Rush Limbaugh died this morning.

Jan 12, 1951 to Feb 17, 2021 (70 years old).

His wife, Kathryn, made the announcement just now at the opening to his 3-hour radio show.

Limbaugh announced Jan 20, 2020, that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer.

2/ I've been listening to Rush Limbaugh since 1986. Not every day, but at some point during most weeks.

Whatever you think of Limbaugh's politics, techniques, personality, character, he was a hugely influential GOP/conservative/Trumpist voice.

Never went to college.

3/ He was wicked smart, and understood the power of his intelligence, and his wit.

He changed over the years.

Was not an early Trump supporter. Limbaugh of 1990 would not have considered Trump 2016 as someone to support and admire.

In the end, Limbaugh was all-in on Trumpism.

4/ Why did I listen to Rush Limbaugh every week of my life for 34 years?

I can't remember a single thing I agreed with Limbaugh on. Not one.

I was a talk radio fan going back to jr high & high school—often listening to the crazy all-night shows on a little AM transistor radio.

5/ I stumbled into Limbaugh on the AM dial while working at the Orlando Sentinel in the 80s, roaming Florida reporting stories & playing Limbaugh on car radio.

What would be the right word for someone w/talent whom you neither admire nor respect—but want to hear anyway?

6/ I listened to Limbaugh to hear, in detail, with cleverness, the arguments of conservatives & Republicans, and to try to imagine the effective and persuasive counter-arguments.

7/ Among other things, Rush Limbaugh was deaf—his hearing taken by an auto-immune disease. He used implants for some hearing, but had every word of every caller transcribed in real time.

He worked impressively to overcome damage that would have ended careers of most radio hosts.

8/ As Marc Fisher at WaPo notes, Limbaugh cultivated an 'everyman' appeal, but made $40-million+ a year, and owned a $55 million jet.