How has Rush Limbaugh, never one to hold back, lasted for 25 years?
How to wish a 鈥渉appy 25th anniversary鈥� to one of the most polarizing figures on the American political scene today?
Maybe we should explore his staying power and outsize influence over national discourse.
First, the numbers themselves tell a tale. To the head-knocking disbelief of some and jubilance of others, 鈥�The Rush Limbaugh Show鈥� marks a quarter century this week. The conservative instigator is heard on 600 stations by a whopping 20 million people a week, according to a release issued by Premiere Networks.
And brace yourselves, Democrats, the Missouri native has spent more than 1,304 weeks 鈥� or 9,131 days or 219,144 hours 鈥� as 鈥淎merica鈥檚 Anchorman,鈥� the statement indicates. Two-term presidents spend only 416 weeks in office.
We鈥檙e guessing Tom Brokaw, Dan Rather, and a host of other on-air personalities 鈥�- some from beyond the grave (Walter Cronkite, perhaps) 鈥� might quibble with the characterization. But why has Mr. Limbaugh lasted so long, despite the charged tenor of his talk?
Limbaugh is the original modern partisan scold, drawing frenzied devotion among like-minded friends and fear and loathing among foes, even from those in his own party. To supporters who like what he鈥檚 peddling, Limbaugh is a truth teller. He rails against progressive causes and figures, and those GOP officials he views as subpar.
He never holds back in the interest of decorum. The more inflammatory, enraging, or quotable, the better. Disgusting to many, a hero to others.
Usually unapologetic, there are some instances when Limbaugh strides so far over any line of propriety that he鈥檚 pushed to walk back his remarks. But the act of him copping to his misstatements only reinforces his powerful place in the national conversation. If he didn鈥檛 matter, no one would call for his 鈥淚鈥檓 sorry.鈥�
One example of the power of Limbaugh鈥檚 wide-ranging sway came just last year. In the heat of a national conversation of government funding for reproductive health care, Limbaugh鈥檚 declaration that Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke was a 鈥渟lut鈥� and a 鈥減rostitute鈥� for using birth control catapulted her to a prime-time speaking slot at the 2012 Democratic National Convention. President Obama called the young woman, who had testified before Congress and had urged that insurance cover contraception, to register his support. Limbaugh, facing pressure from advertisers, was forced to issue a reluctant apology.
The breadth of his reach has even prompted powerful figures in his party to kowtow to him. Recall when President George H.W. Bush, locked in a tough 1992 reelection fight and having alienated conservatives after reneging on his pledge not to raise taxes, worked to woo Limbaugh (and by extension his base) by inviting him to the White House for a sleepover. The president even .
Though the sphere of cable and radio chatterboxes has grown wider, and consumers can choose other outlets from which to ingest their daily partisan blather, Limbaugh remains. He has captivated the conservative base. The CNN story marking Limbaugh鈥檚 25 years : 鈥淎t 25, Limbaugh show still rules GOP.鈥�
One analysis of Limbaugh suggests he employs a disc jockey鈥檚 鈥渂ag of tricks鈥� to skewer politicians.
鈥淟imbaugh鈥檚 use of comedy and irony and showmanship are integral to his modus operandi, the judo by which he draws in his opponents and then uses their own force to up-end them,鈥� in Commentary. 鈥淎nd unless you make an effort to hear voices outside the echo chamber of the mainstream media, you won鈥檛 have any inkling of what Limbaugh is all about or of how widely his reach and appeal extend.鈥�
The only reason Limbaugh isn鈥檛 an even bigger deal is that he鈥檚 鈥渟pawned so many imitators,鈥� Mr. McClay suggests.
Although Limbaugh鈥檚 star dimmed during the eight years when President George W. Bush was in office and conservatives parted ways on many of his foreign and domestic policies, there came a rebirth with Obama鈥檚 election. A new purpose.
the four-times-married Limbaugh as 37th on its list of the world鈥檚 100 most powerful celebrities. The college dropout will take home $66 million this year alone, according to the magazine.
That鈥檚 certainly enough coin to buy his own anniversary cake. And there鈥檚 a loyal segment of the country鈥檚 conservatives who would probably be thrilled to join him for a slice and a toast.
