Limbaugh the most influential conservative?

Rush Limbaugh is the “nation’s most influential conservative voice,” according to a new poll from “60 Minutes” and Vanity Fair, The Associated Press reported.

The top conservative influencers, according to the poll:

  • Limbaugh (26 percent)
  • Glenn Beck (11 percent)
  • Former Vice President Dick Cheney (10 percent)
  • Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (10 percent)

In a Q&A with CBS’ Charles Cooper, Republican insider Dan Schnur said “there is no single leader” of the Republican Party, which “is the case for most parties in the first couple of years after they lose an election.” Republicans lost national elections in 2006 and 2008, but some pundits believe the GOP could see gains in the 2010 midterm elections.

Regarding Limbaugh and Beck, Schnur told Cooper: “These media voices are real but they shouldn’t be mistaken for voices that speak from inside the political system. Rush Limbaugh had a great deal of influence not only in the Republican Party but more broadly through the eight years of Bill Clinton’s presidency, but there never a serious effort for Limbaugh to seek the presidency in 1992, 1996 or (2000). So these are important voices but they come from a different vantage point.”

Agree? Disagree? Discuss below.