Posted on 02/21/2010 1:14:06 PM PST by Sergeant Tim
I was invited to be the opening speaker at Saturday's CPAC session. I had accepted but then, to my amazement, I learned that the John Birch Society would be one of many co-sponsors. This takes the big-tent idea many steps too far for me. So, I withdrew. Apparently, others were not so moved. That's fine. But it wasn't for me. Bill Buckley and Barry Goldwater, among others, chased the Birchers from the movement decades ago. And they're not a part of the movement. So, to give them a booth at CPAC was boneheaded.
I want to commend Bill Bennett for his wise piece this morning on the Corner. I agree with him.
I have no idea what philosophy Glenn Beck is promoting. And neither does he. It's incoherent. One day it's populist, the next it's libertarian bordering on anarchy, next it's conservative but not really, etc. And to what end? I believe he has announced that he is no longer going to endorse candidates because our problems are bigger than politics. Well, of course, our problems are not easily dissected into categories, but to reject politics is to reject the manner in which we try to organize ourselves. This is as old as Plato and Aristotle. Why would conservatives choose to surrender the political battlefield to our adversaries -- who are trashing this society -- when we must retake it in order to preserve our society? Philosophy, politics, culture, family, etc., are all of one. Edmund Burke, among others, wrote about it extensively, and far better that I possibly can. But all elements of the civil society require our defense. Besides, why preach such a strategy when conservatism is on the rise and the GOP is acting more responsibly?
Moreover, when he does discuss politics, which, ironically, is often, how can he claim today that there is no difference between the two parties when, but for the Republicans in Congress, government-run health care, cap-and-trade, card check, and a long list of other disastrous policies would already be law? The GOP is becoming more conservative thanks to the grass-roots movement and a political uprising across the country, which has even reached into New Jersey and Massachusetts. Why keep pretending otherwise? My only conclusion is that he is promoting a third party or some third way, which is counter-productive to defeating Obama and the Democrat Congress. These are perilous times and this kind of an approach will keep the statists in power for decades.
And what of his flirtations with Ron Paul's lunacy respecting America's supposed provocations with her enemies, including al-Qaeda? Why should such a fatal defect in thinking be ignored? Do we conservatives agree with this?
Finally, Beck is fond of congratulating himself for being the only or the first host to criticize George Bush's spending. This is demonstrably false. I not only attacked his spending, but the creation of the Homeland Security Department, the prescription drug add-on for Medicare, his "moderate" tax cuts, as well as his nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court, "comprehensive immigration reform," and so forth. And I was not alone -- Rush and Sean did the same, for example. And as someone who fought liberal Republicans in the trenches when campaigning for Reagan in 1976 and 1980, I don't need lectures from Beck, who was nowhere to be found, about big-spending Republicans. But this is not about me, or Beck, or Beck's past drunkenness (which he endlessly wears as some kind of badge of honor). It is about preserving our society for our children and grandchildren. Beck spent precious little time aiming fire at Obama-Pelosi-Reid in his speech, and it is they who are destroying our country.
On as a positive note, I am personally happy to see that Beck has cleaned up his public act -- as best I can tell, no more boiling fake frogs on TV or pretending to pour gasoline on someone -- and the rest of it. But I do think his speech, which contained nuggets of truth heard before and read elsewhere, including on Rush's show and in my book and many other books, may have distracted from some of the more compelling and coherent speeches at the event, including Marco Rubio's superb speech. I fear the media will see to this. I hope not.
It seemed like a bunch of RINOS were running CPAC to me.
I’m not voting for Beck for any office and I’m not voting for anyone he suggests just because he suggests it. And I don’t agree with everything Beck says.
On balance, he’s doing a great job of bringing conservative ideas to people who probably haven’t thought much about politics one way or another in their lives.
And much of what he says is spot on, especially regarding progressives and their absolute essential requirement to destroy the constitution.
And it doesn’t bother me that I disagree with Levin on this. I can disagree with Levin and still like him and listen to him and appreciate him.
Levin is wrong about Beck. But he’s still The Great One.
Even a Great One can be wrong once in awhile.
I would like to see Beck go head to head with Joseph Farah for a full hour on Fox without getting red in the face and shouting him down. I bet I will never see that happen though. Amazing how he touts the “question with boldness” part but DOESN’T ALLOW someone who simply wants to “question with boldness” Obama’s real birth certificate.
The only posts on this thread are personal, ad hominum attacks on Beck. Kinda like Levin (whom I like) yelling at the top of his lungs only these guys have no intellectual, reasoned or compelling argument to make.
They are just shallow trolls and bomb-throwers. We'll just have to wait and see how far it goes...
and the Republicans — especially Ron Paul — are still feeding at the spending trough in droves.
Agreed....both levin and hannity are JEALOUS!
Right on. The Republican’s, sad to say, contributed as much to the financial mess we presently find ourselves in as the Democrats. Unfortunatley, it has been going on for almost a century. Spend, spend and more spending. Result, a huge national debt that has the Nation on the brink of bankruptcy. Earmarks, ridiculous, unfundable programs to buy votes and concern for election and/or re-election over the health and well being of America. An old paper by Charlie Reese, 545 vs. 300,000,000 sums it up very well. Beck may not know exactly where he is headed or where you believe he is trying to take us, but, in my opinion, it is a better place than where we are today.
Ha! The tent is getting so big that the bouncers are having cage fights.
As much as it pains you Mark, this isn't about you. Bill Bennett's piece this morning wasn't 'wise'. It was indicative of the problem with establishment Republicans who just don't get it.There are two choices: Either many elected Republicans are so hopelessly incompetent and so spineless that they cannot enact the policies that they claim to support OR they are complicit in the attempted destruction of this republic.
Until we own up to just how significant the betrayal of principle was that occurred in the Republican party, we cannot properly fix the problem.
Mark, I fear that your borderline obsession with Glenn Beck has clouded your judgment on this.
This is the most important post on this thread. Thank you, perfect_rovian_storm. You are dead right.
what clear GOP fiscal conservative is Beck excoriating daily? Because I can’t think of one... he goes after PROGRESSIVES like John McCain, and McCain IS a conservative in name only.
As I understand it, the Birchers have cleaned up their act since the 50s and 60s. Why are they still unwelcome by Mark and others?
too your face? LOL aren’t you in your house somewhere in front of a computer? LOL
Is Levin speaking at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference (SRLC) in April?
Never used to listen to him before, but thanks to FR, I started listening to him. He is a very smart man, and a true conservative.
As for CPAC, there were some great speakers out there. Loved Ann Coulter’s speech (I love red meat).
However, like a lot of people here, I have a serious problem with a gay group calling itself GOProud, sponsoring a supposedly conservative conference, and booing conservative speakers off the podium.
Pandering to aggressive gay groups, goes against core conservative family values, not to mention it's a pretty stupid policy for the GOP or conservatives. Like blacks and Lantino’s, by far most gays vote for the Democrats anyway, so why sell your core principles and go about pandering to a group that is hard core on gay marriage?
Perhaps you're thinking of OwlGore's infamous quote of "A leopard doesn't change its' stripes."
There are enough viewers, converts, captives and listeners for Mark, Glenn, Rush, Sean, Savage and others. They each have their audiences and that's good. We need them all collectively.....not one speaks for me 100% of the time!!!!
The John Birch Society thought Dwight Eisenhower was a Communist spy.
here is a novel thought........perhaps glenn beck is not promoting any ideology.......perhaps he is just a reporter, in the old sense, looking for and uncovering stories wherever they may be, but mostly where the msn is not looking...
I like that line.
I've had difficulty listening to Levin, due to that irritating nasal quality; however, I'll have to find some way to listen in the future, as I share alot of his ideas.
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