Rush in NR
Rush Limbaugh speaks at NR’s 45th anniversary celebration.

By Rush Limbaugh
From the December 31, 2000 issue, of National Review.

Editor’s note: On Oct 20, 2000, Rush Limbaugh joined National Review as master of ceremonies at our 45th anniversary dinner in New York City. Below are excerpts of his remarks, as published in the December 31, 2000 issue of National Review.

his evening is not about me, but I would like to inject a little bit of me into it, so as to put this all in perspective.

Now, many of you in this room have worked with Bill Buckley and his staff all of your lives, been very close to him either on a friendship basis or professionally. And when you're around uniqueness and greatness, after a time, no matter what, no matter how appreciative you are, you take it for granted, and you assume that it's just always been that way . . . that's just human nature.

Well, I remember what National Review was to me as recently as 1980. I never saw a copy of it anywhere, so I thought you had to be special to be allowed to read it. I never saw it, but I heard people discussing it — but they were the kind of people that never offered me a chance to read it. So I wondered, How can I get my hands on it? since I'm apparently not allowed to subscribe. Well, I got up the courage to call National Review in New York — I was working at a radio station in the Kansas City area — and I wasn't going to give them my name so they can't track me down. I actually asked the woman who answered the phone if it would be permissible for me to subscribe. She said, "Of course," and I said, "You don't need any identification from me, you don't need a pedigree?" "No, no." So I became a subscriber, and it literally changed my life.

And it changed my life in this sense: I've always had, because of my parents and my family — I've always believed what I believe now. I rebelled when I was a kid, but not by rejecting the foundational beliefs of my parents. I rebelled in other ways. I told them college wasn't necessary and that I could get where I was going without that, but I never told them that what they believed was wrong. In fact, I was profoundly affected by what they believed, particularly my father, and when I got my hands on National Review and was able to read it every two weeks, it enabled me to learn why I felt what I felt. It enabled me to learn why I thought what I thought. And it enabled me to tell others why. Not just to say what I thought, to express the opinion, but to back it up, to give reasons, reasons that were persuasive, reasons that helped to convince others. And I became armed with the information contained therein, and became confident. And it has never ceased meaning that much to me.

I never in my life dreamed I would be able to do something like this — to be asked to come and emcee and be a featured participant in an anniversary dinner for National Review. Remember, when I first thought about National Review, I thought I'd be lucky to be allowed to subscribe. And I have met the principals. I've gotten to know them extremely well. This has meant more to me than I am ever able to express. And it's an opportunity that I wish a lot of people had in their lives…