Remember Chris Farley in the SNL skit In a Van Down By the River?

How soon before regular Republicans will be jumping up and locking their doors? Most people don’t like being insulted. Is it possible to be too conservative? I am not exactly sure what too conservative America would look like. It does not seem very realistic.

Right now, it appears President Obama’s best friend is this group. The Republicans all get together and their key note speaker disavows their party?

42 Thoughts to “Key Note Speaker: Glenn Beck”

  1. Slowpoke Rodriguez

    The guy’s friggin’ great. I got a tingling sensation going up my leg watching this video. I forgot that he was black during his speech!

  2. Punchak

    Slowpoke:

    ???????????

  3. Slowpoke Rodriguez

    Chrissy “Hissy Fit” Matthews.

  4. What did you really think. Slow? He chews out everyone. They all yell, scream and cheer for his blackboard. It reads like Republicans and sounds like cult. I know a lot of mainstream Republicans. Help me sort this one all out.

    The last one I asked about all this told me he didn’t know…he didn’t see all that out in Silicon Valley.

  5. Opinion

    …and Ron Paul won the Presidential straw poll… perhaps there is hope after all (although Glen wasn’t happy with that result).

  6. Hard Hacker

    Glenn Beck is a charlatan. His history is incomplete. His graphic comparisons of America to alcoholism and cancer are offensive. His rantings about what is wrong with America suggest that it is time for a final solution for everyone who isn’t like him.

    It is disgusting to hear a bunch of people going orgasmic over a blackboard also. Seriously people, who cheers for a blackboard?

    Glenn Beck’s history lesson is like someone going through the bible and picking out verses to support their point of view.

  7. Pat.Herve

    he hit the nail on the head when he stated that the Dems what to tax and spend, and the Rep’s just want to spend.

    We need serious reform in many areas, and our politicians (on mostly all levels) do not want to face reality. The Dems. to me, are more realistic in that they want to raise taxes to pay for things that they want – although, I am not in agreement with all they want.

  8. It cost too much to get elected. Good catch Pat. I had forgotten about that re the difference in dem and repub.

    Welcome Hard Hacker. I agree with you about Becks descriptions being offensive. He was horrid to say that.

  9. Wolverine

    What’s a “regular Republican”?

  10. El Quapo

    @Wolverine
    Re… What’s a “regular Republican”? I have to share the first thing that came to mind when I saw this question: an old, fat, out of shape, white guy who likes to hang out with other old white guys to wistfully reminisce about “the good old days” of Ronald Regan. And they always bring their women along to events.

    Sorry… that was my first thought… I know its probably out of character as blog comments go; however… well… “it is what it is” (and looking at the crowds at Republican events, pretty darn close). I would be curious what others “Freudian” response was to that question was (is)?

  11. Sorry…it took me 5 minutes to find it. Republicans that are republicans without 5 qualifiers in front of the word republican. I should have said mainstream probably.

  12. El Quapo, I didn’t go freud on it since I had originally typed it.

    Funny, I picture younger men with fire in their eyes and white shirts and ties. They have John Edwards hair. I picture older women with an American flag somewhere on their person. Most have dyed hair. Their men are non-descript and look like anyone you might see mowing their lawn as you drive around Manassas.

    Perhaps my mental images ARE out of the Reagan years.

  13. Wolverine

    El Quapo — You’re clearly an “ageist.” Shame on you. Have some respect for your elders.

    Moon — The so-called “mainstream” is a moveable thing, I would think — just like a river, sometimes changing course.

  14. El Quapo

    @Wolverine
    I am so ashamed… I’ll send a donation to AARP to try and make up for it (actually, I’ll just send them my annual dues).

  15. Wolverine

    Just think, El Q. You’re surely headed for the same cruel fate. Someday soon you”ll become old and out of shape and will sit around reminiscing about ‘the good old days” of Bill Clinton. When you feel that sudden, inexplicable rush of cold air past your ear, it will be my ghost whispering: “It’s called ‘revenge’, pal.”

  16. I know a whole bunch of people who haven’t felt the earth shift, Wolverine. They think they are Republicans.

    It sounds like El Quapo has already arrived at that magic big five- oh if he is paying dues.

    –revenge pal did make me laugh though.

  17. Wolverine

    That’s funny, Moon. The person whom I suspect of having felt the earth shift already is President Obama himself. Now, if he could just wake up Pelosi….

  18. Slowpoke Rodriguez

    Moon-howler :
    It reads like Republicans and sounds like cult.

    yes………..we…………can…………yes……….we……….can………….yes………we……….can.

  19. Sorry, in the real world that speech sounded like cult to me.

    I have seen a great deal of political shift in my life. This beats anything I have ever seen.

    Why didn’t all these people take the action they wanted while they were in the White House and controlled both houses of Congress? Perfect opportunity. But oh no…

    Obama sure wasn’t my first choice but now he is in the White House, I am all about giving him a chance to make things work. That’s sort of how I felt about Bush also.

  20. Slowpoke, regarading #19

    The moon is made of cheese also. 🙄

    This is getting to the point of not even deserving an answer.

    I also see that reasonable conversation isn’t possible.

  21. Slowpoke Rodriguez

    Moon-howler :
    Slowpoke, regarading #19
    The moon is made of cheese also.
    This is getting to the point of not even deserving an answer.
    I also see that reasonable conversation isn’t possible.

    Oh, come on, now, that was funny!!

  22. Too many years listening to the Beatles backwards.

    Actually, the Glenn Beck thing has me very depressed. I had never really seen his fan club interact with him. I see this list of people who, while I might not agree with them politically with most of them, didn’t make me think they were nuts and fruits. Enter Glenn Beck and the swooning starts. Holy Moly. These jokers were getting real excited and clapping over a chalk board.

    Then he said some really dreadful things….and still clapping and cheering. His message is dangerous, in my opinion. In my lifetime there have been some pretty significant political events: 2 candidates had an assassination attempt, 1 president killed, 1 president wounded, Nixon Watergate/resignation, impeachment, 2000 election. Somehow we survived all these catastrophes.

    Glenn Beck is a fear monger. He is getting rich off the backs of others.

  23. marinm

    RON PAUL won the CPAC straw poll…!! Wooohooo!!!

    The Republic has a chance.

  24. Wolverine

    Aren’t we all overdoing this thing just a bit? “Fear monger”, Moon? By definition all politicians and political persons are fear mongers. Show me a political campaign in which either side has not warned the electorate that voting for the other guy means we are going to be in big trouble. We are old enough to remember JFK trying to frighten voters by emphasizing that there was a huge missile gap between us and the Soviets — not true, as it turns out. How about the Dems crucifying Goldwater on the cross of a possible nuclear war if the Repubs won the 1964 election? Reagan claimed that Carter was incompetent and was placing the country in Cold War and economic danger. Clinton spent a whole campaign tarring Bush I with a supposed recession in the making. And wasn’t Obama himself just another fear monger during his campaign by warning that the Repubs were running this country into the ground? In fact, Obama, in my opinion, continued to do it after the inauguration, claiming that every gigantic piece of legislation set before the Congress was needed yesterday or we were going to face a devastating crisis. In fact, I can’t remember any campaign in recent years in which the opponents claimed everything was just peachy and now it’s just my turn to manage the good times. Repubs and Dems all have played the same game year after year. So, why is Beck any different? Politics — the same everywhere and always.

  25. Thank God Beck isn’t president. That’s the difference. He also goes further than any president in my life time beating the drum the drum of fear. I have never heard a president speak of our country as toilet hugging and barfing.

  26. marinm

    I don’t think Beck wants to run for anything. Granted, I’ve never watched him but the more I hear from people I think I’d probably enjoy watching him on tv.

    He’s an entertainer. Like Stewart, Colbert or Rush.

    I don’t take political direction from any of them but I’ll keep an ear out to get another POV on something I may be interested in already.

    One thing I’ll point out is I see a lot of call for ‘compromise’ on these threads (WRT Congressional rather than the discussions themselves). Compromise obviously can only go so far and at times can be disasterous for us commoners.

    Take PATRIOT as an example. Or, the Iraq/Afghan wars. All of those are born of compromise between Republicans and Democrats….working together.

  27. He is an entertainer with way too much influence. I would say the difference in him would be that when Stewart speaks, everyone laughs because Stewart is mocking something ….fairly kindly usually. He isn’t inciting people to take what he says and turn it in to policy.

    He also doesn’t cry during his shows. Stewart is a comedian. Everyone who watches him knows he is a comedian. There is not mistake.

  28. And yes, you probably do see calling for compromise if it is something I have written, Marin. That’s the only way things get accomplished. No bill would ever make it through congress without compromise. Even when voting on Dec. 08 about whether to go to war or not, there was at least one NAY vote.

    And hard liners from each party are going to have to reach out to those of us in the middle. They can’t disenfranchise the rest of us and ever get in to, much less hold an office. So remember when everyone is squaring off, they can’t do it alone and the Rhinos and the Blue dogs can be called names now but….the polars(izers) will be crying like girls for our votes when push comes to shove. That’s just how it works.

  29. Lets see, what a political animal kingdom. Blue dogs…the dem centrists, the Rhinos…the republican centrists…and the polars…the extremists on each end. can we call one right polar and the other left polar?

  30. marinm

    I don’t understand the logic. Because Mr. Stewart is a comedian he should have more influance than lets say an actor like Beck? Strange concept here; lets just treat them equally and let the voters decide?

    I’m not really an advocate for compromise (on the margin you could say that political compromise isn’t too different from a spouse staying with an abusive spouse ‘for the children’) for the sake of compromise. I want politicians to go out there and hammer one another on bills. I want the sunlight to shine on backroom deals, on fine print, on pork, etc. Everytime a bill is passed in Congress we the commoners lose just a little more freedom, a little more liberty and if I may pontificate for a moment a little bit of our individual humanity.

    Compromise – for the sake of it – should be avoided. Back in my younger days when I was in Model UN on the last day of a session you’d see it. Everyone would be pushing backroom deals and countries would go against there self interest so that a ‘bill could pass’ so we had ‘something to show for our efforts’. It was done for appearances and not to actually delve into the root of a problem – to feel accomplishment even though nothing meaningful was done.

    Sometimes the treatment is worse than the disease.

  31. I don’t think that Jon Stewart should necessarily have any influence. He is a comedian. People laugh at him sort of like they laugh at Dennis Miller. Both are good for laughs. As for serious political commentary….I would check elsewhere, at least at the present time.

    You see a lot of Jon Stewart here because Elena and I both think he is hilarious. He should not replace serious commentary though.

    If compromise is avoided, then nothing happens. Obviously the Constitution is a result of compromise.

    Marin, I think you need to distinguish between the 2 party political process and marriage. That’s how the 2 party political process is supposed to work. One party isn’t suppose to get into power and trounce all over the other one….ever. They are supposed to come to the table with their ideas and hammer them out so everyone is somewhat happy, at least in theory.

  32. marinm

    Moon-howler :
    Marin, I think you need to distinguish between the 2 party political process and marriage. That’s how the 2 party political process is supposed to work. One party isn’t suppose to get into power and trounce all over the other one….ever. They are supposed to come to the table with their ideas and hammer them out so everyone is somewhat happy, at least in theory.

    I see the flipside to that. Which is a stalemate occurs and the American people are happy. As I said above; when Republicans and Democrats work together – we get the Iraq/Arghan war as one example.

    I’m all for coming up with a good way forward on something but the idea that we have to compromise to get something passed is not always beneficial to the governed.

    As with jury nullification; sometimes the BEST answer is to simply vote NO. An idea (or bill) on the face of it is just unconsitutional and no amount of bribes, backroom deals, or ‘compromise’ should ever make it ‘passable’.

    Going back to the Stewart/Beck/Miller thing. I watch Stewart. Colbert. Leary. Maher. Black. Williams, etc. That they are left or may lean that way doesn’t matter to me cause I’m watching the show for entertainment. If they have a political message I may or may not listen to that. Same with talking heads. In the end, it’s my job as a voter to take what I know, what I think and to some extent what I feel and put that into the voting box.

    A lesson not learned yet but many is that the election of Obama was more about sending a message agaisnt Bush. It was not a mandate for Obama as much as it was the electorate being fed up with Bush. The pendulum swung one way in 08 and it’ll swing the other way in 10 to restore the balance.

    On the upside, after 2010 you’ll HAVE to see more bipartisanship. It’ll be the only way anything could get passed.

  33. @Moon-howler

    Actually THAT is the very complaint of Beck and the Tea Party movement. When Republican had the chance to put their money where their mouths were, they acted like the Democrats that they had replaced. Conservatives have been yelling at the GOP for that for YEARS. That is why McCain was not supported. His compromises always seemed to COMPROMISE conservative principles, with the exception of defense.

  34. And as to Beck being a “fear monger,” well, what else to you want from one that is warning you about possible dangers? Beck has NO power. He is the first to say that he is an entertainer and he hopes that he is wrong.

    BUT, he looks at history and sees parallels. Inflation is coming. The progressive structures that compromise our checks and balances are planned, if not in place.

    What was in his speech that was scary? His call for a more Constitutional government and for the parties to actually work for the good of the country vs the good of the parties?

    He hammered the GOP more than the Democrats. What is the problem with more freedom and less government?

  35. Beck has no power? I might have been born at night but it wasn’t LAST night. Beck has a tremendous amount of power. There are a lot of fearful people out there. They have a place president for the first time, we were on the precipice of economic disaster, retirement income shrinking away to next to nothing, banks in danger of failing. institutions like Bear sterns failing, our president coming on TV and telling people we were on the brink of disaster….

    tell me Beck has no power. Anyone with a mic has power. He probably has more power than an elected official because he is not held as accountable. He can flick off those who criticize him.

    I dont see his message as more freedom and less government.

  36. Many bird and other animal species puff up and fluff their feathers at their perceived enemies. It gives everyone a jolt of confidence.

  37. marinm

    Anyone with a mic is still held accountable for what they say and how they say it. If people didn’t agree with what he was saying; he wouldn’t have a show.

    That Beck has a very popular (I think I heard 2M in his timeslot) and shows like Maddow are barely pulling in 100-200K either shows that Beck is a great performer or that people are scared of what they see in the current administration and drinking the Beck kool-aid.

    Which if that’s true is more of an idictment on the current President than anything else. If President Obama is being looked at as a great communicator (as long as the teleprompter is on, of course) than how is it that the message he’s pushing is not being heard?

    The notion that Beck or any other pundit on the right is overshadowing the President and his very faborable coveage just doesn’t make sense. The only thing that could would be that people ARE hearing the President’s message and are rejecting it.

    Nov will give us a good indication one way or the other.

  38. Slowpoke@Work

    Moon-howler :He is an entertainer with way too much influence.
    blockquote>

    This could only refer to Keith Olbermann, Rick Maddow, or Chrissy Matthews.

  39. PWC taxpayer

    Moon said, “Glenn Beck is a fear monger. He is getting rich off the backs of others.”

    No he laid out a very well thought out, well researched American and European historical piece arguing that we must not repeat the progressive socialist mistakes of the past – for our own good – for the good of even the poorest among us. What I suspect you object to Moon is his call to stop the incrementalism – spelled compromise – toward a people that relies more and more on the government for its basic services – the centralization of power to the Federal government over state and local governments and the direct provision of services by that government – to include such basic services as health care. This requires a significant expansion of the welfare entitlement state. Oh, wait he has already entered the relm of state ownership of heavy industry – let me check the Websters terms again. Moon, people do not fear Beck, but have increasingly come to fear Ceaser Chavez Obama. Calling yourself mainstream is delusionary

  40. Slowpoke@Work

    Moon-howler :
    Why didn’t all these people take the action they wanted while they were in the White House and controlled both houses of Congress? Perfect opportunity. But oh no…

    Keep trying, you’re getting close to why we voted for Jim Webb in 2006 and didn’t like McCain in 2008. You’re getting warmer!

  41. Wolverine

    It is possible that Beck is just following Ben Franklin’s advice: “We’ve given you a republic, if you can keep it.” In my own view, we are at a political and ideological crisis point of sorts in 2010: Our long-standing republic versus an increasingly “imperial” Washington.

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