I grew up in a very liberal household, always assuming Rush was just the devil, because, well, obviously. I heard him speak at CPAC after becoming conservative, and walked in still scoffing at his cravenness, never having shed that perception. I walked out blown away.

I never became a Rush listener/fan, but I never underestimated him again. My perception of him was a fault of mine, not his.

I worked with his office and producers when I was at Heritage, years later. I learned one thing: Always have t's crossed and i's dotted when dealing with them. That experience further informed me how little I understood about him and his work, even after becoming more familiar.

His influence cannot be understated and even though I wasn't directly impacted by his words, his influence shaped the conservative movement and American politics.

This is that CPAC speech: https://twitter.com/lyndseyfifield/status/1362108915186618369