A few brave conservatives reject ‘unhinged’ radio ranters
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“A few brave conservatives reject ‘unhinged’ radio ranters” is how the headline read in Charleston’s Post & Courier for Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Dick Polman’s latest, in which he applauds Peter Wehner, David Frum, Lindsey Graham and other Republicans speaking out against the antics of Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin, Michael Savage and “worst” of all – Glenn Beck – at whom Polman directs most of his ire. Polman also throws in Alex Jones and what he calls his “post-Beck schtick,” believing that the conspiratorial Jones is some sort of threat to civil public discourse.
I make the argument in a recent TAC piece that much of the anger directed toward Beck by conservatives is not simply because of his wacky style, but his habit of questioning conventional right-wing wisdom on foreign policy and daring to undermine the Republican Party. Lo and behold, writes Polman:
“it’s not just the tone that worries these conservative critics… Far worse is the fact that Beck and some of his brethren are just as capable of skewering the GOP, and inspiring fans to do the same. A few weeks back, he stunned many Republicans by declaring in an interview, ‘I think John McCain would have been worse for the country than Barack Obama.’ Why? Because ‘I think McCain is a weird progressive, like Theodore Roosevelt was.”
Of course, Beck is absolutely right about McCain in his comments, especially once one understands where the FOX host is coming from and his concept of the term “progressive.”
In applauding Frum’s attacks on Beck, Polman notes that he’s an “ex-Bush speechwriter who helped coin the term ‘Axis of Evil.”
After reading what seemed like Polman’s positive example of Frum’s conservative credentials, I couldn’t help but think – has anything Limbaugh, Levin, Savage, Beck, Jones or any other pundit ever said or done led to more destruction, tragedy and heartache than Frum’s infamous phrase?
Filed under: Uncategorized
The least you can do is accurately report the name of my newspaper. It’s the Philadelphia Inquirer, not “Enquirer.”
And an unknown commentator echoes a hit piece by another unknown commentator!
Alex Jones and Glenn Beck cannot be lumped together as equal subjects governing the same predicate. One is a longtime conspiracy theorist but otherwise maintaining a mesh of paleocon and paleolibertarian values. Beck and the others are neocons. To be honest, neocons are just as conspiratorial (except I dont think they believe the conspiracies they espouse) and much fiercer liers.
Motivation/intention is a better measure of judgment than means/procedure.
“Motivation/intention is a better measure of judgment than means/procedure.”
So you’d say it is good judgment to slander a number of commentators, providing absolutely no context to what they’ve written? That’s nice of you.
@Dick Polman
An honest blogging error, made in haste. My apologies. It’s been corrected.
“So you’d say it is good judgment to slander a number of commentators, providing absolutely no context to what they’ve written…”
—No. What they’ve said concerning the “threat” of Third World countries is known to us all. The point in context is that some commentators are strictly partisan to the point of having no credibility, and promote mass hysteria that leads to the actual death and suffering of many. Alex Jones, meanwhile, promotes hysteria, but inwardly-directed and not violent. He does not deserve being compared to Glenn Beck.
Now take your brash, juvenile, yankee attitude back to your NY young republican club where it can stay. If it makes you happier, you can listen to recasts of your own talentless Levin call everyone a “putz”.
Hmm not only Levin, but Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, David the con man Horowitz, and Ann Coulter were born in NYC. When will Middle America wake up?
Thomas, are you an angry man?
The best advice I’d give someone engaged with the likes of you would be either mockery or immediate disengagement. It is otherwise impossible to deal rationally with one so disconnected with reality to the level of speaking approvingly of Alex Jones. It’s clear from your tenor and comments that you’ve been ignored most of your life, and have taken the most pseudo-enlightened positions in a pitiful act of self-directed attention and congratulation. Never got much from Mom and Pop, did you? That’s quite alright; I wouldn’t put much effort into raising a putz, either.
Watch “Fall of the Republic” for FREE on YouTube. It’s a 2 and a half hour full length documentary. It exposes why we are in a depression and why our foreign policy has been such a failure.
Has anyone here read David Frum’s collaborative effort with Richard Perle, “An End to Evil?” If not, I highly recommend it. They defend Israel’s apartheid against the Palestinians, mockingly reject a two-state solution, and helpfully suggest that American troops should, in addition to current deployments, be fighting Iran, Syria, Lebanon, and the guy who sells falafels down the street from you.
A few weeks back, he stunned many Republicans by declaring in an interview, ‘I think John McCain would have been worse for the country than Barack Obama.’ Why? Because ‘I think McCain is a weird progressive, like Theodore Roosevelt was.” Of course, Beck is absolutely right about McCain in his comments, especially once one understands where the FOX host is coming from and his concept of the term “progressive.”
If TR was indeed a “weird progressive”, he certainly was not a progressive in the mold of McCain and Obama. I have a recent blog entry that argues this point.
i dont agree that these are conservatives. Lindsey Graham cotniues to put his foot in his mouth everytime he gets in front of a camera.
Conservatives want more of these great radio talk show host.
Jack is just jealous that a liberal cant get more than 2 people to listen to them on radiol…Keep it up RUSH, BECK, Laura, and Levin. You have them eating your dust, and dazed with the truth.
Alex Jones is a much more honourable man than the paid-up prostitutes like Levin and Hannity, however overly emotional the man may rant.
Remember these are two sides of a coin you are not going to synthesise. One believes in protectionism to restart American industrial might, the other believes in a rotten free trade dogma that has impoverished so much of America.
One believes in an honourable peace and respect for national sovereignty, the other in eternal war, Israel-first, and mass murder.
One believes many of our greatest problems emanate from the decadence and cosmopolitan plans of the globalised, multinational elitists, the other tries to convince you your problems arise from the poor, from racial minorities, overseas Muslims, and obscure left-wing activists with no power.
One sees mass immigration as an economic and cultural problem, the other sees it as an opportunity to exploit labour for the benefit of a few under the dishonest mask of loving thy foreign neighbour.
One believes in God and Christ and the true religion of an eternal spiritual struggle within ourselves and our society between righteousness and evil, the other, inherently irreligious, fools people with a false religion obsessed with prophecy and predestination, and with a god that favours whole tribes and races against others.
We take our stand. If you find the second options generally more appealing, perhaps you should migrate to other fora.