Wednesday, March 17, 2010

I Bit the Bullet

I’ve been engaged in a mini-debate with J in the comments to a post about Glenn Beck earlier this week. J in so many words said my opinion (Beck’s a goofball and a buffoon) isn’t valid as I hadn’t put in the research time.

I just did, listening to seven or eight “Beck Talks” segments on his website. He took on a bunch of the issues that are current in the news, attacking the liberal position on each and saying not much of anything of substance, just a series of sweeping generalizations that I’m sure play to the fan base. I also read a couple of transcripts of segments from his radio show. He doesn’t come off as well there, kind of a not so smooth and very right wing Howard Stern, bantering disjointedly with his sidekicks, Stu and another guy who's name I forget.

One plus, he didn’t cry once.

I have to say, I didn’t hear any crazy talk. Just the typical talk radio stuff; and, it was smoother than some I’ve heard, not on a par with Limbaugh and Hannity (comparing smooth not quality), but equally as biased.

I amend my opinion: He’s a typical talk radio/TV guy (as long as he doesn’t cry). He isn’t overly interested in facts and logic (both of which could be used to attack many liberal positions). He’s interested in playing to his audience, he does it well. Indeed, he’s better at it than his opposite counterparts at MSNBC, but again, as equally biased.

He and they are what’s wrong with political discourse in America. Extremism sells. Nuanced debate puts people to sleep. You can’t sell Carbonite and gold (two big Beck sponsors) if your audience is asleep.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

But what you're saying, in a nutshell, is that Glenn Beck doesn't sound crazy when he doesn't sound crazy. You could say the same thing about Adolph Hitler, Charles Manson, or me.

Jeni said...

Ahem! Glenn Beck -to my old ears -sounds crazier than a loon! Talk about the media spouting off lies! Beck and Limbaugh do one bang-up job in that respect! Too many people who listen to either one of them think because they are on Fox News, that their discourses are, of course, "News" reports when in effect, they are just spouting off rhetoric geared to inflame folks who feel they have no recourse away from the anger inside about the current state of affairs across the country as a whole.
Of course, that being MY opinion, means nothing because I am not affiliated with any News Media organization. But, if I were, betcha I could peddle my own brand of rhetoric too, ya know. Yep! To quote another Fox "news" person - "You betcha!"

j said...

(CNSNews.com) - Self-identified conservatives outnumber self-identified liberals in all 50 states of the union, according to the Gallup Poll.

At the same time, more Americans nationwide are saying this year that they are conservative than have made that claim in any of the last four years.

In 2009, 40% percent of respondents in Gallup surveys that have interviewed more than 160,000 Americans have said that they are either “conservative” (31%) or “very conservative” (9%). That is the highest percentage in any year since 2004.

Only 21% have told Gallup they are liberal, including 16% who say they are “liberal” and 5% who say they are “very liberal.”

I guess the other 79% of us are doomed to wallow in our ignorance.

J said...

I did not include quote marks. My comment is only the last line of the post above. The rest belongs to Gallup. Want to give credit where credit is due.

Dave said...

I know this is on the wrong post, but it is Beck related. Here's the latest goofball quote:

"They intend to vote on the Sabbath, during Lent, to take away the liberty that we have right from God," King said.

"Faith has been perverted," Beck responded, then repeated. "They are going to vote for this damn thing on a Sunday, which is the Sabbath, during Lent."

Beck continued:

"Here is a group of people that have so perverted our faith and our hope and our charity, that is a -- this is an affront to God."

Though Beck conceded that he didn't believe that the Sunday vote was consciously chosen as a plot against God, he did find the timing apt.

"I think it's absolutely appropriate that these people are trying to put the nail in the coffin on our country on a Sunday -- something our founders would have never, ever, ever done. Out of respect for God."