| If you are a conservative, chances are you loved him. If you are a liberal, you didn’t, and likely found him offensive. The difference in those two opinions is that most people who respected Rush Limbaugh actually listened to what he had to say. His detractors, on the other hand, didn’t. What they knew about Rush Limbaugh was what others who didn’t like him said about him. That’s too bad. Because had they taken the time to consider what he thought about things, they likely would have not only become a devotee of the man with “talent on loan from God,” but a conservative also. The testimonies to that sort of conversion came from countless people who called into his show for over 30 years. Young people who grew up listening to him referred to themselves as “Rush babies.” People repeatedly would tell how their lives were changed by listening to Rush. Whether those who didn’t like Rush Limbaugh realize it or not, this man, “El Rushbo” as he jokingly referred to himself, was a once-in-a-lifetime personality. When asked “Who will replace Rush?” the correct response is simple. No one. Rush Limbaugh was as unique as a man can be. He eschewed college, but was as quick-witted and intelligent as an Ivy League lawyer. It’s hard to imagine how he can be replaced any more than John Locke, Thomas Paine, Ronald Reagan, or William F. Buckley can be replaced. The mold for those fellows was broken. Yet Rush, like a restless thoroughbred, would certainly bridle at the notion that he was irreplaceable. Take a read of what he said in a 2009 speech to an audience filled with young conservative men and women. Here he gives them the conservative view of life: “We love people. When we look out over the United States of America, when we are anywhere, when we see a group of people, such as this or anywhere, we see Americans. We see human beings. We don’t see groups. We don’t see victims. We don’t see people we want to exploit. What we see…what we see is potential. We do not look out across the country and see the “average American,”, the person that makes this country work. We do not see that person with contempt. We don’t think that person doesn’t have what it takes. We believe that person can be the best he or she wants to be if certain things are just removed from their path like onerous taxes, regulations and too much government.” Rush could have been talking—as was likely—about himself. He came from three generations of lawyers. His father wanted him to be one also. But Rush wanted to be in radio. It was his first and last love. And even after being fired several times by station managers for not conforming to conventional radio expectations, he broke out as the most remarkable conservative voice in modern American media history. Rush Limbaugh was a great admirer of William F. Buckley who was one of the most profoundly gifted conservative intellectuals of the 20th Century. It can be argued that Rush attended the “University of Buckley.” It was all the higher education he needed. And that’s why he was able to give voice to conservatism better than any media personality of my lifetime. Consider what he told his young audience 12 years ago about what conservatives believe of Americans, all of us, regardless of our backgrounds, race, or religion. “We want every American to be the best he or she chooses to be. We recognize that we are all individuals. We love and revere our founding documents, the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence…We believe that the preamble to the Constitution contains an inarguable truth that we are all endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights, among them life, liberty, freedom and the pursuit of happiness.” In the weeks to come, people will also realize how generous he was with charitable foundations. He insisted on anonymity. Likewise people will learn that Rush was also a very kind man off radio, even calling people who profoundly disagreed with him when those people were dealing with major life crises. Rush was not a perfect man and he knew he wasn’t. He struggled with addiction to painkillers and entered rehabilitation. After his recovery, and learning of others suffering from addiction, he would quietly reach out to them with encouragement. But he did not wallow in his weakness. He celebrated life and wanted others to as well. He wanted all of us to focus on what we can do, not what we can’t. He was an encouragement to me, and millions like me. Requiescat in pace, dear conservative warrior. You are now in the presence of the Creator who endowed you with so much talent—“on loan from God”—that you wisely used in a consequential life. PS: February 24th marks the 30th anniversary of the start of the ground invasion of the First Gulf War. What better time than now to read my book Desert Redleg: Artillery Warfare in the First Gulf War! And when you go to Shop on my website, you can order one directly from me, autographed and personalized as you desire. So order yours today! |
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