Changes

== Radio ==

== Radio ==

Limbaugh hosts a radio show famed for its incisive criticism of the follies of liberalism. He is often the target of liberal's ''[[ad hominem]]'' attacks, such as Democrat former U.S. Senator [[Al Franken]], who wrote a book entitled ''"Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot"''.  Limbaugh generically refers to [[feminists]] who advocate [[abortion]] as ''feminazis'' and to his own self as having "talent on loan from God".  Sensitive about his own schooling, he ridicules the college educated as the "Arts & Croissant Crowd."  

Limbaugh hosted a radio show famed for its incisive criticism of the follies of liberalism. He was often the target of liberal's ''[[ad hominem]]'' attacks, such as Democrat former U.S. Senator [[Al Franken]], who wrote a book entitled ''"Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot"''.  Limbaugh generically referred to [[feminists]] who advocate [[abortion]] as ''feminazis'' and to his own self as having "talent on loan from God".  Sensitive about his own schooling, he ridiculed the college educated as the "Arts & Croissant Crowd."  

Limbaugh's conservative talk show is nationally syndicated and averages over 16-20 million listeners weekly, making him the #1 radio talk show host in America

Limbaugh's conservative talk show was nationally syndicated and averaged over 16-20 million listeners weekly, making him the #1 radio talk show host in America

<ref>[http://www.talkers.com/main/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17&Itemid=34 The Top Talk Radio Audiences] Talkers magazine online</ref> for three decades. In July 2008, Rush announced "he has renewed his contract with Premiere Radio Networks and Clear Channel Radio, continuing syndication of his show 'many years into the future.'" <ref>[http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=27326 Rush Renews Contract], ''[[Human Events]]'', July 2, 2008</ref>

<ref>[http://www.talkers.com/main/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17&Itemid=34 The Top Talk Radio Audiences] Talkers magazine online</ref> for three decades. In July 2008, Rush announced "he has renewed his contract with Premiere Radio Networks and Clear Channel Radio, continuing syndication of his show 'many years into the future.'" <ref>[http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=27326 Rush Renews Contract], ''[[Human Events]]'', July 2, 2008</ref>

=== Audience ===

=== Audience ===

Limbaugh's fans enjoy his bluster and bombast, but behind it there is a substantive defense of a coherent political philosophy. He makes politics engaging and entertaining, producing an audience more eager to seek out other sources of information. Limbaugh "dittoheads" consume more print news than do non-listeners. Like Fox News viewers, Limbaugh fans are more likely to tune in to presidential debates. Far from making people cynical or indifferent toward public affairs, Limbaugh reinforces his audience's disposition to participate in the political process.<ref>Jamieson and Cappella (2008)</ref>

Limbaugh's fans enjoyed his bluster and bombast, but behind it there was a substantive defense of a coherent political philosophy. He made politics engaging and entertaining, producing an audience more eager to seek out other sources of information. Limbaugh "dittoheads" consumed more print news than did non-listeners. Like Fox News viewers, Limbaugh fans were more likely to tune in to presidential debates. Far from making people cynical or indifferent toward public affairs, Limbaugh reinforced his audience's disposition to participate in the political process.<ref>Jamieson and Cappella (2008)</ref>

Conservative Republicans are in his audience, but educational attainment, family income, and race do not predict who listens. Listening to Limbaugh is significantly correlated with public affairs information.  He is not merely an entertainer and people who listen to him regularly are very well informed on public affairs.  However, his radio audience is smaller than the TV audiences of conservative commentators [[Bill O'Reilly]] and [[Sean Hannity]].<ref>Stephen Earl Bennett, " Who Listens to Rush Limbaugh's Radio Program and the Relationship Between Listening to Limbaugh and Knowledge of Public Affairs, 1994-2006," ''Journal of Radio & Audio Media,'' May 2009, Vol. 16 Issue 1, p66-82, in [[EBSCO]]</ref>  

Conservative Republicans were in his audience, but educational attainment, family income, and race did not predict who listens. Listening to Limbaugh was significantly correlated with public affairs information.  He was not merely an entertainer and people who listen to him regularly were very well informed on public affairs.  However, his radio audience was smaller than the TV audiences of conservative commentators [[Bill O'Reilly]] and [[Sean Hannity]].<ref>Stephen Earl Bennett, " Who Listens to Rush Limbaugh's Radio Program and the Relationship Between Listening to Limbaugh and Knowledge of Public Affairs, 1994-2006," ''Journal of Radio & Audio Media,'' May 2009, Vol. 16 Issue 1, p66-82, in [[EBSCO]]</ref>  

=== Poking fun at Obama liberals ===

=== Poking fun at Obama liberals ===