"I don't believe our darkest days are ahead of us. I never have."
I'm a recent fan of Rush Limbaugh. His daily radio show always aired while I was at work, so I only heard random clips of his broadcasts. I know his legendary history, how more than 30 years ago Rush took the dying medium of AM radio and rebuilt it, single-handedly, into the conservative talk show juggernaut that now permeates the airwaves. I enjoyed many of his clever phrases, such as "drive by media." But I must confess my favorite was "Plugs" for Joe Biden.
Just a few years ago, on a weekend drive, I stumbled upon his station's replay of the "Best of Rush." It was a compilation of show clips from the preceding week. I listened whenever I could catch the show during my Saturday travels and quickly became addicted to his clear, insightful, often caustically humorous analysis of current events. I was glad when President Trump awarded him the Medal of Freedom. Rush unabashedly loved our country; he fiercely defended and promoted it in every broadcast.
Since March 2020, when Covid altered my work schedule to three days of working from home, I've been listening to conservative talk radio throughout the day. That is how Rush's show at last became a daily fixture in my day. He had already been diagnosed with terminal cancer, so I'm grateful I was able listen during his last months. I so admired his dedication to continuing his show. The man had enormous courage as well as remarkable intelligence and also, as he described it, "talent on loan from God."
Many of his millions of fans are feeling devastated. I understand; I feel bereft myself, and I haven't been listening to him for decades as so many of them have. A favorite radio host does become akin to family. The excellent and honest ones share so much of themselves and their life with their listeners, as Rush did every day. Although purely auditory, the relationship grows personal and intimate.
The death of Rush Limbaugh leaves a gaping void in the airwaves of conservative talk radio. His silenced voice an is insurmountable loss; no one can replace him. I hope in time there will emerge a voice strong enough to carry on for the "talent on loan from God"--now safely returned to its Owner.
