Rush Limbaugh was one of the most influential political figures of the last thirty years as well as the master of a medium in a way few figures in history can claim. Yet elites on right and left seemed continuously committed to underplaying his talent and influence.
One of the more obvious but powerful moves on the part of President Trump—the sort of thing most Republican leaders would never do—was to recognize Limbaugh. This drove the uniparty establishment crazy of course but it was right and just. Limbaugh was the rarest of talents. RIP.
Rush was the actual “conservative movement” for a long time, putting into words what millions felt and thought of as common sense. Many intellectual types and thinktanks and other leaders were carried along by him without even realizing it.
Believe it or not, I don't really care about media figures (or get a thrill from pols or fancy institutions). People=people. And words are words, whether they are in lights or not. But the exception for me was when Rush mentioned something I wrote on air:
rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2019/07/…
rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2019/07/…
Actually melted my cold heart a little bit (again, can't adequately convey how hardened I am against fame/authorities/name-in-lights with words) b/c for me like so many others Rush's radio persona was such a personal presence/influence from time when my brain was full of mush on.
What is sad but true is how the tightening oligarchy cannot even acknowledge his historic relation to his medium: there was no one better at it, ever. How many men can say they single-handedly resurrected an entire obsolescing medium, which is what Rush did for AM "talk" radio?
Finally, as I say above, radio is intensely personal. And this is why the death of the greatest radio man in history is personal for tens of millions of Americans. They are not well served by a media & a vicious elite that scorns them and urges half the nation to hate the other.
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