During an appearance Tuesday morning on Fox and Friends in which the topic was the "beer summit" scheduled to take place on Thursday, July 30th at the White House, Glenn Beck called President Obama a racist. The tired old right-wing talking point about the Rev. Wright and Obama's criticism of the police were two of the reasons Beck listed for why he feels the way he does about the president. As I said in my previous post about the Henry Louis Gates incident, Obama's criticism of the police wasn't race related. It would be different if he called Sgt. James Crowley a "stupid, white cop". Unfortunately, Beck and several others jumped on the "stupidly" remark and are automatically assuming that the reason for Obama using the term is because Gates is black and Crowley is white.
I do give credit to Fox and Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade because he did call Beck out for his nonsensical theories. I wonder if Glenn listens to himself when he speaks because when Kilmeade defended Obama, Glenn said that he's not saying that President Obama doesn't like white people... then he turns around and calls Obama a racist again!
There has been speculation that Glenn Beck is nothing more than the Fox News Channel's version of Stephen Colbert, meaning that his on-air persona is a character spouting off things that the "real" Glenn Beck couldn't possibly believe. When I've watched Beck in the past, sometimes I wasn't sure if he was for a real or if it was all a joke. After viewing his recent appearance on Fox and Friends, I'm convinced that he does believe what he says. If I am wrong, Glenn needs to take his show to Comedy Central and let everyone in on the joke because his recent comments about President Obama are irresponsible and potentially dangerous.
Below is a clip of Glenn making his comments about President Obama on Fox and Friends:
17 comments:
Told you I'd check out the post. There's one thing you can say about Glenn...he doesn't mince words.
TCL: Thanks for visiting. I have a couple of questions for you.
1. Do you think that Glenn Beck's comments are irresponsible and potentially dangerous?
2. Can you make sense of how Glenn can claim that he's not saying that Obama doesn't like white people and then do a 180 by calling Obama a racist?
Hey Malcolm, it's very seldom that I find myself disagreeing with you, but when it comes to this issue I do see it a bit differently.
I don't think Beck's comments were any more irresponsible or potentially dangerous than those Kanye West made in reference to then President Bush. Beck's comments were stupid and frankly, make him look ignorant. But he has a right to them, just like I'm entitled to think he's an idiot.
By calling his remarks potentially dangerous, I think you give them more value than they truly deserve. Who cares what the kid who is sitting over in the corner with the dunce cap on thinks? I don't.
If conservatives want to regain any measure of crediblity and respect, they need to stop letting idiots like Beck, Steele and Palin speak for them. Until then, I will continue to ignore all such outlandish and attention-seeking outbursts . . . in much the same manner as I do those that come from preschoolers and folks who've been deemed just a tad slow, or mentally challanged.
Hi Malcolm:
I'll answer your questions, and I hope you'll answer mine. I am going to have to do this in 2 comments, because the comment area won't allow for all of my response. Sorry.
1. I think Glenn Beck has a right to say what he said, just like Pres. Obama had the right to say what he said. As for it being irresponsible...I don't think so; why would it be irresponsible? As for being dangerous...I'm not sure what you mean by that, but if you mean he is fanning the flames, I think it's his opinion and everybody is entitled to their opinion. If people don't agree with Glenn, I think Lori is right...take it for what it's worth and don't give him more credit than deserved if you think he's wrong.
2. Obviously Pres. Obama has like-minded white people surrounding him in his administration and I'm sure he likes them. Glenn's comments are based on the fact that he sees the actions of Pres. Obama and his administration as a threat to what our country was founded on...Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness and personal responsibility. Obama is following through with what he promised..."transforming" America. But Obama's "transformation" is doing to the entire country what the Democrat Party has done to the black community over many years...demorilized it and made it dependent on the government, while never keeping a promise it made. If he succeeds in his plans, we all are going to be dependent on the government for everything (white, black, everybody), Our Founders never planned for the federal government to take over our lives, but President Obama and his administration are trying to do just that. And it didn't start with Obama, it's been going on for many years, it just so happens that it's coming to a head with this administration.
As far as Glenn claiming the President is a racist. Well, when you hear Obama say he wants to "spread the wealth around" and you see him surround himself by people like Rev. Wright and Prof. Gates, makes comments like his grandmother was a "typical white person", involves himself with an organization like ACORN and gives them a place in his administration by promising before he was even inaugurated that they have a plac at the table, requires "empathy" as a determinating factor in nominating a Supreme Court justice, and yes, insinuates racial profiling on national TV when there is no proof...just throws it out there...I can understand why Glenn might say such a thing. President Obama may say he is not in favor of reparations, but his actions prove otherwise.
In your post you called Rev. Wright and the police comment "the tired old right-wing talking points". I don't think his sitting 20 years in a church whose preacher spewed hatred and racism is a tired, old talking point....it's the truth.
OK, my turn.
1. Do you think it's possible for President Obama to have listened to Rev. Wright for 20 years and not be influenced by his feelings and opinions about white people? How can he claim he never heard Rev. Wright's racial remarks in his sermons? Do you think that is possible?
2. Do you see President Obama's policies moving our country towards socialism or facism or marxism?
3. Do you take offense that President Obama thinks you are incapable of taking care of yourself and is trying to implement policies that will take your freedoms away? (Health care that will have a bureaucrat in Washington determining what procedures you can have, the government telling you where you can set your thermostat, what kind of car you can drive...).
4. Do you think that the election of President Obama proved at all that racism in America was healing? Remember, he did not win on the black vote alone.
5. Do you believe that minorities can be racist?
6. Do you believe there should be reparations?
7. Why does the black community continue to vote for people (Democrats) who continue to keep it dependent on the government?
Lori mentioned that Republicans need to stop letting "idiots" like Beck, Steele and Palin speak for them. Well, other than Michael Steele, who is Chairman of the RNC, Glenn Beck is not a Republican and Sarah Palin has fought against the corruption of the GOP in Alaska, so I wouldn't clump her in with all Republicans, especially since a lot of the elite GOPer's criticize her just as much as the media and the Dems. (My personal opinion about that is, I think they fear her or they wouldn't give her the time of day...but that's my opinion.)
8. Freedom, liberty and the right to pursue happiness is for all Americans; Personal responsibility is something we all should embrace. Why are people "idiots" if this is what they believe and promote?
Thanks for the opportunity to comment.
I'm sorry, but I thought of one other question.
What do you think of Pres. Obama denying school vouchers to children in DC preventing them from attending a private school just like his daughters? This is going on all over the country. School choice is being denied to black children all over the country... this is a Democrat policy.
Hi Conservative Lady. Before Malcolm makes his response, allow me to say that even though I don't agree with many of your positions, your points appear to be rational and very well thought-out. I respect that.
But I would like to point out that I used the term "conservative" to describe Palin, Beck and Steele, not Republican. And I did so, I might add, deliberately. Not every Republican is necessarily a conservative, just like not all Christians are fundamentalists.
To be quite frank, many of my own views would be considered conservative, but I'm not a Republican.
Anyway, I do think folks like Palin, Beck, Rush and Steele attract and cater to this sort of nutty, fringe, Elmer Fudd-like point of view. Again, if this is the best conservatives have to offer, it's very scary and incredibly sad for all Americans, irrespective of one's own particular political viewpoint.
Lori,
My apologies, I should have double checked the wording of your comment "conservatives" vs "republicans". My mistake.
But you didn't answer the question.
Freedom, liberty and the right to pursue happiness is for all Americans; Personal responsibility is something we all should embrace. Why are people "idiots" if this is what they believe and promote?
Do you consider these beliefs to be to be nutty, fringe, "Elmer Fudd"-like points of view (whatever that means)? Because these are what Palin, Rush, Steele and Beck promote and believe in.
Conservative Lady: Although I appreciate you joining in on the discussion, please stick to the topic of the posts on which you comment. Most of the questions you posed to me have absolutely nothing to do with Glenn Beck's comments about our President. Having said that, I'll send my answers to your questions to the email address you have linked on your profile page. Since I have a full plate over the next few days, I won't be able to respond until sometime next week. At that time, I will also respond to your comments that pertain to this post.
Speaking of questions, you didn't answer this one:
Can you make sense of how Glenn can claim that he's not saying that Obama doesn't like white people and then do a 180 by calling Obama a racist?
If you can't, that's cool.
I thought I answered that question, but maybe I spread it out in too many words. I can only guess that Glenn meant that Obama likes white people who are like-minded, but his plan is reparations. If you are asking me why Glenn said the comment the way he did, you'll have to ask him.
Sorry I deviated from the topic, but I am seriously interested in your answers.
Have a nice weekend.
lol
Beck's a loon.
That aside, he's an anti-government (in generalm not just progressive liberal) dude with an opinion about who Obama actually is.
Maybe he is 100% wrong. I don't know. But I do know that people use an extremely selective process when judging President Obama.
For any other man or woman, that church would be MUCH more than a "right-wing talking point." His wife's comments would be considered much more than an innocent slip. His language in his books would be held against him.
And I would find it hard, though not impossible, to believe anyone who disagreed with that.
Imagine if McCain, while running against Obama, could be linked to a suspected white separtist pastor for two decades who made those inflammatory comments, with a wife that claimed not to be proud of her country, and books that generalized any non-white race.
And then to top if off, on the miracle that McCain got elected, he jumped on racial controversy without knowing the facts and made a snap judgment in a weak attempt to broach a larger issue to gain credibility.
I'm sure many would intently claim McCain was a racist.
I don't know if I agree with Beck. I think the guy's a nut. But I also don't know who Obama is, other than a Chicago politician who's coming across, at least to me, as a phony.
Malcolm, I'm 50/50 on this one. Irresponsible and pontentially dangerous? No more so than any other racist claim without actual proof.
That being said, claiming someone to be a racist is a damning accusation. It won't even come close to sticking to Obama, but look what it did to that poor woman who made the 911 call in the Gates situation.
So I'm torn. I feel 99% of this is because you have it in for Fox and the "right-wing." :P
People have been called racist for a lot less. I'm not a fan of definitively claiming that without proof. But I'm also one that will quickly question anyone's racial intentions if I feel they're presenting the evidence. Beck feels he has some.
His 180 can be explained simply: He's a loon! lmao
The reason, my opinion, is that he's doing a 180 is because he's stepping so far out onto the edge of a cliff by calling Obama a racist that the slightest breeze of "well, look at all the white people he has on staff" has him dangling over the edge without even as much as a straw to grab onto.
I think Beck's comments about the President do border on irresponsible because that is one strong and deplorable accusation to make against someone and with the number of idiots out there in the world, I think comments like that could potentially lead to dangerous consequences. He freely admits "he doesn't know what it is, the white race, white culture...blah blah blah". That's ridiculous. If you're going to accuse someone of something, at least know what it is you're accusing them of and then at least have a shred of evidence to back that up.
I guess it's how one looks at things. I think Obama's comment about the police acting stupidly was out of line, but, you know what...Obama is not, nor has he ever claimed to be, some kind of all knowing perfect messiah of person that is never going to make a mistake. I don't know how friendly the two were, but obviously Professor Gates and Obama have some personal connection and it clouded his initial judgement about the matter. It happens. He shouldn't have commented without knowing the facts, but he did. He also could have dropped it at that, but he didn't. He knows he made a mistake and I think the "beer fest" was much less of a "political" thing and more of a personal way to try to correct his mistake over that comment.
Lori: My apologies for not replying to your comments at the same time I did to Conservative Lady's last week. Although Beck has a right to make the comments he did, I don't see that this makes them any less dangerous. Although many people such as the two of us can recognize Beck for what he is, he speaks to millions who are looking for an excuse to hate President Obama and blacks in general.
Conservative Lady: Thanks for at least taking a crack at trying to explain the illogical comments that Glenn Beck made. :-)
Josh: If the Dems/liberals wanted to, there were things in John McCain's past that they could have hammered at repeatedly during the campaign:
1. His use (in 2000) of an anti-Asian slur and his refusal (to the best of my knowledge) to back down from it.
2. His ties to the USCWF (an organization that he sat on the board of during part of the 1980s)
As for the comments that Barack Obama made in his books, it's pretty clear that those making the smears haven't read the books or at the very least didn't do any research. Otherwise they'd know the quotes were either taken out of context or in some cases falsified.
As for why you feel I wrote this post, you are 100% wrong. If Howard Dean appeared on The Young Turks and made the same comments as Beck did, I would have called him out too. :-)
Regarding your explanation for Beck's about face when challenged by Brian Kilmeade, that sounds logical. I have a feeling that Beck's "Howard Beale" routine will wear thin soon. Although you may know who Howard Beale is, Google his name in case you don't.
Jessica: Beck and others like him should use James Brown's "Talking Loud and Saying Nothing" as their theme song. You make an excellent point about Obama never claiming to be perfect. Although some members of the right think that Obama supporters feel that he is perfect, I don't have such unrealistic expectations.
Conservative Lady: My apologies for neglecting to respond to your two-parter in my last response. Just to be clear, I'm not saying that Beck doesn't have a right to express his opinions. As I said to Lori earlier, Beck speaks to millions who are looking for an excuse to hate President Obama and blacks in general. In my eyes, that makes his comments both dangerous (yes, fanning the flames) and irresponsible.
If you haven't before, you should definitely visit the FactCheck.org website. In case you don't know, it's a non-partisan site designed to cut down on the misinformation and outright lies that are prevalent in U.S. politics. Something else I suggest if you haven't yet is to do some research on Professor Gates because you seem to have an entirely negative opinion of him.
Millions are looking for reasons to hate black people?
Boy, that kills the "safety in numbers" theory. lol
With a group of millions, these racists are far more abundant than America's military. I wonder why they're so secretive in their hate.
Unless they're using that suspected "code" racism! oofah
And about McCain:
I heard that racial slur he made brought up plenty. Some also used his homes, his wife's money, and some other choice stuff to campaign against him.
As far as hammering, well, we both know that the press was far too busy backing Obama to berate McCain. Although they still managed to run quite a few negative stories about The One's opponent, a positive Obama piece was pretty much SOP for 4 national networks.
It makes me sick how many people don't hold Obama accountable for anything he does or says.
@Anonymous,
I know how you feel, I feel the same way about Glen Beck, Fox News, and the GOP in general.
Life sucks.
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