Posted on 03/01/2022 7:53:18 AM PST by Kaslin
As often happens among the political class in Washington, we met on television debating each other. I liked him immediately, despite our political and even religious differences.
Bob Beckel and I became friends and eventually more than friends. Twenty years ago, after debating a long-forgotten subject on Fox News Channel, we came back to the green room where I noticed a streak of sadness in his face. "Are you OK, Bob?" I asked. In what he would later describe as a rare moment of transparency, he said, "No, I'm not," and began to cry. I had never seen him like this. He told me his personal life had fallen apart and he was receiving death threats after being accused of trying to flip electors to Al Gore following the 2000 presidential contest. He had denied the accusation.
I told him, "You need Jesus, who will change your life." He said he had tried everything else and it hadn't worked, so he was open.
After giving him a Bible and a book titled "Evidence that Demands a Verdict", Bob started coming to church with me and came to believe what Scripture says about our need for redemption and a Redeemer.
What followed was a unique bond that lasted until the day he died last week.
In the early 2000s, we decided to write a column together called "Common Ground" in which we presented our positions on certain issues and then tried to reach agreement at some level. USA Today immediately bought the idea and we were featured on its op-ed page for 10 years. We also wrote a book together with the same title.
It was on the lecture circuit where I think we had our biggest influence. Bob spoke openly about his history with alcoholism and his genuineness endeared him to even conservative audiences.
We traveled together, ate together, and got to know each other and our respective "stories" in ways that rarely happen in Washington these days. At the end of our presentation, I would say that I rejected the notion that Bob was on "the other side." Both of our fathers were in World War II. They weren't fighting for or against Franklin Roosevelt, but to preserve an ideal. America has always been an idea in search of the ideal. If we want to put someone on the other side, make them external enemies like the Ayatollah in Iran, or the leadership in China and Russia. Let's not destroy each other. We are fellow Americans.
Bob would then get up and say how I had saved his life and introduced him to God and other nice things. We embraced, prompting wild cheers from the audience. People would say, "Why can't we see more of this in Washington?" It helped that neither of us were interested in running for office, which would mean having to raise money and say things to satisfy various interest groups.
It was on the lecture circuit where I think we had our biggest influence. Bob spoke openly about his history with alcoholism and his genuineness endeared him to even conservative audiences.
We traveled together, ate together, and got to know each other and our respective "stories" in ways that rarely happen in Washington these days. At the end of our presentation, I would say that I rejected the notion that Bob was on "the other side." Both of our fathers were in World War II. They weren't fighting for or against Franklin Roosevelt, but to preserve an ideal. America has always been an idea in search of the ideal. If we want to put someone on the other side, make them external enemies like the Ayatollah in Iran, or the leadership in China and Russia. Let's not destroy each other. We are fellow Americans.
Bob would then get up and say how I had saved his life and introduced him to God and other nice things. We embraced, prompting wild cheers from the audience. People would say, "Why can't we see more of this in Washington?" It helped that neither of us were interested in running for office, which would mean having to raise money and say things to satisfy various interest groups.
How often did Beckel call any republican or even their policies racist. I for one do not know but if he did the Cal Thomas is naive.
So you ask a question you can’t answer (even once?) then attack someone who debated him, toured with him, cowrote with him “stupid”? Why post at all?
Beckel was a thug, Cal.
U R funny.
Cal Thomas was on the NR “Against Trump” cover.
This is what Beckel said to James Woods when Woods sent a tweet asking people to vote for Donald Trump:
“How did you turn into such an asshole. You’re a smart guy one of the smartest in the world and you side with this idiot. Woods you are a sell out”
https://waynedupree.com/2020/08/bob-beckel-james-woods-twitter-trump/
He was just starting to turn his life around...
I would love to see wood’s response to beckel.. it,woild be like putting Einstein against Ernest from the Ernest movies
Beckel was never one of us, but he was one of His, and that is far more eternally important. One might even say the same about Cal Thomas as an anti-Trumper.
At the risk of destroying any semblance of humility, on “love your enemies” Sunday two weeks back my sermon was entitled “Aristotle, Alinsky, and the Almighty.” It is far better to be conservative than revolutionary, but it is beyond all measure better to follow Christ, even and especially when He doesn’t make Aristotelian sense—like loving your enemies. Given the actions of Trudeau and Putin since the sermon, I am sorely tested and want to hate them the way conservatives hated Beckel, but that is not what Christ does, so it cannot be what I do. Cal Thomas may not understand Trump, but he understands this.
Very stupid post
So Bob Beckel was apparently a Christian even as he was a liberal blowhard on cable TV news yakfests.
I know many kind people who have been infected by the Democrat party. In that regard, they are partially insane.
I was friends with the late, great Tony Snow. I asked him who his favorite liberal. Without skipping a beat he said Bob Beckel.
Tony Snow who posted here often also defended him, as Bob did after Tony’s death.
Agreed. Just because a person “finds Jesus” does not mean they no longer a douchebag.
Never met Bob Beckel, but I saw him several times on Fox before I stopped watching TV, and the blanket statements he made about Republicans, conservatives and everyone else he disagreed with were loathsome, hateful and certainly not Christian. And I might add, the comments were made several years after his is supposed conversion to Christianity.
The dude was a fat, slovenly, idiotic turd of the highest order.
I didn't like where this was heading.
One of the few times I watched the Five, Beckel trashed Tom Tancredo.
Makes one wonder what was real or not with some. Bob Beckel was paid and buttered his bread by being paid to debate as an au contrarian to conservative principles. Kinda similar maybe to sticking with a job one may not like because it pays well with great benefits. I think there’s a factor in that with Juan Williams too. He’s always towing the leftist monikers no matter how ridiculous is the position on it. Not totally believable because he’s a highly paid au contraire talking head. That’s my take on it, accurate or not.
Touching story, but demented advice. Wonderful they had a great friendship, and especially wonderful that Beckel accepted Jesus.
But Thomas is living in a deluded bubble if he thinks there is any good reason to trust leftists. Beckel sounds like 1 in a million, and those about the odds of dealing with a reasonable or humane leftist.
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