What was Rush afraid of? The same thing that his white male listeners were afraid of.
The white guys that are the most defensive about claims of racism and sexism- in society and in themselves- are usually the ones most guilty of it.
The white guys that are the most prickly about any attempts to rectify institutional racism and sexism are usually the people that benefit the most from it. White guys that are very good at whatever they do aren't afraid of lowering the walls to others or the competition: insecure mediocre guys that need the walls up to "succeed" are.
Rush- who was acknowledged at being very good at being a radio host- really didn't need those walls up to protect his own gig. But he found his calling by being the "voice" of all the white guys and others of America's longtime ruling class (i.e. right wing Christians) who wanted to, um, "push back" at all the cultural, social, and political changes in the nation that saw their values as racist, sexist, and bigoted. (Because in large part they were, and are)
In other words, the public character of Rush Limbaugh (never mind how close it was to the real thing) was a giant act of Projection.
