Why Sarah Palin Should Not Defend Glenn Beck

http://correspondents.theatlantic.com ^ | Aug 27 2009 | Conor Clarke

[Maelstorm]

Sarah Palin takes to the digital pages of Facebook in praise of embattled and boycotted TV host Glenn Beck:

FOX News' Glenn Beck is doing an extraordinary job this week walking America behind the scenes of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and outlining who is actually running the White House.

Monday night he asked us to invite one friend to watch; tonight I invite all my friends to watch.

Palin thus ensures that the current Beck controversy will continue for at least another week. And I continue to be impressed and befuddled by two features of this controversy. The first is the degree to which Beck's supporters are largely unwilling to defend or engage with what Beck actually said to start the boycott. (Namely, that Obama is a "racist" with a "a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture.") The vast majority of what you hear from Beck supporters is that the left has been mendacious in handling the boycott campaign, by listing among the boycott signatories some companies that never advertised with Beck to begin with. But even if this were entirely true (it's partially true), it misses the point: The factual question of whether the boycott is calculating is unrelated to the interpretive question of whether what Beck said is defensible. And what Beck said was, I submit, stupid and indefensible. Does anyone disagree?

The second surprising feature is the degree to which this is wrongly described as a free-speech issue. This is a pretty big, basic misunderstanding of how free speech works. Free speech is a "negative" right: It prevents the government from silencing you. But it doesn't guarantee you the right to a soapbox or a megaphone or an audience. And it certainly doesn't guarantee a gigantic corporate paycheck for speaking your mind.

...

[Maelstorm]

This guy is wrong. Obama is/was clearly racist especially in the way he rushed to the defense of Prof Gates especially in the way he did it assuming the white cop had acted stupidly but this is not the first time he has shown racist overtones. Sarah is refreshing, she doesn't care what the press thinks and I'll stand with her and Beck and any one else who doesn't give lip-service to beast in Washington DC. Liberalism wins when it can make the rules to suit it. Too many like this individual are blithely going their way giving lip-service to the beast. Below is a great video of Sarah urging everyone to "Resist Enslavement to big government".

[Mr. K]

Sarah Palisn should not take ANY advice from the media, and they must have brass balls for making suggestions...

[listenhillary]

Who is Conor Clarke and why should I care what his opinion is?

[Bahbah]

Sarah Palin, as usual, is right on the money.

[cripplecreek]

Free speech is a "negative" right: It prevents the government from silencing you. But it doesn't guarantee you the right to a soapbox or a megaphone or an audience. And it certainly doesn't guarantee a gigantic corporate paycheck for speaking your mind.

LOL It gives you as big a megaphone as the people who are willing to listen and as big a paycheck as a corporation wants to pay.

[Paradox]

The second surprising feature is the degree to which this is wrongly described as a free-speech issue. This is a pretty big, basic misunderstanding of how free speech works. Free speech is a "negative" right: It prevents the government from silencing you. But it doesn't guarantee you the right to a soapbox or a megaphone or an audience. And it certainly doesn't guarantee a gigantic corporate paycheck for speaking your mind.

I've been trying to explain this exact thing to liberals for over 20 years, THEY are the ones who get this wrong. No conservative that I know thinks this is a "free speech" issue, which is why they have started their own "negative boycott". This guy is beating up strawmen.

[Cringing Negativism Network]

Enough of GOP weenies always explaining why taking a stand is wrong.

Please Mr. The Atlantic author guy with all due respect.

Shut up, sit down, and stay out of the way.

[Maelstorm]

Yeah they don’t understand that turn about is fair play.

[Cheetahcat]

Lets see 22 years in the Church of Wright tells me this Guy is Wrong!

[cripplecreek]

Who is Conor Clarke

Apparently some guy with megaphone envy.

[Bahbah]

Obama is a "racist" with a "a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture

Read his book.

[keats5]

I like Palin and Beck

As for Conor Clark... wait, who IS Conor Clark?

[bitterohiogunclinger]

Obama Racist? Next you'll be trying to say he's a leftist commie fascist. You'd be right.

[Maelstorm]

I couldn’t agree more. I do not understand why so many in our camp are ready to surrender before the war is fought. Though I’m not sure this guy was ever in our camp. He appears to be a soft headed liberal.

[Sarah Barracuda]

Sarah can give a rats behind what the media thinks of her. She was right about the death panels and she is right on the money with Glenn Beck. Sarah has every right to state her opinion, she doesn’t sit at home saying “Gee I wonder what the media will think of me if I support Glenn Beck” I think we all know how Sarah feels about the commie press

[cripplecreek]

Beck must be silenced ping.

[Carl LaFong]

Did you hear that, Sarah? Conor of the Enchanted media wants to instruct you on what the first Amendment means and tell you how to act. He (She?) is just trying to be helpful, after all.So shut up ,sit down and take your media beating like a good little girl.

[Drill Thrawl]

And what Beck said was, I submit, stupid and indefensible. Does anyone disagree? Yes I disagree with you and I agree with Glenn. I have believed that The One is a racist since the spring of last year. You don't sit in a racist church for 20 years if you are not a racsit.

[Bratch]

Conor Clark

[Mad Dawg]

Of course he’s a racist! I can’t believe anyone questions that.

He’s also, strictly speaking, a bastard, or right next door to one.

He’s the president. We owe him a hearing, but that’s it. I hear him. I disagree. I am a free man, for the time being.

[American Constitutionalist]

I support Glen Beck in what he said about Obama being a “ Racist “ .... because Glen was just voicing out load what most of us know and think of Obama ( in which, is true ).
It is absurd to think that there are no black people who deep seated hatred of white people, or discriminate because of the white person's skin color without even knowing that person.

[nomoremods]

Title should read “Why Sarah Palin Shouldn’t Listen to Conor Clark”

[Maelstorm]

You know that is the one that gets me. It is a glaring example of the duplicity of the Press.

[EDINVA]

From the article: “Free speech is a “negative” right: It prevents the government from silencing you. But it doesn’t guarantee you the right to a soapbox or a megaphone or an audience. And it certainly doesn’t guarantee a gigantic corporate paycheck for speaking your mind.”

Exactly, a huge audience does.

So explain how it is that truly hateful Olbermann has a show? And dunce Matthews has a show? and sleazierthanhell Maher has a show?

If the very words of Obama in his own book about disowning his mother’s race were reversed, and he’d spoken of disowning his father’s race would he not be called a racist by this very same writer ?? Beck nailed Obama and the left can’t handle it.

[bitterohiogunclinger]

“It prevents the government from silencing you. But it doesn't guarantee you the right to a soapbox or a megaphone or an audience. And it certainly doesn't guarantee a gigantic corporate paycheck for speaking your mind.”

That should explain why “the government” is directly funding leftwing moonbat media, i.e. NPR, and actively seeking to silence conservatives via Obamas FCC “diversity” czar.

[Dr.Zoidberg]

I think he’s some sort of blogger maybe?

Basically just one more guy with internet access and an opinion he needs to share so he can feel validated.

[Cringing Negativism Network]

HAHA. The only thing worse than a Euro-weenie.

Is a Euro-weenie wannabe.

So does Conor Clark write this pablum FROM ENGLAND?

What is it about Europe which makes American intellectuals into marshmallow-imitating poofters?

[cripplecreek]

I would love to see the “Free speech is a negative right” comment put to Obama in the form of a question.

[Maelstorm]

You have that right Ed. They can not handle it. Beck and Sarah both have it right. We need to stop allowing the left to deny what it is.

[cripplecreek]

Basically just one more guy with internet access and an opinion he needs to share so he can feel validated.

Kinda funny considering the fact that he feels that he has no right to a soapbox or a paycheck.

[Max_850]

Let's start with Barack Obama throwing his Grandmother under the bus calling her a typical white person who cringes when black people are nearby.

How about sitting in Rev Wrights pew for 20 years listening to his Black Liberation Theology preaching. Rev Wright marrying you to Michelle and being godfather to your children. Apparently you think quite a bit of Rev Wright.

How about the Stupid White Cop and Innocent Black Professor routine.

How about in your book talking about learning to fool white people. How even though you learned Black Militism from Frank Marshall, you also learned to hide your true feelings, talk smoothly and make your moves towards whites carefully and with calculation to make them think you are something other than what your are?

Still think Glenn was way off base in saying our President has a dislike/distrust of White people.

You are also discounting that his father and grandfather grew up in Kenya when it was a British Colony and were treated poorly by the Brits. Hence his hatred towards the Brits and why he snubbed PM Brown and the made sure the Queen was not invited to the D-Day celebration.

Open your eyes people.....

[GoldStandard]

Couldn't the same sort of be said for Sarah Palin?

Is she President? No. Does she have better than a 50-50 chance to become President someday, with the primaries and general elections and how far away the whole race is? No. Does she currently hold any position of high elected office? No.

Why should I care what a former Governor and failed vice presidential nominee has to say? Should I care what Geraldine Ferraro has to say too?

[downtownconservative]

RCG!

[Cheetahcat]

“You know that is the one that gets me. It is a glaring example of the duplicity of the Press.”

Amazing isn't it he should be judged more harshly and under the microscope which would show him as dirt.

[FrdmLvr]

I strongly disagree with his assertion that Beck was wrong to say 0bambi is a racist. Beck’s assessment of 0bambi having a deep seated resentment of white people and white culture seems correct to me. Anyone who can’t see that 0bambi is driven by race and is resentful of white, traditional, middle-class American values is not paying attention to 0bambi.

[Carl LaFong]

Yeah , Mr. Bulls**t Conor. I can’t believe anyone who would refer to his grandmother as a “typical white person” or believes that “white man’s greed rules a world in need” could be deemed to be a racist.

[eclecticEel]

And what Beck said was, I submit, stupid and indefensible. Does anyone disagree?

Care to share any reasons for this statement? I submit that Rev. Wright does indeed hate white people - and can make a damn good case to that affect. Either we conclude that Zero agrees or at least at one time did agree with his mentor, or we conclude he was just playing the political opportunist and doing what he needed to do to make it up the greased ladder of Chicago 'rat politics.

Pick your poison.

[Dr.Zoidberg]

Pretzel logic.

Even after following the loops, you are headed in a completely different direction than you started with.

[American Constitutionalist]

I disagree with this butt kisser....
Free speech is a positive as a right to the people, and a negative when government trys to shutdown the voice of the people as we are seeing today.
The rights we have in the US Constitution are inalienable rights given by God, and the US Constitution is a guarantee of those rights.
The US Constitution is a rule book on how the people have authority over the government and how the people should rule over the government and tell the government how to conduct it's self.
We the people, not THE GOVERNMENT of the Untied States of American.
The people's rights and authority trumps whatever the government wants or does.
To the Government, we are your overlords, and not the other way around.

[MotorCityBuck]

Beck does not need defending.

[FreeReign]

Namely, that Obama is a "racist" with a "a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture.")

Obama chose Sotomayor, he sided with Gates and he listened to Wright for 20 years.

[Rembrandt]

“the death panels”

Sarah Palin was the first one on the Right side to distill this bill down to its bitter core. She is a leader and a visionary. She’s a person worth listening to and a person worth following.

[UCFRoadWarrior]

Just love seeing Sarah making liberals squirm.

[cripplecreek]

This Clarke guy is just evious that Beck has a bigger megaphone.

If we were neighbors and we both stood on the sidewalk offering political views. I would draw a bigger audience and Clarke would sue me for having more people in my crowd.

[Vendome]

Really?

 

my white grandmother – a woman who helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for me, a woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed by her on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe.

 

Combine that with:

 

Obama stops seeing his grandmother at Christmas, Obama stops taking his grandmother's calls, Obama only sees his grandmother "supposedly" "just" before her death.

 

Combine that with:

"I ceased to advertise my mother's race at the age of 12 or 13, when I began to suspect that by doing so I was ingratiating myself to whites."

 

“It remained necessary to prove which side you were on, to show your loyalty to the black masses, to strike out and name names."

 

Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting …. (this is attributed to the arrest of a prominent black professor, who happened to be Obama’s friend.

 

 

[MASS-2 FAC]

Maelstorm, if you agree with this guy, you are so wrong in your thinking.

I'll go to his article and post my comment to him, not you.

Semper Fi

[toddausauras]

Hey lib, she does things on principle. She believes in Beck and also shows loyalty for those who are good to her, which Beck has been. Obama is a racist and so is his wife.

[American Constitutionalist]

" And what Beck said was, I submit, stupid and indefensible "

To Mr. Chicken Cluck or Clark or whatever his name is, since when is stating a fact or saying the truth is " Stupid " or " Indefensible " ? ..... truth does not need any help from you, truth can stand on it's own.
And in who's mind is it stupid to say that , yes, blacks can be racist too ?

[Aria]

Free speech is a "negative" right: It prevents the government from silencing you. But it doesn't guarantee you the right to a soapbox or a megaphone or an audience. And it certainly doesn't guarantee a gigantic corporate paycheck for speaking your mind.

Well, Obama's new FCC Diversity Czar appointee - and by extension Obama - disagree with this. The appointee wants to make rules for radio shows, punish them monetarily for non-compliance, and turn the license over to a minority should the station default on the penalties - which I understand are supposed to be 100% of the operating budget.

The appointee, who is black, (I forget his name) is a fan of Chavez.

This was all on Glenn Beck's most interesting series this week. The man is doing a GREAT job!

[LaybackLenny]

The Senate Finance Committee on the “Death Panels”...We put them in before we took them out. (h/t John “I was in Vietnam” Kerry)