Ranger Rick: Rush Limbaugh had tremendous impact

I was a die-hard Democrat (I voted for Jimmy Carter… twice).  Once Ronald Reagan was elected president and the improvement in the economy halfway through his first term convinced me being a conservative was much more attuned to my evolved and changed political views.  Then, in 1988, my whole world changed.

I was returning from lunch when a friend said he heard a new guy on the radio and though I would be interested in his program.  He said this guy’s name was Rush Limbaugh on WOOD-AM from noon to 3 p.m.  I forgot about it and then a few weeks later I happened to tune in after 12:00.  Finally, someone who thought like me and exemplified my beliefs in politics was speaking them to the radio world.  What a breath of fresh air!

He expressed what I believed:

• Freedom of religion.

• Limited government at both the state and federal levels.

• Support of the Constitution, especially the first and second amendments.

• Strong military – strength promotes peace.

• Strong borders with regulated immigration policy.

• Support of all law enforcement.

• The desire to have everyone be the best they can be and expand opportunity for everyone.

• The only limits to success and opportunity are on YOU, not others.

• Abortion to be rare and limited, so limited it eventually would be outlawed.

• Everyone should have a job – there is honor in work.  If you’re working you’re not getting into trouble.

• The best welfare is a paycheck from honest work.

• Be responsible for yourself and your family.

• Be a good, respectable citizen.

• Support our allies.

• Be wary of our enemies.  Trust but verify.

• Treat others with respect even when they display they don’t deserve it.

His humor was infectious, irreverent and at times shocking until you understood the point he was making.  He knew Democrats had no sense of humor and needled them relentlessly.   He loved to laugh, play a round of golf, smoke a cigar and enjoyed himself while on the air.

He hated to take time off, but he was forced to take vacation, much to his disgust with upper management.  His subs would do a credible job, but it wasn’t the same program if Rush was not at the EIB golden microphone.  He loved “open line Friday” when listeners would call in with subjects he might not be interested in, but maybe the audience would like.

When he announced his condition with lung cancer, I was shocked.  Not being tuned to the radio at 12:07 on weekdays would be hard without his voice being present.  But time moves on whether we like it or not.  We can only thank God we had him for 33 years to fight for the right, conservatives, and Republicans (not Establishment Republicans).

He came up from the middle-class and understood normal, everyday, working, Americans.  Starting in radio while in high school and establishing the spark that led to the Rush Limbaugh Show.

Contrary to what most liberals think about Rush, most if not all of the lefties never listened to his program, because if they had half a brain, they would agree with the vast majority of what he espoused.  He was called everything by the left but a nice guy — racist, homophobe, xenophobe, and every other despicable name.  Racist and sexist!  Hardly.  He employed male and female, all races to run his show.  His program manager was Bo Snerdley, an African-American.  Everyone who met him was pleasantly surprised on how humble and shy he was.

He was a huge contributor to causes he believed in.  St. Jude’s benefitted greatly from Rush’s contributions and his support for the hospital.  He flew people in his plane to get needed surgeries.  He bought presents for his family and friends that he lavished on them for holidays and birthdays.

Homophobe?  Really?  Elton John sang at his wedding and he considered Rush a great friend and humorous man.

Xenophobe? Nope.  All he wanted was for people to honor the country by coming in legally.  Is that too much to ask?  And once you were a citizen to love the country as your own, because it was.

He wanted each person to be the best they could be in whatever avenue of endeavor they pursued.  Be a good citizen, support your family, and love your country.  Nothing more, nothing less.  And never, ever, quit moving forward, learning and improving.

As he said, “Talent on loan from God” was not demeaning, he really believed he was granted talent from God to do what he was doing – helping people help themselves, making them happy, making them believe in themselves and others.

Not a tough concept, but liberals would tie themselves up in knots listening to his verbiage during the program.  “Mega-dittos” the listeners uttered didn’t mean they always agreed with him.  They said that to get to their subject but let him know they agreed with a previous caller or what he said in replying to a previous caller(s).

As usual, liberals were off on a tangent thinking all callers were robots and saying “mega-dittos” as a call sign, a subliminal message.  What a joke, and it was on them.  Because when they said crazy stuff, you know they never listened to the program.

Rush, thank you for the great 33 years of teaching, instructing, explaining how liberals think and how they operate to make the American people think they are the party of the people.  They are really masters of keeping minorities on Uncle Sam’s plantation, voting for Democrats, and brainwashing them and union members to think they must vote Democrat.

Democrats can’t and won’t lead, they just keep making your life miserable.  More taxes (have you ever heard of a Democrat saying we need to cut government), more war, more treasure, more foreign aid, less and less for America.

We understand the worst lines anyone can hear is, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” The federal and some state governments do anything but.  Why is it if you lie to the federal government it is a felony but when the government lies to the people it is politics?

As an example: One subject the American people are disturbed (I was about to say pissed off, but I thought better of it) is the Second Amendment and the Democrats insistence of weakening it or eliminating it entirely.  Read the summary of House of Representatives HR127 and you will see what I mean.  You, the law-abiding citizens, are the enemy of the state – not the criminal!

The rotting of America from within continues…. in earnest!