At Townhall.com, Mark Davis offers up prayers for iconic conservative radio talk show host, Rush Limbaugh, who announced yesterday that he has late-stage lung cancer. Davis, himself a conservative radio talker, wrote (abridged):
Today, all of radio is in flux. Satellite channels, podcasts and worldwide online listening have created special challenges for stations seeking to attract audiences in a complex environment. But Rush Limbaugh has persevered, and no one has equaled his impact.
Critics thought he was made famous by the Clinton years– that his appeal would wane once Bill and Hillary were no longer around to provide content. The 20 years since their departure from the White House has yielded proof that upbeat conservatism delivered with skill and humor would always be a force.
I will often share radio stories at speaking engagements, and one of my favorite eyebrow-raisers is when I reveal that Rush Limbaugh is not a big deal because he is conservative. There are conservatives I respect that I have no desire to hear on the radio for 30 minutes, much less the 32 years Rush has been on our radios.
Rush is what he is because he is a radio guy—a storyteller, a polemicist, a provocateur, a stand-up comedian, a commentator, an evangelist, an unmatched analyst and a gracious and welcoming host to all who listen.
And he makes his gratitude clear to those listeners every day. Today it is our turn to take a measure of the gratitude we feel for him, and use that as the motivation for prayers that we may be able to enjoy his gift for many, many years to come.
Read more here.