Post by Rob W. Case on Feb 17, 2021 20:29:23 GMT -6
On the morning of February 17, 2021 we learned that talk radio personality Rush Limbaugh passed away from his battle with lung cancer. Who was Rush Limbaugh…. really, and how did he make such a profound impact on talk radio?
Humble Beginnings:
To bring it down to earth, first and foremost, Rush Limbaugh was born in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, to Rush Hudson Limbaugh II, a lawyer and a fighter pilot in World War II. His mother Mildred was from Arkansas. Rush was born into a family who had a place in law and government. Rush had an interest in broadcasting on radio. After he graduated high school in 1969, his parents wanted to see him go to college, and so to please them, particularly his father, he enrolled. He dropped out after two semesters because his interest wasn’t in his studies, it was in radio. And so, he became a disc jockey at several local radio stations throughout the 1970’s and into the early 1980’s.
The “Fairness Doctrine” and Liberal Dominance of the Media:
In 1987, as President Ronald Reagan was working to extinguish communism abroad, He was trying to combat its influence here in America. That year, Reagan repealed “The Fairness Doctrine”, which, since 1949, added regulatory red tape that became burdensome on the first amendment and free speech rights as it consequentially and ultimately suppressed political commentary. Up until that point, the “mainstream media” became more of a mouthpiece for Reagan’s detractors as the liberal viewpoint more aggressively shaped the “news.” That said, while being referred to as “mainstream” the news was dominated by the liberal viewpoint and criticisms of Ronald Reagan out of that viewpoint.
The Rise of Rush Limbaugh:
The repeal of the Fairness Doctrine allowed for a sporting challenge to liberal media dominance. In 1987, Rush worked at radio station KFBK-AM in Sacramento California, and discussed Conservative ideas, shared keen observations to things to get people to think for themselves, and offered common-sense solutions to problems. By 1988, Rush Limbaugh became a nationally syndicated radio host, saving the AM radio band and allowing it to be used for talk radio.
Criticisms of Rush:
The dominance of elite journalistic personalities and influences did not take well to Rush Limbaugh. They sneered at him, tried to belittle and discredit him, and expressed their contempt towards him by trying to make him appear to be the very stereotypical image that liberals have towards Conservatives in general. The media particularly disliked Limbaugh because he was so effective and influential to the very Americans that they had contempt towards, and couldn’t reach, as was evidenced in the landslide elections of Ronald Reagan in 1980 and 1984, and George H.W. Bush in 1988. Rush would joke about his position and influence against a leviathan of liberal media dominance saying, “I don't need equal time, I am equal time!”
The Growth of Rush’s Influence:
As Rush Limbaugh’s influence grew, he expanded to other mediums to carry out his message. In 1992, when George H.W. Bush was running for re-election against Bill Clinton, Rush released a book entitled “The Way Things Ought to Be.” In it, he vivaciously defined and called out media bias for what it was, discussed the benefits that President Reagan’s policies had on the country, and put forth a message that real Americans could get behind. The following year, after George Bush’s election defeat, Rush Limbaugh released a follow up book entitled “See, I Told You So” where he called out the media’s pessimistic approach to an optimistic one (now that they had their guy in office), and listed a number of other things he predicted in his first book. In the early 90’s Rush went to television. This is actually how I came to know about him. In Chicago, his show was carried on WGBO-TV, Channel 66 (which would later become WCIU-Channel 26). When we visited my Grampa Case in Lemont, we would watch “Rush Limbaugh the television show.” Rush kept his television gig from 1992 to 1996, until it became too grueling for him to juggle a daily television show with a daily radio program. Throughout the 90’s, even Hollywood got on the game. He made a guest appearance on the sitcom “Hearts Afire” with John Ritter and Markie Post, and he kept gaining listeners.
How Rush Limbaugh Impacted Me:
In the year 2000, after the transmission on my first car deemed it worthless, I bought my late Grandma’s 1980 Buick Skylark from my Grampa. That said, it did not have a tape deck and the radio did not have an FM radio band. All it could get was AM radio. And so, I listened to a LOT of talk radio. As my interest in world events, politics, and bible prophecy grew exponentially that year (as there was a significant amount of things going on in all of those things), and there was a real turning point election in the making, I locked in to many talk radio personalities, one of which was Rush Limbaugh. I would listen to Rush a lot during the George W. Bush years and onward. He made me love radio so much that I wanted to get into radio. His influence (among others) helped inspire me to start the Making Sense Message Boards and go school for broadcasting. His philosophy, his work ethic, his insights, his sharp discernment, and his successful model for radio broadcasting had a deep impact on me, and was of great influence.
Most notably, Rush Limbaugh was a humble, down to earth, common sense guy. Despite taking many slings, arrows, and negative disingenuous criticisms from people who had an agenda, He was someone you could relate to, and someone that would speak on behalf of us working people, our freedoms and liberties in America, and our better interests. He was to talk radio what Johnny Carson was to late night television. You could resonate with him. He was very likable and entertaining. He had a unique way to communicate the truth. And he became a model for future broadcasters to emulate. I am thankful for Rush and for everything that he gave that drew me (and people like me) to him.
Humble Beginnings:
To bring it down to earth, first and foremost, Rush Limbaugh was born in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, to Rush Hudson Limbaugh II, a lawyer and a fighter pilot in World War II. His mother Mildred was from Arkansas. Rush was born into a family who had a place in law and government. Rush had an interest in broadcasting on radio. After he graduated high school in 1969, his parents wanted to see him go to college, and so to please them, particularly his father, he enrolled. He dropped out after two semesters because his interest wasn’t in his studies, it was in radio. And so, he became a disc jockey at several local radio stations throughout the 1970’s and into the early 1980’s.
The “Fairness Doctrine” and Liberal Dominance of the Media:
In 1987, as President Ronald Reagan was working to extinguish communism abroad, He was trying to combat its influence here in America. That year, Reagan repealed “The Fairness Doctrine”, which, since 1949, added regulatory red tape that became burdensome on the first amendment and free speech rights as it consequentially and ultimately suppressed political commentary. Up until that point, the “mainstream media” became more of a mouthpiece for Reagan’s detractors as the liberal viewpoint more aggressively shaped the “news.” That said, while being referred to as “mainstream” the news was dominated by the liberal viewpoint and criticisms of Ronald Reagan out of that viewpoint.
The Rise of Rush Limbaugh:
The repeal of the Fairness Doctrine allowed for a sporting challenge to liberal media dominance. In 1987, Rush worked at radio station KFBK-AM in Sacramento California, and discussed Conservative ideas, shared keen observations to things to get people to think for themselves, and offered common-sense solutions to problems. By 1988, Rush Limbaugh became a nationally syndicated radio host, saving the AM radio band and allowing it to be used for talk radio.
Criticisms of Rush:
The dominance of elite journalistic personalities and influences did not take well to Rush Limbaugh. They sneered at him, tried to belittle and discredit him, and expressed their contempt towards him by trying to make him appear to be the very stereotypical image that liberals have towards Conservatives in general. The media particularly disliked Limbaugh because he was so effective and influential to the very Americans that they had contempt towards, and couldn’t reach, as was evidenced in the landslide elections of Ronald Reagan in 1980 and 1984, and George H.W. Bush in 1988. Rush would joke about his position and influence against a leviathan of liberal media dominance saying, “I don't need equal time, I am equal time!”
The Growth of Rush’s Influence:
As Rush Limbaugh’s influence grew, he expanded to other mediums to carry out his message. In 1992, when George H.W. Bush was running for re-election against Bill Clinton, Rush released a book entitled “The Way Things Ought to Be.” In it, he vivaciously defined and called out media bias for what it was, discussed the benefits that President Reagan’s policies had on the country, and put forth a message that real Americans could get behind. The following year, after George Bush’s election defeat, Rush Limbaugh released a follow up book entitled “See, I Told You So” where he called out the media’s pessimistic approach to an optimistic one (now that they had their guy in office), and listed a number of other things he predicted in his first book. In the early 90’s Rush went to television. This is actually how I came to know about him. In Chicago, his show was carried on WGBO-TV, Channel 66 (which would later become WCIU-Channel 26). When we visited my Grampa Case in Lemont, we would watch “Rush Limbaugh the television show.” Rush kept his television gig from 1992 to 1996, until it became too grueling for him to juggle a daily television show with a daily radio program. Throughout the 90’s, even Hollywood got on the game. He made a guest appearance on the sitcom “Hearts Afire” with John Ritter and Markie Post, and he kept gaining listeners.
How Rush Limbaugh Impacted Me:
In the year 2000, after the transmission on my first car deemed it worthless, I bought my late Grandma’s 1980 Buick Skylark from my Grampa. That said, it did not have a tape deck and the radio did not have an FM radio band. All it could get was AM radio. And so, I listened to a LOT of talk radio. As my interest in world events, politics, and bible prophecy grew exponentially that year (as there was a significant amount of things going on in all of those things), and there was a real turning point election in the making, I locked in to many talk radio personalities, one of which was Rush Limbaugh. I would listen to Rush a lot during the George W. Bush years and onward. He made me love radio so much that I wanted to get into radio. His influence (among others) helped inspire me to start the Making Sense Message Boards and go school for broadcasting. His philosophy, his work ethic, his insights, his sharp discernment, and his successful model for radio broadcasting had a deep impact on me, and was of great influence.
Most notably, Rush Limbaugh was a humble, down to earth, common sense guy. Despite taking many slings, arrows, and negative disingenuous criticisms from people who had an agenda, He was someone you could relate to, and someone that would speak on behalf of us working people, our freedoms and liberties in America, and our better interests. He was to talk radio what Johnny Carson was to late night television. You could resonate with him. He was very likable and entertaining. He had a unique way to communicate the truth. And he became a model for future broadcasters to emulate. I am thankful for Rush and for everything that he gave that drew me (and people like me) to him.