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Glenn Beck on Why He's No Rush Limbaugh
Your public persona often seems like that of an angry populist, in the mode of Howard Beale in the movie Network—“mad as hell and not going to take it anymore.”
I feel like Howard Beale. I saw Network just recently, again, and I thought, that’s kind of how I feel. But I think this is the way most Americans feel. I don’t think I’m a populist in the sense that I’m not playing to anybody. I think that’s what the secret of the show is. When you asked who I am, I might’ve answered this differently two years ago than I do now. I am a guy who works my brains out. I am exhausted every single day, and I probably wouldn’t work as hard if the times didn’t call for it. I believe what I say. That’s why sometimes everybody makes fun of me. Jeez, I’m turning into Tammy Faye Bakker, but my emotion is at the surface because I believe it.
When you’re weeping on the air, which you do every so often, are you in control of yourself or do you feel like you’re slipping out of control emotionally?
No, I’m not slipping out of control. I’m in control of myself. I don’t think there’s a problem with people showing emotion. I don’t care what people think, I don’t care if you make fun of me, I don’t care if you disagree, I honestly don’t care in the end if I turn out to be wrong, because actually I hope I’m wrong. There’s no way for me to win if I’m right on some of this stuff.
Some of the things you’ve said are pretty dark. For instance, you said last week to Bill O’Reilly that you can understand how some people in the forgotten parts of America, who are frustrated that no one is listening, could get themselves into a murderous rage like that guy in Alabama who killed all those people.
That’s not exactly what I said. The guy in the murderous rage, I said, was clearly crazy. However, I think what people are missing--people in the government and people in the media—is that they must start listening to people and reacting, and not holding themselves at a different standard. America doesn’t mind if you make a mistake, just admit that you made a mistake. If you break the law, pay the penalty. If somebody’s lying in your party, you have to get that person out because it’s a poison, as people are disenfranchised more and more and lied to more and more and marginalized more and more. When did we go to war in Iraq? 2004? 2003? I was on the air on radio saying,
Listen, stop calling Hollywood un-American because they’re criticizing the war. I don’t need to see their movies but they’re not un-American. There’s nothing more American than speaking out. You can’t shut people down. That is the only kind of speech that is worth protecting, the kind of stuff that pisses you off. Now the same thing is happening on the other side and people have been called racist and hate-mongers or un-American for long enough. The more you isolate people, the more you put them in a little box where you can’t say anything and they feel like nobody’s listening, crazy people are going to snap, and then we’re in trouble.
Can I get you to endorse, clarify, or nitpick a couple of things you’ve said so I understand where you’re coming from? You seem to have said that Al Gore has used Nazi-like propaganda tactics to promote the idea that global warming is a man-made threat, is that correct?
Yeah, the argument that he was making was the same kind of tactic used by the Nazis. I don’t believe Al Gore is trying to gas or round up Jews, I don’t believe the result is going to be the same thing. Just understand that the tactic used was a device used by the Nazis. For instance, we have him on tape during the convention or during the inauguration where he was talking to 12-, 13-, 14- and 15- year olds, and he said “Look there’s a lot of things you understand instinctively but your parents don’t understand those things because they’re just too trapped in old thinking.” Well, gosh, I mean, I know he’s not going to be rounding up Jews any time soon but that’s called the Hitler Youth where you turn the children against the parents.
Do you really believe that Barack Obama is leading us toward socialism and that we are in danger of becoming a totalitarian state?
I believe that he’s not leading us there, he’s led us there. Check the cover of Newsweek magazine, “We’re all socialists now.” We’re there. However—again, some context--I said these things under George Bush with the beginnings of the bailout. You don’t do this in a free-market society. I’m afraid that we are headed toward a state that is controlled in Washington and by these global corporations. We’re headed toward statism where these gigantic corporations and government are in bed. That was one of my main problems with George W. Bush.
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roberta13
I love Glenn Beck, he has enough guts to tell you what he thinks.
woodnut
This guy just reads the newspapers and then goes out and repeats all the most outrageous stuff he reads. He's never had an original thought. He wants to be Rush Junior he just doesn't have the bulk yet.
jds8181
Glenn Beck is a buffoon. He argues based upon his own opinions and very rarely offers facts to back them up. For anyone who has not seen his interview with Rob Kampia of the Marijuana Policy Project please look it up for a prime example of how Beck conducts interviews.
Ritarita
Nancy Pelosi makes this guy cry in public.
The only thing that's missing is that
He doesn't do it in his underwear.
tnflyboy
@woodnut - that then would be the one silver lining in the midst of all these newspapers shutting down.
The one thing I like about Glenn Beck is that he provides an incredible amount of fodder for Stephen Colbert. The colonoscopy, the doom bunker, and all of the one liners are priceless.
sophia5
Over a year ago this guy was talking about an
upcoming economic crisis where the government
would start nationalizing private industry, there'd
be major layoffs, and a housing crisis.
This guy seemed nuts.
Look where we are today.
Isn't interesting that even though he's proven to be correct,
the media will still bash him as some raving lunatic.
He actually cares about this country, seeing it
as just that . . . a country with citizens,
BEFORE a marketplace with consumers.
The same can't be said for many in outsourcing Washington.
The guy was right. Glenn Beck is NOT nuts.
Silly-goofy-funny-blubbering cry baby . . . yes.
Nuts . . . No.
Banjo1
The left has identified Beck as an emerging threat. I expect the Journolist (see Politico today) will decide he has to be taken down or out.
Cforchange
Well there appears to be an emerging quality about political entertainers/influencers - chemical dependency. OOOOOOOO'Reilly please tell me ain't so.
rbegrnmt
Love ya, Beck!
Ritarita
@Sophia5
No. He's just nuts.
Response to your post will be entertaining.
I'll do a shot every time I read the word 'moron'.
debbieqd
"Look, I'm a libertarian. The problem is that we are so far away from being a society that understands self-regulation, it would be an absolute meltdown at this point. We're going in the wrong direction. We've got to wean ourselves off of government and start regulating ourselves. That's the same thing with the free-market system. You let people live with the results, good or bad. It'll fix itself."
_______________________________________________
And this ideology is exactly the problem. We don't live in UTOPIA. Does Glenn Beck, who says he loves his children, allow them to "self-regulate?" Or does he, as the head of his house, set boundaries and expectations? The government is no different. Get off the totalitarian bull****. It's uttery ridiculous.
Spanky267
Beck is not insane nor is he a lunatic. He does ramble and he does rant. To me he is more everyman than any other person on the talk radio circuit.
He truly cares about the country and wants us to get back to the founding principles of the nation. I like the guy and while he has been a bit of an alarmist he has been close to the mark on some of what we are facing now.
This comment has been removed by The Daily Beast's editors.
Spanky267
Debbieqd you are stretching what he said to fit your view. Adults should be allowed to do what they want as long as they do not injury another or burden another. That is the libertarian mantra as I interpret it.
We govern our children simply because they have not matured enough to self regulate themselves. But as they grow we allow them more and more independence as long as they self regulate.
Your argument is that essentially we are all children and we need Daddy Government to keep us in line on all fronts. This is the incrementalism that will ultimately lead to the government controlling nearly ever aspect of your life for the "common good." The common good is best served when the goverment does not interfere with a free people. People who are free to associate, free to work, free to earn free to choose.
lastcookie
Between now and maybe 5 years ago, as a regular listener of his radio show, it is hard not to see him as a repackaged personality, modified to fit a broader, more conservative audience.
In those earlier shows I found him very funny-like no one else funny. But now it seems a little too contrived, and sadly, just not as funny.
Thank you.
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