Posted on 10/24/2003 8:33:16 AM PDT by AlwaysLurking
Survey: Limbaugh's listeners still respect him
This just in. Rush Limbaugh may have gotten high on hillbilly heroin but his radio fans are still high on him. A survey last weekend found that nine of out of 10 listeners felt that the conservative radio host's admission of his addiction to prescription drugs had not diminished their respect for him. Only 8 percent of those polled said they had lost respect for Limbaugh following his announcement earlier this month that he had become addicted to painkillers and other illicit drugs, including the very powerful OxyContin, known on the street as hillbilly heroin. After admitting his drug use, which had been brought to light by a National Enquirer story, Limbaugh took a month's leave of absence from his top-rated radio show to enter a treatment center. "I am not making excuses," Limbaugh told listeners on Oct. 10. "I am no role model. People who face their difficult problems without help every day are role models. I take full responsibility for my actions." Limbaugh also revealed that Florida investigators were looking into allegations that he scored the drugs through his former maid. In the time since, his admission has become a hot topic of debate among adoring conservatives and the left he so often disparages. Last weekend's survey was conducted for Critical Mass Media by Burke Inc., an independent polling firm. While Critical Mass Media was not identified, it may be a unit of the Clear Channel radio network. Limbaugh's show is distributed through Premiere Radio Networks. Among the other results reported from the survey, some 22 percent of those polled said they had gained respect for the way in which Limbaugh "is handling his problems." Some 95 percent agreed that "Rush is human, he has made mistakes, and is entitled to a second chance with a clean slate," while 99 percent said they believe Limbaugh's show would be as good or better when he returned from rehab. Limbaugh continues to hold the trust of his listeners, the poll also found, with eight out of 10 saying they would trust him upon his return.
He never said he was addicted to anything other than prescription drugs during his announcement.
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