Posted on 03/19/2009 6:02:19 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Since moving from CNN to Fox News, the Glenn Beck phenomenon has become the hottest topic today among conservatives. To demonstrate his influence, he recommended an obscure book called The 5,000 Year Leap on his radio and TV show, and today it is #1 on Amazon.
The Obama election and the Democrats takeover of government has re-energized the freedom movement, and more and more conservatives are turning to Glenn Beck as their hero.
Beck actually considers himself a libertarian. I was on the Glenn Beck Show two weeks ago, and he asked all his guests -- Steve Moore, Penn Jillette, and me -- if we were libertarians. We all said yes, and he said, “So I am.” He believes in maximum liberty and strict limits on the government’s powers as enumerated in the U. S. Constitution.
The boyish, articulate Beck is a dogmatic defender of the Constitution, which he believes is being perverted by both political parties in Washington.
His top priority is to “take our country back.” His patriotic enthusiasm is intoxicating, and his show is a hit around the country.
Last Friday on the Glenn Beck Show, he announced his 912 Project and his new website, www.the912project.com. His show is so popular that the site immediately crashed. (It’s now up and running.) 912 is a play on “9-11” and refers to “nine values” and “12 principles” based on the Constitution, and in particular, his favorite book called The 5,000 Year Leap: The Miracle that Changed the World.
Who is the author of The 5,000 Year Leap? My late uncle, W. Cleon Skousen! Cleon Skousen was a constitutional scholar, an FBI agent (and special assistant to J. Edgar Hoover), author of The Naked Communist and the thousand year books about the Bible, and a devoted family man.
In politics, my uncle was passionate about the U. S. Constitution, which he felt was inspired by God and the reason behind America’s success as a nation. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, he ran hundreds of Constitutional seminars around the country.
His book The 5,000 Year Leap outlines 28 reasons why the U. S. Constitution created the miracle we call America, and led the world out of agrarian poverty and into a new modern age of prosperity -- a 5,000 year leap from men plowing fields to walking in space.
Last Friday, Beck passed out to the live audience a new edition of The 5,000 Year Leap, which an introduction by him. He told the audience, “Everyone should read this book.”
Between commercials, he told me that even though he had never met my uncle (he died in 2006), Cleon's book changed his life. He said that a friend, without solicitation, sent him a copy of The 5,000 Year Leap, saying, “Glenn, I don’t know if you’ve ever read this, but it’s the simplest, easiest way for Americans of all ages to understand the simple yet brilliant principles our founders based this country on.”
Glenn read the book, and concluded: "The author [W. Cleon Skousen] was years ahead of his time. And our founders were thousands of years ahead of their time. My hope is that all Americans young and old will spend the time with this book to understand why we are who we are. The words of our founding fathers have a way of reaching across any political divide. They are words of wisdom that I can only describe as divinely inspired. They are here for us to help solve the unsolvable -- and they are the reason why we have for so long been the greatest nation on earth. But most importantly, in these pages, you will find hope." (from the introduction)
Finally, hope we can believe in.
===============================================================================
Mr. Skousen is a renowned financial economist, author and university professor. He has been the editor of the financial advice newsletter, Forecasts & Strategies, for 28 years. Two of his books highlight Milton Friedman's career: "The Making of Modern Economics" and "Vienna and Chicago, Friends or Foes?." Check out his latest book "The Big Three in Economics: Adam Smith, Karl Marx, And John Maynard Keynes" or "Investing in One Lesson" and "EconoPower: How a New Generation of Economists is Transforming the World." He is the producer of FreedomFest, the world's largest gathering of free minds, in Las Vegas every July.
BOR bashed Free Republic as a ‘hate site’ picking and choosing
posts that were planted by DUmmies to prove his point, while browbeating and shouting out Kristinn.
I’ve boycotted him ever since as much as I can, but my husband likes him and catches his show once in awhile.
You praise Beck - then slam him. Psychological studies show that people will remember the slam and forget the praise. Did you know that? It seems to be a pattern.
And that, is the reason my flag with fifty stars is coming down and being replaced with the original 13 stars flag (Betsy Ross Flag)which I obtained from Williamsburg, VA. We need a new beginning.
A pattern? A pattern with me or in general?
I didn’t slam Glenn- I stated what I perceive to be the truth. He is- as are we all- a mixed bag. He has flaws and quirks- so do I. Apparently one of yours is pointing out those of others.
Yeah, but IMO this is a very big reason that the "American, God-Loving people" are hated so and why those who oppose us so much seek constantly to destroy us.
To be fair, O’Reilly went to Harvard back when it actually meant something to go to Harvard. He worked for admittance all by himself, his family wasn’t rich. He worked at Carvel and painting houses to afford the tuition. So O’Reilly does have a good sense of who he is, even though he isn’t as conservative as Glenn Beck he doesn’t have to be. It’s good to have a balance on a station — otherwise you’d end up like PMSNBC.
He had a bit on Valentine's Day that was the funniest thing I ever heard. He would be in cahoots with a husband. He would find out all the wife's favorite things (restaurants etc.) and he would call the wife and say the husband had called in and wanted Beck to call her and say the husband had called Beck and wanted Beck to tell her how much he loved her etc. and Beck would say they were sending them to her favorite restaurant because the husband was so loving to his wife yada yada yads./......it was absolutely hysterical. I've often wondered if the wife had a sense of humor after the put on.
Beck has a great show. But, I do wonder about one thing he does fairly regularly -- cry on the air. Are the tears always real? He comes off as a combination of Morton Downey Jr. and Tammy Faye Bakker sometimes when he does it.
Two more books to add to my READ IT CONGRESS agenda.
The Constitution and The Federalist Papers MUST be read by all CongressCritters so that they know what it is they’re supposed to be upholding and defending.
Anyone who wants to be added to the Glenn Beck tv ping list, please let me know!
Glenn Beck is GENUINE. A few tears don’t bother me one bit. I never miss him unless I forget to record the show. That’s not often. CO
The 5000 year Leap is great. I got it, and the video course, and started watching it with my kids during the election last fall.
Remember Bobo?
I remember Beck doing that! I listen to him on WOWO, Fort Wayne, IN. I like “Moron Trivia” (remember that)
I read it about 4 months ago on Glenn’s recommendation. Very good at explaining the principles of freedom our country should be working under.
I thin passed it on to my husband who then passed it on to my father. It is now on the bookshelf waiting for our next pass.
Read it, then move it on everyone!
Such a good post, I had to re-post it...and add alittle umph ;-)
Don’t remember that one off the top of my head.
I understand and loyalty is great, too, but it was a lib guest...Kristin, I think, who threw FR in his face and he was embarrassed because he didn’t even know about us.
While you are right, he was critical of FR, he at least allowed a rep of FR to come on his show and defend the site.
He has since defended FR as being nowhere near as bad as the Kos, etc.
So, while BOR has (surprise) an ego, he uses his position for good and because of him, many, many children might not be sexually molested, and a few more molesters might be in jail.
And there isn’t anyone else who has had the nads (symptomatic of having an ego, perhaps?) to get in Chris Dodd’s and Barney Frank’s face.
But....he did trash FR so screw it...hate him forever.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.