2004 has been the Year of The New Media. This has been the year of Swift Boat Vets. The year of Talk Radio. This has been the Year of Fox News and their incredible ratings-- and the year of the fall of the Old Media and their not-so-incredible ratings. This has been the year of paid Bloggers and Pajama Bloggers.
2004 is the year where the culmination of Rush Limbaugh's efforts came to fruition. The past decade has been "The Limbaugh Decade." Massive ratings victories for his show. The saving of AM radio. The spawning of Sean Hannity's, Bill O'Reilly's, Laura Ingram's programs, and on and on. The rise of Internet sites like Free Republic, Lucianne.com, Rushlimbaugh.com and all the brilliant sites of so many bloggers. We're talking about millions and millions of listeners and viewers of conservative programs and web sites -- something that did not exist a few short years ago.
Republicans control Congress and have for some time. Rush was formally recognized by the victorious Freshmen Congressmen in 1992 as an Honorary Member for his role in getting them elected. Now, Al Gore and John Kerry can only wonder about their chances to become President if not for Rush Limbaugh and those in the media who have followed in his footsteps.
"The Winston Churchill of the Private Sector." Right? That's ought to qualify a guy for "Man of the Year."
Everyone knows. The Old Media knows. Why not formalize this fact?
This is not to minimize President Bush (or Dick Cheney who Democrats claim runs the country). This is just a simple recognition of a sea change in the manner in which information is disseminated in the freest, most prosperous and greatest country on the face of the Earth.
Out with the old (media), in with the new (media).
Conservatism is on the front burner: Tax cuts, tax reform, social security reform, strong military, etc... Rush has been the primary spokesperson for these issues and it has all come to a head.
He blazed the trail and that trail has turned into an information highway providing information and analysis Americans have craved-- the ratings prove this. The fact is, this information highway has resulted in votes for conservatives. Look who's been controlling the Congress for the past decade-- this is no coincidence. Rush has been the most vocal, the most visible and the most effective communicator of conservatism since Ronald Reagan left office.
Rush has been and still is the leader in the information revolution in the United States. The numbers prove it and we all instinctively know it.
Agree with Rush or disagree? That's not the question. Here's the criteria: "the person or persons who most affected the news and our lives, for good or for ill, and embodied what was important about the year, for better or for worse."
Case closed.
Old fashioned Bump To The Top! Rush for Man of the Year.
Great supporting case data, well said, greatly written... and fast, man. Did you have that in the wings, ready to cut and paste?
Tiny quibble: "Rush was formally recognized by the victorious Freshmen Congressmen in 1992 as an Honorary Member for his role in getting them elected." It was the '94 election. Will never forget: Was driving a car back from California to Pittsburgh, and I tuned into the radio to hear the news the day after the election as I was driving into the sun coming up over Colorado. How glorious.
I think a better case could be made for Ronald Reagan. Not because he died, but it is his conservative legacy that has taken over the country. Rush contributed a bunch, but Reagan was the man who really made it happen. GW politics were heavily inflenced by Reagan.
God Bless you Rush, you have brought us hope and courage for the fight.
megadittos
The Winston Churchill Man of the Year award was presented to him last night.
The man is a national treasure,as you and John indicated.
(whatever happened to Jim?)
Ping and a bump to the top for El Rushbo. Be sure to read posts #1 and #2. They're gonna make you smile.