Glenn Beck's Restoring Honor Rally

[MicroBalrog]

I needed that laugh.

Oh that is so humorous of you, Iain. Tell me, when have you last watched a Glenn Beck episode?

[Iain]

Oh that is so humorous of you, Iain. Tell me, when have you last watched a Glenn Beck episode?

I've watched a fair bit of Beck. Or more accurately, peered down that particular rabbit hole. Particularly liked his massive distortion of what Obama said at the G20 conference, a distortion so large it required selective editing and use of one of his blackboards to terrify with his utter bulls***. Quitelinking his recent foray into American pre-history and his 'discovery' of 'Hebrew text'.

Call me a cynic if you like LE, but I suspect I'm far less cynical than Beck who, like many others, is merely turning populism into a serious earner.

[longeyes]

Rather ironic that Beck's accused of "distortion" when we have an administration that is so expert in it.  If anyone is turning "populism" into serious dollars it's Obama, his friends, and his backers.  If you want to compare con men, bring your A-game.

No one said Beck is the one and only "answer" to what looks to many of us like a fascist take-over of the USA, but he may be a piece of that response.  He is a symptom of a deep need for restoration just as Obama is a symptom of a need to hollow out and get payback.

[Perd Hapley]

Call me a cynic if you like LE, but I suspect I'm far less cynical than Beck who, like many others, is merely turning populism into a serious earner.

Meh. The notion that anti-establishment talk show hosts are too smart to buy into their own rhetoric, and just cynically manipulating the rubes, is very frequently made. Unfortunately, it's unlikely to be confirmed and impossible to deny. 

[Iain]

Rather ironic that Beck's accused of "distortion" when we have an administration that is so expert in it.  If anyone is turning "populism" into serious dollars it's Obama, his friends, and his backers.  If you want to compare con men, bring your A-game.

Because I defended Obama somewhere?

[longeyes]

No, because you think Beck's a snake oil salesman exploiting the masses, and I, repudiating that charge, think Obama is that to the nth degree.  The difference is that Obama has a lot more power than Beck and Beck, warts and all, is out there every day without an army of people actively working to disguise what he's up to.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

Yes, it sounds like you have.

which tea partiers have ousted anyone?

[Marnoot]

Just one example from here: Tea partiers ousted 3-term incumbent Senator Bob Bennett (R) from Utah, much to my delight. He got a sound thrashing in the GOP nominating convention, lost to 2 other TP-supported candidates.

[grampster]

No, because you think Beck's a snail oil salesman exploiting the masses, and I, repudiating that charge, think Obama is that to the nth degree.  The difference is that Obama has a lot more power than Beck and Beck, warts and all, is out there every day without an army of people actively working to disguise what he's up to.

That comment purely sums up what I think.  In addition, if one listens carefully, Beck's notion seems to elevate American exceptionalism which occurs because of our system of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  He sees our history as a stairstep to better things.  Obama is an apologist for everything that we are not as a people or a nation; he is a reducer of everything to it's lowest common denominator.  He is disrespectful, arrogant and a liar.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

The numbers of people at the rally has jumped 2 or 3 times. Some folks are trying to say there might have been a million in attendance. It looked more like 100,000 to me, but I'm not good at estimating crowds.

Were you there?

To me it looked like well more than 100k.  Definitely multiple hundreds of thousands.

[Ryan in Maine]

No, I wouldn't go to DC for anything short of revolution.

It's probably easier to estimate from aerial photos than from the ground, too.

Hundreds of thousands I wouldn't argue. A million I would.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

which tea partiers have ousted anyone?

The local word is that the appearance of the Tea Parties pushed Evan Bayh over the top in his decision not to seek reelection.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

No, I wouldn't go to DC for anything short of revolution.

It's probably easier to estimate from aerial photos than from the ground, too.

Hundreds of thousands I wouldn't argue. A million I would.

FWIW, none of the aerial photos I've seen capture the full scope of the crowds.

[Ryan in Maine]

Yeah, I agree. All the aerial photos I've seen have been centered on the same place.

[Waitone]

which tea partiers have ousted anyone?

Bob Inglis (RINO, SC) used Beck as an example of what is wrong with the TEA movement in a Boiling Springs, SC rally and he was eventually turned out in the primary.

Gresham Barrett was a SC rep in DC who decided to run for governor.  He made two mistakes.  First he supported TARP and secondly he had the audacity to defend his decision during the republican primary for governor.  He was soundly thumped by Nikki Haley who was covered in support by the TEA groups.  What makes the Barrett turnout so interesting is he was a very conservative rep.  The American Conservative Union rated Barrett at 94.0%.  Saint Jim Demint was rated by the same group at 94.6%  So Barrett was for all intents and purposes just as conservative as Demint yet he made one wrong decision and it cost him his job(s) as a politician.  Here in SC the TEA groups are having a significant impact.

[Perd Hapley]

I'm not a Glenn Beck fan.  I never was a fan due to his omnipresent smugness and arrogance, but to each their own I could care less. 

I was listening to Richard Land's program this past Saturday, and he discussed his impression of Glenn Beck, during a meeting with him.

"I have never been around anyone who is at that place in their life, in terms of being a major, mega media figure, who is more self-effacing and more humble. I mean he's very teachable, he's not at all arrogant - not an arrogant bone in his body."

(The first audio file on the following page, at 35.30)
http://richardlandlive.com/

If you know Richard Land at all, you know his opinion is worth something.  Personally, I can't think of a political talk show host less self-aggrandizing or less puffed-up than Glenn Beck.  So far, we only have one person who sees Beck as smug or arrogant.  RevDisk, you must be thinking of somebody else. 

[Waitone]

Emcee -- "You, over there in the corner. . . yeah, you."
Junior cynic -- "Sir, Beck is a member in good standing of the media, is he not?"
Emcee -- "True statement."
Junior cynic -- "And. sir, is it not helpful for members of the media to be good performers?"
Emcee -- "I accept what you just said as a valid point.  So what is your point?"
Junior cynic -- "How do you know what you see of Beck is reality and not just his schtick?"

Personally, I can't think of a political talk show host less self-aggrandizing or less puffed-up than Glenn Beck.  So far, we only have one person who sees Beck as smug or arrogant.

I take it you never heard his interview with and the aftermath of his interview with Debra Medina.

[Perd Hapley]

Not at all.

[Sergeant Bob]

Some of y'all must be watching a different Glenn Beck than I am. You're the same ones who bash the MahRushie without ever really listening other than really listening to the Lame Stream Media bashers.