Rush Limbaugh

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Rush Hudson Limbaugh III (IPA [ˈlim.bɑː]; born January 12, 1951 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri) is an American radio talk show host. A commentator with a conservative point of view, he discusses politics and current events on his show, The Rush Limbaugh Show. His show was first nationally syndicated in August 1988, and as of 2005 (according to Arbitron ratings surveys) its audience was estimated at between 14 and 20 million listeners per week, making it the largest radio talk show audience in the United States. Such high ratings have been a consistent hallmark of his show. [1][2]

The Rush Limbaugh Show has been largely credited for the shift in AM broadcasting to a news-talk format after an audience decline in the 1970s.

Limbaugh was the 1992, 1995, 2000, and 2005 recipient of the Marconi Radio Award for Syndicated Radio Personality of the Year, given by the National Association of Broadcasters. He was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1993. In 2002, industry publication Talkers magazine ranked him as the greatest radio talk show host of all time. [3] Although Limbaugh's audience is not monolithic, he does attract the highest percentage (56%) of hard news consumers relative to all other television and radio programs in the United States. [4]

Contents

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Private life

Limbaugh began his career in radio as a teenager in 1967 [5] in his hometown of Cape Girardeau, Missouri using the name Rusty Sharpe. His father had once owned the radio station where Limbaugh started his career. Limbaugh always spoke of his parents with great warmth and affection. He dedicated his first book to them, writing: "Your love and kindness made me the terrific guy I am." Limbaugh's father had wanted Rush to be a lawyer, and was initially skeptical about his son's choice of a career. However, he supported his son in his endeavors. During the first Persian Gulf War, Limbaugh's father watched him do a commentary and was impressed by his delivery. He called him and asked "Where did you learn to talk like that?" Rush said simply "I learned it from you, Dad." Young Rush was also very close to his grandfather who was a prominent attorney, practiced law well into his nineties, and lived to the age of 103.

He attended Southeast Missouri State University for one year where, ironically, he flunked two speech courses, then dropped out. This would have normally made him eligible for the draft, but he was classified 1-Y due to an undisclosed medical problem [6]. Limbaugh stated that he was not drafted because a physical found that he had an "inoperable pilonidal cyst" and "a football knee from high school." The football coach during Limbaugh's only year of playing football did not remember an injury to Limbaugh when interviewed 25 years later. (Template:Cite book)

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Relationships

Limbaugh was first married on September 24, 1977 to Roxy Maxine McNeely, a sales secretary at radio station WHB in Kansas City. They were married at the Centenary United Methodist Church in Cape Girardeau. In March 1980, Roxy McNeely filed for divorce, citing "incompatibility". They were formally divorced on July 10, 1980.

In 1983, Limbaugh married Michelle Sixta, a college student and usherette at the Kansas City Royals Stadium Club. She left him in December 1988 and their divorce was finalized in 1990. She remarried the following year.

In 1990, Limbaugh met Marta Fitzgerald, a married 35-year-old aerobics instructor, when she contacted him via the Compuserve online service. After Fitzgerald divorced her third husband, the two were married on May 27, 1994 at the house of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. The ceremony was officiated by Thomas himself. Also in attendance at the wedding were William Bennett, James Carville, and Mary Matalin.

On Friday, June 11, 2004, Limbaugh announced that he was separating from Fitzgerald. On air, he stated, "Marta has consented to my request for a divorce, and we have mutually agreed to seek an amicable separation. As I said, it's a personal matter and I want to keep it that way. I don't intend to say any more about this on the air." An article in the Palm Beach Post claimed that the third-divorce was this time a result of the admitted drug addiction.

In August 2004, Limbaugh was reported to be dating CNN television personality Daryn Kagan. Kagan and Limbaugh reportedly broke up in February 2006 [7].

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Public life

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1970s

After dropping out of Southeast Missouri State University he moved to Pittsburgh and became a Top 40 music radio disc jockey on station WIXZ.

In October 1972, he moved to KQV, using the name Jeff Christie. It was in Pittsburgh that many of Limbaugh's trademarks developed, such as a claim to use a "golden microphone." (which eventually became true in the 1990s on The Rush Limbaugh Show) After several years in music radio, Limbaugh took a break from radio and accepted a position as director of promotions with the Kansas City Royals baseball team.

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1980s

In 1984, Limbaugh returned to radio as a talk show host at KFBK in Sacramento, California. In 1987, the Federal Communications Commission repealed the Fairness Doctrine, thus freeing radio stations to air opinion journalism without having to provide air time to opposing points of view. This emboldened many radio stations to modify their line-ups in order to attract those wishing to hear varied points of view.

After achieving success in Sacramento and drawing the attention of Edward F. McLaughlin, a former president of ABC Radio, Limbaugh moved to New York City in 1988, entering the nation's largest radio market on talk-format station WABC-AM, which remains his flagship station to this day. He did a two hour local program on WABC. For a while on WABC he was preceded by commedienne Joy Behar and followed by Lynn Samuels, creating a six-hour block of politically focused radio, with both Behar and Samuels leaning to the left politically.

Beginning on August 1, 1988 Limbaugh was syndicated nationally as a two hour show and eventually expanded to three hours while dropping the local New York show, though his show was still based at WABC. (Limbaugh refers on-air to the "Excellence In Broadcasting Network", or "E-I-B"; however, this is merely an on-air signature, as there is no organization with that name.) While WABC remains Limbaugh's key outlet, he now broadcasts from either the Premiere Radio Network studios in New York or his Private Studio in Florida near his home.

Newsday media critic Paul Colford reported on Limbaugh in 1988: [8]

Rush Limbaugh's act includes plenty of pokes at himself and lots of tongue-in-cheek pomposity such as: "I'm Rush Limbaugh, your guiding light in times of trouble and despair." His politics skew sharply to the right of the "liberal Democrats" and Gov. Michael Dukakis, known in Limbaugh parlance as "The Loser."
The president of EFM Media is a former head of the ABC Radio Network, Edward F. McLaughlin. He believes that Limbaugh, a partner under contract to EFM, will become the most-listened-to radio personality in America - bigger than Larry King - by virtue of his midwestern manner and informed views. Bigger than Larry King? We'll see. For now, McLaughlin's goal is to have 200 stations signed to Limbaugh's show by 1990.
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1990s

The program rapidly grew in popularity and moved to stations with larger audiences. The highwater point was his introduction of 'America Held Hostage', following the election of Clinton in 1992. Even Ronald Reagan sent a letter annointing Rush the voice of conservatism, even the voice of the GOP, in that era. When the GOP won control of Congress in 1994, one of the first acts by many freshman was to award Limbaugh the title of honorary member of Congress, so much did they attribute their victory to his radio and television programs in those years.

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Television Appearances

Limbaugh's first television exposure came with a 1990 guest host stint on Pat Sajak's late-night program on CBS. After a confrontation with ACT UP gay activists in the studio audience [9], obnoxiously protesting what they perceived as anti-gay hate speech, repeatedly shouting at both Limbaugh and cutting off other members of the studio audience, and generally attempting to disrupt the program, the entire audience was removed so that Limbaugh could finish the show. In 1993, Limbaugh appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, and the audience almost immediately went hostile and booed at him, especially when Limbaugh compared Hillary Clinton's face to "a Pontiac hood ornament."

Rush also guest-starred on an episode of Hearts Afire.

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Author

In 1992, Limbaugh published his first book, The Way Things Ought To Be, followed by See, I Told You So in 1993. Both went to number one on the New York Times Best Seller list. Limbaugh acknowledges in the text of the first book that he taped the book and it was transcribed and edited by Wall Street Journal writer John Fund. In the second book, Joseph Farah of WorldNetDaily is named as his collaborator[10].

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Subject of criticism

The first book about Limbaugh appears to be the 1993 Rush Limbaugh and the Bible by Daniel J. Evearitt. One reviewer said "Dr. Evearitt is very uncomfortable sharing the label 'conservative' with Limbaugh" and notes that it contains chapters like "No Wife, No Kids -- Is This Man an Expert on Family Values?" [11]

Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), released a report on October 17, 1994 listing forty-three errors Limbaugh allegedly made during various shows. Limbaugh responded to about half of the original claims; FAIR then rebutted his rebuttal. And the rebutted rebuttals continued. For the full text of the original, the rebuttal and the rebuttal of the rebuttal, see [12], [13], and [14], respectively. Critics such as L. Brent Bozell's Media Research Center have charged that FAIR is liberal and partisan [15], but Bozell has likewise been labeled conservative and partisan.

In 1995, FAIR published an entire book, The Way Things Aren't: Rush Limbaugh's Reign of Error: Over 100 Outrageously False and Foolish Statements from America's Most Powerful Radio and TV Commentator, alleging errors by Limbaugh. His defenders claim that because Limbaugh talks unscripted for fifteen broadcast hours a week (less commercials) the number of alleged factual errors is, under the circumstances, very small. And complaints with such complaints were that very few actual facts were wrong, and that it was a case of disagreement with opinions.

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Television show

Limbaugh's next television exposure was on a syndicated half-hour show running from 1992 through 1996, with Roger Ailes as executive producer. The television show discussed many of the same topics as his radio show, and was taped in front of a live audience, which he facetiously claimed had to pass an intelligence test in order to be admitted. Reportedly, Limbaugh ended the show due to disappointment that it was aired too late in the evening in many markets (in many places it was aired at 1:30 AM or even later) and because of the immense amount of time required to prepare for the show.

On November 6, 1992, three days after the election, in reference to who was in and out at the White House, Limbaugh made a reference to the daughter of the incoming President Bill Clinton, Chelsea and the dog of outgoing President George H. W. Bush, Millie. At the moment where Limbaugh said "cute kid", the picture of Millie appeared onscreen. According to a transcript of the broadcast, there were at least three times Limbaugh had shown a photo of the Bush's dog, Millie, while referencing Chelsea. [16] Critics of Limbaugh have maintained that these were deliberate acts on his part. Although Limbaugh has claimed it was a technical error, as Al Franken documented in his book Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them, since the show was on a tape delay, if it truly was a technical error, it could have been corrected prior to airing of the show. Limbaugh apologized during that show, claiming fatigue, and then suggested that Amy Carter was "the most unattractive presidential daughter in the history of the country" and also disparaged the looks of Margaret Truman. A few days later, he stated that "I don't need to get laughs by commenting on people's looks, especially a young child who's done nothing wrong. I mean, [Chelsea] can't control the way she looks." [17]

On a later broadcast, Limbaugh played a video clip of then-President Bill Clinton laughing on his way into a memorial service for Commerce Secretary Ron Brown with Tony Campolo and then looking mournful. [18] Limbaugh believed that Clinton's sudden mood changed after spying news cameras was evidence of both the President's insincerity and the tendency of the national media to overlook it. Similar complaints were made with what appeared to be staged 'impromptu' events during his visit to Normandy, where in one case he arranged rocks on a beach that seemed pre-positioned for such a display.

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Radio syndication

In 1997, Limbaugh's radio syndicator, privately held EFM Media, was acquired by Jacor Communication, a publicly traded company.[19] Later that year, Jacor merged with Premiere Radio Networks. [20]

In 1999, Jacor merged with Clear Channel Communications.[21] Currently, Clear Channel Communications through its Premiere Radio Networks subsidiary is the syndicator for Limbaugh's radio show.

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Al Franken and weight

In 1996, Al Franken released a bestselling book and CD titled Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations which included harsh criticism of Limbaugh and his fact-finding efforts. The "Big Fat Idiot" portion of the title of the book was a jibe at Limbaugh's weight and in-kind payback for his statements on radio and TV.

Sometime after the publication of "Big Fat Idiot", Limbaugh began to go on various diets. On November 20, 1999, he appeared on CNBC's Tim Russert show describing his weight loss: "I got to 325 at my highest. And … I lost the weight in two stages, and I'm now at 215. So that's—yeah, 110 pounds." (150 to 100 for a loss of 50 kg)

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Called "one of the most dangerous men in America"

On March 3, 1991, Jon Kleinman wrote a letter to the editor of the Los Angeles Times Magazine in which he opined, "Radio is powerful. Limbaugh's views go unchecked. It is my view that he's one of the most dangerous men in America." [22] Limbaugh adopted this label on his radio program, using it as part of his on-air braggadocio. Much of the criticism of Limbaugh is focused at this aspect of his persona, such as his claim to be defeating liberals "with half his brain tied behind his back just to make it fair", or his frequently repeated statement that he has "talent on loan from God". He has stated several times on the air that he is amused at the indignant reaction that the "talent on loan from God" statement gets, as Limbaugh says the statement is meant to be a humble acknowledgment that any skill he has is from God.

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2000s

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Deafness

By August 2001, Limbaugh's listeners had noted changes in his voice and diction [23], changes that Limbaugh emphatically denied on the air. However, on October 8, 2001, Limbaugh admitted that the changes in his voice were due to complete deafness in his left ear and substantial hearing loss in his right ear. He also revealed that his radio staff was aiding him in continuing to accept calls on his show, despite his rapidly progressing hearing loss, by setting up a system where he could appear to hear his callers. The system worked remarkably well, but did not convince all listeners, some of whom noted a long delay between a caller ending his point and Limbaugh responding, and occasionally speaking over a caller. Occasionally Limbaugh had to ask callers to hold on momentarily, while the caller's comments would be transcripted and shown on Rush's computer monitor.

In December 2001, Limbaugh underwent cochlear implant surgery, which restored a measure of hearing in his left ear, and his voice and enunciation improved.

According to Limbaugh's doctors, Limbaugh's deafness was caused by an autoimmune disease. When Limbaugh revealed [24] in 2003 that he was addicted to pain killers, some doctors drew a link between his deafness and his drug addiction that resulted from the medication Limbaugh was prescribed to alleviate his chronic back-pain. [25][26][27]

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ESPN commentator

On July 14, 2003, ESPN announced that Limbaugh would be joining ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown show as a weekly commentator when it premiered on September 7. Limbaugh would provide the "voice of the fan" and was supposed to spark debate on the show. [28]

Limbaugh certainly succeeded at the latter. On September 28, Limbaugh commented about Donovan McNabb, the quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles:

"Sorry to say this, I don't think he's been that good from the get-go. I think what we've had here is a little social concern in the NFL. The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well. There is a little hope invested in McNabb, and he got a lot of credit for the performance of this team that he didn't deserve. The defense carried this team." [29]

McNabb was the highest paid NFL player in history at the time, and defenders of Limbaugh's comments point out that McNabb had the worst start of his career in the 2003 season and was the NFL's lowest-rated starting quarterback. McNabb's defenders say that to his credit, McNabb was a runner-up for the year 2000 league Most Valuable Player, a member of three Pro Bowl teams, and led his team to two straight NFC championship games. McNabb had suffered a broken leg during the 2002 season, and had been slow to recover.

The Reverend Al Sharpton, a Democratic Party candidate for President and political activist, encouraged Limbaugh's firing from ESPN, threatening a boycott of all Disney companies, including ABC, Disneyland, and Walt Disney World. Democrats Howard Dean and Wesley Clark joined in the criticism, as did the NAACP. Limbaugh responded by saying that he must have been right; otherwise, the comments would not have sparked such outrage.

On October 1, 2003, Limbaugh resigned from ESPN with the statement:

"My comments this past Sunday were directed at the media and were not racially motivated. I offered an opinion. This opinion has caused discomfort to the crew, which I regret. I love NFL Sunday Countdown and do not want to be a distraction to the great work done by all who work on it. Therefore, I have decided to resign. I appreciate the opportunity to be a part of the show and wish all the best to those who make it happen."

In the days following, some critics felt that Limbaugh had directed his comments at McNabb personally, or African Americans in general rather than to the media or to McNabb's on field performance. It has also been suggested that Limbaugh's fellow commentators on the program, some of whom were African-American former football players, may have played a role behind the scenes in ending Limbaugh's career as a football commentator. After Limbaugh's resignation, Sunday NFL Countdown co-host Tom Jackson, who is African American, said on the air[30]:

"Let me just say that it was not our decision to have Rush Limbaugh on this show. I've seen replay after replay of Limbaugh's comments with my face attached as well as that of my colleagues, comments which made us very uncomfortable at the time, although the depth and the insensitive nature of which weren't fully felt until it seemed too late to reply. He was brought here to talk football, and he broke that trust. Rush told us the social commentary for which he is so well known would not cross over to our show, and instead, he would represent the viewpoint of the intelligent, passionate fan. Rush Limbaugh was not a fit for NFL Countdown."
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Painkiller addiction

Image:Rush Limbaugh Newsweek cover October 20 2003.jpg In early October 2003 and in the same week as the McNabb controversy, the National Enquirer reported that Limbaugh was being investigated for illegally buying prescription drugs. Limbaugh's former housekeeper, under investigation for drug dealing, alleged that Limbaugh was addicted to prescription opioid painkillers such as OxyContin and Lorcet (a combination of Paracetamol (acetaminophen) and hydrocodone) and that he went through detox twice. Other news outlets quickly confirmed the beginnings of an investigation.

On October 10, 2003, Limbaugh admitted to listeners on his radio show that he was addicted to prescription painkillers and stated that he would enter inpatient treatment for 30 days, immediately following the broadcast. He did not specifically mention which pain medications he was addicted to. Speaking about his behavior, Limbaugh went on to say:

"I am not making any excuses. You know, over the years, athletes and celebrities have emerged from treatment centers to great fanfare and praise for conquering great demons. They are said to be great role models and examples for others. Well, I am no role model. I refuse to let anyone think I am doing something great here, when there are people you never hear about, who face long odds and never resort to such escapes."
"They are the role models. I am no victim and do not portray myself as such. I take full responsibility for my problem. At the present time the authorities are conducting an investigation, and I have been asked to limit my public comments until this investigation is complete." [31]

Following Limbaugh's admission of drug addiction, his detractors reviewed prior statements by him about drug addicts as examples of hypocrisy. Several statements from the 1990s were found, in particular, on October 5, 1995:

"There's nothing good about drug use. We know it. It destroys individuals. It destroys families. Drug use destroys societies. Drug use, some might say, is destroying this country. And we have laws against selling drugs, pushing drugs, using drugs, importing drugs. And the laws are good because we know what happens to people in societies and neighborhoods which become consumed by them. And so if people are violating the law by doing drugs, they ought to be accused and they ought to be convicted and they ought to be sent up."

and in 1998:

"What is missing in the drug fight is legalization. If we want to go after drugs with the same fervor and intensity with which we go after cigarettes, let's legalize drugs. Legalize the manufacture of drugs. License the Cali cartel. Make them taxpayers, and then sue them. Sue them left and right, and then get control of the price, and generate tax revenue from it. Raise the price sky high, and fund all sorts of other wonderful social programs."

An article in the January 12, 2004 issue of Human Events (The National Conservative Weekly) presented its reaction to the media attention of Limbaugh's addiction, calling it a 'Network War' against Limbaugh. It charged network anchors with engaging in exaggerated and inflammatory rhetoric by implying Limbaugh was involved in "drug sales" or "drug gangs." Human Events Online reported in January 2004 a timeline of events in this matter from September through December 2003.

An investigation into alleged "doctor shopping" is ongoing in the state of Florida under the Palm Beach State Attorney. Limbaugh's attorney Roy Black alleges that the chief county prosecutor investigating Limbaugh, an elected Democrat, is politically motivated. The ACLU, an organization often lambasted by Limbaugh, has come to his defense, claiming that the district attorney violated Limbaugh's constitutional rights by "fishing" through his private medical records. This investigation has, as of 2005, brought no criminal charges. Assistant State Attorney James L. Martz, on November 9, 2005, stated "I have no idea if Mr. Limbaugh has completed the elements of any offense yet." Then on December 12, 2005, Judge David F. Crow decided to prohibit the State from questioning Limbaugh's physicians about "the medical condition of the patient and any information disclosed to the healthcare practitioner by the patient in the course of the care and treatment of the patient."

Limbaugh states his addiction to painkillers came as a result of long-term back pain he had been suffering for several years, and a botched surgery that came as a result of that. Limbaugh's position on the legal case is one of patient privacy rights, and has argued that the prosecutor has in fact violated his Fourth Amendment civil rights by illegally seizing his medical records. Thus far, the Florida courts have upheld Limbaugh's confidentiality. Limbaugh keeps a running update on his website of court decisions and transcripts, legal positions, and media and editorial coverage of his case.

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American Armed Forces Radio Network controversy

See Armed Forces Radio controversy.
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Anti-war protesters and the media

On August 15, 2005, Limbaugh compared the actions and news coverage of Cindy Sheehan, an anti-war protester and mother of slain soldier Casey Sheehan, to that of alleged document forger Bill Burkett: "The fact is that they are too eager. I mean, Cindy Sheehan is just Bill Burkett. Her story is nothing more than forged documents. There's nothing about it that's a (sic) real, including the mainstream media's glomming onto it. It's not real." [32] Afterwards he said that he was not questioning the authenticity of her claims, but he meant her response was a staged media event. [33]. He also said that summer, that the time to protest a war is before it begins, not after the first shot is fired.

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Internet and technology

Limbaugh was an early adopter and fan of electronic mail and allowed and invited listeners to send email to his Compuserve account. On his website, Limbaugh offers a subscription service called "Rush 24/7" that provides additional materials mentioned on the show as well as recordings. The most popular feature is the "ditto cam," through which fans can watch the radio program through streaming video. On June 3, 2005, Limbaugh began podcasting his program to subscribers. In January 2006, Limbaugh began video downloads of his morning updates to "Rush 24/7" subscribers. Videocasts of the entire program are now available. Limbaugh also claims to prefer and use Apple computers extensively, and sometimes fires shots at Microsoft Windows users.

His podcasting has even spawned a cottage software industry to make the daily audio files easier to manage. Rush2Pod (http://www.rush2pod.com) is one such example.

Myst, the 1993 hit game has an easter egg. In Channelwood, the player has the opportunity to listen to a hologram with the character Achenar speaking in tree-people language. One of those holograms, says "Rush Limbaugh understands" in reverse. It is not known what the Miller brothers wanted to signify and put this reference in the game.

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Philosophy

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Defining the conservative movement

Limbaugh made the following comments in an op-ed piece in 2005:

I love being a conservative. We conservatives are proud of our philosophy. Unlike our liberal friends, who are constantly looking for new words to conceal their true beliefs and are in a perpetual state of reinvention, we conservatives are unapologetic about our ideals.
  • We are confident in our principles and energetic about openly advancing them. We believe in individual liberty, limited government, capitalism, the rule of law, faith, a color-blind society and national security.
  • We support school choice, enterprise zones, tax cuts, welfare reform, faith-based initiatives, political speech, homeowner rights and the war on terrorism.
  • And at our core we embrace and celebrate the most magnificent governing document ever ratified by any nation -- the U.S. Constitution.
  • Along with the Declaration of Independence, which recognizes our God-given natural right to be free, it is the foundation on which our government is built and has enabled us to flourish as a people.
  • We conservatives are never stronger than when we are advancing our principles.

From American Conservatism: A Crackdown, Not a 'Crackup' Wall Street Journal op-ed October 17, 2005[34]

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Statement Regarding Abortion and Homosexuality

In 2003, Limbaugh broadcast the following hypothetical on abortion choices made by parents based upon trait selection and the anticipated reaction by advocates of gay rights:

Imagine we identify the gene — assuming that there is one, this is hypothetical — that will tell us prior to birth that a baby is going to be gay…. How many parents, if they knew before the kid was gonna be born, [that he] was gonna be gay, they would take the pregnancy to term? Well, you don't know but let's say half of them said, "Oh, no, I don't wanna do that to a kid." [Then the] gay community finds out about this. The gay community would do the fastest 180 and become pro-life faster than anybody you've ever seen. … They'd be so against abortion if it was discovered that you could abort what you knew were gonna be gay babies. [35]

Limbaugh opposed teaching grade school students about homosexuality in 1993 and wrote of gay rights as being special rights. He has made similar statements about transsexuals.

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Balance and point of view

Critics decry what they assert is the lack of a balance between liberal and conservative viewpoints on talk radio, despite the fact that Air America Radio is now on the air in an effort to provide balance. Limbaugh's response to this accusation is to claim that most news reporting is liberally biased; a common saying of his is "I am equal time." To combat the claim of his show being "unreasonably biased," Rush has adopted a policy of automatically bumping liberals to the front of the call queue (regardless of when they called in), in order to ensure that they get a chance to voice their opinions. However, not all liberal callers make it past Limbaugh's call screener. He also does not claim to be a neutral reporter and contrasts his stance with what he considers to be the major news media's false claims of objectivity (in the United States). He also has explained himself on occasion as being a commentator and entertainer, not a reporter.

In the years he has been broadcasting, his audience has been growing while the audience of the television network news programs has been shrinking and growing older. With the passing from the scene of the network news anchors of the 1990's: Dan Rather, Tom Brokaw, and Peter Jennings, half-seriously and half-humorously Limbaugh has begun to call himself "America's Anchorman" as many people consider him to be their primary source of news in the same way that the anchorman of network news broadcasts once were.

Limbaugh's satire, especially that of his early years, has been criticized by his detractors with some even calling it hate speech. News about the homeless is often preceded with the Clarence "Frogman" Henry song "Ain't Got No Home". For a time, the song "I Know I'll Never Love This Way Again" preceded reports about people with AIDS. For two weeks in 1989, Limbaugh performed "caller abortions" where he would end a call suddenly to the sounds of a vacuum cleaner and a child's scream, after which he would deny there was ever a caller explaining that the call had been "aborted." After angry callers commented on this, he pointed out that it wasn't even happening for real, and they were horribly upset, when it was happening for real in abortion clinics without complaint. Template:Fact In his references to Ted Kennedy, he often cites Kennedy's alcohol abuse that led to the death of Kennedy's girlfriend at Chappaquiddick; for instance, Limbaugh has nicknamed Kennedy "the swimmer" and frequently refers to Kennedy as the Senator from Chappaquiddick. Limbaugh refers to Robert Byrd, Democrat-WV, as "Sheets Byrd" in reference to Byrd's membership in the KKK. This moniker (Sheets) was originally coined by Tip O'Neill per Chris Matthews. (An extensive list of Limbaugh's nicknames for various political figures may be found at Jargon of The Rush Limbaugh Show).

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Demographic appeal

On the topic of what demographic Limbaugh appeals to, conservative economist Thomas Sowell states:

The liberal vision of Rush Limbaugh is that he is some guy who appeals to ignorant rednecks and Joe Sixpacks. … Actual research on Rush Limbaugh's audience has shown that they are above average in both education and income.

Sowell may have been referencing surveys such as those from the Annenberg Public Policy Center [36].

On the other hand, according to Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg School for Communications at the University of Pennsylvania, the Limbaugh audience isn't always the most informed on certain issues:

We just concluded a study of 360 people, whom we watched watch the health care reform debate for nine months. And at the end of that period, we took the people who said they relied on talk radio, and by this, we mean primarily Rush Limbaugh. . . . And we asked them how well informed they felt. . . .Of all the people we watched, they said they were the best informed. And of all the people we watched, they were the least informed.

Commenting on the study, political satirist and author Al Franken explains:

How is such a thing even measured? Well, like all the other people studied, talk radio listeners were asked questions of "objective fact" such as: "Which groups (the elderly, poor, middle class, etc.) are most likely to be uninsured?" The Limbaugh listeners were "highly likely" to give an incorrect answer such as "the elderly" who, of course, are all covered by Medicare.

Another stereotype of the Limbaugh listener is encapsulated in the epithet "dittohead". When used as a derogatory term, it implies that the subject is a "mind-numbed robot", who falls into the groupthink of Limbaugh's audience. The term originated with people agreeing with previous callers' admiration of Rush; rather than repeating their admiration for the host and statements of honor to be selected to be on-air, callers to the show often preface their comments with "Dittos from (insert location here)". The term has been embraced by Limbaugh's fans themselves as an honorative, many proudly asserting their dittohead status in public forums or when calling into the show.

Rush Limbaugh is also noted for his support of the United States Military. In 2005 Limbaugh visited U.S. soldiers stationed in Afghanistan. Upon his return, he initiated his "Adopt A Soldier" program whereby listeners sponsor free subscriptions to his newsletter and pay-per-view web broadcasts for members of the armed forces. This also coincided with another flare up of the AFN controversy.

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Controversial remarks

Not at all a stranger to controversy, Limbaugh has drawn fierce criticism over the years for remarks that he has made, though most are humorous or sarcastic in nature. Some of the furor is due to factual errors, which some critics find especially egregious in Limbaugh's broadcasting because his claims of being "almost always right" are a regular part of his braggadocio.

Referring to the torture of U.S. detainees at Abu Ghraib prison:

  • You ever heard of the need to blow off some steam?
  • Maybe the people that pulled this off executed a brilliant maneuver.
  • It was no worse than an out-of-control fraternity prank.
  • I wonder if Nick Berg would have minded wearing panties on hs head.
  • This is no different than what happens at the Skull and Bones initiation, and we're going to ruin people's lives over it, and we're going to hamper our military effort, and then we are going to really hammer them because they had a good time. You know, these people are being fired at every day. I'm talking about people having a good time, these people, you ever heard of emotional release? You [ever] heard of need to blow some steam off?

Attacking Ken Mehlman's decision to apologize for the Republican party's previous use of the Southern Strategy:

  • In the midst of all of this, in the midst of all that's going on, once again, Republicans are going to go bend over and grab the ankles.

On the American Political Left & Osama Bin Laden:

  • It's the American left.
  • When bin Laden talks about the "evils" of the United States and why it must be attacked -- it sounds like John Kerry in his 2004 presidential campaign.
  • Well, I think we -- it's time to stop dancing around this issue, folks, to tell you the truth. It's time for somebody to tell the people on the left, you're damn right we're questioning your patriotism.
  • The liberals love this because more homeless means more taxpayer paid social programs. These young homeless just don’t want to work.

On the Janet Jackson Super Bowl incident

  • The left and the feminists want you to see things like that just to make moral people squirm.

On John Murtha:

  • He's the biggest morale booster that -- that -- that the enemy has in Iraq.

On the kidnapping of four liberal peacemakers in Iraq:

  • I mean, these people are liberals, they're warped. Well, I mean, that's why there's -- I'm telling you, folks, there's a part of me that likes this. Probably, even with this, though, you know, they're not going to see the light of day.

On the Democratic party:

  • Well, the Democrats will eat that up because, while they can't trust George W. Bush, they can trust Osama bin Laden.
  • The other half of their base hates the military, hates America, hates Bush, hates the world except for

France and Germany.

  • They celebrate privately this attack in Spain.
  • Without a recession the Democrats are dead. They want a recession for pure political reasons.

On Al Gore's cable TV network, intended to reflect the points of view of young people:

  • What the hell is the point of view of young people? Blow jobs, that's what they're doing out there. They're out there getting oral sex all day long, that's what they're talking about.

On student loans:

  • Banks take the risks in issuing student loans and they are entitled to the profits.

On American Indians:

  • There are more American Indians alive today than there were when Columbus arrived or at any other time in history. Does this sound like a record of genocide?
  • The American Indians were meaner to themselves than anybody was ever mean to them. The people were savages. It’s true, they damn well were … these people were out there destroying timber, they were out there conquering and killing each other, scalping people.
  • I don't give a hoot that [Columbus] gave some Indians a disease that they didn't have immunity against.

On Latinos:

  • (regarding Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez)Hugo, Cesar--whatever. A Chavez is a Chavez. We've always had problems with them.
  • "a gang-member type guy" (phrase used to describe the father of Madonna's first baby, Carlos Leon.)
  • If we are going to start rewarding no skills and stupid people-- I'm serious, let the unskilled jobs that take absolutely no knowledge whatsoever to do-- let the stupid and unskilled Mexicans do that work.

On African Americans:

  • I mean, why didn't these morons leave New Orleans before the hurricane? I'll tell you why: because they wanted to rape and loot! That's just the way some people are! And if they're black--if the rapists and looters are black--it's not George Bush's fault! We've had these problems ever since the Emancipation Proclamation. Once the whites leave town, all you've got is overwhelming lawlessness. That's not racism, Mr. Snerdley; it's a proven, demonstrable fact. Have you even seen a ghetto in Greenwich, Connecticut? I rest my case.
  • They oughtta change Black History Month to Black Progress Month and start measuring it.
  • (in response to a caller arguing that black people need to be heard) They are 12 percent of the population. Who the hell cares?

On Spike Lee encouraging kids to skip school to see his movie Malcolm X:

  • Spike, if you're going to do that, let's complete the education experience. You should tell them that they should loot the theater, and then blow it up on their way out.
  • (Limbaugh's also used the song "Moving on Up" when talking about the first female black US senator, and has sometimes replaced ask with ax' when discussing black leaders)

To a black caller:

  • Take that bone out of your nose and call me back.

About Wesley Clark after he criticized the Clintons:


On Senator Joe McArthy:

  • He was right he just went around it in a ham-handed way.

Jesse Jackson and environmentalists:

  • [D]on't ever expect the environmentalists to go silent, just like the Reverend Jackson will never go silent. Race relations will never be, quote-unquote, "solved." It would put too many people out of business. Environmentalism will never be "fixed." It would put too many out of business.
  • Have you ever noticed how all composite pictures of wanted criminals resemble Jesse Jackson?
  • The Kerry campaign has finally gotten a chocolate chip. The Kerry campaign has announced that civil rights activist, the Reverend Jackson, has joined the campaign on Wednesday – that's today, the day before the debate. Jesse Jackson has joined the Kerry campaign.

To a caller who pointed out that Rush Limbaugh shared the view of Jesse Jackson on Gay Marriage:

  • The Reverend Jackson is like a broken clock. Even it's going to be right ONCE a day.

On drug users:

  • Kurt Cobain died of a drug-induced suicide, I just -- he was a worthless shred of human debris.
  • (on the death of Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia) Just another dead doper. And a dirt bag.
  • And we have laws against selling drugs, pushing drugs, using drugs, importing drugs. And the laws are good because we know what happens to people in societies and neighborhoods which become consumed by them. And so if people are violating the law by doing drugs, they ought to be accused and they ought to be convicted and they ought to be sent up.
  • When you strip it all away, Jerry Garcia (former Grateful Dead guitarist) destroyed his life on drugs. And yet he's being honored, like some godlike figure. Our priorities are out of whack, folks.
  • Too many whites are getting away with drug use...Too many whites are getting away with drug sales...The answer is to go out and find the ones who are getting away with it, convict them and send them up the river, too.

On the subject of AIDS:

  • And one of the things that -- that the -- the AIDS activists said regularly back then was, oh, this is only a matter of time before itspreads to the heterosexual community. It's only a matter of time. And they used that as -- as one of the weapons to try to get people like Reagan to start talking about it from their standpoint. And of course it -- it hasn't. It -- it didn't, and it hasn't, other than in Africa, and in Africa it is -- it is being spread not just by -- it -- it -- it's promiscuity that -- that -- that spreads this, if you want to know the truth. It's promiscuity. But it -- it hasn't made that jump to the heterosexual community. (June 9 2004 broadcast)

On the environment:

  • The most beautiful thing about a tree is what you do after you cut it down.
  • We have more trees in this country today than when the Declaration of Independence was written. The wackos will tell you that's impossible.
  • There are more acres of forestland in America today than when Columbus discovered the continent in 1492
  • If the owl can't adapt to the superiority of humans, screw it.
  • The Earth's eco-system is not fragile.

On the NAACP:

  • The NAACP should have riot rehearsal. They should get a liquor store and practice robberies".

On the homeless:

  • One of the things I want to do before I die is conduct the homeless olympics...the 10-metre shopping cart relay, the dumpster dig, and the hop, skip, and trip.

On feminism:

  • Feminism was established so as to allow unattractive women easier access to the mainstream of society.

On citizen service:

  • Citizen service is a repudiation of the principles upon which our country was based. We are all here for ourselves.
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External links

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