Beck While Not Smearing Malia Obama Was Infantile
By: Les Carpenter III
Rational Nation USA
Glenn Beck, conservative television and radio show host, showed his lack of sensitivity when he used President Obama's daughter Malia as a prop (if you will) to jab the president over the BP oil spill.
It is all good and well to be critical of this president for his performance or lack thereof with respect to this issue. It is fine to hit the president hard if one wishes. Even James Carville, one of the lefts biggest loudmouths trashed the president on public TV for his handling of the disaster.
Perhaps, as some are saying the disaster in the gulf may very well be Obama's Katrina. If it becomes a political liability it can be argued that it is deserved. However, this is not the point of this post and I have digressed.
Beck was wrong, flat wrong in using Malia to make fun of the President. The President's children, should be off limits period. The use of children in any way shape or form to make a political statements, or as in this case a prop, is lacking any class and frankly borders on being crass.
Beck who often is spot on with his political commentary and historical perspective, won no points on this one. If anything he simply gave the left a valid point on which to hammer him with. It is proper that Mr. Beck offered his apology for a foolish and childish radio spot. Let's hope he learns something with this one.
Here is the audio of the segment that shouldn't have been.
The Transcript:
In discussing how President Obama uses children to shield himself from criticism, I broke my own rule about leaving kids out of political debates. The children of public figures should be left on the sidelines. It was a stupid mistake and I apologize--and as a dad I should have known better.
Hopefully Beck is sincere in his apology. It is stunts such as this one that give rise, and justifiably so, to the generally groundless allegations that conservatives are wackos.
Via: Memeorandum
Rational Nation USA
Glenn Beck, conservative television and radio show host, showed his lack of sensitivity when he used President Obama's daughter Malia as a prop (if you will) to jab the president over the BP oil spill.
It is all good and well to be critical of this president for his performance or lack thereof with respect to this issue. It is fine to hit the president hard if one wishes. Even James Carville, one of the lefts biggest loudmouths trashed the president on public TV for his handling of the disaster.
Perhaps, as some are saying the disaster in the gulf may very well be Obama's Katrina. If it becomes a political liability it can be argued that it is deserved. However, this is not the point of this post and I have digressed.
Beck was wrong, flat wrong in using Malia to make fun of the President. The President's children, should be off limits period. The use of children in any way shape or form to make a political statements, or as in this case a prop, is lacking any class and frankly borders on being crass.
Beck who often is spot on with his political commentary and historical perspective, won no points on this one. If anything he simply gave the left a valid point on which to hammer him with. It is proper that Mr. Beck offered his apology for a foolish and childish radio spot. Let's hope he learns something with this one.
Here is the audio of the segment that shouldn't have been.
The Transcript:
BECK: (imitating Malia) Daddy? Daddy? Daddy, did you plug the hole yet? Daddy?
PAT GRAY (co-host): (imitating Obama) No I didn't, honey.
BECK: (imitating Malia) Daddy, I know you're better than [unintelligible]
GRAY: (imitating Obama) Mm-hmm, big country.
BECK: (imitating Malia) And I was wondering if you've plugged that hole yet.
GRAY: (imitating Obama) Honey, not yet.
BECK: (imitating Malia) Why not, daddy? But daddy--
GRAY: (imitating Obama) Not time yet, honey. Hasn't done enough damage.
BECK: (imitating Malia) Daddy?
GRAY: (imitating Obama) Not enough damage yet, honey.
BECK: (imitating Malia) Daddy?
GRAY: (imitating Obama) Yeah?
BECK: (imitating Malia) Why do you hate black people so much?
GRAY: (imitating Obama) I'm part white, honey.
BECK: (imitating Malia) What?
GRAY: (imitating Obama) What?
BECK: (imitating Malia) What'd you say?
GRAY: (imitating Obama) Excuse me?
BECK: (laughing) This is such a ridiculous -- this is such a ridiculous thing that his daughter-- (imitating Malia) Daddy?
GRAY: It's so stupid.
BECK: How old is his daughter? Like, thirteen?
GRAY: Well, one of them's, I think, thirteen, one's eleven, or something.
BECK: "Did you plug the hole yet, daddy?" Is that's their -- that's the level of their education, that they're coming to -- they're coming to daddy and saying 'Daddy, did you plug the hole yet?' " Plug the hole!
GRAY: (imitating Obama) Yes, I was doing some deep-sea diving yesterday, and--
BECK: (imitating Malia) Daddy?
GRAY: (imitating Obama) Yeah, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, I was doing--
BECK: (imitating Malia) Why--
GRAY: (imitating Obama) Yeah, honey, I'm--
BECK (imitating Malia) Why, why, why, why, do you still let the polar bears die? Daddy, why do you still let Sarah Palin destroy the environment? Why are -- Daddy, why don't you just put her in some sort of a camp?And now the apology:
In discussing how President Obama uses children to shield himself from criticism, I broke my own rule about leaving kids out of political debates. The children of public figures should be left on the sidelines. It was a stupid mistake and I apologize--and as a dad I should have known better.
Hopefully Beck is sincere in his apology. It is stunts such as this one that give rise, and justifiably so, to the generally groundless allegations that conservatives are wackos.
Via: Memeorandum
I agree completely, Les. It was clearly not one of Mr. Beck's finer moments.
ReplyDeleteThis was mean spirited and nasty. And wasn't it just last week that Beck was sniveling about James Gandolfini saying something to him in front of his children (also wrong), and then launched into a sermon about how evil it is to bring children into the political arena. Beck's an idiot most of the time, but his staff are good researchers and writers so he gets a lot of things right (Van Jones, Valerie Jarrett, Rev. Wright, progressives).
ReplyDeleteBeck has the unfortunate traits of being politically right and socially wrong.
ReplyDeleteTo all - Beck is both intelligent and has good research staff. He also has the ability to make valid points and bring them to a level the average American can understand.
ReplyDeleteHowever he seems to lack the ability to 1) control his emotions, and 2) recognize there is an ethical limit to political discourse, in this specific case the use of children as political "props.".
Can I make fun of Beck's child who is unfortunately afflicted with cerebral palsy on my blog and then offer up a weak apology and have you come to my defense as well Les?
ReplyDeleteGrunge_e_Gene - I think my post clearly states Beck was wrong on the specific issue of using children as props, or for political purposes in any way.
ReplyDeleteHE WAS WRONG and on this specific issue I am not defending him. Obama by the way was wrong as well... but we need not discuss that as he chose to interject his own child into the mix.