Words like prolific and iconic have been repeatedly used in attempts to encapsulate what Rush has accomplished in the broadcasting industry but those are words that have become cliché in contemporary journalism and do not do justice in such attempts. Historic is the apt word to best describe Rush and his importance in the Post-Reagan era that followed his emergence.
There will not be another Rush Limbaugh in broadcasting and
his runners-up in media are the first to acknowledge that. What he did on a grand scale were not merely “accomplishments”. They were of monumental historic importance. After Reagan left office and disappeared from
the public in the late 1980s, we were left with a vacuum and what we called “conservativism”
could have been in decline if not for the Godsend that was Rush Limbaugh, who
before social media, was able to proliferate those principles that he so masterfully
articulated. Rush was a human conduit for
conservativism. Up to the week he
passed, Rush enabled tens of millions of Americans to coalesce behind principles
that he could masterfully distill from convoluted issues that were deliberately
made so in the never-ending onslaught of leftist chicanery and subterfuge. No one could foresee it and expose it better. Behind those fundamental ideals Rush was instrumental
in leading the conservative revolution of 1994, to the Tea Party movement and
ultimately the Trump, MAGA Revolution.
During all of those movements, the most powerful politicians
in Congress and White House staff most of whom history will soon forget and
whom posterity will never really know - had to monitor Rush’s daily broadcast. They had to determine what was coming. He was that important.
This brings me to my point.
What Rush embodies and executed in defending liberty, inspiring and
leading Americans forward in the battle for our collective national soul
against the scourge of leftism is the closest thing we had to a modern
equivalent of our founding fathers. I
have long compared him to a type of Benjamin Franklin in that Franklin was of
course not a President but perhaps more important than any, regarded The Sage
worldwide, brilliant inventor, entrepreneur, media mogul, globally beloved and
integral, indefatigable leader for the founding and preservation of what became
the Republic. THAT litany also describes
Rush Limbaugh almost in every way aside perhaps from inventor (in the
mechanical sense), but that is the only difference in my humble opinion.
A Museum like no other is in order
Presidents have their presidential libraries but Rush
Limbaugh absolutely warrants a museum on a grand scale. He might not want such an honor for himself
but history should demand it and our posterity needs it. Just as we have made the residences of men of
such historical importance to this nation into museums whenever possible, so
that others may learn both from and about them on a deeper level, I feel that it is advisable, if his family
would support the endeavor, that his compound be turned into a museum not only honoring
Rush but to make it a sort of sanctuary to reflect upon the exceptional
principles by which his success was built and upon which this nation was founded. Many of Rush’s 27 million+ regular listeners would
surely embrace such a museum in Palm Beach as a place to learn more about the
man whom they felt they knew personally because of the bond formed over past
decades and no doubt since he now “belongs to the ages” a phrase once famously
ascribed to Abraham Lincoln upon his passing, our posterity would greatly
benefit from such an endeavor for decades, perhaps centuries to come.
Palm Beach has quite a rich history as a home to literal
legends of American history, with Mar- a-Lago, the home of President Donald J.
Trump and the estate of the island’s original developer, Henry Flagler’s Gilded
Age home Whitehall, a widely toured mansion on the Island, just a bit down the
road from Rush’s home on 1495 Ocean Boulevard.
This museum would be entirely appropriate
and certainly not unprecedented. The 21,000+
square foot, 2.26 acre estate estate could feature so much that was of interest to Rush by
preserving and moving his studio currently located on Royal Palm Way in Palm Beach
to Rush’s home where the Golden EIB microphone could be forever on display. As passionate about aviation as Rush was
widely known to be, his private jet could be preserved and moved to the estate
where walk throughs could be available in the way that Henry Flagler’s private
train car is walked through at the Whitehall estate. The possibilities are enormous. After 30+ years of listening to Rush share
his passions about so many fascinating subjects, many would love to have the opportunity
to learn more and experience those passions in addition to the fundamental
principles we all shared.
The home is currently estimated by the property appraiser to
be worth approximately $50 million and it is conceivable that it could be
significantly more. Nevertheless, it
would be relatively easy to gain support for an acquisition to cover whatever amount
is needed (even by crowd funding from devoted listeners if needed) to make this
happen unless the family wished to establish and run it as it would likely be
quite self-sustaining given the millions of annual visitors to south Florida
and the high level of interest in the legendary leader, Rush Hudson Limbaugh
III. The greatest obstacle would likely be the town
of Palm Beach itself as it has a history of creating obstacles for Limbaugh as
well as other prominent residents, such as President Donald J. Trump. Nevertheless, I suspect it could ultimately
be accomplished. Perhaps our venerable
Governor would lend his support.
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