Posted on 02/02/2011 5:56:20 AM PST by My hearts in London - Everett
I agree completely with those who think Rush Limbaugh is an entertainer.
I disagree completely with those who think Rush Limbaugh is ONLY an entertainer.
He is a very intelligent person, one cannot deny it. And when you see him interviewed live, speaking extemporaneously, he is remarkable. Given that he speaks that way nearly every day, it shouldn’t be surprising.
But I strongly suspect that he is smart enough to understand that he cannot possibly understand all the issues in enough depth natively to be able to accurately convey them to his audience using his well known “schtick”.
I have long thought that he has a network of people from all walks of life that he can tap into, legal, military, political, you name it. And I am willing to bet some of them are names that would surprise us.
For example, I listened to his monologue the other day on the ruling by Judge Van Hollen, declaring Obamacare unconstitutional. I do not doubt for one second that, when he heard about it, he contacted an authoritative source. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to find it was someone like Scalia, Thomas or Roberts. Not the least bit.
I easily see him being able to frame the questions, get the feedback and repackage it into formats that work in his show, and resonate in the population he speaks to. As you said, his “schtick”.
He isn’t right all the time, I don’t agree with him all the time, but he does a great job of performing his show in an entertaining way, educating his listeners and framing political/societal debate on various issues.
I do think he is a very, smart and talented guy.
And I agree, spot on with your observation about his assault on their smug sense of relativism. The only ones allowed to be absolutely right, in their minds, are...THEM.
Ya gotta love it...:)
Oops...I meant Vincent, not Van Hollen...:)
Thanks for posting!
Bttt
The first time I heard Rush was notable, for me.
I was working for a home builder in High School, 20 plus years ago. One of my coworkers constantly complained about a subcontractor cranking talk radio in one of the houses. Note here that FM classic rock or heavy metal was/is really the norm. To make a long story short, I ended up hearing Rush a few times on the occasions I worked in the proximity of this subcontractor and I’ve need a listener ever since.
IF you are a libtard just shut up and listen!!!
I know where I was when 9-11 happened. I know where I was when the Challenger blew up, and I know where I was when I first heard Rush Limbaugh on the radio.
Don’t f*ck with Rush.
Last week he got a call from a liberal asking him to explain why the conservatives love Reagan so much since he negotiated with terriosts, the Iran Contra affair, cut and run after the Beirut bombing, and raised taxes on Social Security. BTW this liberal caller said BO was not liberal enough for him.
After some back and forth Rush said, "this is why we simply have to DEFEAT those of you on the left!!"
This is why we love him sooooo much.
Bob Grant started in NYC in 1970. Even Rush has stated that Grant paved the way for him and the other talkers. Grant was on five days a week saying things that FReepers would agree with 99% of the time until 2006 or so. Now he still has a show once a week on NYC's WABC. I didn't listen to Grant before I was introduced to Rush's program on a business trip in 1992, but I cannot imagine that whatever Grant said before that didn't induce frequent outrage from the left, and cause them to plot to get rid of him. But apparently the "fairness doctrine" wasn't enough to do so.
I used to listen to Bob Grant back then. And, being in Boston, I also got to hear Jerry Williams, David Brudnoy, Gene Burns, and others. All on during the fairness doctrine
.
I remember the first time I heard Rush. I was visiting relatives in Colorado Springs over the holidays, must have been late 80's or 1990-ish. It was the day after Christmas. While my sister was picking over the sale items in the Broadmoor Florist Shop, I sat in the car and tuned around the local stations. I stopped when I landed on Rush's show. Who is this guy, I thought. I don't remember what issue he was discussing, but it was clear that he was a different, uniquely talented talker and analyst.
It was a couple of years before he popped up in Boston on WRKO, where he stayed until last year, when Clear Channel, who had contract rights, yanked him over to their own newly acquired local outlet, WXKS, dubbed Rush Radio 1200
.
Agree with every word you wrote. You nailed it.
Shoot, that wasn’t me! That’s a quote from the article. :~)
>> “Proud member of the Institute for Conservative Studies since 1988.” <<
.
Ditto!
That was when KFBK stopped being just that way too powerful station in Sacka Piemiento.
I remember so well the day in August of 1988 my sister calling me saying:
“quick, turn on the radio, there's a guy on that's talking just like Dad!”
I remember being amazed at how much the guy thought just like I did and so many people I associate with and wondering how long he'd be “allowed to stay on the air”.
Rush is America.
Rush is a national treasure.
Ah OK - well it was damned good anyway.
In the late 80's rush was gaining momentum locally in Sacramento. I was getting interested in talk radio and used to tune into the SF Bay area powerhouse KGO quite a lot.
Somewhere around mid '88 Rush did a one week fill in for the morning show of liberal egotist gasbag Ronn Owens. I liked what I heard and I was taken by the instant push back from some of the callers. The most impactful part of it was the week following Rush when Owens came back on ...it was non stop brutal full frontal assault against Rush and the horrible things he had said on the liberal sanctuary of KGO.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.