Conservatives should be gratified to know that nearly two years since the late-great Rush Limbaugh’s tragic passing, he is still getting under the leftist media’s skin. On CBS Sunday Morning, senior national correspondent Jim Axelrod brought on pseudo-historian and talk radio hater Brian Rosenwald to smear the greatest radio host of all time, Rush Limbaugh, as well as the conservative talk radio industry that he spawned.
"35 years after the talk radio revolution, on the air is still often an exercise in off the rails," Axelrod falsely sneered as if the venomous cretins at MSNBC don't exist. He then introduced Rosenwald as "an industry expert," and asked him if talk radio has been "any different than it’s been the last two or three decades."
"If anything, Jim, I think it's more extreme," Rosenwald responded without explaining how conservative talk radio is "extreme." He didn't explain because he knows it's not.
"Following the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine in 1987, broadcasters were no longer required to present both sides of controversial political issues," Axelrod cried before adding: "which ushered in Rush Limbaugh's polarizing and immensely popular style that attracted 15 million listeners a week who felt dominant media outlets had a liberal bias."
Rosenwald whined that talk radio "has unquestionably divided Americans. It has unquestionably hardened our politics."
He didn't explain how the left having a complete monopoly on the media is not considered divisive, but when Rush Limbaugh came along and gave half the country a voice for the first time, that was divisive.
Axelrod then asked Rosenwald "how is that good for America?" In response, he whined: "It's not! It’s bad for America."
Interviewing the publisher of Talkers Magazine, Michael Harrison, Axelrod sat there as Harrison said with a straight face that "if we could have on the liberal side what we have on the conservative side, the talk radio industry would be better. Free speech would be better served. And the nation would be better served."
Harrison must've forgotten Air America which was the left's answer to Rush Limbaugh and conservative talk radio. He can be forgiven since Air America was an abysmal failure and didn't last long before filing for bankruptcy.
Axelrod also asked "why is there never a liberal Rush Limbaugh?" Rosenwald claimed that the left's answer to Rush Limbaugh and talk radio is the late-night "comedy" shows. "I think Jon Stewart has been every bit of a trailblazer as Rush Limbaugh was. And he happened to colonize late-night comedy. Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel most of the late-night comics lean left at this point."
This is obviously comical since the left is even failing in the late-night ratings to the new king of late-night Greg Gutfeld.
Axelrod and Rosenwald are obviously jealous of Rush Limbaugh's success. They know that they don't have anyone and never will have anyone who comes close to the influence and popularity that Rush Limbaugh had in American culture and politics.
Their heroes will be forgotten once they're gone. Rush Limbaugh will never be forgotten and his influence lives within every young conservative in media or the conservative movement.
Atlanta conservative radio host Neal Boortz once called Rush Limbaugh the "Babe Ruth of talk radio". With all due respect to Boortz, that is understating Rush's influence. Babe Ruth was the greatest Baseball player of all time, but he didn't invent the sport.
Rush Limbaugh invented nationally syndicated conservative talk radio when nobody thought it would be successful. Not only that but he stayed number one for over 32 years. Ending his long career with his biggest audience ever of over 43 million listeners.
In 32 years nobody will remember who hosted CBS Sunday Morning. You can't say the same about Rush Limbaugh.
This nasty smear of Rush Limbaugh and conservative talk radio was made possible by Fidelity. Their information is linked.
To read the transcript click "expand":
CBS Sunday Morning
10/16/2022
10:11:38 a.m. EasternJIM AXELROD: 35 years after the talk radio revolution, on the air is still often an exercise in off the rails.
[...]
AXELROD: Brian Rosenwald is an industry expert. In 2022's America, what's the nature of talk radio? Is it any different than it’s been the last two or three decades?
BRIAN ROSENWALD: If anything, Jim, I think it's more extreme.
AXELROD: Following the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine in 1987, broadcasters were no longer required to present both sides of controversial political issues.
RUSH LIMBAUGH: There's simply no way Joe Biden was legitimately elected president.
AXELROD: Which ushered in Rush Limbaugh's polarizing and immensely popular style that attracted 15 million listeners a week who felt dominant media outlets had a liberal bias.
ROSENWALD: And I think over that long span, it has unquestionably divided Americans. It has unquestionably hardened our politics.
DANA LOESCH: If Democrats can't rob you, the next best thing is to convince you that you are being robbed.
AXELROD: And how is that good for America?
ROSENWALD: It's not! It’s bad for America.
MICHAEL HARRISON: We are facing a cultural crisis.
AXELROD: Michael Harrison is the publisher of Talkers Magazine. The industry bible.
MICHAEL HARRISON: If we could have on the liberal side what we have on the conservative side, the talk radio industry would be better. Free speech would be better served. And the nation would be better served.
AXELROD: It's not that liberals haven't mounted a counterattack, they just chose another battlefield. Why is there never a liberal Rush Limbaugh?
ROSENWALD: I think they’ve gone into other areas. I think Jon Stewart has been every bit of a trailblazer as Rush Limbaugh was. And he happened to colonize late-night comedy. Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel most of the late-night comics lean left at this point.
AXELROD: Which is why more than three decades after Limbaugh weaponized talk radio for the right, liberals remained outmanned and outgunned. On the list of Talker’s Magazine top ten most popular talk radio hosts, all ten are conservative. While the vitriol all flows in both directions these days, on commercial radio, the one part of the dial that is liberal turf—
NPR HOST: This is All Things Considered
AXELROD: Public radio attracts big numbers. Though it's relatively restrained compared to the intense competition for listeners on commercial radio that's creating ever more extreme approaches to attracting listeners.
