How to Understand Rush Limbaugh

Commentary Magazine ^ | February 2011 | Wilfred M. McClay

[My hearts in London - Everett]

One of the many strategic errors made by the Obama administration in the early days of 2009 was its decision to take on talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh—though it was, perhaps, hard to blame the president and his people for trying. After all, they were riding the wave of a big electoral win and feeling pretty invincible, with large majorities in both houses of Congress and a messiah in the White House, and Limbaugh had just stunned the country, days before Obama was inaugurated, by summarizing his feelings about the new president in four simple words: “I hope he fails.” Limbaugh impatiently brushed aside the happy talk about compromise and bipartisan cooperation and scoffed at the claim that Obama was a pragmatic, post-ideological, post-partisan, post-racial conciliator and healer. Instead, he saw every reason to believe that Obama would aggressively pursue a leftist dream agenda: an exponential expansion of government’s size and power, a reordering of the American economic system, and a dismantling of America’s role as a world power. Limbaugh was not alone in such views, but he was the only major figure on the right willing to stick his neck out at a time when the rest of the nation seemed dazed into acquiescence by the so-far impeccably staged Obama ascendancy.

[rlmorel]

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...:)

[rlmorel]

Oops...I meant Vincent, not Van Hollen...:)

[neverdem]

Thanks for posting!

[leapfrog0202]

Bttt

[Fitzy_888]

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.

[Nat Turner]

How to Understand Rush Limbaugh...

IF you are a libtard just shut up and listen!!!

[Republic of Texas]

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.

[thirst4truth]

First read about him in 1988 in Readers Digest, been listening to him ever since.

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.

[cynwoody]

t could not have happened without the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine in 1987.

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.

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

Agree with every word you wrote. You nailed it.

[My hearts in London - Everett]

Shoot, that wasn’t me! That’s a quote from the article. :~)

[editor-surveyor]

>> “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.

[cpforlife.org]

Thanks for posting this.

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.

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

Ah OK - well it was damned good anyway.

[Baynative]

"...someone should start a thread on what others remember what he was talking about when they first started listening to him on the radio."

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.