by Mark Silva
So who really listens to Rush Limbaugh?
It's an 80 percent-pure conservative audience.
And it's more male than most commentators' audiences - "a male bastion."
Put it's just 5 percent of the general public.
Since the sharp-tongued conservative launched his radio program in the late 1980s, "the market for conservative-leaning talk shows, like the broader news and talk universe, has grown much more crowded,'' the Pew Research Center notes. "Today, Bill O'Reilly's cable show (on FOX News Channel) attracts more conservatives on a regular basis than does Limbaugh's radio show, while Sean Hannity's program (on FOX) draws about as many conservatives as Limbaugh's.
"Yet by one standard,'' Pew reports, "Limbaugh's conservative appeal continues to stand out. In Pew Research's 2008 news media consumption survey, as in previous biennial news surveys, Limbaugh's audience was the most conservative. That is, conservatives made up a greater share of his regular audience than of the regular audiences for the "O'Reilly Factor," "Hannity & Colmes" (now called "Hannity"), or any of the 39 programs or networks tested.''
Eighty percent of those who say they regularly listenn to Limbaugh's show are self-identified conservatives, only 10 percent liberals and 7 percent conservatives - those 10 percent liberals must be spies.
The audiences for Hannity & Colmes and O'Reilly are solidly conservative, but not as conservative as Limbaugh's: 68 percent of regular Hannity & Colmes viewers are conservatives, as are 66 percent of regular O'Reilly viewers.
"It is important to note, however, that Limbaugh's syndicated radio show does not have the reach of O'Reilly's nightly cable program,'' Pew notes.
Among the general public, 10 percent say they regularly watch O'Reilly, compared with 7 percent who regularly watch Hannity and 5 percent who regularly listen to Limbaugh.
Among conservatives, 19 percent regularly watch O'Reilly, compared with 12 percent for Hannity and 10 for Limbaugh.
Limbaugh's audience also includes "a greater share of men than the audiences for any other news or opinion outlet included in the survey.''
Fully 72 percent of those who say they regularly listen to Limbaugh are men.
Comments
The answer: Plump old white guys who use viagra.
Posted by: Flo | February 5, 2009 4:47 PM
Low IQ, Angry, Sexually Frustrated, Middle-Aged, White Guys...yep, that's the most accurate description of the Repuglican base that makes up Druggy Rush's audience that I've ever heard.
Posted by: Hey Joe | February 5, 2009 4:47 PM
From the DailyBeast: Rush polls seven points lower than Rev. Jeremiah “God Damn America” Wright and eight points below former Weather Underground domestic terrorist William Ayers.
Posted by: mort | February 5, 2009 5:15 PM
I hope Limbaugh fails.
Posted by: Kenny Bunkport ☯ | February 5, 2009 5:16 PM
Rush is not a conservative. He is just a partisan Republican commentator. He gives real conservatives a bad name.
Posted by: pd | February 5, 2009 5:26 PM
I was suprised that he had 5% really. But, I am sure there are at least that many idiots in America. I am not shocked at his demographics either.
I did find the chart interesting to see that the morning news was heavily favored by women. I was figuring that was the case, after seeing so many tampon comercials at 4:00 am!!
Posted by: Xcellentform | February 5, 2009 5:50 PM
Potbellied, egotistical, impotent moron - making money off the angry right males of the world. I won't even utter his name.
Posted by: blownaway5 | February 5, 2009 7:13 PM
The answer: Plump old white guys who use viagra.
Posted by: Flo | February 5, 2009 4:47 PM
At eleven dollars a pill only politicians can can aford The Blue Mystic.
Posted by: Inky | February 5, 2009 7:15 PM
Who cares?
Posted by: Just wondering | February 5, 2009 8:27 PM
What kind of illegally obtained prescription drugs does it take to induce maniacal and fictional rantings?
Posted by: Vivian | February 5, 2009 8:35 PM
Inky, you need a better health care insurer.
Posted by: rupert | February 5, 2009 9:59 PM
Why isn't this oxycontin dropping sex tourist behind bars? Didn't know there were that many oxy users out there. Don't think they're low iq--they're just in a rut. The only emotion they fire is anger.
Posted by: Cactus1529--Obama didn't put the birds there--the Repugs did--now he's gotta land it | February 5, 2009 11:19 PM
Not a conservative, but listen because practicallly all the tv commentators on all the networks seem to have a democratic bias.
They say the same thing. That becomes boring and one wants to hear the other side.
The election process was very one-sided. There was truly no investigation of Obama. It did seem that the press adored him and that makes one uncomfortable.
The press, tv commentators and news programs have a long way to go to win back the public's respect.
There was something inherently wrong with this past election and the press, news media was complicit.
"Journalism is publishing what someone doesn't want us to know, the rest is
propaganda." - Horacio Verbitsky
Posted by: listener | February 6, 2009 6:41 AM
Wasn't it Limpbaugh and several other males who were caught returning from somewhere in the Carribbean with a suitcase full of condoms and viagra?? Wasn't it Limpbaugh who avoided service in VietNam because hemorrhoids?? I betcha there's alot Limpbaugh has stuffed into his closet (multiple marriages, adultery, drug use). I would agree with some of the posts here...people who listen to this quack are really not too worldly. They little people living in their little world who believe whatever the druggy Limpbaugh barfs up.
Posted by: Doug R. | February 6, 2009 9:09 AM
Rush Limbaugh is a sincere, talented professional. He's a best-selling author. And he is committed in his concern for the future of his country the USA.
I laugh at some of the above comments. The ones about him being old and overweight. You who type those things are sitting at a keyboard and have the chance to edit what you type. Were you hurried for time? No, you probably just did the best you could as you are incapable of critical thought so you see he's heavy and middle-aged and you just state the obvious.
Posted by: Lyn | February 6, 2009 9:14 AM
Inky, you need a better health care insurer.
Posted by: rupert | February 5, 2009 9:59 PM
Thanks for the though-
Guess I could sign up for Public Aid and get the Little Blue Devils free.
The only problem I'm not Democrat.
Posted by: Inky | February 6, 2009 9:40 AM
Dittohead: Someone that cannot think for themselves, and just repeats, or emesis what they are told. If Rush Limpball is so confident, why does he not run to be a Senator or President? He is just a Chicken Hawk. He would not even debate Al Franken, when Franken called him a Big Fat Idiot. Franken even offered to let Limpball take either side of the debate
Posted by: Larry Linn | February 6, 2009 2:29 PM
Rush is a sad old man who is basically an entertainer and who reaches an audience of self proclaimed ditto heads which says to me they are unable to think for themselves Dittohead? Really folks wake up and do research and do your own thinking.
Posted by: Pat | February 24, 2009 5:10 PM
How many of you critics have actually listened to Rush for any period of time to really understand what he's talking about. It's easy to be critical without knowledge. Get some balls and find out what the truth is, if you're interested.
Posted by: Richard | March 4, 2009 1:50 PM
Fair criticism at Rush is cool but the sick comments of many here is just that...sick. Seek help.
Posted by: J | April 5, 2009 10:01 PM
I think its not Rush Limbaugh, its the people who listen to him are to be blamed. Are u nuts to waste your time on someone who does ot even make logical sense? Who hates. Do you hate? Are you a good christian? Gods good Christians don't hate...so turn that dial off when anyone preaches hate.
Posted by: Steven Cooper | January 16, 2010 12:23 PM
Who cares, here is the bottom line, he is a talk show host that falls under the guidlines as entertainment, NOT NEWS, he sells advertising space by getting people to listen, it is his only purpose on the air and anyone who thinks it is something different ie, public service or the news is just the moron his sponsers want to listen to him and by the sponsers products, who else is going to buy cheap plastice throw away swiffer mops
Posted by: James Kennelly | April 9, 2010 9:59 AM
Rush is simply an entertainer. Just pouts stuff to entertain. He's nuts, of course but it's a shame people take him seriously. He entertains with hate, advocate violence and in general gets people stirred up - everything a good entertainer does. He says what his simplistic audience wants to hear.
Posted by: Barbara Crowley | April 16, 2010 1:37 PM