Our differences aside, Limbaugh's radio show was music to my ears

Last year, he earned more than $80 million. He has a net worth of more than $500 million.

Since 1991, Limbaugh's show has been part of my morning routine. That year, a high school friend who was in the Navy told me: "There's this guy on the radio, and he says the things that I'm thinking." About the same time, my father told me about this radio host he'd heard who peppered a conversation about politics and pop culture with satire and funny bits. So, one day, I tuned in. And I was hooked.

In 2006, Limbaugh ran across a column of mine that he liked, and he read the whole thing on the air. I got emails for weeks.

I don't agree with much of what comes out of Limbaugh's mouth, especially when it comes to race, Latinos and immigration. He often says the wrong thing, or says the right thing in the wrong way. He oversimplifies and sometimes gets his facts wrong. He is also too wedded to the Republican Party. So when the GOP goes over a cliff, he's right behind it. And although he gets credited with saying out loud what others are thinking, not everything we think should be said out loud. Much less to millions of listeners.

Limbaugh tripped over his tongue again last week when discussing Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, who finished first in the Iowa caucuses and second in the New Hampshire primary. To Limbaugh, the former South Bend mayor is just some "gay guy, 37 years old [who] loves kissing his husband on debate stages."

Still, I've spent the last week contemplating what the universe of talk radio would sound like without the voice of the man who created the genre. It's a dark and depressing thought.

Thanks for all the good radio, Rush. How grateful I am to have come along for the ride.

========

Ruben Navarrette's email address is ruben@rubennavarrette.com. His daily podcast, "Navarrette Nation," is available through every podcast app.