July 2, 2008No wonder he's smiling
Amazingly, Rush has proven every bit as valuable in the marketplace as he thinks he is. I'm not a Dittohead by any means, but I find Rush's bluster entertaining in very small doses. I think he's a serious conservative, but I think all the stuff about "talent on loan from God" is meant as comedy. I think. I mean, these quotes from one of his first books could not be the words of someone taking himself seriously: "People respond to what I say because it is right. My wit and wisdom are like a lifeline of reason tossed to a culture nearly drowning in confusion and murkiness. No wonder more people are clinging to my hopeful and incisive words every day." "Like everything I touch, this book is on the cutting edge of societal evolution. It is loaded with insight, brimming with profundity. It sets the agenda for conservative thought through the remainder of what historians will someday refer to as the Era of Limbaugh." Could they? Of course, the joke may end up being that he was taken seriously by everyone else. |
.....Advertisement.....
|
...Advertisement...
...Advertisement...
Rush Limbaugh just signed 
Comments
[July 2, 2008 6:00 PM]
HenryRush became popular because he was saying everything the media wouldn't say. The liberal media made him a star. Rush was saying what America was saying. It was so significant, it put AM radio back into play. That's why guys like Al Franken couldn't make it. No one wants to hear that garbage. We already hear it from all the other outlets.
CNN tells you what to think. CBS tells you what to think. The Roanoke Times tells you what to think. Rush tells you what to think. I guess the media feels like it is their job.
Liberals always portrayed Dittoheads as people who heard what Rush said and agreed with it. Actually, they already believed it and said "Me too" when Rush said it. When I first heard Rush in the late 80's, I was amazed that someone agreed with me. But the novelty wears off after a while. I haven't heard him in 15 years. I'm more of a Dave Ramsey fan.
[July 2, 2008 6:59 PM]
JoshI thought Dan got it for once. I thought I was about to be surprised. He seemed to understand what Rush was about, but then he blew it in the very last line, and showed he doesn't get it at all. Tsk.
Rush does his braggadocio with a wink, but you don't go 20 years with 20 million listeners a week on 600+ stations if you aren't the real deal. His audience is among the most educated of any in radio or television. The joke is on anyone who underestimates his impact or influence.
It might appear that the liberal media underestimates him because they do their best to pretend he isn't influential, as evidenced by the lack of feature stories on him, and his noninclusion in things like Time's "100 Most Influential People" five years running.
It takes what appears to be a downfall for it to become clear how powerful he is in the eyes of the MSM. His prescription drug treatment hiatus in 2003 was perhaps the biggest news story for several days.
People like Evan Thomas wrote Rush off with a vile hit piece at the time in a Newsweak cover story. It must be doubly satisfying for Rush to have come back bigger than ever to further dwarf small men like Thomas.
Then again, it almost certainly has to do with envy. Rush makes more than Katie Couric, Brian Williams, Charlie Gibson, and Diane Sawyer combined.
Looks like telling the truth pays off in every way. Liberal journalists should try it.
[July 2, 2008 7:51 PM]
Other JohnI listen to talk radio because I hate listening to the depressing, down-in-the-dumps MSM because everything to them is doom and gloom...and if it isn't, they try to portray it that way regardless. I guarantee that all the economic news today that is bad and puts us in a recession would suddenly become good news when/if Obama is elected. WHile I don't listen to Limbaugh all that much, mostly because his show has lost some of the entertainment touch from his early days, I will still turn his show on before any of the nightly news or NPR. Personally, I like Boortz. He may be crass, but he tells it like it is with no appologies. We need more of that and less of the PC side-stepping that goes on.
[July 3, 2008 7:56 AM]
HenryBoortz reminds me of Rush in the early 90's. He owned everyone. People will not debate Boortz just like they would not debate Rush. Everyone was scared of Rush back then because Rush could dismantle anyone. But that was long ago.
When Rush quit being Mr Conservative and became Mr Republican, people like me just wandered off. Nowadays, Rush won't get in the ring with likes of Neal Bootz or Alan Keyes. He's a party man now.
[July 3, 2008 10:06 AM]
WillJust goes to show...
Fools and their money are soon parted.
[July 3, 2008 12:32 PM]
Dan RadmacherSpeaking of Rush, there's a preview of a New York Times Magazine piece on him available here.
It's a very interesting piece. My favorite line:
At dinner the night before, Bill O’Reilly’s name came up, and Limbaugh expressed his opinion of the Fox cable king. He hadn’t been sure at the time that he wanted it on the record. But on second thought, “somebody’s got to say it,” he told me. “The man is Ted Baxter.”
[July 3, 2008 1:28 PM]
HenryHow sad. Ted Baxter is mopping the floor with Keith Olberman.
[July 3, 2008 1:33 PM]
c. trejbalSomebody did say it. Keith Olbermann in 2006.
Still, I think I'll listen to some Rush in honor of this thread.
[July 3, 2008 5:16 PM]
JoshI don't see that Rush has adopted the current GOP party line at all. He's been highly critical of McCain and Congressional Republicans. He correctly notes that scandal and "macaca" are what cost the GOP their majority in 2006, as well as their non-adherence to conservative principles, being that many Republicans lost to Democrats who campaigned as the stronger conservatives.
Frankly, I haven't noticed any difference in Rush since 1992, and I've listened all those years. In many ways, this year is very much like 1992.
The funny thing is, I have never considered Rush a very good debater. Boortz and Coulter are extremely good at it, though. They cut their adversaries to pieces dispassionately and sort of make fun of them in the process. Rush is better delivering a monologue.
My biggest complaint with Rush is that he hasn't backed the Fair Tax. With a giant like him behind it, overhauling the broken unfair tax system would get a big boost.
[July 4, 2008 7:30 AM]
GaryDan,
Our paper had it that Rush has nearly 20 million listeners, so I'll take that as his followers. The current US population is about 304 million of which about 30 million are less than 15 years of age leaving about 274 million over the age of 15. I think he has few of the 15 and under listening, so it looks like about 7.3% really contribute to this blowhard's wealth.
btw does he still contend that Swift Boat Veterans for Truth "were right on the money, and nobody has disproven anything they claimed in any of their ads, statements, written commentaries, or anything of the sort." ?
[July 4, 2008 7:40 AM]
HenryGary
That is still a sizable audience for a radio show.
The SwiftBoat guys were there so I assume they know more about the subject than us. John Kerry is still refusing to release his military records despite promises that he would do so.
[July 4, 2008 2:00 PM]
GaryHenry,
I have a few doubts where you say, "the Swift Boat guys were there..." I think there were 200-250 SBVfT and a total of 3600 SBVs during that era, not exactly an overwhelming majority. Now take the Texas fat cat oilman billionaire T. Boone Pickens, a friend of Karl Rove, with his financing and John O'Neill's ties to famed Watergate figure Chuck Colson, etc., etc. we come up with some sleaze for Kerry. I think out of a 3600 group it's not all that hard to come up with about 7% (funny this is close to the 7.3% number of Rush's followers) of the group that are willing to say anything for the fat cats regardless of it ruining an honorable record.
[July 4, 2008 2:45 PM]
C RamseyGary,
You speak condescendingly of the fact that roughly 7% of the population listens to Limbaugh every day. Just our curiosity. What percent of the total population listens to the highest rated liberal radio personality everyday?
In point of fact, there are very few things that draw those types of numbers daily. You can disparage the shoe or his followers to yor hearts desire, but it doesn't change the fact that the numbers are significant. And perhaps some day it will sink in to the radical left that there is no hidden conspiracy to explain the popularity of these conservative figures. Its because, despite liberal media cries to the contrary, the conservative message is more in line with the beliefs of the majority of Americans.
[July 4, 2008 3:12 PM]
HenryGary
I think you are confused about the Swiftboat Vets. They served with Kerry.
[July 4, 2008 3:37 PM]
Blue JohnAt least we know where 7.3% of Lil Bush's small number of fans get their news.
[July 4, 2008 5:08 PM]
HenryAnd some of Lil Hussein's too
[July 4, 2008 6:06 PM]
C RamseyDespite all the 'witty' comments, the truly amusing thing about this story is watching all the libs try to rationalize this story and convince themselves that it is some kind of aberration.
"There's no way Limbaugh can be that popular" or "only a small number of wealthy people listen to him", blah, blah, blah.
Yeah right guys. And that's why commercial air time goes for over a million bucks per spot during the Super Bowl. It's just another football game and not that many people watch.
[July 4, 2008 7:54 PM]
Blue JohnAnd 7.3% is still 7.3%.
[July 4, 2008 8:14 PM]
Blue JohnWhat is truly amusing about this story is rightwingville thinks that the "libs" care one way or the other about Rush Limbo - or that Hussein is Obama's middle name.
If either of the above is viewed as an issue for the upcoming election, then it is no wonder this country is in the shape that it is in.
LET'S GO DRILLING!!
[July 4, 2008 9:51 PM]
C RamseyYou still haven't named any other political commentary that draws that amount of listeners on a daily basis.
I think you are desparately trying to downplay the significance of those numbers. Maybe you are counting on people just not understanding ratings. The top rated TV show last week, a one time event that week, drew 11 million viewers. By contrast, this show, an AM radio talk show draws 20 million every day. Spin it however you want, those numbers are huge.
And the money speaks for itself. The show, right or wrong, infuential or not, draws a huge number of listeners or ClearChannel wouldn't be willing to gamble $400 million dollars over the next decade.
Will Limbaugh be influential in the campaign. I don't know. I don't listen to talk radio during the day.
But the Dems must care or be bothered to some extent. They spend alot of time talking about it. If it truly is a non-issue, the Dems should treat it like they do national security threats. Ignore it and maybe it will go away.
[July 4, 2008 11:17 PM]
Blue JohnI don't listen to talk radio either. I have better things to do than listen to talking heads spew their agenda. Too bad we haven't been heeding what the environmentalists and conservationists have been saying all these years, rather than obsessing over the drivel from these radio hacks.
Other than the media yak yak for a couple of days over the 400 million, the only place I have seen any discussion about Rush is on this page.
I have had more interest in the cop that jumped in front of a vehicle in Maryland and was run down and killed. The thug was caught, and someone strangled the thug in his maximum security cell. This occured in P.G. County. Tragic, and now because someone was not properly trained, the thug's family will probably become very, very rich. Even more tragic.
But Rush and his ratings are what's important to this crowd.
Pathetic!
[July 5, 2008 10:35 AM]
C RamseyI hadn't heard of the case you reference. Can you provide a link?
You forgot to mention that the 'crowd' here has also been busy either praising or condemning (depending on point of view) the store owner hwo shot the robber.
[July 5, 2008 12:15 PM]
Blue JohnC.,
The officer was laid to rest, and the case has been moved to the back burner. Now all we hear is the "outrage" from the thugs family. You know the drill - he was getting his life together, going back to school, and was in line to become the next pope.
Try washingtonpost.com, click on the News tab, then Investigations or try wjla.com under the Maryland tab.
The store owner is the only person that can say exactly what happened during the robbery. If he feared for his life and defended himself, then more power to him. It is easy to comment after the fact, with hindsight being 20-20, but one thing is for sure, that robber won't bother him again.
I don't know the particulars surrounding his injury, but this incident could possibly be used as an example for the safe handling of a firearm, and the need for weapons training.
[July 5, 2008 3:28 PM]
Henry" Too bad we haven't been heeding what the environmentalists and conservationists have been saying all these years"
Why? They are just spewing their agenda.
[July 5, 2008 4:07 PM]
Josh"Other than the media yak yak for a couple of days over the 400 million, the only place I have seen any discussion about Rush is on this page."
Thanks for proving our point. The MSM tries desperately to downplay Rush and all his success.
[July 5, 2008 8:23 PM]
Blue JohnHenry,
Too bad for us their agenda has come true.
Big difference in talk radio designed to inflame, and the truth. Either way, we have a real problem now.
Exactly Right Josh,
92.7% of the people don't care about Rush.
LET'S GO DRILLING!
[July 6, 2008 11:32 AM]
GaryHenry said, "I think you are confused about the Swiftboat Vets. They served with Kerry. "
I'm not confused, my numbers were based on a 6/30/08 newspaper article, "By the association's count, about 3,600 men served aboard Swift boats in Vietnam, 600 officers and 3,000 enlisted. About 200 signed the letter that became the basis of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth campaign in 2004."
C Ramsey you are right 20 million is a big number compared to 100, the round trip to the Sun about 18.6 million miles is a big number compared to a round trip of about 5000 miles to Los Angeles. Also, the 200 million or so that don't listen to Limbaugh is a big number and about 10X bigger than the number that do.
[July 6, 2008 4:49 PM]
HenryYes Gary but many of those 200 knew Kerry. That was the point.
Kerry has still not released him military records despite his promise to do so. It looks like we got lucky with Bush again.
[July 6, 2008 4:57 PM]
C RamseyGary,
You're pulling the old liberal trick of comparing apples to oranges in effort to make the stats favor your side. The simple fact is, we are talking about viewership or listenership and ratings which deals with th number of people who do watch or listen. And there are very few things that draw that kind of base every day. The SuperBowl draws about double for a once a year prime time event, but this is a daily show. How many other things attract that many people every day? Can you name one. Your argument holds absolutely no water. If it does, the results of the popular vote in 2000 should be irrelevant because 250,000,000 people didn't vote for Gore.