# Rush Limbaugh, you are dead to us **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 17, 2021, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-limbaugh-you-are-dead-to-us/933143 "2021-02-17T17:41:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-limbaugh-you-are-dead-to-us/933143/242 "2021-02-19T17:49:19Z")
**“Morally, Ethically, Spiritually, Physically, Positively, Absolutely, Undeniably and Reliably Dead”** [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kPIdRJlzERo/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGHIgWyg5MA8=&rs=AOn4CLCrCJGA6kreKIjvvxirEjrbfBugzw "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPIdRJlzERo) ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-limbaugh-you-are-dead-to-us/933143/243 "2021-02-19T19:26:42Z")
This thread made me seek out [David Foster Wallace’s take](https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2005/04/host/303812/) on Limbaugh: > Limbaugh is the third great progenitor of today’s political talk radio partly because he’s a host of extraordinary, once-in-a-generation talent and charisma—bright, loquacious, witty, complexly authoritative—whose show’s blend of news, entertainment, and partisan analysis became the model for legions of imitators. But he was also the first great promulgator of the Mainstream Media’s Liberal Bias idea. This turned out to be a brilliantly effective rhetorical move, since the MMLB concept functioned simultaneously as a standard around which Rush’s audience could rally, as an articulation of the need for right-wing (i.e., unbiased) media, and as a mechanism by which any criticism or refutation of conservative ideas could be dismissed (either as biased or as the product of indoctrination by biased media). Boiled way down, the MMLB thesis is able both to exploit and to perpetuate many conservatives’ dissatisfaction with extant media sources—and it’s this dissatisfaction that cements political talk radio’s large and loyal audience. Nailed it, AFAIC. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-limbaugh-you-are-dead-to-us/933143/244 "2021-02-19T20:27:19Z")
I don’t think Limbaugh was all that talented when it came to talk radio. His real talent was stirring shit and pissing people off; talk radio is just the obvious medium for that. Look what happened to him when he got a job doing NFL commentary and he thought he’d stir some shit - “Randall Cunningham is only a QB because people were desirous of a black quarterback.” Fired inside of a week or so. He was a buffoon and AM radio is a haven for buffoons. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-limbaugh-you-are-dead-to-us/933143/245 "2021-02-19T20:33:30Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > I had a similar “relationship” with Rush. > > I was raised pretty conservative, never had any reason to question or doubt that people with an R next to their name were the good guys, and the people with the D were the bad guys. That reminds me a bit of myself. I remember my Dad listening to Rush when I was a kid; he even had a couple of his books. Then…Dad stopped listening. He never said why, but it was around the late '90s or so that I noticed the radios weren’t tuned to the talk station anymore. Dad remained a registered Republican up until the time of his death, but he was growing increasingly frustrated – and, at times, disgusted – with how much the party was becoming wrapped up in religious trappings and social issues. (My mom was never really interested in politics until 2016, when she suddenly became a very vocal Democrat.) So yeah, good riddance to Rush, but too late for most. He and his media successors played a large part in making a political identity out of being ignorant and offensive. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-limbaugh-you-are-dead-to-us/933143/246 "2021-02-19T21:37:30Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > he got a job doing NFL commentary and he thought he’d stir some shit - “Randall Cunningham is only a QB because people were desirous of a black quarterback.” Fired inside of a week or so. It was Donovan McNabb. [https://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/10/02/limbaugh/](https://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/10/02/limbaugh/) ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-limbaugh-you-are-dead-to-us/933143/247 "2021-02-19T21:55:49Z")
Oh yeah, I forgot. Shoulda looked it up. By the way, I have no idea how long it took them to fire him either. ---
**Author:** ![BrickBat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-limbaugh-you-are-dead-to-us/933143/248 "2021-02-19T22:15:51Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > _Nitpick_ : he exploited the expiration of the Fairness Doctrine, which required that opposing views be aired if a TV or radio station ventured into opinion. But the Fairness Doctrine did **not** require equal time for those views. He bragged often about allowing opposing views, but that claim was specious as hell. A dissenting caller was allowed to make a statement, and RL would knock it down with a blatant strawman argument, and said caller never gets the opportunity to counter-reply, let alone call him out on distorting what the caller originally said. He _did_ at least admit that the purpose of taking caller’s calls was to make him look good. I remember reading something where somebody who used to be one of his call screener ( under the pseudonym ‘Snerdly’ ) pickets said he was told, after interviewing prospective callers who wished to voice opposition to RL, to allow only the most vague and/or inarticulately stated opinions. > [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#): > > Rush would make a statement, and then spend a hour circling it, getting near it, brushing up against it, all the while outraged, but not doing much to support his statement. He was a master of talking and talking and not saying anything. And the ad breaks, so many ad breaks! Between talking and not saying anything, and all the ad breaks, I think it made it easier for him to not have to properly support his claims. After enough time passed, you’d forget that he still needed to, and you’d just accept what he said as true. Great observation, especially the first two sentences. There were times here and there he’d begin to pontificate, and in doing so would say something that reminded himself of something else, go off on to that tangent, and never get to the meat of what the hell he was originally trying to say. He was full of object lessons of sorts, telling some BS sermon that for most of the time was to exhort the sheep to take up with the wolves in support of trickle-down ( supply-side ) economics, the “free market”, and the “right to work” ( for less ). The ads and ad breaks were numerous, and tedious as hell. Worse were the constant song parodies he no doubt used for airtime filler. Most of them were lame and predictable: the “verses” being a string of right-wing talking points word salad set to made-up, spectacularly melody-free “music”. A 2 minute long “nya nya NYA NYA nya” to tweak the liberals while he took a dump. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-limbaugh-you-are-dead-to-us/933143/249 "2021-02-19T22:35:54Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > I don’t think Limbaugh was all that talented when it came to talk radio. His real talent was stirring shit and pissing people off; talk radio is just the obvious medium for that. Look what happened to him when he got a job doing NFL commentary and he thought he’d stir some shit - “Randall Cunningham is only a QB because people were desirous of a black quarterback.” Fired inside of a week or so. > > He was a buffoon and AM radio is a haven for buffoons. Let’s give him credit for being a good sport for Seth McFarlane: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/BGSYpHo2l2I/hqdefault.jpg "Family Guy Star Wars Rush Limbaugh Radio Scene") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGSYpHo2l2I) ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-limbaugh-you-are-dead-to-us/933143/250 "2021-02-19T23:00:44Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > By the way, I have no idea how long it took them to fire him either. He made the comments on Sunday. The uproar was so great that he quit on Wednesday evening…before they could fire him. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-limbaugh-you-are-dead-to-us/933143/251 "2021-02-19T23:47:52Z")
How deep into the gig was he when he made the comment? ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-limbaugh-you-are-dead-to-us/933143/252 "2021-02-19T23:56:28Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > How deep into the gig was he when he made the comment It happened on 9/28/2003. I think he had been on the show since the start of the season, so 4 to 6 weeks, perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2021, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-limbaugh-you-are-dead-to-us/933143/253 "2021-02-20T02:08:50Z")
Were I to believe in an after life, I would think that things are rather warm for Limbaugh at this point. His biography should be entitled, “Telling Lies and Spreading Hate for Profit”. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2021, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-limbaugh-you-are-dead-to-us/933143/254 "2021-02-20T04:01:18Z")
> [@Guest-starring\_Id](#): > > Hasn’t he always been, though? > [@OttoDaFe](#): > > But this time he’s _really_ dead. > [@Ludovic](#): > > He’s most sincerely dead. But, but…I feel happy, I feel happy, I- _UGH_ And then, to seal’er: > [@Guest-starring\_Id](#): > > (just a whole lot really freaking dead now 😃) > [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > I don’t think Limbaugh was all that talented when it came to talk radio. His real talent was stirring shit and pissing people off; talk radio is just the obvious medium for that. Look what happened to him when he got a job doing NFL commentary and he thought he’d stir some shit - “Randall Cunningham is only a QB because people were desirous of a black quarterback.” Fired inside of a week or so. > > He was a buffoon and AM radio is a haven for buffoons Couple days after the McNabb thing [he had these](https://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/01/sports/football/limbaugh-quits-job-on-pregame-show.html) _bon mots:_ > [@](#): > > “All this has become the tempest that it is because I must have been right about something,” Limbaugh said. “If I wasn’t right, there wouldn’t be this cacophony of outrage that has sprung up in the sports writer community.” Oh that outraged sportswriter community! Poor, _poor_ Presidential Medal of Freedom honoree! 😥 I feel so, so, aggrieved! ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2021, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-limbaugh-you-are-dead-to-us/933143/255 "2021-02-20T06:06:25Z")
I doubt they realize it breaks the links, as it wouldn’t on vBulletin. That genuinely sounds like a bug, specifically for the reason you stated. A moved post should redirect, or at least leave a placeholder to link to a new location. > [@JohnT](#): > > Mods, believe it or not, some of us _do_ promote this place and when you break our links that just makes our work harder. If I were you, I’d mention it in Site Issues. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2021, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-limbaugh-you-are-dead-to-us/933143/256 "2021-02-20T06:29:06Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I doubt they realize it breaks the links, as it wouldn’t on vBulletin. I for one was not aware of the issue. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2021, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-limbaugh-you-are-dead-to-us/933143/257 "2021-02-20T11:04:33Z")
_Rush Limbaugh died. I was once a big fan! His passing inspired me to bang out 1,300 words._ [https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-limbaugh-has-died/933140/93?u=johnt](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-limbaugh-has-died/933140/93) Broken. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2021, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-limbaugh-you-are-dead-to-us/933143/258 "2021-02-20T14:30:07Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > If I were you, I’d mention it in Site Issues. Done. > [@Links are broken when threads are merged](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/links-are-broken-when-threads-are-merged/933349): > > Sent the following link about 40-odd times to various people, tweets, LinkedIn messages, etc. Because the thread was merged, the link is now broken: [https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-limbaugh-has-died/933140/93?u=johnt](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-limbaugh-has-died/933140/93) The new link is: So I don’t know if y’all have the ability to see if people are linking to the page, but if you can, and you see that badges are being earned for sharing, don’t merge the threads. I mean, we could have handled a week with 3 Limbaugh threads, to be honest.… ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2021, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-limbaugh-you-are-dead-to-us/933143/259 "2021-02-20T23:23:16Z")
FUCK YOU, Rush Limbaugh. The day you died was one of the happiest days of my life. I did a little happy dance upon hearing the news. It is sadly regretful that Hell does not really exist, because there would be a prime spot in it reserved for you. I can only be comforted with the hope that you suffered mightily and lengthily before you did mankind the favor of exiting. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2021, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-limbaugh-you-are-dead-to-us/933143/260 "2021-02-22T02:14:05Z")
[Florida flags to be at half-staff for Limbaugh funeral.](https://apnews.com/article/us-news-florida-rush-limbaugh-ron-desantis-df371f77af360e810142c1da90fbfe6f) Gag a fucking goat. ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2021, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-limbaugh-you-are-dead-to-us/933143/261 "2021-02-22T02:18:54Z")
Makes me wish I lived in Florida. So I could set up a flag pole adjacent to the cemetery. Does the WBC still show up to funerals? This’d be a good one for them to target… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-limbaugh-you-are-dead-to-us/933143.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-limbaugh-you-are-dead-to-us/933143.md?page=14)