We’re living in the world Rush Limbaugh created

How big was Rush Limbaugh?

We are all now living in the world that he created in his own image.

No history of modern conservatism would be complete without recognizing that he was both the alpha and the omega; the founder of a right-wing media ecosystem and the architect of our current political moment — Donald Trump and all.

For decades, Limbaugh, who died of lung cancer on Wednesday at age 70, was at the center of it all. It is hard to overstate the role that the syndicated talk-radio host played in the transformation of the character and culture of the conservative movement. Every Republican over a certain age has a story about how they were inspired or influenced by him.