He has more recently substituted for other shows, but not Limbaugh's. Has so far only sub-hosted one episode (July 17, 2008). Jed Babbin Editor-in-chief of the online version of Human Events. Matt Drudge and Jason Lewis), but are still used very rarely. Premiere hosts are technically exempt from this (e.g. He lives in Utica.By general rule, a person who currently has a national radio show on a network other than Premiere is not eligible to substitute host on the program. Roy Senn is a retired Department of Defense systems analyst. In Trump's world, understanding and truth don't even bear consideration. In Trump we have an individual who carries forth Limbaugh-style rhetoric from the most visible pulpit in the world, not reconciling but deepening the divisiveness in our nation. Limbaugh's ultimate legacy is perhaps the election of Donald J. ![]() ![]() In 1996 he launched FOX News, a television venue for the far right political messages then dominating talk radio. These ventures did not go unnoticed by Rupert Murdoch, an Australian publisher who had made millions selling newspapers emphasizing crime, sex, and scandal. Not to be left out of these ill-gained profits, these media giants used their holdings to push the extreme conservative narrative to markets throughout the nation. Gone was community-oriented programming, now replaced by canned programming and voices from distant cities. Complicit in this was a concurrent rise of media conglomerates such as Sinclair Broadcast Group, Town Square media, and iHeart Communications which had purchased broadcast stations throughout the nation. Because of this a whole army of Limbaugh copycats materialized to claim a piece of the action: Beck, Hannity, Ingrahm, and O'Reilly, to name just a few. It is that inventing enemies and giving voice to people's worst instincts is highly profitable. Limbaugh made a discovery that ultimately drove a wedge deep into American society. Sadly, Limbaugh's biggest fans are those who benefit most from the government services that he attacks so vehemently. But perhaps the most destructive to the spirit of the nation is his implication that the US government is an entity threatening individual freedom rather than a framework for democracy. In this fabricated world, Walter Cronkite, once called the most trusted man in television, was a dangerous liberal. Another brands traditional network programming as leftist. One is that any government program intended to provide opportunity for all citizens is surely a path to communist-style socialism. If a Democrat had saved a child from a raging river, it would be explained as a political trick, but if a Republican made a similar rescue, he would be lionized as an example of conservative heroism.īesides those dastardly liberals, there are numerous other fear-invoking themes that Limbaugh relies on. ![]() Since he was freed from the Fairness Doctrine, he is able to cherry-pick news items only supporting his views. Callers are vetted to assure that their points will pave the way for another Limbaugh diatribe. His radio program is a call-in format, but it is all about his performance. ![]() Limbaugh espouses conservative principles, but he goes much further, implying that liberals are not just wrong, but enemies of the state. This swung the doors wide open for anyone to exploit the media to say what they pleased, even if only a half-truth or an outright lie. In 1987 during the Reagan administration, the Fairness Doctrine was revoked by the FCC Commission. People had never heard anyone as persuasive as Limbaugh and they bought into his commentary as the gospel truth. He is adept at giving life to the doubts, fears, mistrust, and anger that many without voice harbor about US social and political institutions. His limited education serves him well as he is able to make ideological pronouncements without regard for the many nuances surrounding complex subjects. At the height of his influence, his voice was blaring out from AM radios in every dusty corner, and his fans were even suggesting that he run for president. On first impression he could very well be a neighbor that you have chatted with over your back fence. Limbaugh, a college dropout, is an extremely charismatic and convincing speaker. It is a chasm that we may not be able to bridge for decades, if ever. Rush Limbaugh does not get enough credit for there is no one more responsible for the great political chasm that now divides our nation.
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