by Marlin Bressi

Created on: February 28, 2009

Whether you are a liberal or a conservative, you cannot deny the fact that Rush Limbaugh is the very pillar of talk radio. Why else do you suppose that Democrats are in a mad dash to reinstate the "Fairness Doctrine"? The very idea of using government regulation in order to mandatorily present contrasting liberal viewpoints on talk radio is a testament to Limbaugh's success. After all, when was the last time you heard conservatives demanding federal legislation in order to put more right-wingers on CNN or MSNBC?

The reason why Limbaugh is such an iconic figure is because he has the ability to illicit a strong emotional response among his listeners. Either you love him or you hate him. This ability translates well into talk radio, a medium whose sustenance depends upon a never-ending discourse of political and social rhetoric. If everyone in America agreed with Limbaugh, or if everyone in America disagreed with Limbaugh, his show would be a failure.

On the air since 1988, The Rush Limbaugh Show is credited with reviving AM radio, which had been steadily going the way of the dinosaur for several decades. Over twenty years later, Limbaugh's show is the highest-rated talk radio show in America, stirring the ire of liberal Democrats everywhere and making Limbaugh the target of leftist angst. This angst only stokes the fire, allowing Limbaugh's flame to burn even brighter. The more he is targeted by the left, the more popular he becomes.

Nearly 600 radio stations carry Limbaugh's program, bringing the conservative ideologue to millions of listeners worldwide. This is further evidence of Rush's radio superiority. In fact, one would be hard pressed to name any other personality who has had such a major impact on the medium of talk radio. Were it not for Limbaugh, AM radio would be either dead or in critical condition; a hiding place on the radio dial for classical music aficionados and paid programming for some miracle colon-cleansing health supplement.

The Rush Limbaugh Show has also impacted popular culture. He is the originator of the term "drive-by media", which has been adopted by nearly every conservative commentator in order to describe mainstream news media. In the early 1990's, Limbaugh also brought the term "Feminazis" into the American lexicon, as well as "Gorbasm". His coinage of the word "Porkulus", which refers to the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, is now a popular term used by many conservative pundits.

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