Beck Under Fire
by: Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Birthplace of Independent Conservatism
Glenn Beck is under rhetorical "fire" {how's that for PC?} from the left. This is of course common fare as he -- being a staunch conservative advocate of our founding principals and the Constitution as written -- is anathema to the most liberal element of our society. Note I did not say all liberals. There are liberal that while disagreeing with his views do not see him as the "devil in disguise" as some liberals do.
Beck is certainly opinionated. Who isn't? In fact some of the most opinionated personalities can be found on the left. As stated in recent posts at Rational Nation USA, expressing one's opinion respectfully should be welcomed and encouraged.
I do not always agree with Beck. In fact I seldom watch his show as I am usually occupied with other more important activities at that hour. However, I have had the opportunity to catch a few of his shows recently I have found him to be measured in his rhetoric and clear on his denunciation of incivility in general and violence in particular.
There are some on the left that see it otherwise. In my opinion such individuals and organizations are really just concerned with shutting down conservative pundits for the sake of shutting down opposing views. This is indeed unfortunate as both liberal and conservative views need to be heard for people to make informed decisions.
I had no intention and certainly no desire of posting on Beck until I saw the following from today's The Washington Monthly by Steve Benen.
Excerpts:
Read the rest of here.
First: Beck has never advocated violence against anyone and rhetorical political comments do not constitute threats. Second: Beck ties quotes and information relative to the subject matter he is speaking on to the people who are responsible for the quotes.
Apparently some do not understand it is not the person per se that he is taking issue with, rather it is their philosophy or ideology. His sole purpose is to expose his viewing and listening audience to views he considers {often rightly} to be wrong-headed.
Glenn is not a news caster, although he and his staff do the research necessary to gather facts for his program. He is a television op-ed personality. He presents the data on the subject matter and then gives his opinion on the subject. While he can be tedious at times he has a useful and important place in our political dialogue. Just as Olbermann, Maddow, and Schultz have.
I can't help but wonder what the left is really fearful of.... On second thought I know.
Cross posted to the Left Coast Rebel and Political Integrity Now
Via: Memeorandum
Rational Nation USA
Birthplace of Independent Conservatism
Glenn Beck is under rhetorical "fire" {how's that for PC?} from the left. This is of course common fare as he -- being a staunch conservative advocate of our founding principals and the Constitution as written -- is anathema to the most liberal element of our society. Note I did not say all liberals. There are liberal that while disagreeing with his views do not see him as the "devil in disguise" as some liberals do.Beck is certainly opinionated. Who isn't? In fact some of the most opinionated personalities can be found on the left. As stated in recent posts at Rational Nation USA, expressing one's opinion respectfully should be welcomed and encouraged.
I do not always agree with Beck. In fact I seldom watch his show as I am usually occupied with other more important activities at that hour. However, I have had the opportunity to catch a few of his shows recently I have found him to be measured in his rhetoric and clear on his denunciation of incivility in general and violence in particular.
There are some on the left that see it otherwise. In my opinion such individuals and organizations are really just concerned with shutting down conservative pundits for the sake of shutting down opposing views. This is indeed unfortunate as both liberal and conservative views need to be heard for people to make informed decisions.
I had no intention and certainly no desire of posting on Beck until I saw the following from today's The Washington Monthly by Steve Benen.
Excerpts:
WHEN BECK'S MINIONS GET THE MESSAGE.... Glenn Beck doesn't just rail against perceived enemies, whom he considers dangerous villains who must be stopped; he also chooses obscure enemies he considers worthy of his rage.
It's one of the many oddities of Beck's bizarre message. The condemnations of President Obama and Nancy Pelosi are predictable, but Beck sees imaginary patterns and conspiracies involving figures most Americans neither know nor care about: Van Jones, Frances Fox Piven, George Soros, Saul Alinsky, the Tides Foundation, etc.
In Beck's unhealthy imagination, each are nefarious players in a plot to destroy you and everything you hold dear. Sane people don't see the danger, Beck says, but that only proves the point -- the mentally healthy are probably in on it.
The problem, of course, is Beck's minions take all of this seriously, and consider Beck's perceived enemies their perceived enemies.
Read the rest of here.
First: Beck has never advocated violence against anyone and rhetorical political comments do not constitute threats. Second: Beck ties quotes and information relative to the subject matter he is speaking on to the people who are responsible for the quotes.
Apparently some do not understand it is not the person per se that he is taking issue with, rather it is their philosophy or ideology. His sole purpose is to expose his viewing and listening audience to views he considers {often rightly} to be wrong-headed.
Glenn is not a news caster, although he and his staff do the research necessary to gather facts for his program. He is a television op-ed personality. He presents the data on the subject matter and then gives his opinion on the subject. While he can be tedious at times he has a useful and important place in our political dialogue. Just as Olbermann, Maddow, and Schultz have.
I can't help but wonder what the left is really fearful of.... On second thought I know.
Cross posted to the Left Coast Rebel and Political Integrity Now
Via: Memeorandum
Well, the Left's main concern with Beck is his lunatic fringe, conspiracy, demagoguery. Beck's deranged rants seem almost designed to enthrall angry psychotics. He takes advantage of the ignorance, disillusion, and paranoia of much of his audience to twist history and facts to fit his schizy storylines. Whether he's informed or not, we wouldn't know, as his information is almost always wrong. Does he intentionally lie to morons every night on TV for living? Probably. And that's what we don't like about him: He's a smarmy, sleazy, snake-oil salesman.
ReplyDeleteJMJ
Les, "I can't help but wonder what the left is really fearful of"?
ReplyDeleteReally?
For the elite in the left and even the right including the MSM it is the exposure of the control they wish to achieve albeit quietly and methodically.
This agenda cannot be advanced on their time-table let alone quietly any longer so long as people such as Rush, Beck and a host of others are free to not only research but to broadcast such finding's.
The amplification of what was to be quiet is what they the elite fear the most.
As to the average liberal/socialist voter, well it is really basic what they fear the most; personal responsibility.
What Beck and the others speak of at the bottom line is dismantling the welfare state and a return to personal responsibility, sink or float. The left voter cannot fathom such a thought nor do they even wish to hear it for it terrifies them.
Fear is an understatement in this context to these folk's, such talk about personal responsibility to them gives them night terrors.
jmj,
ReplyDeletetake out all of the words in your comment meant to demean, belittle, degrade and dehumanize and you have said nothing worthwhile reading.
JMJ,
ReplyDeleteI really am surprised, but...I kind of agree with you.
While I do not know Glenn Beck or am a fan or follower, I am not ignorant to who he is. I have seen his show before and I have heard him on the radio.
He comes across to me as something like unto an entertainer who likes to mention God, the Constitution, and the progressive agenda, all the while using clever voices/inflections and sarcastic humor. Whatever.
I will give credit, however, to his research team. While I find his approach childish, sophomoric, and quite predictable, when he has a point to make that would require hours of research, he nails it. Well, his research team nails it.
I find Beck much like Palin in the sense that if you dare speak against him, you are surely not one of the true conservatives who will win America back for Jesus.
Please.
Being a conservative does not mean one needs to be a sycophant.
Donald in Bethel, CT
For what it's worth, (and I would presume you will hate this), I do listen to Rush Limbaugh more often than not. His accuracy rate is ridiculous.
"Being a conservative does not mean one needs to be a sycophant." True,
ReplyDeletebut I am familiar with a number of folks who read only his books and watch only his show. They think they are constituitonal experts. Frankly,
he gives conservatives a bad name.
what does the fact that some read his books indicate that he gives conservatism a bad name, BB?
ReplyDelete@Griper,
ReplyDeleteI would venture a guess at your question to BB and opine that perhaps because they (these folks BB mentions) read and watch ONLY Beck's show, they have somehow become "Beck-ites", and are merely talking heads regurgitating his stuff.
Folks like that do indeed create a cult of personality by their almost rabid dependency upon Beck, but so do the Palinistas and the Obamites.
Beck has enough wrong with him than to be pigeonholed as the mouthpiece of the conservative movement.
My two cents, worth only one cent thanks to the 111th Congress.
Donald in Bethel, CT
The Left is ultimately fearful of the truth, as any irrationalist is. It gets in the way of their unanalyzed desire to destroy.
ReplyDeleteDonald,
ReplyDeleteyou never answered my question. just because they watch him doesn't make him bad for conservatism. in fact, it could be argued that the fact he is capable of convincing them says he is good for conservatism. isn't that what staing an opinion is all about?
staing=stating
ReplyDeleteJersey: Can you produce some facts to back up your unhinged, unsubstantiated allegations?
ReplyDeleteBeck is a danger only to MSNBC, and the statist model they support.
"but Beck sees imaginary patterns and conspiracies involving figures most Americans neither know nor care about: Van Jones, Frances Fox Piven, George Soros, Saul Alinsky, the Tides Foundation, etc."
ReplyDeleteExcept these are people that we need to know and care about. Beck may not be the best person to look to but at least he is exposing the most dangerous progressive boogiemen under the bed. The LSM certainly isn't going to expose them.
Just back from watching The Fighter. Aside from the fact Mickey Ward hails from from my state the movie is a good watch. A little slow to start with a great finish. If ya like boxing flicks.
ReplyDeleteOther than that great discussion points made on this post. Beck while not always right serves an important purpose in keeping the left on edge.
The fact they wish to silence him speaks volumes.
Donald, I never said that I think all Beck's fans or viewers (heck, I watch him for a little while or so every week) are all morons and screwballs. In a way, showman like Beck can put on a cathartic performance.
ReplyDeleteHis shtick is one of the oldest artistic professions - saying things polite poeple don't say in social situations. Comedians do it. Some clergy of every faith and sect do it. Music and letter writers do it a lot the time. Bloggers fall into that catagory as well.
Of course, there is a good reason things are "polite" - nine times out of ten, they are correct.
The one out of ten things that makes us scratch our heads a little is what we now call "politically correct." It's really a misnomer. Most of what we call "PC" is really just the latest social fad - silly controversies over silly nonsense at various university campuses, or other similar institutions. It's rarely important.
We've all been around groups of people for extended periods - at work, at school, playing for a team or a band, socializing with group of friends - and the more we do we develope a common culture significantly influenced by our interrelational understanding and empathy.
In those groups individuals sometimes offend one another or feel they are being falsely accused of offending someone, or all sorts of other spats and what I call triflings. It happens. Sometimes it happens sometimes on the macro scale as well, and then it becomes one of those rare politenesses we somehow find abusive of our rights.
Just the same, common politeness tells us that we should be honest, caring, and warm. So, Beck puts on a fine dishonest, frightening, unpleasant show - everything impolite, and of course wrong. That's why people watch him.
We wonder at how he gets away with it. You guys suggest it's a his wondrous research, which is really nothing more than endless searches for obscure material from dubious sources that are tenuously attached to ridiculous theories, and hey, what the heck, it's all just "opinion" anyway, right? The only value of Beck's "research" is to make it look like he's "researching" something.
What a *&^%$#@!@#$%^&*(*&^%$#@!#$%%^^ joke.
JMJ
>Can you produce some facts to back up your unhinged, unsubstantiated allegations?
ReplyDeleteI believe that his latest post has answered that question with a resounding "no." As always, Jersey Mcwhatever avoids that whole bothersome issue of presenting a logical argument based on verifiable evidence. Not surprising, of course, but rather sad.
"Jersey McMeme" would be a better name for him/her. Say the same thing over and over again and maybe it will catch on, even when there isn't a shred of truth behind any of it.
Most of the babble that he/she writes is just a Ctrl+C/Ctrl+V of the always empty shrieking of the frothing mouths of the primitives that constitute the American left. Yawn + pity.
The left is afraid of Beck because like any good bloodhound, he's on the trail of an evil intent on bringing down our Republic. He's bringing to light things that the MSM has neglected to report in their zeal to promote communism.
ReplyDeleteHe's doing a public service, and doing it well.