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.
That's not the way I remember it.
It was Barry Goldwater who stated: "I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue!"
That was an explicit endorsement of the John Birch Society by Goldwater. Levin is full of it.
I'm no "Bircher" but those guys are patriots and were simply demagogued to near death by the MSM of the time when the leftist media was fresh from their triumph in defining "Mcarthyism" and writing it in stone into our history books.
How is that? His speech was awesome and I agree with most of what he said.
Good grief, for how long should we own up to it, Everyday it is doom doom doom, we are doomed. Okay, so we have some RINOs still around but we also have some conservatives who have owned up and are fighting the Obama agenda. Should every single Republican hold a presser like Woods and apologize? What will satisfy you and Beck?
I agree they screwed up, I agree we need to vote out the RINOs but we have Rubio and Pence and my senators, Coburn and Inhofe to name a few who are still fighting, and on state and local levels as well. Would it kill Beck just once to mention one of these guys and gals?
People are working hard on all levels to elect conservatives and tune in to Beck and are constantly told they are as bad as Democrats, it is depressing.
The overly emotional get-in-the face techniques drive me batty. He reminds me of an either an Amway salesman or an evangelical preacher, halfway between tears, shouting, and phony blackboard/white-board presentations.
I liked Thompson also, but now he is supporting McCain. lost a lot of respect for him because of that...
Levin, Coulter and DeMint supported the Mittster during the last primaries.
They MUST do better this time around.
Do you want to call me a "dumb bastard" to my face, you spineless POS?
#1a. Correction. Their = There. (Sheesh)
Thank you much for posting this, Sergeant Tim.
Exactly! Beck frequently comments on what a jerk he has been in his life, and I do believe in redemtion and I have had jerky moments in my life. However his “jerky” moments have almost sounded sadistic, drunk or not, there didn’t seem to be any room for compassion in his previous actions.
I don’t believe a leapard changes it’s spots (is that the phrase I’m thinking of? I hope leapards are spotty, LOL), not completely anyway. Beck lost me with the “Question EVERYTHING!!! Except verification that Obama is qualified to be President. You people who question that are NUTS!”
“One bitter, opportunistic infotainer envies another bitter, opportunistic infotainer that dwarfs him in the public eye. Pathetic all around. “
So damn true, it deserves to be repeated.
Mark Levin writes books, freshmen cannot read.
“I had the same idea that Beck may be trending towards trying to validate a third party that will be a total disaster for conservatives.”
I almost sounds as if that’s what he’s doing, doesn’t? God bless you for your wisdom and your willingness to say it here in these pages when so many conservativer-than-thou types are panting for a third party. Shades of the Perotistas.
Either your memory is faulty or it is you who is constipated. Google it.
And every day it's an infomercial for his gold broker. Mark at least confines the head-for-the-hills mentality to just the broker's commercials.
Telling people how bad Obama is is not enough to change things. When he lumps the two together (maybe he doesn't know it, but) he shows his ignorance of the many views of the parties. If he keeps this up, his followers will reject small disagreements with Republican candidates and create chaos.
Just did.
aye, they’re good! King Dude is my fave, I learn much from him and he can get me laughing so hard!
Nice post. You nail it.
Another plus for Beck, or any like him, is that rational practical conservatives who are about the work of governing, NEED a voice to the right of them.
Otherwise, to compromise and pass legislation (or even budgets), we always lean left further than we would without that voice to the right. And, that voice needs to be LOUD enough to mean something.
IMHO
Oldplayer
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