULTER: Lou Dubbs... is wrong on this issue. And I do want to point out that every conservative publication from 'Human Events'... dealt with this because it was raised as an issue and said there's nothing to it. So for CNN or MSNBC... bringing this out as an issue - it's just a few cranks out there..."

Bill Maher on the "Birthers"

'Birthers' must be stopped
And there's nothing anyone can do to convince these folks. You could hand them, in person, the original birth certificate and have a video of Obama emerging from the womb with Don Ho singing in the background ... and they still wouldn't believe it.

Which raises the question: Why, in this country, is it always the religious right that won't take anything on faith?

Michelle Malkin's on the "Birthers"

Kooky Politics
I believe Trig was born to Sarah Palin. I believe Barack Obama was born in Hawaii. I believe fire can melt steel and that Bin Laden’s jihadi crew — not Bush and Cheney — perpetrated mass murder on 9/11. What kind of kooky conspiracist does that make me?

Michael Medved and his opinion of the "Birthers"

THE BIRTHERS by Steve Benen
"crazy, nutburger, demagogue, money-hungry, exploitative, irresponsible, filthy conservative imposters" who are "the worst enemy of the conservative movement." He added, "It makes us look weird. It makes us look crazy. It makes us look demented. It makes us look sick, troubled, and not suitable for civilized company.

Stephen Colbert and his take on the "Birthers"

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Womb Raiders - Orly Taitz
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Tasers

STEPHEN COLBERT: ...Barack Obama is a terrible President, we have to get him out of office by any weird loophole we can make up. ... "Birthers" - I don't like that term. It implies that Barack Obama was birthed. We have no proof that that ever happened. I want to be able to stick my finger in the President's bellybutton and produce some lint then I will believe he was birthed. Until then don't call us "birthers."

Update:
Glenn Beck's take on speculation over Obama's Birth certificate
VIDEO: Even Beck and his radio crew think "birthers" are "stupid" and "morons" who sound like "flat earthers"

GLENN BECK: ...There would be civil war. If you don't think the ACORN's of the world would stand up and say "Awww you're just going after him cuz of his race, whatever". That's exactly what would happen. There are other things we should concentrate on. Who cares about the birth certificate thing. The time to do that was, you know during the election. Now what do you say we pay attention to - "he's appointing communists!".

Bill Maher interviewed by Howard Kurtz of CNN's 'Reliable Sources'

Howard Kurtz of 'Reliable Sources' interviews comedian Bill Maher. Topics included mocking President Obama, swine flu hysteria, religion and Miss California. Kurtz also questioned Maher on the criticisms leveled at him by Fox News' personalities Sean Hannity and Greg Gutfeld as well as the difficulty of booking conservatives for his show.

VIDEO: Matching wits with Maher

KURTZ: You seem not to be the most popular guy on Fox News these days.
Sean Hannity --
MAHER: Really? What changed?

(play video clip)
HANNITY: I see this with Bill Maher. Bill Maher's become an angry, bitter guy.

MAHER: No, he's an angry, bitter guy. That's called projecting.
That's called taking what you feel and giving it to somebody else. I'm a happy, single guy. He's a repressed, typical Republican.

I'm sure just terribly sexually repressed and it comes out in all their sorts of hatred and vile and bile -- why would I be bitter? First of all, our side won. You know, their side is in a wilderness like there's been before.

Bill Maher spoke about the difficulty of booking conservative guests and the way the men for the most part are the most sensitive to criticism. Not the compliment to Maher's "friend" Ann Coulter.

BILL MAHER: Is it harder to get conservative guests? Absolutely. Half the time when they come on they whine about it. They come on our show and write a blog about how "terrible it was because they sandbagged me". Which is ridiculous. I don't sandbag anybody. You're suppose to be a speaker for a living, you have a microphone. Talk. If I said something so awful. Make me look ridiculous, you have that ability.

It's interesting, the women guests never do that. Ann Coulter never does that

HOWARD KURTZ: You're friends with Ann Coulter
MAHER: Absolutely. She never whines. Amy Holmes, she never whines. It's the men in the Republican Party who are such girls.

The Time 100 - The World's Most Influential People: Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin

Time Magazine currently has it's annual 'Time 100: The World's Most Influential People' issue out. Only one APF pundit is present, no prizes for guessing who. It's conservative talker Rush Limbaugh, his feature written by a worthy pundit candidate in his own right - Glenn Beck. The only other APF member featured is Ann Coulter, writing a piece for Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin.
Glenn Beck makes an interesting point about Rush' influence despite effectively dominating one domain.

Artists & Entertainers
Rush Limbaugh by Glenn Beck
For some of us, being a media personality just isn't as easy as it used to be. The theory goes that to build a large audience in this age of iPhones, podcasts and whatever the latest buzzword is, you have to do everything at once — and that means simultaneously host a radio program, host a TV show, write books and tour the country. Even Barack Obama had to hold a press conference, go on 60 Minutes, talk to Jay Leno and post clips on YouTube within the span of one week just to get people to pay attention to his budget.

'Top Heel' Ann Coulter talks about how Sarah Palin threatens to usurp her as Top villain

Heroes & Icons
Sarah Palin by Ann Coulter
The combination of Palin's attractiveness as a candidate and her ability to expose liberals made her a celebrity among Republicans. The only thing I have against her is that she threatens to surpass me in attracting the left's hatred.

- Find the 'Time 100' page here - The 2009 TIME 100: The World's Most Influential People
- For a full listing of 'The 100' go here - The 2009 TIME 100: Complete List

Update:
Video: Mitt Romney responds to the sparse Republican representation (only Limbaugh and Palin) on Time's 100 list

MITT ROMNEY: Gee I would like a lot more influential Republicans, I think there are a lot more influential Republicans than that would suggest but uh -- Was that the issue on the most beautiful people or the most influential people? I'm not sure. If it's the most beautiful I understand. We're not real cute.

Read more on the brouhaha stemming from Romney's perceived patronising comments toward Governor Palin
Via Politico - Some Republican leaders prefer not to discuss Sarah Palin
Via Conservatives4Palin - Romney Disses Palin Again - This Time by Proxy

Hannity, Beck, O'Reilly: Pundits supporting Ron Paul and the Tax Day Tea Parties

In a previous post I alluded to the role the Ron Paul movement has played in the Tax Day Tea Parties. Whilst analysis of the Tea Parties has played up its spontaneous nature and how it represents a counterbalance to the social movement Obama mobilised to get him elected. What is rarely mentioned is the Texan Congressman Elephant in the room, Ron Paul.

Glenn Reynolds in his comprehensive article detailing the genesis of the Tax Day Tea Parties, mentions the road paved by Howard Dean and subsequently perfected by "community organiser" Obama. He even invokes Newt Gingrich but fails to acknowledge Ron Paul who mobilised an equally formidable and passionate online/offline base. Like these Tea Parties, that movement was largely marginalised and under reported during the 08' Presidential race serving the interests of Establishment politicians.

Conservative pundits have opportunistically jumped on the Tea Party bandwagon to undermine the Democratic administration, some were the same personalities who gleefully ridiculed Ron Paul and undermined his priorities. Dismissing the candidate's platform of smaller government, a fair/simpler tax code and rebuke of the two main parties. Glenn Beck is one of the few vocal Tea Party supporters who insists on admonishing the Democrats and GOP equally. Beck has been is seen as a target and a liability because of his empathy for Ron Paul.
Below I will outline where some of the major conservative pundits stood on Ron Paul.

VIDEO: Glenn Beck/Ron Paul Preview

GLENN BECK: His views -- I mean if you watch my show or you know anything about me, you might not agree with all my policies. I'm pretty libertarian in many ways, his views need more than 30 second soundbites to answer

VIDEO: Ron Paul on Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly

RON PAUL: He [Glenn beck] hass on occasion been a demagogue (audible laughter). I will come on his show but he has been pretty discourteous... my guess in the next several weeks I will probably go on his show. But it's sorta -- how often should I go on Bill O'Reily's show? (audible laughter). I don't care what the questions are, what the challenges are. (audible clapping) Just let me give an answer... Last time I was on O'Reilly show I was mentioning something about history, "We don't wanna hear about any history"

Ron Paul debated with Sean Hannity multiple times on TV after the GOP debates and on his radio show. They strongly diverged in matters of foreign Policy and US adventurism. This was the pressing issue during the Bush years and in the early stages of the Presidential election.

They found points of agreement economically but this has emerged as the #1 issue only in recent months providing the catalyst for the Tea Party protests. Listen to Sean Hannity incredulous at the traction Ron Paul is getting, someone Sean clearly sees as a "fringe" candidate and a possible spoiler.

VIDEO: Ron Paul is driving Sean Hannity crazy

SEAN HANNITY: (upon hearing Paul is leading post-debate polling) Oh here we go again, it's driving me crazy. Wait, Wait, whoa, whoa -- You know what, they're redialing by the second. The same ten people. He's having all those 3% of people call in, he got 33%. Oh well it happens.

Rush Limbaugh on Ron Paul (May 2007)

Ron Paul Doesn't Have a Snowball's Chance
RUSH: And Ron Paul didn't do that. Here's what's happening out there, folks. Ron Paul has a lot of supporters. He's got supporters, and they are spamming polls on the Internet. They are spamming radio talk shows to try to defend Ron Paul against what happened. He's got a lot of energetic and passionate supporters. I've been getting them on e-mail. I got a threatening e-mail from a Ron Paul supporter, and it was very cleverly done, by the way...

I'm going to be honest with you out there, Cory. It's not my job to support these guys and give them a boost. Their job is to go out and get the support. Their job is to go out -- and they're the ones hunting for votes. I'm just going to be honest with you. I don't think Congressman Paul has a snowball's chance.

VIDEO: Ann Coulter endorses Ron Paul for 2012

GREG GUTFELD (host): Who's the leading candidate for the Republicans for 2012?
ANN COULTER: I think Ron Paul. (host laughs) The war will be over. And basically I agreed with Ron Paul on everything. There will be so much to clean up...

Meghan McCain and the Pundit women: Rachel Maddow, Ann Coulter and Laura Ingraham

Meghan McCain has been interacting with influential APF pundit women lately. After calling out Ann Coulter, she sat down with MSNBC's Rachel Maddow to talk about it. This prompted Laura Ingraham to talk about Meghan, inserting snide comments regarding the young McCain's weight in her rebuke of her.
Listen and download Laura Ingraham's smackdown of Meghan McCain

This led to a counter by Meghan on the 'Daily Beast' on the "unecessary" dig on her weight

Quit Talking About My Weight, Laura Ingraham
Recently my not-size-0 body has come under fire again by the conservative pundit Laura Ingraham. On her radio show recently, she sarcastically commented that I was "too plus-sized to be a cast member on the television show The Real World" and needled me about my weight with a comment about Barbie's 50th anniversary. Instead of intellectually debating our ideological differences about the future of the Republican Party, Ingraham resorted to making fun of my age and weight, in the fashion of the mean girls in high school.

However it is this line by Meghan that I will be following up on

At this point, I have more respect for Ann Coulter than I do for Laura Ingraham because at least Coulter didn’t come back at me with heartless, substance-less attacks about my weight.

Ann Coulter, if she is anything like the wrestling heel (villain) I've claimed her to be will see this as a challenge. Unlike Rush Limbaugh who downplays his villainry ("I'm just your harmless, lovable little fuzzball", Ann has has built her reputation on her gleeful and gratuitous villainry. As Meghan said herself of Ann

My Beef With Ann Coulter
I straight up don’t understand this woman or her popularity. I find her offensive, radical, insulting, and confusing all at the same time.

Update:
Laura Ingraham has returned fire at Meghan, telling her to "toughen up" and inferring she was a "useful idiot".

Rachel Maddow, Meghan McCain and Ann Coulter

Meghan McCain, daughter of estranged "independent" Republican and 2008 GOP Presidential nominee John McCain has picked a fight with the fearless Ann Coulter. Writing for the Daily Beast, Meghan writes:

My Beef With Ann Coulter by Meghan McCain
Coulter could be the poster woman for the most extreme side of the Republican Party. And in some ways I could be the poster woman for the opposite. I consider myself a progressive Republican, but here is what I don’t get about Coulter: Is she for real or not? Are some of her statements just gimmicks to gain publicity for her books or does she actually believe the things she says?...

More so than my ideological differences with Ann Coulter, I don’t like her demeanor. I have never been a person who was attracted to hate or negativity... But controversy sells and Coulter is nothing if not controversial. Everything about her is extreme: her voice, her interview tactics, and especially the public statements she makes about liberals. Maybe her popularity stems from the fact that watching her is sometimes like watching a train wreck...

Video: Rachel Maddow talks to Meghan McCain

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Read Rachel's wrestling style setup

The Rachel Maddow Show - Wednesday, March 11
MADDOW: John McCain‘s daughter, Meghan McCain stepped into the political pundits Thunderdome this week when she took some shots at a person named Ann Coulter. Guess who inherited the maverick gene? Meghan McCain joins us next—my first ever McCain interview...

Meghan McCain talks about the chain of events she's set off with Ann Coulter

MADDOW: ...it must have been and it must continue to be hard to see your dad criticized, especially with the sort of gloves off criticism that you get in a presidential campaign. But yet, in your career, you‘re picking a fight with Ann Coulter. I wonder if your reaction to seeing your dad in the arena, in the political arena in that way made you sort of want to be the one having those fights yourself—because you picked a fight with somebody who‘s definitely going to fight back.

MCCAIN: Yes. Well, if it was, you know, if it was too hot in the kitchen, I‘d get out. I know what I‘m doing. And I know that I‘m creating she probably will respond. She already has. But I‘m sure she‘ll respond harder...

Fox News' Red Eye on Ann Coulter and Keith Olbermann's "College Catfight"

Ann Coulter dedicated a recent article to taunting Keith Olbermann

OLBERMANN'S PLASTIC IVY
These small-time opportunities to show off by correcting someone else's teeny-tiny mistakes are the lifeblood of Olbermann's MSNBC show, "Countdown."...

There is utterly no purpose to these lame "gotchas," except that Olbermann is so desperately insecure that he is willing to waste valuable airtime in order to convince other status-conscious idiots that he is, like, scary-smart.

Olbermann relentlessly attacked low-level Bush administration employee Monica Goodling for not going to a name-dropping college...

I would venture to say that the students at Goodling's law school at Regent University are far more impressive than those at the Cornell agriculture school -- the land-grant, non-Ivy League school Keith attended.

Fox News' 'Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld' covered the feud, commenting on Olbermann's counter to Coulter Greg quipped "he's so pleased with himself"

VIDEO: 'Red Eye' - Olbermann, Coulter battle over Cornell credentials

ANN COULTER: If you are the most pompous communications major from an Ag[ricultural] school maybe you shouldn't be making fun of other people's academic achievements

Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh: Speeches at CPAC

#1 and #8 on the UK Telegraph's Top Ten list of Anti-Obama Conservatives, Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter respectively spoke on the final day of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
Video: Rush Limbaugh delivers CPAC speech(Part 1 of 10)


Read a full transcript of Rush Limbaugh's speech:

Rush's First Televised Address to the Nation: CPAC speech
RUSH: Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you all very, very much. Thank you all. I can't tell you how wonderful that makes me feel. It happens everywhere I go, but it's still special here. [ Laughter ] If you all will indulge me, I learned something, I guess, it's early Friday morning that I didn't know. Friday morning is when I learned this. I learned that Fox, God love them, is televising this speech on the Fox News Channel, which means, ladies and gentleman, this is my first ever address to the nation. [Applause]

- Rush Limbaugh delivers speech at CPAC (1 of 10)
- Rush Limbaugh delivers speech at CPAC (2 of 10)
- Rush Limbaugh delivers speech at CPAC (3 of 10)
- Rush Limbaugh delivers speech at CPAC (4 of 10)
- Rush Limbaugh delivers speech at CPAC (5 of 10)
- Rush Limbaugh delivers speech at CPAC (6 of 10)
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- Rush Limbaugh delivers speech at CPAC (9 of 10)
- Rush Limbaugh delivers speech at CPAC (10 of 10)

Video: Ann Coulter delivers CPAC speech (1 of 3)

ANN COULTER: It's interesting how Obama's adorers in the press keep comparing him to Lincoln and Reagan. Apparently they can't think of a Democrat president worthy of being compared to [wild applause]

One interesting point, like any good entertainer Ann Coulter used the exposure to cross promote her event with friend Bill Maher

Speaking of which I will be debating Bill Maher in New York Boston and Chicago. March 9, 10 and 11. Any of you can come.

The APF well represented in the Top 10 list of anti-Barack Obama conservatives

Top 10 Anti- Obama Conservatives (2009)

The Telegraph UK recently featured a "Top 10 list of Anti President Obama conservatives". It comes as no surprise that 5 of the Top Ten were talkers on the American Pundit Fighting roster:
1. Rush Limbaugh
3. Sean Hannity
5. Michelle Malkin
7. Michael Savage
8. Ann Coulter

Each conservative on the list is given a light profile and includes a notable quote. My personal favourite, this profile for Sean Hannity that features a "wrestling like" promo

Top 10 anti-Barack Obama conservatives
3. Sean Hannity

The Fox News and talk radio host pursued Barack Obama relentlessly during the election campaign and has not let up since the Democrat's victory. Through sheer force of will, Hannity pushed Obama's William Ayers association into the political mainstream and he will undoubtedly remain one of the president's tormenters-in-chief for the next four or eight years.

Asked recently about Hannity, Obama said he was prepared to meet him. "I didn't know he had invited me for a beer, but I will take that under advisement...I'm always good for a beer," the president said.

Hours later, Hannity said he appreciated the president's gesture. "It seems like he's opened the door that he wants to meet with me," he told his listeners. "Now if he does, I would go on your behalf." Book a ringside seat and prepare for a YouTube classic if it ever happens.

Joy Behar VS Ann Coulter: One on One on Larry King live

Joy Behar filling in for Larry King, hosted Ann Coulter

This is a rematch between Joy Behar and Ann Coulter, you'll remember Ann appeared on 'The View' promoting her latest book a few months ago. You might think this encounter would be more combustible as the most controversial and incorrigible representatives of the left (Joy) and right (Ann) are Mano-a-mano. Thankfully the long-form format coupled with Joy being the humble fill-in on behalf of Larry King leads to a muted, less theatrical showdown than it could have been.

Joy Behar and Ann Coulter talking about Rush Limbaugh

CNN Larry King Live transcript
Interview With Ann Coulter - Aired February 19, 2009
BEHAR: But I'm not that into somebody who filibusters like that. I like a conversation.
COULTER: You don't listen to him. How do you know he filibusters?
BEHAR: Because I worked with him for three years and I know what he does.
COULTER: (INAUDIBLE).
BEHAR: I used to work with him in the early '90s. I had a radio show on WABC Radio.
COULTER: OK. So from 20 years ago, you have decided you know that he is an extremist? BEHAR: I see him all the time. I know...
COULTER: When he has 20 million listeners.
BEHAR: I know his routine. I know his rap.

Ann Coulter on Love and hate

BEHAR: Do you think that people hate you?
COULTER: No. Not when I have seven "New York Times" best-sellers. No, I'm -- I'm very popular.
BEHAR: But you -- no, you can't have everybody love you. Not everybody loves you, Ann. People think that...
COULTER: You asked me if people hated me...
BEHAR: But you said because you sell books that makes you people -- that makes you think that people love you...
COULTER: I said that indicates to me that they do not hate me, which was the question, Joy.

Hugh Hewitt sounds off on Republican leaders and fellow conservative pundits

Pundits will rarely attack members off their own party. When they do, it is usually strategic. Some gamesmanship to get them to see the light or perhaps draw attention to get ratings. Even when the attack seems personal or a form of catharsis there is often a method to the madness. Admittedly there are rare occasions when ideological familiars inadvertently butt heads.

Rush Limbaugh by attacking Republicans in Washington, stiffened their spines to fight against the Democrats but also cow them with his influence. Whilst boosting his exposure with the media attention.

Hugh Hewitt in a recent segment off his show, went on a tirade against Republican leaders in California, local Conservative Radio talkers and on one of the biggest conservative pundits in America. The attacks weren't threaded by any particular political theme but could best best described as "things that were p*ssing Hugh off that day".

The strategy in this case was to marginalise conservative representatives in media and government that Hugh deemed hurt the Conservative brand. That may be so but the tirade is the best example I've seen of a pundit calling people of his own party out just cause he felt like it.

Hugh Hewitt attacking California Senator Cogdill

Any republican votes for this, their dooming the party. Just absolutely dooming the party... What did Dave Cogdill say?
Why [won't he come on]. He's too busy! They will not talk to the voters of California. He's finished! He oughta quit. He came out broken and bloodied like a loser in the gladiator battle earlier on. "I did the best I could" (putting on meek voice). You know how you'd do better? Leave. Just leave! Run away. We would be much better off if you run away. That's what the Republicans are right now. They're dead.

Hugh segues into a rant against local Conservative talkers, John and Ken

You know what also makes me crazy? Driving home last night listening to the knuckleheads on a different station, John and Ken the pot and pan bangers... and they're screaming and I think to myself "You Idiots! You dummies." You spend your whole life screaming about illegals. All they ever do is scream about illegals and they're surprised when a Democratically dominated legislature raises taxes. It's like they never got the memo. Democrats raise taxes you knuckleheads and they spend their whole time attacking Republicans.

Now I'm mad at the Republicans right now because they folded up like a cheap suit. But when you hear the pot and pan bangers. The morons on these radio stations who - surprise, surprise - the Democrats are raising taxes. You wonder where they've been all their lives. I know they're not educated...

Hugh ends his tirade, sounding off on popular Conservative talker Ann Coulter

Ann Coulter drives me crazy!

Listen to Hugh Hewitt's tirade from his February 12, 2009 show here - H2: Norm Coleman, James Lileks With Hugh Hewitt