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.
I don't recall any such effort on the part of either Truman or Eisenhower.
Would you enlighten me, please?
I just read all 550+ posts.
I like both Mark’s & Glenn’s shows. Mark’s more than Glenn’s - but it’s a matter of taste. Glenn is best when he is discussing detailed corruption - ACORN and Van Jones. When he gets “abstract”, he loses many in the audience, such as my Uncle (a retired Navy man, former Democrat, resident of Boston — who writes me to try & unravel the inscrutable Glenn, which I can’t do at those moments). Mark & Glenn are quite similar if you think about it: both are expressing frustration (in their own ways) with decades of RINO complicity with government growth. Mark expresses it — by being short and impatient with callers. He is attempting to pull RINOs back toward Conservativism, “jaw-boning” them. Glenn expresses it — by displaying how both parties continue to sell out to special interests, but Glenn is clearly unwilling to trust that the RINO-tendencies of the existing Republican Party can suddenly disappear. He seems “torn” (unsure) about how to proceed. They are both doing what they think is best: Mark is telling them what they (R’s) SHOULD do; Glenn is telling them that they really have to PROVE themselves, we just don’t feel like we can trust them - we have been “burned” too many times (at the State level, e.g. in Calif. with our tax-supporting “Republicans”, and at the national level, with “Juan” McCain, for example). Instead of negotiating with Dems for a slower GROWTH in govt spending & programs, real Republicans should be negotiating the proper rate of DECREASE in govt spending, with the Rats. I don’t think Glenn is a Libertarian (capital L, as I am). I resent being called a Conservative “Progressive” BTW. No libertarian I know would agree with that description. William F. Buckley was in favor of legalizing drugs (as a fundamental personal freedom, for example) - no one would seriously term him or Milton Friedman “con-progressives.” We could just as easily term you guys “conservative-fascists.” In short, behave yourselves; there is plenty of room in the conservative/constitutionalist movement for trads and libertarians. Thanks, interesting thread,. 4L
I’m a girl, and I love people. I do not hate gays for being gay.
Both Levin and Bennett need to pull their heads out of their asses. There is nothing Beck said or did at CPAC that warrants the kind of snotty, holier than thou responses both of them have shown today.
ROTFL!
I lied to go to my daughters wedding. They asked me if I paid the full ten percent. I said we lost all of our money two years ago and don’t make a cent. Then he asked if I observed the Word of Wisdom. I said, yes I observe it very closely. Next question was “Do you believe the church is true?”
My answer was yes for it is a major institution making millions.
They also gave me a card to enter. I was blessed.
Successful show business is incredibly demanding. Believe those who have actually done it. It is brutal, especially daily performances of *any* kind.
Unlimited stamina doesn't begin to describe the personal energy required to maintain a professional performing career day in and day out.
It's very difficult to overstate this, believe it or not. And the shortest part of the day is the actual performance. Personal prep, practice and rehearsal are the big time consumers.
OK. If you say so.
Non-Mormons are not allowed into the temple buildings after they are sealed, but he gave me this strange ticket thing that said I was.
levin does what his health allows - i don't know what he has done for you, but he educates me every time i listen to him - and probably a few others too - and we can use that knowledge in our debates with friends, families and neighbors - when pressed, that is levin's 'plan' (answer to the 'what can we do' question)
i don't listen to beck's radio show - and never watched him until he got his show on fox news - i missed the beck rallies - fox news did too i guess because i don't recall a lotta coverage
so what is beck's answer? march? stomp our feet? guns?
i am not sure if beck is thinking third party - i do think it is cowardly for people like beck and bor to try to make a virtue of their 'independence' - their 'independence' is only as devout as the paycheck they get
my problem with beck's 'grass roots history' is this - to what end? beck's rallies did not stop the democratz winning congress and the white house - we can all rally, stomp out feet and scream all day - but the fact is, congress votes on bills - the democratz have all but pissed in the face of the rallies - it will not change their vote on bills - our next chance is on election day
in beck's world, what party will his candidates caucus with? alone? if so, they will accomplish nothing - they will get no bill introduced or passed
i am not against rallies - but a rally alone accomplishes nothing - beck needs to man up and say what his answer is
He never bad mouths Rush Limbaugh.
I think Glen Beck is in over his paygrade.
calm down there little chili pepper, Beck didn’t know about it until recently either
We are active conservative Republicans who used to be donors, and I think there are a whole heck of a lot of us doing the same thing.
They're being given the message, and some Republicans are responding.
What Beck is doing by absolutely equating the hapless, misguided Republicans with the evil, anti-American left and encouraging a third party is not going to work. The only thing it can do is hurt conservatism. He needs to get back into supporting the Tea Parties and Town Hall meetings, providing accurate historic information on the Constitution and the Founding Fathers, and exposing the radicals in the Obama administration.
THAT is what is going to help conservatism. Fracturing us - those of us who used to agree with him - is only going to hurt.
Hmmmm ..?? I saw the Palin interview, and I didn’t get that he was “salivating” over a 3rd party at all.
And .. I listen to Beck all the time and I’ve never heard him say he wanted a 3rd party .. but just the opposite .. that he didn’t think a 3rd party would be a good idea.
I think he questioned Sarah about it because he wanted to know if that was what she was thinking of doing.
It’s hard for me to imagine anyone who is a frequent listener or viewer of his shows to come away with such a negative attitude about the man.
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Well it is not hard for me to imagine. I had no real opinion on Beck until my DH made me watch him, the more I watched him the more I hated him. Same thing with DH, after a little while of daily watching he couldn’t stand him either.
Levin:Beck::Post-grad:Under-grad
Too much to even go at here.
Its on loads of websites, and there’s hundreds of pages.
Doing a little research according to Bill Buckley, Russell Kirk, and a some other top conservatives, Welch indeed did call Ike a “dedicated agent of the communist conspiracy.” He simply didn’t put those words in a late edition of his book “The Politician.” Welch also called Ike’s brother Milt a commie. All top conservatives considered Welch a nut. Which is what he was.
Too early to tell, but JD plans to hold townhalls all over the state, he said don’t worry about the DC insiders supporting McCain, that it is the way things work, he will be setting the record straight around the state.
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