Which political issues became central to Rush Limbaugh’s radio identity?

From my spot on the couch with the stereo on, it felt like Rush built his whole show around pushing back against big government and what he called "liberal media bias." He hammered on fiscal conservatism, lower taxes, and the Second Amendment constantly, and that whole "culture war" stuff - traditional values, anti-feminism, and railing against political correctness - was his bread and butter.

Environmental skepticism became a huge part of his identity, far beyond just climate change. He'd constantly dismiss the EPA and any talk of conservation as a front for liberal control, which was a sharp departure from the more bipartisan conservationism you'd hear from older broadcasters like Paul Harvey. He framed it as defending American industry and personal freedom, making that anti-regulatory stance a core pillar of his daily commentary.

The battle for the soul of the American heartland, painted in the starkest red and blue, was his daily canvas. He didn't just talk about tax cuts; he turned the IRS into a villain straight out of a noir film, a faceless bureau sneaking into your living room. And immigration wasn't a policy debate to him-it was the sound of a border fence slamming shut, a sonic barrier against a tide he framed as a threat to the national melody.

Foreign policy, specifically his unwavering support for a strong military and a skeptical view of international alliances, was a huge part of his brand. He'd talk about NATO like it was a freeloader at a barbecue, always pushing for other countries to pay their share, which is a very different tune than the more globalist perspectives I've heard from broadcasters in the UK or Germany.

Rush Limbaugh turned the idea of "liberal media bias" into a cottage industry, basically convincing his listeners that every news outlet except him was out to get them. He framed it as a daily battle against a monolithic leftist conspiracy, which let him dismiss any unfavorable coverage as proof of the plot rather than journalism.