Longtime conservative talk radio legend Rush Limbaugh succumbed to lung cancer today at age 70, a little more than a year after he made public his terminal diagnosis.
Despite his death sentence, Rush worked hard to be on the air as often as he could this past year, and often when he signed off at the end of a program, he would say, "See you next time," because he was never certain how long it would be until he had the strength and felt well enough to return.
Rush was one of those people who did not have a college degree, but intellectually could run circles around 95 percent of those who do. Not only was he highly intelligent, a voracious reader, analytical and often prescient, he was a kind and generous man, and an individual with a keen sense of humor. Some of his satirical comments, invented phrases and nicknames, and comedy schticks will go down in talk radio history.
I never could understand the idiots of the left who claimed he was mean-spirited and full of hate speech. They couldn't have been more wrong. The truth is, he was always a gentlemen to callers -- even those who disagreed with him.
I'm a big fan of the caustic talk radio host Michael Savage (in part because I like his sense of humor and I regard him as a highly entertaining renaissance man). But I'll admit: Savage can be downright nasty to some callers, and he was a bit cruel with his remarks about Rush a few months ago. Rush never went down that road.
Rush donated plenty of time, energy and money to charities over the years, and frequently gave away iPhones and iPads to listeners. A techno-geek enthusiast, he was so knowledgeable and enthusiastic about Apple products, the company frequently sent him early versions of its new products so he could test them out, provide feedback, and also discuss the products on his radio show.
Perhaps what was most important about Rush Limbaugh was that he was an unabashed supporter of capitalism, free markets, and individual liberty. He understood human nature, and could spot a phony from a mile away. He had a deep love and respect for the United States and its traditions. He frequently lauded the founding fathers for their wisdom and practicality -- they had the smarts to install checks and balances to prevent the disaster of too much power being centralized into the hands of a few people. This kind of rationality and logic is sadly missing from the opinions and thinking of millions of our so-called "leaders," many of whom are feted by equally inane TV talking heads.
When Rush started his radio talk show in 1988, it was a novelty. Although there were a few local conservative talk shows at the time, no one had the widespread appeal of Rush. Many in those early days did not believe his program would last. How wrong they were. Not only did it last and become hugely successful, with an estimated 20 million followers, it opened the door to a boatload of other popular talk radio hosts. These include Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Glenn Beck, Michael Savage, Lars Larson, Hugh Hewitt, and many others.
Think about it: The most popular cable TV news programs -- offerings like Tucker Carlson and Rachel Maddow -- only pull in 3 or 4 million people on a good night. This illustrates the power of conservative talk radio, and it is why many fear that the Biden administration FCC will go after it with a vengeance, calling it "hate speech." If the administration does try to shut down conservative talk radio, I predict the backlash will be enormous.
Rush spoke the truth as he believed it to be -- mockery and bitter criticism be damned. In that sense, he had tremendous courage and fortitude. For the sake of our nation, for the sake of liberty and maintaining a civilization that remains a beacon of hope for the downtrodden and persecuted of the world -- a "shining city on a hill," in Reagan's words -- each of us must aspire to such courage and determination.
Rest in Peace, Rush. You've earned it.
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