Why Rush Limbaugh Should Be Deemed the Most Influential Person of 2006

Without a doubt, any discussion of influential persons must include nationally syndicated radio talk show host and conservative spokesman Rush Limbaugh. Nearly everyone knows the name, and nearly everyone has an opinion on him. Love him or hate him, Rush Limbaugh is a household name that carries tremendous influence in political discourse throughout the country.

Born in January 1951 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is a leading voice for conservatives throughout the United States. His daily discussions of American politics and current events draw an audience of nearly 20 million listeners, making The Rush Limbaugh Show the most listened to program on the radio.

A winner of the Marconi Radio Award for Syndicated Radio Personality of the Year four times, Limbaugh's influence is far reaching. His conservative talk radio show consistently has prominent figures from government as guests, including the likes of Congressmen, the Secretary of State, the Vice President and, on occasion, the President himself. Listeners absorb not only the commentary provided by Limbaugh, but the political arguments made by some of the most important people in our nation today.

His in-depth analysis of politics and American foreign policy has been known to increase voter turnout for Republican candidates because Limbaugh is able to energize listeners to get to the polling booth. After Republicans swept to victory in Congress in 1994, Limbaugh was named an honorary member of the U.S. House of Representatives for his role in getting out the conservative vote.

Limbaugh's influence and popularity have created a desire among Democrats for a liberal talk radio show that could counter the views espoused by The Rush Limbaugh Show. To date, none has yet been able to match Limbaugh's audience size and he garners incredibly high ratings year in and year out.

Limbaugh's radio show is currently broadcast on nearly 600 radio stations nationwide, and is available through internet streams provided by radio networks and by Limbaugh's web site. No matter where you may find yourself in America, you can bet that The Rush Limbaugh Show is available on a local radio station.

Extending his influence even further, Limbaugh in July 2000 launched a web site for his show, www.rushlimbaugh.com, which features both free and pay sections. The free section has limited offerings that site visitors can access, including some of Limbaugh's opinions on current events and pokes at Democrat leaders or issue ideas. The pay section offers subscribers access to what Limbaugh calls his "essential stack of stuff," the compilation of news stories from online and print publications across the country that he uses as show preparation material. The subscriber portion, known as "Rush 24/7," also offers live audio and video streams of The Rush Limbaugh Show when it is on the air and archived audio and video files that can be downloaded after the show is complete. Also featured in the subscriber section are original Rush Limbaugh commentaries, opinions, and editorials.

No matter what you may think of him personally, there is no disputing that Rush Limbaugh revolutionized talk radio and the promotion of conservative ideas and values. He has the largest radio audience in the country, reaching nearly 20 million people daily, and extends that influence even further with his subscription service on his web site. As a leading voice in conservative America, Rush Limbaugh is certainly one of the most influential persons of the past year.