Rush Limbaugh: Great Night at National Review's 50th Anniversary

RushLimbaugh.com ^ | 10/7/05 | Rush Limbaugh

[wagglebee]

Seeing Ronald Reagan as president, being just perfect in a circumstance like this, awarding National Review and commemorating it for 30 years of service -- and Reagan was a subscriber. The magazine was instrumental in turning him from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party, in fact. But there were a couple times I looked over and Bill was tearing up. Now, they were really, really close friends. Bill's going to be 80 next month and he's watching Reagan and, you know, there's only one Ronald Reagan, and a couple times, he's wiping tears from his eyes. It was just touching. I think a lot of people in the audience were, and Bill went up and he gave the closing remarks, and he choked up at the end and it was just... Everything about the evening was genuine; it was touching. But I really wish there were a way to convey, better than I have today, just how important Buckley and National Review have been to me.

It's too bad that Reagan didn't live to be there. Reagan, Buckley and Rush are the fathers of conservativism.

[doug from upland]

Jealousy is overcoming this Upland resident.

[Graybeard58]

Wish I could have been there. I never get invited to the really good parties.

[wagglebee]

Sorry Doug, you're great, but you're not on the level of Rush, WFB or Reagan!

[hershey]

Amazing. What a night.

[doug from upland]

I guess I wasn't clear. I'm jealous that I couldn't attend.

[manwiththehands]

This is what I love the most about Rush. He can go on and on about how great a time he had spending an evening with the godfathers/godmothers of conservatism ... meeting his heroes .... being in awe of his company ... and he will throw in a joke or two about getting "hit on". What a hoot! He's still a kid at heart and still a conservative. The guy is genuine.

[olrtex]

Please! Whatever Rush and Reagan were (or are), it's not fathers of conservatism. Russell Kirk and F.A. Hayek (even if he was not an American)can be reasonably called the fathers of modern American conservatism. Buckley can be added to the list because he helped fuse Kirk's traditionalism with Hayek's economic views. And maybe even latecomers Milton Friedman and Barry Goldwater can be added. But Reagan and Rush got on board well after conservatism's intellectual base had been well established. They were and are the beneficiaries of conservatism.

[wagglebee]

Okay, that makes more sense. You're still great though!

I heard you made it on Tony Snow today, good job!

[Moonmad27]

His account of that event was fun to listen to. His happiness was so evident in his voice. And his descriptions made me feel like I was there! Glad to hear he got all those solicitations - as a female Rush listener, I would have done the same when he was here in LA not long ago, but he skedaddled away from the podium and out of the room too darn fast!

[wagglebee]

I disagree. Kirk and Hayek certainly were among the "founders" of conservative thought. And Goldwater was the first to express the ideals on the national stage. But none of them really expressed conservativism in a way that made it appeal to a broad range of people.

Buckley, Limbaugh and Reagan are the ones who gave conservativism life and made it exciting. For this, they deserve to be considered the fathers of the movement.

[olrtex]

Maybe so. In any event, thanks for all of them.

[oldsalt]

Now I really feel old. I remember at the NR's 10th anniversary dinner in 1965. The dais was stellar,Bill Buckley, Barry Goldwater, Clare Boothe Luce, John Dos Passos, Steve Allen just to name a few. What a night.

[sine_nomine]

Give them all the credit due them. Reagan made it happen. I am in awe of what he accomplished with media hatred and wimpy Republicans.

[uncbob]

True but ya gotta give credit where credit is due

Fact is the GOP controls congress and the presidency cause of one man


BUBBA

[PGalt]

Thanks for posting.

[Lady In Blue]

I wonder why, as I did this morning listening to Limbaugh why he didn't mention that President Bush was there to introduce Buckley?

[wagglebee]

Bush was there for a luncheon for Buckley, Rush didn't leave for DC until his show finished yesterday. Here's a link for Bush's remarks before lunch.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1498795/posts

[mondonico]

"True but ya gotta give credit where credit is due

Fact is the GOP controls congress and the presidency cause of one man


BUBBA"

Yeah, but Bubba was elected case of one man



ROSS PEROT

[eddiemunster]

Anal alert! Anal alert! Give me a break...99% of conservatives don't know who these guys are. Reagan and Rush are the modern day touchstones for this great movement. Reagan would be damn proud to see what Rush has accomplished. BTW-Rush has done more in 15 years for this country than any repub. in congress could dream of in a lifetime.