Rush Limbaugh is the ninth most admired person in the United States! That is, at least according to a new poll released this week. But if you are like me, I’m sure you have the same question: Why isn’t Rush higher up on the list?
For example, the poll has the Dalai Lama coming in at number seven, two spots ahead of Rush. But, honestly, what has the Dalai Lama really accomplished? He just walks around in a robe and talks about peace. Rush, on the other hand, has 20 million listeners and is responsible for coming up with new content five days a week on his radio show.
With that aside, here’s the thing: You, too, can be just as admired as Rush. How you ask? Simple, just follow these easy life lessons that Rush has bestowed upon us over the years--they are a road map to admiration:
1. Call out fakers: Rush isn’t the type to hold back when he sees a person faking it and neither should you. For example, actor Michael J. Fox, who suffers from Parkinson's disease, appeared in campaign commercials for Democratic candidates who supported stem cell research. Many applauded Fox but Rush couldn’t sit idly by when he noticed Fox faking symptoms to get sympathy. So, even though Rush isn’t a doctor, he wisely called out Fox for “exaggerating the effects of the disease” by his “moving all around and shaking, ” dubbing it "purely an act.” It’s courageous statements like these that will lead people to admire you.
2. Women want honesty: Rush knows the number one thing women want is pure, unadulterated honesty. And that’s what he gives them. That’s why he told us that the women who oppose sexual harassment are “out there protesting what they actually wish would happen to them sometimes.” You see, women are just waiting for men to sexually harass them, and deep down they know it. Rush has also shown us the importance of being honest when debating a woman about political issues. Don’t hold back, because that would be sexist. That’s why Rush called grad student Sandra Fluke a “slut” and a “prostitute” after she testified before Congress in support of health insurance policies covering the cost of birth control.
3. Mock the children of politicians: No one is off limits in the hardball world of politics, and no one knows that better than Limbaugh. He gave us a famous lesson on his 1993 TV show with his quip, “Socks is the White House cat. But did you know there is also a White House dog?” He then held up a photograph of 12-year-old Chelsea Clinton. Clearly, it’s that type of hilarious comedy that not only leads people to admire you but also entices Republican politicians to seek out your support.
4. Don’t be PC--nothing attracts admiration like standing up to the PC police--just ask Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson. So be like Rush and don’t be afraid to use derogatory terms when describing minorities or women, such as, “Feminism was established so as to allow unattractive women access to the mainstream of society.” Or this classic Rush “I’m not going to be PC” comment that the National Basketball Association should no longer be referred to as the NBA—instead, he said, “call it the TBA, the Thug Basketball Association, and stop calling them teams. Call 'em gangs.” Rush is just saying what so many of us are thinking, and that’s why he is among the top ten most admired Americans.
5. Don’t be respectful of other cultures: No one admires a person who pretends to care about cultures beyond our own. So don’t do it if you want to be revered. Rush taught us this lesson in 2011 when he “translated” the speech of Hu Jintao, the president of China: “Hu Jintao was just going, ‘Ching cha. Ching chang cho chow. Cha Chow. Ching Cho. Chi ba ba ba. Kwo kwa kwa kee. Cha ga ga. Ching chee chay. Ching zha bo ba … Nobody was translating, but that's the closest I can get.” How can you help but respect Rush for that?!
6. Challenge people in power: Just because Pope Francis is the Pontiff doesn’t mean you have to agree with him when he is talking the Bible. So did Rush simply defer to the Pontiff when he was speaking about caring for the poor and helping those in need. Of course not. Limbaugh slammed the Pope’s statements against trickle down economics as “pure Marxism.”
I could go on all day reciting Rush’s statements that have inspired so many to admire him. My advice is that you read, learn, and live each one. And if you passionately follow Rush Limbaugh’s examples, then maybe, just maybe, you, too, could be one day be among the country’s most admired people.
