PART SHOWMAN, part ideologue, Rush Limbaugh in 10 short years has talked his way to the top of the charts. With 20 million listeners each week, the bombastic conservative has a radio audience unequaled since the days of Arthur Godfrey.
His 300-page, 1992 political manifesto, "The Way Things Ought to Be," netted him a six-figure advance, stayed on best-seller lists for more than a year and earned him millions of dollars in royalties. His second book, "See I Told You So" (1993), was also a best-seller. His new syndicated television show has the highest late-night ratings of any non-network program.A college dropout, Limbaugh these days reigns as a national commentator on the issues of the day. When ABC's "Nightline" had then-Sen. Al Gore, D-Tenn., on to push his environmentalist call to arms, "Earth in the Balance," Limbaugh was picked to represent the other side. In April, Limbaugh debated media coverage of the Whitewater affair with, among others, New York Times Executive Editor Max Frankel.
Limbaugh's listeners light up the switchboards at the White House and on Capitol Hill. Former President Ronald Reagan and the conservative magazine National Review have called him "the leader of the opposition." Republican activists credit him with energizing the GOP grass roots.
Limbaugh himself is the show's only attraction. He has no guests and no sidekick. He begins a typical program by surveying the day's news and interspersing comments from an unabashedly conservative perspective. When Limbaugh turns to the phones, like-minded callers begin by registering their agreement with his views. "A Pacific Ocean full of dittos," a recent call from a West Coast "Dittohead" began.
Limbaugh also takes callers of opposing viewpoints, and usually treats them with courtesy. But he keeps tight control of the conversation and never wavers in his own views. "The one thing I'm not is indecisive," Limbaugh told the National Review.
Limbaugh, 43, grew up in Cape Girardeau, Mo. His grandfather was a Missouri legislator and an ambassador in the Eisenhower administration. His father was a county GOP chairman.
From his youth, Limbaugh had a love affair with radio. He dropped out of his hometown state college in favor of the Elkins Institute of Radio and Technology in Dallas. After he was hired and fired from several radio jobs, he landed at KFBK in Sacramento, Calif., in 1984, succeeding the vitriolic Morton Downey Jr., who had been fired for racist comments.
Four years later, Limbaugh's program attracted the attention of a national radio consultant, Bruce Marr, who brokered the deal that took him to WABC in New York in 1988. By 1991, when he was heard on 400 stations, Time magazine was giving him feature-length attention ("A Man. A Legend. A What?"). The next year, he stayed overnight in the White House, despite his disparaging assessments of its then occupant, George Bush.
Now, with a Democrat at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., many Republicans pointedly recall that Ronald Reagan also was in broadcasting before he ran for office. But Limbaugh has repeatedly disclaimed any interest in becoming a political candidate.
"The countryside is strewn with the carcasses of many media types who thought they could get elected," he told Steven Roberts of U.S. News & World Report last summer. "Ten percent makes you No. 1 in the media, (but) 10 percent and you're a laughingstock in politics."
A poll accompanying the U.S. News cover story points up the perils Limbaugh would face in politics. He has what political consultants call "high negatives." Only a narrow majority of those surveyed said they had a favorable as opposed to an unfavorable opinion of Limbaugh (33 percent to 30 percent). And a mere 8 percent of those surveyed - and only 17 percent of his listeners - thought he should run for presdent.
Even as a broadcaster, Limbaugh's political impact may be smaller than it seems. The magazine's poll found that more of his audience said they listened to him for entertainment (28 percent) than for information (10 percent) or opinion (10 percent). Asked if they agreed with Limbaugh's views on most issues, 47 percent of his listeners said yes, 23 percent said no.
Some observers wonder whether Limbaugh can continue to draw audiences in the future. And some of his admirers concede that he may be preaching to the conservative choir rather than making converts for the cause.
But biographer Philip Seib thinks Limbaugh has staying power. Seib credits Limbaugh with working hard to master issues, performing skillfully on the air for 3 1/2 hours a day and nurturing the growth of a multimedia empire. "Rush Limbaugh is likely to be with us for a long time," he concludes.