He elevated conservative media into a coequal branch of party politics, and pioneered a style of rhetoric, argument, and entertainment that would come to define conservative politics.” - Political historian Nicole Hemmer “Rush Limbaugh radically transformed the Republican Party. Limbaugh turned right-wing media into a force that shaped today’s GOP “He gave millions of listeners a voice and, for many conservatives, his radio program was the first time that they had heard their views expressed in such a public and uncompromising way, revealing that they were not alone in their beliefs.” - Becket Adams, Washington Examiner He brought millions of forgotten Americans into politics The conservatism we have is the conservatism they have forged.” - MSNBC host Chris Hayes “I think Newt Gingrich, Rush Limbaugh and Donald Trump are three of the five most important and influential conservative figures in American life over the past three decades. He is one of the most influential figures in modern conservative politics You can track the trajectory of the rise and the derangement of the conservative movement by tracking Limbaugh.” - Bulwark editor-at-large Charlie Sykes to Daily Beast “You cannot overstate the influence of Rush Limbaugh in what has happened to American conservatism. Limbaugh helped radicalize the Republican Party He defines an era.” - Matthew Continetti, National Review Rush Limbaugh is not just a talk show host. “The American right has been molded in his anti-elitist, grassroots, demotic, irreverent, patriotic, hard-charging image.
Limbaugh’s belief system has become the core ethos of modern conservatism He demonstrated the electoral potency of white resentment and pushed the Republican Party further into adversarial politics and performative outrage, they say.
Limbaugh’s detractors see him as the forefather of a modern right-wing media that is defined by cultural grievance, tribalism and conspiratorial thinking. By speaking about issues they cared about, in a style that felt familiar, Limbaugh turned his listeners into a potent political force that transformed American conservatism - and by extension, the country - for the better, they argue. In the eyes of his fans on the right, Limbaugh gave voice to a previously ignored group of working-class Americans who had been left out of the political conversation. He also played a critical role in the Republican Party’s evolution from the Ronald Reagan era - when issues like taxes and government spending were top of mind - to a modern GOP that puts greater emphasis on cultural controversies. Limbaugh was the key figure in establishing the industry of talk radio and he pioneered the personality-driven news format that now dominates cable news, media experts say. While there are profound differences of opinion over whether Limbaugh’s career should be lauded or loathed, there’s near-universal agreement that he had a substantial impact on the shape of American politics. He also occasionally promoted conspiracy theories including lies about Barack Obama’s birthplace, unscientific claims about the dangers of the coronavirus, and baseless accusations of election fraud in the 2020 election. Limbaugh’s unapologetic, bombastic style - a major element of his appeal to conservative listeners - was often couched in racism, sexism and homophobia. The former president called Limbaugh a “legend” and a “great man” during a Fox News interview on the night of Limbaugh’s death. Limbaugh was an early supporter of Donald Trump’s presidential candidacy and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Trump last year. He was a staunch defender of Republican presidents and a scathing critic of Democrats. Over the course of the next two and a half decades, Limbaugh helped set the rhetorical agenda for the conservative right. His commentary played such a significant role in helping the GOP take control of the House of Representatives in 1994 that the party named him an honorary member of its caucus.
Through his syndicated radio show, which was first broadcast to national audiences in 1988, Limbaugh established himself as a singular voice in American media and grew to hold a powerful influence over the Republican Party. Rush Limbaugh, the conservative radio host who was a major force in right-wing media for more than 30 years, died Wednesday of lung cancer at the age of 70.
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