This week Rush Limbaugh announced that he has advanced-stage lung cancer. Obviously, it is sad news whenever anyone is diagnosed with any form of cancer. It’s particularly sad for me and other conservative commentators because Rush is the man that started it all. Conservative commentators all look at Rush as an inspiration. He has the reach and the influence that guys like me and Dan Bongino and Michael Knowles aspire to have. Rush Limbaugh is an icon in the conservative movement broadly and conservative talk radio in particular. He is the best political commentator in the business on either side of the aisle.
I remember watching Rush on TV when I was in high school. I was pretty politically aware even then. I lived through the Carter presidency. I remember the stagflation, gas shortages and the terrible economy. I remember my parents being happy when Ronald Reagan got elected and I remember how much better my parents were financially after that. That experience predisposed me to conservatism at an early age. Although I was politically aware, it didn’t play a huge part in my daily life as a high schooler. I do remember watching him and listening to him on the radio and thinking that this guy is funny and makes a lot of sense. And he continued to entertain and educate over the next 30+ years.
Rush has had some missteps along the way and has made some statements that while not wrong, could have been articulated better. Some of them he has admitted to saying and has apologized. Many of the things that he is accused of saying by people who call him a racist is either taken out of context or can’t be cited in any transcript or recording. I also doubt anyone who is making these accusations has ever actually listened to his show. Nevertheless, I think he would be the first one to tell you that anyone who speaks for hours on end for a living is going to say some things that they wish they could take back.
None of that, however, justifies the reaction from the left. A number of blue checkmark Twitterati posted some of the most vile, repugnant reactions of jubilation in reaction to the news. Can you imagine if a prominent leftist announced a serious illness and Rush Limbaugh or Dana Loesch or Ben Shapiro reacted in such a revolting way? Cancel culture would go into overdrive to attack those people with a level of intensity matched only by their disinterest in the reaction Rush’s cancer announcement.
He was just awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom during the State Of The Union address. The announcement of his cancer diagnosis is a blow to the industry that he is largely responsible for building. Stage 4 cancer is a tough battle to fight, but there are several generations of conservatives who are wishing him well and sending up prayers that he beats it.