The picture failed the first time...
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.
The picture failed the first time...
Wrong, Levin was pounding this and much more about 0 long before Beck became a gleam in ole Rupert's eye.
In terms of effort, Levin has done his job. I am talking about results. Levin's audience doesn't need as much "Obamucation" as Beck's.
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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.
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.
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.
Fair enough.
Beck made some interesting historical points in the CPAC address. For example, Woodrow Wilson, like Obama, was pushing an unpopular "progressive" (anti-constitution) agenda, so Wilson decided that he needed more speeches, thinking that the problem was "the message" instead of his policies that the public hated.
There was not really a disagreement but I'd like to add my comments regardless.
Both Savage and Levin are among my all-time (almost 70 years) favorites. Savage, 15 years including first 10 years everyday, now most days; Levin very often beginning when his show was syndicated, we get it delayed.
I've never heard Levin lose it but contumely comes just a naturally for him as it does for Savage.
(I gotta add this, both men rage against competitors, et al stealing their stuff or copying their stuff -- well, anyone heard of Joe Pyne? Where did a lot stuff of Savage and Levin come from? Joe Pyne!)
More..
I've heard Savage lose control. It is almost always a personal (ego) thing rather than ideologically-based. It does not matter that the caller meant no offense.
The best example is a fan who started his comments by saying "You're a great American." That's as far as the caller got.
Savage exploded and started screaming at the caller to get off his show, never call back again -- then Savage raged against Hannity ("You are a great American") and some unnamed second conservative host who was described as a failed, incompetent host and lawyer.
Talk show host and lawyer Bill Cunningham (WLW Cincinnati and national show Sunday evenings, a good friend of Hannity's) started his Sunday show by broadcasting the recording of Savage's rage.
Cunningham, oft credited by Hannity for starting the "great American" compliment, wondered why Savage was attacking him. He thought they were on friendly terms. It puzzled Cunningham through a couple of Sundays. (No doubt in my mind that Savage was screaming insults about Levin.)
BTW, Cunningham recently said he was working to bring big-time talk show hosts together for a special. Among them Savage and Levin. Fat chance.
You said:
“. I do not believe it is right to fault gays for being gay, and a lot of times people who hate gays will start bashing them.”
You are on the wrong forum. It is actually the duty of anyone who can tell right from wrong to tell the truth about homosexuality - that it is a mental illness, that the practices they engage in are extremely unhealthy, and that their “gay” life is NOTHING to be proud of, in fact they should be ashamed of it.
You are equating hating the homosexual agenda with hating individual persons. This as a fallacy, an untruth, and something that is practically the foundation stone of the homosexual agenda. That is why homosexual activists (whether they are personally homosexuals or not) call ANYONE opposed to their Nazi like takeover of society “haters”.
And, jenk, just in case you aren’t aware of this, if you post ANYTHING on FR you are fair game for ANYONE who wants to reply to you.
Hopefully, your stay here will be very short, since you are (a) promoting the homosexual agenda and (b) attacking good conservatives who are standing up for the truth.
Thank you.
Do you think homosexuals should be allowed in the military even if they are open about their homosexuality?
Do you think homosexuals should be allowed to adopt or be foster parents of children?
Do you think people of the same sex should be allowed to marry?
I just asked her most of those questions - I hadn’t seen your list.
I forgot to ask her if homosexuality should be taught in schools.
Hey jenk, we want to know the answers, and I’m sure other people do too!
There were very, very few, and they kept their dark lives to themselves. Except of course in various barbaric cultures. For instance, Papua New Guinea, they were probably the same then as now, or until recently.
Mark is the best of the bunch.
bttt
reaganAUT, like Astronaut.
not reagaNUT. ;)
And more than one person has called me “Jim” in my life.
If the Tea Party replaced the GOP it would not be a third party.. It would be the Best Party in a Two Party System!
IMHO, Glenn’s speech at CPAC was his finest hour! I still love you, Mark! :)
They all steal from each other.. even when they don’t realise it.. Hell, they’ve stolen from me! I’ve said things and BAM.. someone in radio says the exact same thing the next day! ie: ‘We need 100 Jim DeMints!’
Speaking of Beck, apparently his viewership is recently down fairly significantly. Who knows, though, to what it's attributed. Perhaps it's a combination of his slamming those seaking the truth about Barry's eligibility and those who are upset that he seems to be favoring a 3rd party. In any event, the numbers:
I need to be removed from all these lists. I got bigger things to worry about than what Beck thinks of me or whether Levin has his panties in a knot over Beck.
TANKS for the ping RX,,,
Beck and BOR Same,Same to me,,,
Both just run their FAT mouths for the Sheepel,,,
Ain’t Got The Balls To Tell The TRUTH!!!...
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