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.
Placemark
Love it! ;)
Excellent! Go JD!
Call out the “so-called Republicans” by name is what we are saying. (BTW, Mark pegged Arnold correctly on day 1.) Stop selling books using “GOP” and “Republicans” as curse words.
Beck is Beck. Labels are just labels.
As to the advice that I should stop listening — I agree! And I have been, but I do so in stages.
The end stage of non-listening is to be Smerconished. In that stage if I hear the voice of Smerconish on a promo or ad — I immediately switch stations. Beck’s not at that stage yet.
And we all know that without the prevailing winds blowing the way they are, during a tough primary no less, John McCain wouldn't even bother with this charade. He'd be on the Sunday talk shows extolling the virtues of the opposition's ideas, and of himself for reaching across the aisle to make them reality.
McCain is the progressive disease Beck is referring to. As the long as the GOP insists on putting him and Lindsay Graham front-and-center and making them the face of the "loyal opposition", while relegating people like Coburn and DeMint to the "back bench", this line of criticism is entirely warranted.
LDS SOP
Levin has here expressed concern that this potential self-ordained “leader” may not have a cohesive political/philosophical policy with which to lead the Tea Party. And that is a valid concern.
Excellent point, and I note the "self-ordained".
One might consider the term "grandiosity" as linked to alcoholism, as well as the mormon belief that all "ordained into the mormon priesthood" males consider themselves to be "gods in the making".
“Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting … because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them”
From LDS. org, official mormon website
Beck has done some work that is admirable, however one must not overlook the forces driving him and wonder what is his eventual personal goal. One must also look into those for whom he has expressed great admiration, such as Cleon Skousen.
,-)
Beck + Levin + Bennett = Recipe for the resurgence of the Party of Ronald Reagan, via many many people and without one leader. This is a different time in history and getting America back to the time of Ronald Reagan has to be done a bit differently, so that all those Republicans in Congress who’s spines were so weak that they GOT us to this place, should be scared straight, and those that HAVE the spines to get us back on track can then emerge and be a louder voice than ever...thus getting us to where we need to be. I truly believe that Glenn (if he’s smart) will read Bill Bennett’s words and learn and evolve from them. If this doesn’t go to a third party place (which I agree would be disastrous), this will be like I say a perfect blend of thoughts and ideas, the right recipe, to get us home to the days of Ronald Reagan.
Enjoy the meatballs from that meat head. I digress.
You obviously have not tuned in lately (or often) or you’d know Mark endorsed McCain’s opponent, Hayworth, and had him on twice during the past month. And his “pissing” contest with Beck is well-based.
Call the whaaaammmmbulance!
I’ve read through many of the posts here and come away with this conclusion; Each of them has a place in informing/educating the populace with regards to what has/is happening to our country.
I view Mark as more of the college professor and Glenn as the Middle/High School teacher.
Different types of presentations to their respective audiences.
I don’t watch Glenn too much, listen to Mark whenever I can, have read Liberty and Tyranny.
The point I’m trying to make I guess, is that there is room for both as long as their purpose is to inform/educate about the original liberties and constitutional values we conservatives hold dear.
It that one of those SECRET ones the holders of a TEMPLE RECOMMEND© learn when they finally are shown the MEAT of MORMONism?
Middle/High School? More like Kindergarten, I think...
Amen!
Apparently so.
Okay, I didn’t really want to go that low, TRYING to stay out of the flame wars, but if it’s successful in informing/educating, then so be it.
Look at the sorry state of affairs that is our so-called “educational system” and how little of our actual history is taught. How little, if anything, many students know of the Constitution. If folks can learn from Beck as opposed to Levin, I’ll take that over them learning nothing. It should serve to at least whet their appetite for more.
Like I said, I’m a Mark fan, not so much with Beck.
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