THE NEXT RIGHT-WING MEME

Rush Limbaugh:

The Obama campaign, they continue to be in a tizzy over this New Yorker cartoon.... Let me ask you a question. Who is it that gets upset over cartoons? Muslims. (Gasping) Dawn's in there saying, "He didn't say that." Yes, I did, I'll say it again. (laughing) I just love tweaking these people. Who is it that gets upset over stupid cartoons? Muslims, intolerant Muslims.

I didn't like the cartoon -- I agree that the damn thing does a better job of reinforcing ugly ideas than exposing them to ridicule -- but this is why the Obama campaign's response should have had as light a touch as possible. There had to be some response -- I think The New Republic's Isaac Chotiner and Michael Crowley are crazy when they say that this would have gone away unnoticed had Team Obama just ignored it (what, do they think Matt Drudge doesn't know how to copy and paste a JPEG?) -- but if there were ever a time for an unruffled, dismissive "dirt off your shoulder" moment from Obama, this was it.