Posted on 11/21/2009 6:48:46 PM PST by reaganaut1
Glenn Beck [...] says he wants to go beyond broadcasting his opinions and start rallying his political base — formerly known as his audience — to take action.
To do so, Mr. Beck is styling himself as a political organizer. In an interview, he said he would promote voter registration drives and sponsor a series of seven conventions across the country featuring what he described as libertarian speakers.
On Saturday he held a festive campaign-style rally in The Villages in Florida, north of Orlando, in which he promoted his recently released book, “Arguing With Idiots,” and announced another book to come next August filled with right-leaning policy proposals gathered from the conventions.
Mr. Beck provided few details about his plans for the tour, making it unclear if he truly intends to prod his audience of millions into political action or merely burnish his media brand ahead of a book release.
Mr. Beck did say the conventions would resemble educational seminars, and he emphasized that while candidates may align themselves with the values and principles that he espouses, he would not take the next step to endorse them.
In describing the conventions, he told the crowd on Saturday: “You’re going to learn about finance. You’re going to learn about community organizing. You’re going to learn everything we need to know if you want to be a politician.”
His staff would not say whether particular candidates for office in the 2010 midterm elections would be invited to speak at the conventions or the August rally.
...
Mr. Beck, having used his television and radio pulpit to lay out his list of the country’s impending problems — deficit spending, health care legislation that will “destroy” the economy, a dearth of “personal responsibility” — says he now wants to also provide solutions.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
bookmark
Glenn Beck sent me a free hard copy of his book “Arguing With Idiots” for being a premium member. I received it in the mail the week before it was released. What an extremely nice gesture of Glenn Beck.
Glen is taking the correct course - by not endorsing a particular candidate, but educating on the real issues, he can stay above the “bias” fray - and likely stay out of a “Fairness Doctrine” mess.
It is about conservative values - plain and simple. Glen is as sick of party politics as anyone (me included). Both parties are hell-bent to destroy the country. The only real difference is the speed at which that elevator falls.
Better not let him know you're a Republican...all of them are equally as bad as democrats in his eyes.
I've often wondered what, or how much conservatives and Republicans might gain through voter registration drives. Probably a good idea, and there might be a lot to gain in some states for Republicans.
Most voter registration drives seem to be organizations such as ACORN and various ethnic minority organizations.
The NYT is madly in love with the socialist community organizer who has occupied our White House. We'll see if they are as tolerant of organizing when it is pro-American.
Actually more west than north.
Can't these guys look at a map?
Too bad this guy isn’t a little younger..with his record, he’d make a good president!
Remember Lee Iacocca, the man who rescued Chrysler Corporation from its death throes? He’s now 82 years old and has a new book, ‘Where Have All The Leaders Gone?’
Lee Iacocca Says:
‘Am I the only guy in this country who’s fed up with what’s happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder! We’ve got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we’ve got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can’t even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, ‘Stay the course..’
Stay the course? You’ve got to be kidding. This is America , not the damned, ‘Titanic’. I’ll give you a sound bite: ‘Throw all the bums out!’
You might think I’m getting senile, that I’ve gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore..
The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs.. While we’re fiddling in Iraq , the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving ‘pom-poms’ instead of asking hard questions. That’s not the promise of the ‘ America ‘ my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I’ve had enough. How about you?
I’ll go a step further. You can’t call yourself a patriot if you’re not outraged. This is a fight I’m ready and willing to have. The Biggest ‘C’ is Crisis! (Iacocca elaborates on nine C’s of leadership, with crisis being the first.)
Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It’s easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else’s kids off to war when you’ve never seen a battlefield yourself. It’s another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down.
On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes A hell of a mess, so here’s where we stand.
We’re immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving.
We’re running the biggest deficit in the history of the country.
We’re losing the manufacturing edge to Asia , while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs.
Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy.
Our schools are in trouble.
Our borders are like sieves.
The middle class is being squeezed every which way .
These are times that cry out for leadership.
But when you look around, you’ve got to ask: ‘Where have all the leaders gone?’ Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point.
Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo?
We’ve spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.
Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm.
Everyone’s hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn’t happen again. Now, that’s just crazy. Storms happen.. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you’re going to do the next time.
Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when ‘The Big Three’ referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important, what are we going to do about it?
Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the deficit, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.
I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn’t elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity. What is everybody so afraid of? That some bonehead on NBC news or CNN news will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don’t you guys show some spine for a change?
Had Enough? Hey, I’m not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I’m trying to light a fire. I’m speaking out because I have hope - I believe in America . In my lifetime, I’ve had the privilege of living through some of America ‘s greatest moments.. I’ve also experienced some of our worst crises: The ‘Great Depression,’ ‘World War II,’ the ‘Korean War,’ the ‘Kennedy Assassination,’ the ‘Vietnam War,’ the 1970’s oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11.
If I’ve learned one thing, it’s this: ‘You don’t get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it’s building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That’s the challenge I’m raising in this book. It’s a “Call to Action” for people who, like me, believe in America ‘. It’s not too late, but it’s getting pretty close. So let’s shake off the crap and go to work. Let’s tell ‘em all we’ve had ‘enough.’
Make your own contribution by sending this to everyone you know and care about. It’s our country, folks, and it’s our future. Our future is at stake!!!
Maybe that’s because lately, you can’t tell there is a difference from those espousing R and D beside their names....
It's called fighting fire with fire - beat them at their own game.
The big difference will be - it will be done with private money - WE the People's money directly donated, not stolen from our tax dollars.
If Acorn and it's 100+ sister outfits were ever taken off the public teat, they'd fall apart overnight. Libs are only energized when they can do so on OPM, other people's money.
It has always maddened me that these organizations out to destroy America always operate with gov't money.
Not bad for a drunk! Go Glenn.
It’s all about the birth certificate Mr. Beck .
I don’t think Glenn Beck would agree with you on that one.
Would you link a source for that - that’s great stuff!
AMEN! I'm ever-so-slowly beginning to think that he is willing to hide the truth about Obama due to his refusal to discuss this issue. Of ALL things, this is ONE topic he should QUESTION w/ BOLDNESS!
Well then maybe he should stop yelling it out loud and clear every time he opens his mouth.
You misunderstand Glenn Beck.
He supports good people in both parties.
Listen again.
Holding a rally to ‘announce a plan’ seems on the cultish side to me. Kudos for what he’s exposed of the Obama administration, but his penchant for being a self-styled movement leader makes me nervous.
you can’t tell there is a difference from those espousing R and D beside their names....
Well maybe you can't. But they all have voting records and are rated constantly by liberal and conservative groups that give them a score on specific issues.
If you don't bother to look that up and then let someone paint all your allies as the enemy, I guess maybe you can't tell the difference.
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.