Trump is the Rush Limbaugh candidate for President
VIA SBINSIDER ANALYSIS\OPINION| October 12th, 2024
In 1988, a voice was heard across America with a message and style that was unique and compelling radio, especially for conservatives. Rush Limbaugh had bounced around in different jobs but always returned to his passion, radio. From a disc jockey in the Midwest, he made his big breakthrough was in Sacramento. The end of the “Fairness Doctrine” by Ronald Reagan allowed TV and Radio stations to present controversial topics without being compelled to opposing sides. So, Pablum radio was out and Talk Radio was born.
Limbaugh has his imitators on radio but nobody has even come close to his influence or reach.
Rush built a solid audience in Sacramento and was heard by Ed McLaughlin who offered him a syndication contract centered in New York city and he was on his way. By the time he died in 2012, he was the leading voice of the conservative movement, a millionaire and friends with many celebrities, one in particular was Donald Trump. Their careers in media took off in paralell and upon his death, CNN posted this observation:
It’s not too much to say that without Rush Limbaugh, there might never been a President Donald Trump. Limbaugh didn’t create Trump. But he provided as sort of broad ideological framework for Trump to fit his own ideas into. And even more importantly, Limbaugh spent decades sowing distrust with the media and savaging Democrats in deeply personal terms – moves that provided fertile ground for the appeals Trump eventually rode to the White House.
Like Limbaugh’s followers nicknamed “dittoheads”, Trump’s followers are as loyal and forgiving of those statements he makes that by any other public figure, might be disqualifying. After he left office in 2021, his fans did not diminish appreciably and then rebounded when the lawfare campaign against him started. Like the Greek God Antaeus, every time he is knocked down, he regains his strength and now is on the brink of being the only President since Grover Cleveland to be re-elected to a 2nd non-consecutive term of office.