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Glenn Beck: Deus ex Disgruntled … Yet Not an Idle Threat, America
by hardybear
Posted on 22 November 2009 | 1:58 pm 
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In the Spotlight this week, the perils of underestimation. To reprise my mantra that what to be most feared from the conservatives is the rare intelligentsia of the right, I’ve done some interesting research on where the latter meets and melds with their tea partying uber-kook counterparts. I don’t particularly enjoy it when I find there’s more to a conservative than meets the eye. I much prefer it when scrutiny evidences that there is less.
The one we love to mock, Glenn[Duh] himself, has been engaging in dangerous dabbles in the intellectual strata. I originally sneered when I read that he reads. I chuckled when I read that he has a loony right wing version of Oprah’s book club, the Beck Book Club, and that it reportedly can make or break an upcoming right wing author. I outright guffawed when I read excerpts of his own books, especially when doing that snivelly snide voice at the same time (à la KO). Then I stumbled upon a couple of articles that described his frequent guest, R.J. Pestritto. And stopped laughing.
Ronald J. Pestritto is of the new school of young, conservative academics and scholars. Differing from the kind of Young Republicans I encountered in college, he doesn’t seem invested in maintaining the status quo merely to safeguard his or his family’s legacy income, or the habitual social status. He takes a measured approach to dissecting the tenets of modern liberalism, bases it in fact and encourages intellectual discussion. There’s an uncomfortably William F. Buckley feel about his on air personae. (Not that anyone compared to Fox’s ‘Mad Man’ wouldn’t appear sane and salient, but you get the point.) He is one of several up-and-coming theorists and scholars that Beck invites to his circus, which is an avenue never taken by O’Reilly or his ilk. Matt Spalding of the Heritage Foundation is another frequent Beck guest, his work and opinions have garnered him places in Senate hearings on Constitutional amendmant law.
This all spells danger to me and here’s why.
Beck and La Palin and Coulter and Rush and Hannity all have the strength of insane popularity on their side. Money talks in politics and they know how to rake it in and have an eye pinned unswervingly on making more at the same time. They have met and vanquished that most holy grail of American success: branding. Add up the weekly listeners/viewers for the aforementioned big cheeses of Hate Radio/TV, and the stunning total of 25 million plus slaps you in the face. If they can manage to get some intellect and guiding philosophy behind these numbers, to convince moderates who cringe away from populist astro-turf shenanigans to draw near, and then to buy a more discreet conservatism? Then, ostensibly, voting paradigms could shift. If the doers, the masses that eagerly board buses with the ubiquitous tea bags stapled to their hats (bearing vicious placards and populist rage) were to be backed by credible thinkers … Des Moines, we have a problem.
Tuning into an episode of Beck’s Faux News show is a sociological experiment that should be conducted at least once, if for nothing more than to serve as a touchstone of the current conservative public taste level. It’s somewhat of a formulaic approach, repetition is comfortingly familiar and fervently sought by those who find him necessary. In all honesty, much as many of us draw strength from an evening dose of Rachel Maddow or Jon Stewart. They provide an injection of affirmation, an underscoring that our perspective and collective agenda is still reassuringly clear. For Beck fans, that includes his standard prix fixe menu: the passionate opening monologue (featuring an operatic range of tone, and often, copious waterworks) ; a touchy-feeley sympatico segment with the like-minded batshitecrazy guest; a rousing joust with the token ineffectual opposition guest (climaxing in a round of colorful but PG-rated insults); next he hawks his current political project slash initiative/book slash DVD/standup comedy appearance/radio show/rug shampoo; on to an analysis of all segments that somehow manages to include the Constitution, The Fountainhead, his brave journey as a recovering Mormon and practicing alcoholic; and culminates with a rambling rant that ultimately arrives at the feet of the Fascist Usurper-in-Chief; then closes with a self-congratulatory aria completely apropos of nothing. (As is the obligatory mention of The Fiery Pits of Hell.)
It’s a slice of life. It’s practically Kabuki. It should also not be dismissed as merely an idle threat.
Beck is the new Limbaugh, liberals, face it. Sarah Palin passed the baton, and thrown the crown (well, the Mad Hatter Chapeau) his way. The scary reality that lay underneath Hannity’s substitution of old tea party crowd pics for the less popular Bachmann House Call inanity, was that Beck’s 9/12 event did draw that most impressive quantity of discontented masses. When he speaks of saving America from the brink of certain ruin, the unhappy and disenfranchised tune in. Fox is the enabler pushing him on, pushing his agenda to a voracious, populist public. Pop over to Free Republic or Stormfront if you can stomach it, and have a gander at the Beck love-ins. Pack Pepto.
When Beck told CBS News’ Katie Couric, “John McCain would have been worse for the country than Barack Obama,” fellow radio pundit and author Mark Levin fired back: “to say that he would be worse than a president who’s a Marxist, who’s running around the world apologizing for our nation, who’s slashing our defense budget … to say he would be worse is mindless … incoherent, as a matter of fact.” Yet Beck spoke for a large number of conservatives who found McCain too liberal for their taste. He wanted Gitmo closed, wasn’t affronted by climate change alarmism and just didn’t have that populist edge they were looking for. Beck learned the lessons of the Bush years well, and took great care to identify with the least contented of the disgruntled. Just as Sarah Palin has had success, speaking to those who believe they are being treated unfairly, Beck feeds right into the hunger for a non-traditional conservative perspective ~ and, most likely, a third party. The Malcontents. It approaches anti-Imperialism.
I started writing this post yesterday, but was then sidetracked by the juicy climate change centre hacking story. Oddly enough, the Times picked up one of the themes I wanted to highlight, and ran with it in this morning’s edition. This is indeed the second area where I foresee Beck garnering increasingly prominent influence and alarming potential for real damage: active political organizing. He has arrived at that rubicon of politics, he has figured out a nouveau way to design, fabricate and vend Solutions.
Glenn Beck Stakes Out a More Activist Role in Politics
By BRIAN STELTER
Glenn Beck, the popular and outspoken Fox News host, says he wants to go beyond broadcasting his opinions and start rallying his political base — formerly known as his audience — to take action.
To do so, Mr. Beck is styling himself as a political organizer. In an interview, he said he would promote voter registration drives and sponsor a series of seven conventions across the country featuring what he described as libertarian speakers.
On Saturday he held a festive campaign-style rally in The Villages in Florida, north of Orlando, in which he promoted his recently released book, “Arguing With Idiots,” and announced another book to come next August filled with right-leaning policy proposals gathered from the conventions.
Finish the article here.
The very reasons that make us gasp and recoil from the approach in the following video, are the same ones that draw his followers in. They are evocative and have emotional impact. Cast your mind back to the most controversial political ads of our time, i.e. Willie Horton or the mushroom cloud, they stay with you long after the film ends. Whether one reacts with disgust, approbation or Pavlovian approval, one reacts. Beck on health care reform:
I for one don’t believe that La Palin deserves the credit for bringing Beck’s name into the realm of longshot hypothetical 2012 veep candidates. He has been positioning himself for a leadership focal lens since before he left CNN. His MO has embraced many of the political and pop stylings of the last relatively successful third rail party-esque candidate, the inimitable Ross Perot. Where more recently the poor, valiant, pocket-Constitution bearing and tea-bag toting Ron Paul failed, Beck may yet rise in a burst of political psychosis and conquer. Beck’s personal page at Fox already contains a blackmail list pledge form for candidates to declare themselves on. “In or Out 2010,” a “simple challenge” for lawmakers, it is billed. It could well be called Sign or Be Scazzafavo’d, supplicants.
Ross Perot is one of those unique American anomalies that will have campaign historians sporting furrowed brows for decades to come. How do you analyze a problem like Perot? He was user friendly, even often confused with the affable Purdue Poultry Poohbah. Dirt cheap taxes and a chicken in every pot inevitably play well in Peoria. But his real appeal to the status quo weary masses? You obviously can’t stand either of the two regular-menu entrees, so you’ll loooove me. Go à la carte. New is always improved, vote for change! And I contain no trans fats, party loyalty strings or lobbyist byproducts.
Saturday morning, Beck posted the first details of his big new much ballyhooed Plan.
Today, I have stopped looking for a leader to show us the way out because I have come to realize that the only one who can truly save our country…is us. To change America’s course we need to change ourselves, our expectations and our willingness to accept the unacceptable. When we refuse to allow our children to receive a trophy for participation, we are on the road to restoring the meaning of merit in our Republic. When we insist that no one is too big to fail, we will be able to learn from our mistakes, and when we demand that we are self-reliant, we will ensure that others can rely on us, not the government.
There is much to do, much to learn and time is of the essence. While I will be explaining the entire Plan over the coming weeks and months, I did want to give you a preview of some of the highlights:
I have begun meeting with some of the best minds in the country that believe in limited government, maximum freedom and the values of our Founders. I am developing a 100 year plan. I know that the bipartisan corruption in Washington that has brought us to this brink and it will not be defeated easily. It will require unconventional thinking and a radical plan to restore our nation to the maximum freedoms we were supposed to have been protecting, using only the battlefield of ideas.
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Viewing Beck requires the sort of eye you would access and use in a museum. Step too close, and the brush strokes seem random, borderline violent and certainly off the mark. Back away a bit, widen your focus, and a synergy of theme and emotion begins to coalesce. It may draw you back in, it may send you screaming for the exits. But it will be memorable, and it will most assuredly impact the community in unpredictable ways.
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Who knows, maybe he’s the one who paid 350,000K for Michael Jackson’s single glove, and is planning to usher in a new era for the great disgruntled masses with it.
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Update: some blowback resulting from Beck and Palin on the book tour-camouflaged stumps.
I cannot believe I’m saying this, but there was a reasoned and thoughtful article in popular conservative blog Hot Air this morning, discussing the presently touring stars of the right wing, Beck and La Palin, with a perspective on why this is not the time for a GOP Third Party Moment.
Sphere: Related Content
Talk of building a new party to escape the RINOs is akin to talk about secession to escape from disastrous liberal policies: how do you keep the same people from migrating into your new party or nation-state, and starting the whole miserable process again? How does a third party of conservative purity defeat both the Democrats, and the enraged rump of an embittered Republican Party bent on revenge? If you think the media gives disproportionate attention to liberal Republicans now, just wait until it can use them as clubs to beat the Third Party… a mission those liberal Republicans will gladly volunteer for. As the NY-23 race showed, it’s better to defeat the Republican left from within the party, rather than give the Democrats ringside seats at a Conservatives vs. Republicans smackdown.
I’ve always wondered how a conservative movement that essentially concedes defeat against liberal Republicans, and withdraws from the party, could expect to defeat the much larger and more powerful Democrat Party. If we can’t handle Olympia Snowe swooning before “the call of history,” I don’t like our chances against the guy on the other end of the line.
Glenn Beck’s call for dissolving the two-party system is unlikely to make any headway, because one of those two parties has no intention of dissolving. The Democrat coalition has its fault lines and bitter rivalries, but they are united in defending the growth of the State. The members of that coalition are willing to set aside their differences to support increasing the size of government as an inherently desirable goal, then fight among themselves for influence within the immense government they have created. The challenge for conservatives is to reach the independents and moderates who orbit the fringe of the Democrat coalition, and show them why their faith in Big Government is misplaced. At the same time, they must provide a coherent philosophy that can unite those who already mistrust Big Government. A Third Party wrapped up in a messy divorce from the GOP would not be in a stronger position to do either of those things.
A political party is a mixture of money, tradition, and political machinery. The two major American parties have been brewing for a long time, accumulating assets that would not be easily replaced or duplicated. The Republican Party, for all its flaws, is a valuable instrument for conservatism. Changing the attitude of the people who control the party will be a less formidable task than persuading the rest of the nation without it. Glenn Beck says that his goal is to reform government by changing the hearts and minds of the people who vote it into existence. If he can accomplish even a fraction of that goal, he won’t have to worry about creating an alternative to the Republican Party.
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Lost another one:
“Today, Nestle confirmed that their ads will no longer appear on Glenn Beck or on any Fox News show. According to the spokesperson, “airing the spot on FOX and this program was an error that has been corrected.””
http://thepoliticalcarnival.blogspot.com/2009/11/confirmed-no-more-nes tle-ads-on-glenn.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campai gn=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FqbeL+%28The+Political+Carnival%29&utm_content=Tw itter
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Did Ed just make that up, or do the fans of Beck actually call themselves… “Beckerheads”
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:34 pm
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Beckerheads?
Peckerheads?
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:40 pm
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I know! A bit short sighted on their part… kind of like teabaggers. They probably are comparing themselves to dittoheads, which is another stupid name.
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:41 pm
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November 23rd, 2009 at 6:54 pm
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Wasn’t sure, but it was pretty funny
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:54 pm
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OMG…
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“Suburban Warriors” is great look at how these social conservative groups came to be.
It is written by Harvard prof. Lisa McGirr and uses Orange County, CA., in the early ’60s as a case study.
Truly fascinating.
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:32 pm
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Schmucker Carlson says “Palin is more experienced than Obama and smarter than Al Gore.”
November 23rd, 2009 at 5:19 pm
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Tucker the Fucker is still around???
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:42 pm
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Hope he ditched the bow ties.
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:46 pm
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No kidding. Those were cheesy.
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:49 pm
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I think Jon Stewart shamed him out of them in the infamous interview.
November 23rd, 2009 at 5:26 pm
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November 23rd, 2009 at 6:30 pm
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BWHAHAHAAHAAAA!!!! Got drugs????
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Lou Dobbs thinking of the running for President?
“THOMPSON: Lou, one way to have a voice — you’ve already had a big one, but another way to have a voice is in public service. Have you given any thought to perhaps running for president?
“DOBBS: I’m talking — yes is the answer. And I’m going to be talking some more with some folks who want me to listen to them in the next few weeks. You know, I, so I just don’t even what to tell you in terms of where I’m leaning because right now I’m fortunate to have a number of wonderful options. I do know this, I’m going to have the best advice. I may make a terrible decision, but I’m going to have great advice.”
November 23rd, 2009 at 5:09 pm
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And what qualifications does he have for President, pray tell?
November 23rd, 2009 at 5:21 pm
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Too bad for Lou…
“U.S. Deports Lou Dobbs
CNN Host Had Been Living Illegally In Country Since 1961″
WANTAGE, NJ—Acting on anonymous tips from within the Hispanic-American community, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials on Wednesday deported Luis Miguel Salvador Aguila Dominguez, who for the last 48 years had been living illegally in the United States under the name Lou Dobbs.
Many younger members of the Border Patrol team that participated in Wednesday’s raid said it was “an honor and a privilege” to help deport Dominguez, as years of listening to tirades against illegal immigrants on Lou Dobbs Tonight had been a major factor in their choice of career.
“This is a battle for the soul of our country,” Agent Jared Burns, 23, said as he helped the 17 Dominguez children board the bus that would take them to a detention facility where their legal status will eventually be determined. “Today is a proud day for any true American.”
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/u_s_deports_lou_dobbs
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:06 pm
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Bwahahahahaha
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:42 pm
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That cracked me up.
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:43 pm
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I have to put the last paragraph into Translator to see what it says.
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:48 pm
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“Those bastards will suffer for this!” a handcuffed Dominguez shouted at reporters from the tarmac. “Without my watch, my brothers and I rush to the border to steal their cars and raping their women. Arriba!
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:29 pm
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Dobbs for Prez? This just gets better and better.
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:35 pm
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Who does he pick for a running mate?
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:37 pm
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Well, lessee. Beck and Palin are togetha.. Perhaps Oily? Just for some gender balance?
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:39 pm
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November 23rd, 2009 at 6:44 pm
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Yeah, me too!!!
The sad thing is, is that there are many lunatics from which to choose nowadays.
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Glennduh’s Teabaggers laugh at and taunt a family who lost a daughter and unborn grandchild due to lack of health care.
“The family, Dan and Midge Hough, of Chicago, spoke in favor of health care reform and in support of U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-3rd) at a Nov. 14 town hall meeting in Oak Lawn.
Their daughter-in-law, Jenny, and an unborn grandchild died recently due in part, they believe, to a lack of health insurance. They said Jenny was not receiving regular prenatal care and ended up in an emergency room with double pneumonia that developed into septic shock. Her baby died in the womb, and Jenny died a few weeks later, leaving behind a husband and a 2-year-old daughter.
Catherina Wojtowicz, of Chicago’s Mount Greenwood community, an organizer for a Tea Party splinter group, Chicago Tea Party Patriots, falsely claimed that the Houghs fabricated their story. In an e-mail, she called them operatives of President Barack Obama who “go from event to event and (cry) the same story.”
When the Houghs spoke at the Lipinski event, some Tea Partiers ridiculed them. They moaned and rolled their eyes and interrupted. Midge Hough began to cry.”
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:18 pm
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November 23rd, 2009 at 5:11 pm
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It is getting worse.
Makes me want to 
November 23rd, 2009 at 5:51 pm
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I’ve lost all compassion for these ‘tards. I say turn Alaska into a gulag, ship them all there, quarantine the place and let them experience “limited government” first hand.
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:00 pm
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They want limited government, let ‘em try Somalia.
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:04 pm
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Or maybe we could send them all to Afghanistan, they seem to want to shoot some place up so much.
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:14 pm
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Perfect solution.
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:23 pm
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November 23rd, 2009 at 6:22 pm
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And think of how much we’d save on guns and ammo… They’d bring their own.
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:27 pm
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Afghanistan, Somalia — works for me. I’m done with these vile scumbags.
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:31 pm
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And they have the gall to call themselves “Christians”.
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:39 pm
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Exactly.
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:43 pm
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Sick phucquers.
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BWWAAHAHAHA!
“SC gov Mark Sanford faces 37 charges he broke state ethics laws”
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jVGOp2bl5_prbLYsoPOv D96f55bgD9C5DL880
Something to be thankful for this holiday!
November 23rd, 2009 at 5:12 pm
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Maybe he and Palin could team up?
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:43 pm
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Now there’s a Ticket!!
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:39 pm
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“More anti-gay, religious-motivated crimes reported”
Reports of hate crimes against gays and religious groups increased sharply in 2008, according to new FBI data released Monday.
Overall, the number of reported hate crimes increased about 2 percent. These same figures show a nearly 11 percent increase in hate crimes based on sexual orientation, and a nearly 9 percent increase in hate crimes based on religion.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/23/AR2009 112301409.html?hpid=moreheadlines
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:44 pm
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Damn that’s horrific, Babsie.
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Brilliant piece, HB…
I was trying to think of a spokesperson for sanity…and I came up empty…other than a few comedians.
Who, then, speaks for us? The White House folks have been far too quiet, assuming, I suppose, that they are above the fray. Seems to me that we have chosen to keep our hands clean until we are nearly buried in mud…and then it might be too late.
November 23rd, 2009 at 11:32 am
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Thanks so much, MsD. Just added an excerpt from a popular conservative blog saying that this isn’t the moment for talk of a third party. There will be a lot of blowback, with Palin and Beck both out there stumping this month.
I honestly don’t know who speaks for us. Howard Dean was an aggressive party chairman, but there’s a void there now. The WH house stays out of most things, the one woman who spoke up against Faux News just left. We need a Rahm outside the Administration, I guess.
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The Dog Whistle Bloweth!
Salon takes a look at Glennduh relationship to the StormFronters.
“Monday, the Anti-Defamation League released a report warning of the paranoia and stridency that increasingly define the conservative grass roots. It echoed an April report issued by the Department of Homeland Security, but unlike the DHS report, the ADL named names, and fingered Beck as the figure most responsible for the unhinging of the right.”
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2009/11/20/glenn_beck_and_stormfront /index.html
Great piece
November 23rd, 2009 at 10:32 am
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“Beck insists his critics are imagining things, that he does not engage in racial fear-mongering, that a string of guests with ties to hate groups do not form a meaningful pattern, and that he’s not a racist.”
this from he of the vivid imagination
November 23rd, 2009 at 11:33 am
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He is nothing if not convinced of his own sanity and reasoned perceptions, Kel. It’s interesting to think about what someone asked last night … does he really believe, or are these lies he just tells extremely convincingly?
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Pretty interesting Op Ed in the Times re celebrity candidates:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/opinion/23douthat.html?_r=1&ref=opin ion
November 23rd, 2009 at 10:00 am
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Interesting line regarding how Obama managed to be both celebrity and serious politician, and switches in and out of wonk and popular public personae.
Wonder if that explains his poll gap between popularity and policy approval?
November 23rd, 2009 at 11:40 am
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That’s true of Palin, but not Huckabee. The Huckster had been positioning himself for 2008 for at least two years prior.
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“Militia Movement Resurfaces in Alaska”
Rise in armed citizens coincides with advent of Obama administration
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/112209/sta_527626651.shtml
More at:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g5kXBGBro8mepfh1oOhZ K4zbtAJAD9C3ELKO0
November 23rd, 2009 at 11:35 am
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I would wager there will be a lot of militia group uptickings. When in anxiety about anything, conservatives lunge for their guns and bibles. It’s a reflexive action, apparently.
No knowing how much support Palin garnered just because she was willing to be photographed with a shotgun.
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:02 pm
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ignorance breeds paranoia
November 23rd, 2009 at 11:41 am
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I’m in favor of calling in missile strikes just like we do elsewhere in the world.
November 23rd, 2009 at 12:04 pm
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That would fix some wagons.
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OH MY DOG!!!!!! Dexter is insane right now!!!!!
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James Carville tells Mary Matlin: “You’re as pretty as Palin, dear.”
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:35 pm
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That deserves a brand new barf smiley. brb.
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:37 pm
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November 22nd, 2009 at 11:15 pm
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Hear John throw in the word “Power” when talking about Palin?
November 22nd, 2009 at 11:18 pm
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omg, you’re right!! I’m going to notice that, from now on.
November 22nd, 2009 at 11:21 pm
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Now I’m going to go and pay my bills for December…and you know how I pay my bills…remember? That’s real power…
November 22nd, 2009 at 11:28 pm
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well worth the bits of spare change
November 22nd, 2009 at 11:31 pm
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I always pay a few cents over the amount due to drive their computers crazy keeping track of it…
November 23rd, 2009 at 12:12 am
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I remember that, cracks me up!!
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Interesting article, Bear. It’s never wise to underestimate the opposition.
Hiowever, it’s just as unwise to give them too much credit. Beck is not, to my mind, gathering “new” support – he’s merely unifying the groups of already extant crazies under one banner. Yes, that can be dangerous, but the “new intellectual conservatives” you mentioned are NOT going to be campaigning for a palin OR a beck. The same issues that turn off true conservatives and independents about palin, will, in the end, turn them off about beck. The “new intellectual conservatives” are lookng for some rationality (ala Bill Buckley), and becks histrionics will make them shy away.
By the way, his “100 year plan” sounds a lot like a “Riech” doesn’t it?
Great informational article, thanks.
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:46 pm
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Thanks, ex. I wouldn’t presume the academics would campaign for him, but did see them lending him some credibility with the young ‘thinking’ conservatives. There do seem to be some, surprisingly. Maybe that won’t end up being the case, but their other options seem to lie between a Romney, a Huckabee, another Bush, or perhaps an unknown with chops but no appeal.
His plans definitely have fascist overtones, which is the height of irony.
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:56 pm
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Good points there, ex. Never associate the “talking heads” aka the entertainers, with the real opposition.
In a sense, we can associate Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, as they were not welcome at the “big kids” table.
Also, when the real opps show their faces, the entertainers will turn on a dime. My money, not much, is still on Jeb Bush. I dunno why, it’s one of those feelings, but it’s too early…
Nice to engage with you again,
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:00 pm
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I have lingering unease whenever I see Jeb on the national stage, as well. Just a hunch, as you said.
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:05 pm
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I know, even though I think he’s sorta sane, I hear ya. But let’s face it, it’s a….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyDie_4dOdU
Tee-hee…♥
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:38 pm
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Well done!
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:43 pm
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Hahaha, well when he “could” make it, *wink wink*
(I still like that song,
)
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:47 pm
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I liked the version he did with Kid Rock. Their friendship is a hoot.
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:08 pm
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lingering unease … much the same way I feel when I say Darth’s Daughter
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:21 pm
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Oh no, is she actually going to run for office? What, where, when, how?
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:47 pm
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November 22nd, 2009 at 10:08 pm
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What I see happenning, and whi I see the midterms as so important – aside from maintaining our majorities – is that I expect the “rational” repubs to be “test flying” some younger, smarter candidates, in a search for a new face for 2012. I think we need to keep an eye on whoever the repub party is pushing in 2010, and how the voters are responding to them. I’m pretty sure that the REAL repub leadership knows that they’re dead in the water if they continue with the currently available choices.
They’re going to be looking for a Reagan clone, is my guess, we’ll see. I think Jeb is a no go for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is the same reason theat shot Hillary in the foot – baggage.
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:16 pm
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agree. and I also think we’ll see a lot of Sacrificial Lamb rethug candidates
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:18 pm
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Bobby Jindal could fit that bill, for now.
Of course, there’s always Mitt. I never understood why he didn’t get the nomination. Sorta.
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:21 pm
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Jindal is still “not ready for prime time” and may never be. The christian repub “base” won’t vote for a mormon. Period. Not even to get the White House back.
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:30 pm
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You may be right about Jindal, but still too soon.
I don’t get the Mitt thing though only because the repubs I know and others that I don’t, all liked him and were ready to vote for him. What’s with the Mormon thing anyway? They are such nice people. Who knows?
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:33 pm
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“Real christians” don’t see mormons as christians, but as blasphemers who have “corrupted the word of god”.
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:37 pm
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though I will admit I was shocked to see the Mormons and Evangees come together as one on Prop H8
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:39 pm
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Kelly – there’s nothing like a good hate-fest to bring folks together.
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:48 pm
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Ain’t that the flipping truth.
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:51 pm
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The Evangees are not the majority of the Repub base, at least nationwide. Regional, sure, but not in my neck of the woods.
Anybody know the percentage, nationally?
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:59 pm
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the only people I know who still self-identify as Rethug are extremely religious, either Catholic or Evangee or Conservative-Orthodox Jew.
even most of the Wall Streeters who were lifelong Rethugs refuse to call themselves a Repub anymore, and def will not be donating to the campaigns
November 22nd, 2009 at 11:06 pm
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That’s encouraging.
November 22nd, 2009 at 11:07 pm
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Hey kel, I gotta tell ya, I don’t have the same experience. I have family members, co-workers, etc. and they’re republicans and most of them, on the surface (heh heh) appear sane. Maybe it’s a Philly thing (and outlining suburbs, of course)…?
November 22nd, 2009 at 11:18 pm
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well, I am in Los Angeles so … I’m sure it’s a different story in the OC.
but even the NY brokers and traders I know who were always Repubs are now Dem or nothing
November 22nd, 2009 at 11:23 pm
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Sure, but you have all of those “Housewives” in the OC and come to think of it, so does “New York; hm, coincidence?
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:31 pm
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I completely agree, sad as that is. There’s enough lingering WASP power in the gopper old guard, to keep them holding rank and holding the purse strings for a good while yet.
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:26 pm
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Mitt was pretty liberal back in his days as Gov in Mass. He’ll have a hard time answering for those actions not so long ago.
oh, and then there’s the whole Mormon thing … many a Rethug are not quite ready to “go there”
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:32 pm
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We watched him play the moderate for years, and take a good deal of credit for progressive policies … after he tried his best to defeat them.
He was met with a good deal of skepticism from the northeastern corridor repubs, with good reason.
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Good post, hb, but I’m not afraid of him, nor his ilk. It’s all about paybacks.
Dubya was trashed, now it’s their turn to trash: The Seans, the Anns, the Lauras, etc. Quite simplistic, actually…fear not.
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:41 pm
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Bertie and I were just discussing a more judicious use of the word ‘fear’, gypsy. Good point, there.
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:12 pm
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here’s a good word “nauseous” — I’m not afraid of him, per se … I’m afraid of the fact that so many people worship him.
while I admit I do find watching him to be highly entertaining … it’s still annoying to know that others take him seriously
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:14 pm
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That’s the real point Kelly. These types are dangerous, not because they might actually take over, but that they keep the crazies riled up, unified, and give them direction. It’s like a looney with a small-caliber gun – they might not win the war, but they can inflict casualties.
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:18 pm
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they also keep the Mob Mentality alive and well.
this morning i was reading about a 12 y/o boy in my area who was beat up by 14 kids at school on Friday b/c he has red hair and on Facebook it said it was “Kick a Ginger Day”
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:20 pm
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http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/11/22/california.redhead.attack.fac ebook/index.html?eref=igoogle_cnn
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:27 pm
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That is just horrific. WTH?
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:25 pm
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The idea behind all of these “teabaggers” is that they use them like a gun – aim, shoot. What those “baggers” don’t get is that when that gun is empty, it’ll be discarded – but then thinking is not their strong suit.
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:29 pm
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There is a lot of strategy in making each of them feel useful, and like their involvement matters. The Plan seems to take that into account.
It was a great selling point of Obama’s internet campaign that he fostered that sense of personal investment. Irksome to see it deployed by the right.
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:29 pm
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they def blew the bulk of their ammo early — the townhall mobs were shocking for a few weeks, and then everyone just tuned ‘em out
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“CURB” season fianle starting now
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:03 pm
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Kewl. dave is doing yet another Over, so I’m saving it to watch with him. Looking forward to it tremendously, though.
Wasn’t it a very quick season?!
Seems like the premiere was last week …
only 33 days til xmas!
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:07 pm
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November 22nd, 2009 at 9:10 pm
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I’ve been making stuff since August, yust yolking.
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:29 pm
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I’d like my quilt in rich warm neutral tones, please
tomorrow is baking day — pumpkin cheesecakes and English toffee.
I’m getting a sugar high just thinking about it
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:38 pm
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What a fun day it sounds, Kel. Would love to snag your toffee recipe, it’s one of my favorite candies..My mum loves it too, and it’s one of the few things she doesn’t make. Her fudge is stupendous, though.
I did truffles two years ago (the sweet kind) and had a ball with that. Not even a huge chocolate lover, but it’s such a fun medium to work with. I’m going to do some caramels with fleur de sel this year.
Now I’m getting a hypothetical sugar high.
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:40 pm
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Which is actually quite enjoyable.
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:13 pm
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I’ll email the English toffee recipe to you, and post on Friday Food Fest.
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From RawStory:
http://rawstory.com/2009/11/throngs-glenn-beck-fans-greet-savior-tampa /?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed
November 22nd, 2009 at 8:54 pm
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Yikes. Those be Palin level numbers of fans.
November 22nd, 2009 at 8:56 pm
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“The Ticket”
November 22nd, 2009 at 8:58 pm
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Thanks so much for that graphic Kel, really made the point.
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Levi nudies are available now if you want to join Playgirl.com
http://playgirl.com/Preview.php
hey, I’m just the messenger, peeps.
November 22nd, 2009 at 8:59 pm
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Martha Stewart on Palin: “She’s very BORING, a DANGEROUS person, she’s very dangerous. She’s so CONFUSED.”
November 22nd, 2009 at 8:54 pm
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I just love that. Say what you will about Martha’s propensity to annoy, she’s a classy dame.
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:00 pm
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A friend of ours has a plaque in her kitchen that reads “Martha Stewart doesn’t live here. It’s a Good Thing.”
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More protesters at KKK rally, than Klan members:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/21/kkk-rally-at-ole-miss-kla_n_3 66475.html
Beejer/Porta is somewhere under a hood.
November 22nd, 2009 at 8:41 pm
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Wonderful news……..
Thanks for posting the link….
November 22nd, 2009 at 8:42 pm
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little salty tear stains on his Walmart sheet
November 22nd, 2009 at 8:50 pm
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Thanks kel!!
November 22nd, 2009 at 8:55 pm
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For that fun image, that is to say.
November 22nd, 2009 at 8:46 pm
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Now there’s a headline I can wrap my arms around!!
November 22nd, 2009 at 8:59 pm
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This is way I do not fear Beck, Palin or the other haters..
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:08 pm
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For moi, it’s more of a healthy respect for the possible danger. I should be more careful of how I use the word ‘fear’.
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:15 pm
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We should also watch our use of “power”…grossly over used and wrongly applied….
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:27 pm
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This is true. It is one of those all-purpose terms that loses it’s meaning with casual usage, I think.
I’m going to reread and see how often I use it, thanks for the canny observation, Bertie.
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:33 pm
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Oddly enough, I didn’t use it at all here. Huh. Must have squandered my quota in other posts.
That, or I don’t truly believe Beck is capable of garnering much power.
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:54 pm
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When I spoke of power it was not directed at you but in it’s general use, by mainly the msm….They are always applying it the Palin, Beck, Rush, and others who controls the minds of the weak….I was just trying to show another term that is misused.
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:59 pm
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Oh, I knew that, but it was fun to take a look.
The pundits do use that term so liberally that it lacks punch. Schmoe uses it all the time, in a very judgmental and condescending fashion. I’ll remember to count the usage frequency and keep you posted, tomorrow.
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:29 pm
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“I’m from the South. In the South, we don’t hide our crazy relatives in the attic. We bring them down to the living room and put them on display.”
~Julia Sugarbaker
November 22nd, 2009 at 8:27 pm
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Julia is in a class all to herself….Class with a bite…
November 22nd, 2009 at 8:46 pm
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Indeed. What a classy broad.
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AMAs are on if anyone’s interested
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:44 pm
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November 22nd, 2009 at 7:59 pm
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Why would I want to watch doctors giving speeches on the teevee machine?
I hear enough in person.
November 22nd, 2009 at 8:01 pm
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Your feller a doctor??
November 22nd, 2009 at 8:08 pm
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ayup. On teaching staff at a med school, also too.
November 22nd, 2009 at 8:13 pm
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OO-ER !!! Clever household !!!!!
November 22nd, 2009 at 8:32 pm
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November 22nd, 2009 at 8:43 pm
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uhm, these people barely have a high school education, much less a doctorate
November 22nd, 2009 at 8:55 pm
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There’s your distinction.
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Time for me to head for my hammock. I’ve been up here blogging with you lot late at night so much lately that Bruno thinks he has his own cabin!
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:42 pm
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Mwwwwwaaaaaaahhhhhhh..xx.
November 22nd, 2009 at 8:47 pm
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When I first encountered Glenduh a few years ago he strick me as relatively reasonable. No Bill Buckley, to be sure, but certainly not your run-of-the-mill wingnut. Either I got the wrong impression at first or he saw where the money shot was really quickly.
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:43 pm
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Probably a bit of each. Fame does bizarre things to people.
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GlennDuh to exploit Martin Luther King Day to sell books
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:42 pm
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Thanks for posting that here kel, I thought it fascinating. And repulsive.
November 22nd, 2009 at 8:44 pm
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the only fascinating part is that he so proudly rocks his repulsiveness … and his fans just lap it up
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:00 pm
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It reminds me of rock stars that did inane things like bite the heads off chickens.
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:01 pm
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The gross factor.
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bravo, miss
……
excellent points here…..as much as i’d like to dismiss this asshole, he can’t (and won’t) be ignored…..
i guess this is what makes this country “gr-ATE”…..the freedom to let assholes and idiots spew hate and perpetuate ignorance…..
*sigh*
dog bless america….
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:00 pm
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and another thing…..
there’s this popular carnival game where you whack the moles with a bat when they pop their heads out of a hole….
looking at the time magazine cover of beck puts me in mind of that game….
somebody gimme a bat….
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:11 pm
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You wanted a bat?
Here ya go…
http://photobucket.com/images/ann%20coulter/
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:15 pm
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ick…..
i clicked at the pic of the ol’ bat….
i’m frightened now….
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:21 pm
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That’ll learn ya to click on one of my links!
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:18 pm
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November 22nd, 2009 at 7:28 pm
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November 22nd, 2009 at 7:00 pm
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“…. i guess this is what makes this country “gr-ATE”…..the freedom to let assholes and idiots spew hate and perpetuate ignorance…..”
Well…. That and Big Macs
:runsandhides:
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:09 pm
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there’s more to life than eating heifers…..
i’ve been heifer-free for 19 years….
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:12 pm
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Heifer-free…………???……… not while Palin’s around……
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:19 pm
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Nicely done!!
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:25 pm
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Told ya I was evil……
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:41 pm
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But in a really, really good way.
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:44 pm
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I’m so bad, I’m gooooooooooood……
November 22nd, 2009 at 8:48 pm
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Good place to be.
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:16 pm
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In the immortal words of Sarah, “If God hadn’t intended us to eat animals, he wouldn’t have made them out of meat.”
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:20 pm
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She just doesn’t appear to possess an edit button.
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:24 pm
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No sense = no feelings.
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:26 pm
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Too true, that.
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:25 pm
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Something that the late show comics really appreciate, I’m sure.
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:22 pm
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I hope she comes back as one…. a cow…. oh wait………
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:24 pm
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November 22nd, 2009 at 7:27 pm
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November 22nd, 2009 at 8:48 pm
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You manage to do that in such a ladylike fashion …
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Ms Bear, hats off to you. Another killer (may I go as far as to say ripshit) piece of writing!
Like S.I. I found myself actually agreeing with something Glenduh says, ie participation trophies. I’m constantly amazed at the way the wingiest of the wingnuts accuse liberals of attempting to bring about fascism while they themselves bow down to the shrine of Mussolini on a regular basis. How do even the dumbest of the Gomers and Bubbas not see through this?
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:00 pm
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As I like to say of things Beck-related, it’s a mystery within a riddle wrapped deeply inside an enema, Indey.
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:12 pm
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This is not the first time America was in the grips of a madman…He is dangerous but hopefully he will be stopped by someone. Remember Edward R. Morrow finally spoke out against Joe McCarthy and help to put a end to his reign or terror…The msm is playing a big part in pumping Beck up about his so-call powers, likewise with Palin….
November 22nd, 2009 at 6:58 pm
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Most excellent parallel, Bertie.
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Beck’s post scares the hell out of me.
What he’s done is co-op themes that are bipartisan, things that we’ve talked about here. Participation trophies and too-big to fail are definitely NOT either exclusive conservative thinking or fringe-type wacko ideas.
The problem lies in his “education is key” meme. I know the cons have complained about indoctrination by the current administration but this is another case of projection. Beck’s “education” most definitely includes media blitzes and indoctrination of the easily persuaded. Whereas real education would include presenting both sides and allowing the student to make his/her own mind, these rallies will be teabag parties on a grand scale. They will come complete with down-home touches courtesy of behind-the-scenes corporate sponsors and eventually will end with Beck standing on the podium pounding his fist and exhorting the unwashed masses to hate the government while simultaneously begging for them to let him govern them.
I see a lot of similarities between him and many other cult leaders.
Messiah complexes. Co-opting populist universal themes. “education” through indoctrination. Us-vs-them white-and-black appeals to those whose critical thinking is less than optimum.
All that is missing is cutting rally attendees off from family and friends and pressuring them into giving up all worldly goods to Beck himself.
How do you stop him? Use his own tactics against him. Freedom works both ways. Outcry the crybaby.
November 22nd, 2009 at 5:22 pm
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I had a very similar reaction, Swooge. Beck makes an absolute mantra of the America is on it’s way to fascism meme, but his methods are eerily reminiscent of that very thing. This Grand Plan of his contains elements of cult and political persuasion on a rather large scale. I don’t know if he just stumbled upon this formulae, or if there are forces helping him carefully along. But anytime there is this much unrest in a bad economy, people will look for a cause where they can express their frustration and anger.
I don’t like the level of adulation he garners. It is similar to the populist fervor for Palin, but far more organized.
November 22nd, 2009 at 5:42 pm
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I would guess that there are forces behind the scenes escorting him towards his “rallies”.
There is a most definite undercurrent of brownshirt mentality in the Republican/Libertarian faux populism/teabag parties and Beck is at the forefront of all of this.
I find him incurious like “W” and not intelligent enough to have come up with all of this himself.
Men with large corporate ties, like
, are more likely the driving influence. Cheney made a mistake by annointing himself VP. It focused way too much attention on the man behind the curtain. They will not make that mistake again.
The 14 signs of fascism
Fascist Warning Sign #1: Powerful and continuing expressions of nationalism.
Fascist Warning Sign #2: Disdain for the importance of human rights.
Fascist Warning Sign #3: Identification of enemies/scapegoats as a unifying cause.
Fascist Warning Sign #4: The supremacy of the military/avid militarism.
Fascist Warning Sign #5: Rampant sexism.
Fascist Warning Sign #6: A controlled mass media.
Fascist Warning Sign #7: Obsession with national security
Fascist Warning Sign #8: Religion and ruling elite tied together.
Fascist Warning Sign #9: Power of corporations protected.
Fascist Warning Sign #10: Power of labor suppressed or eliminated.
Fascist Warning Sign #11: Disdain and suppression of intellectuals and the arts.
Fascist Warning Sign #12: Obsession with crime and punishment.
Fascist Warning Sign #13: Rampant cronyism and corruption.
Fascist Warning Sign #14: Fraudulent elections.
This is the article I got the 14 points from. http://teresacentric.com/2007/08/is-the-modern-usa-a-proto-fascist-sta te/
It was written in 2007 and, if you read the article, each point was rated on a 1-10 scale. Things like point 10 were only given a 3 out of 10 rating but in the last couple of years labor has taken a beating from the right.
Yes, they lost last November but they also learn from their mistakes and if we are not vigilant, they will eventually con the masses into wearing brown shirts and saluting in the name of “freedom”.
November 22nd, 2009 at 5:50 pm
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I’ve put that list up on Huff several times in the past to counter troll arguments. Wasted, of course!
November 22nd, 2009 at 6:12 pm
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Least you tried. Maybe something stuck in one of their feeble little brains.
November 22nd, 2009 at 6:13 pm
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I like to think that even people as ignorant as trolls will eventually get through all 14 points and maybe, if the planets are alined in the right way, they will realize the incredible amount of relevance these points have to what is going on with the teabaggers and their “leaders”.
Or not.
November 22nd, 2009 at 6:28 pm
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More likely they’ll believe their leaders and identify the points with the spurious talking points they’re fed so much, however irrellevant they may be.
November 22nd, 2009 at 8:49 pm
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Excellent point, there’s some bizarre symbiotic relationship there.
November 22nd, 2009 at 5:51 pm
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Thanks a mil for posting that! I was doing some reading on Mussolini and the ‘lighter’ brand of Social Fascist groups earlier, and your points really summed it all up.
I agree that there are smarter, wealthier hands pulling Beck’s strings. I feel that we are going back in time to the days when political machines chose the guy with charisma/mass appeal, then simply got him celebrated and elected.
November 22nd, 2009 at 6:16 pm
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I thinkit’s beyond political machines.
They were usually independent of large corporations and only out for themselves and the wealth they could garner in a short period of time.
What is going on now is much larger in scale and has corporate backing, like FreedomWorks and the Dick Armey. They are not as concerned with cash as with ideology and ruling. The cash comes with the power.
November 22nd, 2009 at 6:20 pm
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Corporatocracy or theocracy. Neither of them have any appeal.
November 22nd, 2009 at 5:57 pm
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Naomi Wolf was actually the first person to write about the steps to fascism in regards to the Bush administration:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/apr/24/usa.comment
The article she wrote for the Guardian is brilliant.
November 22nd, 2009 at 6:08 pm
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She is utterly fantastic. Don’t know which I liked more, The Beauty Myth or End of America. Thanks for the link, will give that a reread.
I think she’s managed to be critical of Obama recently without losing perspective, but many disagree.
November 22nd, 2009 at 6:19 pm
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Right. I was trying to figure out where I’d seen those before and your saying it jogged my memory. It’s just that that particular article came up first in my search.
The 14 points certainly pertains to todays teabaggers.
Does anyone remember who it was that described the Neocons and proto-fascists?
November 22nd, 2009 at 6:15 pm
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Thanks for the link, SI. I, too, am scared of this “movement.” We are so vulnerable right now because of the economy and the ceaseless war. This is the way Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin cane to power. I also feel that a lot of this animus against Obama is projection. They see him as doing what they would like to do.
November 22nd, 2009 at 5:53 pm
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Well said, SI.
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wonder if the truth of Glennduh’s troubled youth will ever come out.
there’s a lot of revelation in that story … though the details are continuously scrubbed … much like Rove’s history
November 22nd, 2009 at 5:51 pm
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What do you know about Glenduh’s troubled youth? C’mon… Spill!
November 22nd, 2009 at 5:52 pm
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November 22nd, 2009 at 6:02 pm
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I want to know too, we have to convince kel to give us the 411.
November 22nd, 2009 at 5:55 pm
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Indey!!!
How were the Pyramids? Did you take a camel in? If you did, was it civil? 
November 22nd, 2009 at 5:58 pm
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Pyramids are quite impressive. Cairo is a shithole!
November 22nd, 2009 at 6:01 pm
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November 22nd, 2009 at 6:01 pm
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He likes Pyramids.
November 22nd, 2009 at 6:03 pm
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heh
November 22nd, 2009 at 6:11 pm
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Really??!!
November 22nd, 2009 at 6:13 pm
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Big ones.
November 22nd, 2009 at 6:14 pm
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Scroll down to the dart board idea……… check out the idea and the video…..
November 22nd, 2009 at 6:57 pm
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November 22nd, 2009 at 7:04 pm
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C’mon, make it a daily question…… on Sats. when everyone is still tiddly from Friday nights frivolities.!!!!!
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:08 pm
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Wot about us wot don’t do the frivolities?
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:10 pm
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I’m doing them for you!!!!!
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:15 pm
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P’raps we can think of something else to make me dizzy.
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:19 pm
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A go on the Waltzer????
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:22 pm
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That’s a new name for it….
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:27 pm
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“The names Waltzer….. Sam Waltzer”
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:31 pm
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No fair using inside jokes!
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:39 pm
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Uhhhhmmmmmmm…… nah…. too easy!!!
November 22nd, 2009 at 6:03 pm
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maybe the “Troubled youth” will spill the beans.
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November 22nd, 2009 at 3:34 pm
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Thanks, kel, just put it in the post.
November 22nd, 2009 at 4:08 pm
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that’s the ticket
November 22nd, 2009 at 4:12 pm
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My! Where did you find that one? :shudder:
November 22nd, 2009 at 4:33 pm
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Hey, it’s useful.
Something to pin in the centre of the dart board.
November 22nd, 2009 at 5:02 pm
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Hopefully that’s all the use will have for it.
November 22nd, 2009 at 5:56 pm
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Actually, we could have that as a the Daily Question.
What could you use for the Beck/Palin poster for..
Here’s 2 for starters:
Use it on dinner plates…….. would help when you are dieting…. ewww.
The Abstinence nutters could have it printed on their knickers….. THAT would put anyone off!!!!!
Use it to line cat litter tray.
Sort of like this…….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khcrD_vYyhE&NR=1
November 22nd, 2009 at 5:57 pm
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Sorry 3.
November 22nd, 2009 at 5:31 pm
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Great idea Scouser!!
November 22nd, 2009 at 5:44 pm
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Just my evil mind…
bwahahahahaha
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Excellent!
Should the Featured piece….IMO
November 22nd, 2009 at 3:13 pm
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I agree.
November 22nd, 2009 at 5:10 pm
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Yes.
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November 22nd, 2009 at 3:14 pm
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He is very dedicated to this Plan thing, fancies himself the saviour of the conservatives, it seems.
November 22nd, 2009 at 3:16 pm
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November 22nd, 2009 at 5:33 pm
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That messiah complex is very enticing, apparently. I wonder if recovering Catholics are hit harder than most. Of course Beck is a practicing Mormon.
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One of the things that seemed the most interesting about the young scholars and
activists he has on, is that he’s clearly aiming at a younger demographic. Few cons have the smarts to do that themselves, rather than leave it to their kids or staffers.
November 22nd, 2009 at 3:02 pm
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There are a lot of younger conservatives out there who are collegiate and would feel comfortable with the activists he has on his show.
November 22nd, 2009 at 3:04 pm
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I didn’t realize just how many until I ran into a bunch of them on blogs and activist sites. They are very different from the younger freeper and stormfront crowd.
November 22nd, 2009 at 3:18 pm
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One of my great nephews is a conservative who doesn’t fit into the neo-con mold. He is studying to be a psychologist like his cousin.
November 22nd, 2009 at 3:11 pm
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Plenty of young lunatics around. True believers.
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November 22nd, 2009 at 3:05 pm
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Taaanks, kel.
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A Palin/Beck ticket would be hilarious. It’s just too good to be true… Perhaps I should pray on it.
November 22nd, 2009 at 2:32 pm
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November 22nd, 2009 at 2:35 pm
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November 22nd, 2009 at 2:48 pm
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“I don’t want to start any blasphemous rumours, but I think that God’s got a sick sense of humour…”
November 22nd, 2009 at 2:50 pm
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Bwahahaaaa!
November 22nd, 2009 at 3:05 pm
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That would be the greatest question to ask a mythical creator, what exactly were you having a laugh with?
November 22nd, 2009 at 3:13 pm
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November 22nd, 2009 at 2:41 pm
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Palin/Beck 2012! The Ticket for Asylum!
November 22nd, 2009 at 2:43 pm
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Perfect!
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Poor thing is a bit delusional concerning his importance and power
November 22nd, 2009 at 2:31 pm
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November 22nd, 2009 at 2:36 pm
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Nothing funnier than a good, dry understatement!
November 22nd, 2009 at 2:51 pm
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Two things in life need to be dry: wit and martinis
November 22nd, 2009 at 2:54 pm
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November 22nd, 2009 at 3:17 pm
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Luv that one.
November 22nd, 2009 at 2:54 pm
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Two things in life that you can count on to be wet… Troll’s chins, and Rethug humor.
November 22nd, 2009 at 2:56 pm
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Great post HB, but can you really add up the numbers for all these guys and come out at 25 million? Those who watch Hannity, O’Reilly, Beck, also listen to Rush, Coulter, etc and read Malkin. Out of those numbers, possibly 10 percent are people watching them to get a laugh or form a critique.
November 22nd, 2009 at 2:20 pm
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I actually low-balled it, but the caveat seems to be that a number of the listeners/viewers are certainly being counted at least twice ~ they likely watch more than one of that lineup in a given week.
I do think they get a lot of hits and views from those looking for a laugh or a good mockery session.
November 22nd, 2009 at 2:26 pm
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I really think anyone who listens to Rush also watch Faux avidly. It’s the same audience.
November 22nd, 2009 at 2:37 pm
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Absolutely. I’ve actually heard both O’Reilly and Limbaugh claim larger numbers, because the total numbers of individuals in households weren’t being allocated … obviously they felt their viewers had gaggles of kids.
November 22nd, 2009 at 2:33 pm
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These numbers are all from Wiki and the AP:
Limbaugh . 13 – 14 million weekly radio
Beck . 6.5 – 8 million weekly radio, tv 2 – 2.5 million nightly
Hannity . 12 – 13.5 million weekly radio, tv 2.25 – 3 million nightly
O’Reilly . 3.5 weekly radio (until this year), 2.5 – 3 million nightly tv
November 22nd, 2009 at 2:37 pm
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Those numbers make me glad I moved.
November 22nd, 2009 at 2:38 pm
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I kept trying new sites in hopes of finding out that they were exaggerated, but no such luck.
November 22nd, 2009 at 3:12 pm
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My god. Millions of morons served.