Please relate the first time that you discovered the Rush Limbaugh show (Vanity)

The Rush Limbaugh Show ^ | 2AUG18 | Vannrox

[vannrox]

In honor of the Rush Limbaugh Show reaching 30 years old today, I would like Freepers to post and collect their memories. Memories of when they first listened to the Rush Limbaugh Show, and why you kept on listening to it.

I'll start...

It was 1993. Bill Clinton was elected and he was on television, and the radio discussing his budget. He was talking about all the great plans that he had to remove man from space, end the "boondoggle" of the "Freedom " space station, and mothball the space shuttles so the money could be used "for the children". He was promoting what a great boom to the American worker that NAFTA and extended relations with China would be. He talked about how he was going to restore ethics to Washington, DC.

Every show and every radio station was gushing with praise for this man. It was sickening. The women looked like they were fawning and near fainting near him. The men was nodding vigorously and everyone was talking in excited tones about how America will lead the world by undoing Reaganism.

There was only one man who had a contrary view. That was Rush Limbaugh.

So while the rest of America praised the new America led by Clinton, and was looking forward to the new trade agreements with NAFTA and China, I was huddled in my living room, listening to Rush on the radio on a dark and stormy West Virginia night. Only Rush gave voice to how I felt.

[Skooz]

.....but he does not use his real name.

No way.

[Pelham]

I first heard Rush on San Diego’s KOGO, before he was picked up by KFI in Los Angeles. A friend on a political campaign knew of him from Sacramento and said to check him out.

That was probably 1988. LA morning talk radio was dominated by a British accented liberal on KABC named Michael Jackson, a darling of Hollywood and the national Democratic party. Jackson was a very big deal.

KFI picked up Limbaugh and ran him directly opposite Jackson. In 1997 Jackson’s 30 career came to a halt, finished off because Rush was now dominating the morning audience.

Before Rush SoCal conservatives weren’t entirely without a radio presence. Small private station KIEV featured George Putnam at noon- George was an LA newsman and friend of Ronald Reagan. In some ways Rush has never matched George Putnam. George was a driving force on passing California’s Prop 13. And more importantly George was a leader in the illegal immigration movement, more than a decade before Rush would even admit that there is any problem at all.

Both California and LA radio have changed a lot since then. The English speaking audience has been driven out of a lot of LA- Spanish language stations vie with American ones for market share. KFI dumped Rush, the guy who made KFI a talk powerhouse. Putnam died, as did Terry Anderson- KIEV was sold to the Trump despising GOPe Salem Radio group. And California continues its descent into becoming post-America.