Limbaugh Rush

American author and talk show host, considered by the political left as "the most dangerous man in America" with his ridicule of liberals. He started his national radio show with 56 stations in 1982 and slowly grew in massive popularity in the next decade. By March 1994, over 634 radio stations carried his show, plus some overseas. His late night talk show ran from September 1992 until 1996, when it was canceled. He took calls on his show but never guests as any noted person might deflect attention from himself. He went from a fat, powerless, lonely little boy to a big fat boy worth $25 million and with the power to influence national elections. His first book, "The Way Things Ought To Be," was published in September 1992 and sold over 2.4 million copies. His second book, "See I Told You So," released in 1993, had a record first printing of two million, which sold out in two years. From October 1992 he also published the "Limbaugh Letter." The older of two sons born to an attorney and a Republican committeewoman, Rush developed a flair for extemporaneous oratory that he learned from his dad and a sense of humor that he learned from his mother. His massive ego needed no coaching, it grew as immerse as his girth. A pudgy loner as a kid, he did not have the popularity he longed for and was drawn to radio broadcast rather than law, for its broader audience. At 16, he obtained his radio broadcasting license. Working at the local station, he became a D.J. Limbaugh flunked out of speech in college and dropped out of school after a year. He tried various broadcasting jobs and after being fired a few times, dropped out of radio to go into sales. After five years, he tried once more to break into radio with a news-reading job in Kansas City. In late 1984 he moved on to Sacramento, California to replace Morton Downey, Jr., working for managers who were delighted with his irreverent and controversial ad-libs. On 4 July 1988, he began his New York two-hour live broadcast. He went national in less than a month, on 8 August 1988. Limbaugh was intoxicated by words, especially those from his own mouth. His vocabulary was extensive and his diction grandiose. His nervous energy played out through his hands, which were seldom still and he obviously loved his work. On 14 September 1992, his TV show made a debut and by the middle of January 1993, he was seen on 206 stations in 98% of the country. A weekly audience of over twenty million listeners (mostly conservative, white, middle-class men) soaked up his conservative, white middle-class diatribes on radio and TVs syndicated show. No less an authority than the Times credited Limbaughs influence with passing N.A.F.T.A., damaging Clintons crime bill, destroying his lobbying bill, and sweeping the Republicans to congressional victory in 1994. His fans called themselves "dittoheads," apparently because he relieved them of the responsibility of thinking for themselves and they need only to add "ditto" to what Rush said. According to Rush, it was because he was "the epitome of morality and virtue . . . with talent on loan from God." Mainly, though, it was his distaste for blue jeans, feminism, affirmative action, welfare, and all other liberal cant that struck a deep chord with millions of dittoheads. Twice married and divorced, he made a third marriage to journalist Marta Fitzgerald, 35, on 27 May 1994, whom he met through the Internet. Limbaughs first marriage lasted eighteen months, a Read less