It would take a year to list all of the things Rush Limbaugh did for right-wingers in this country, so let’s just go with my favorite: He instilled in us the truth that not only is it OK to be hated by liberals in the national media, but it can be fun!
Before Limbaugh, few things were more terrifying in American politics than being hated by journalists and TV anchors in New York and Washington. He turned it into a game that he relished, and his fans adored him for it.
The dynamism and vibrancy of the conservative media landscape are taken for granted today. But it only exists because Limbaugh proved that it doesn’t matter if the New York Times and everyone at the then-three major networks hates you. If your voice is popular with millions of others who stand with you, there’s nothing to be afraid of.
Every conservative in the media who has the confidence to say what he believes and defend it with zeal owes it to Limbaugh.
He died on Wednesday after a battle with lung cancer, but the courage he inspired on the Right will last forever.
