Political arguments are often messy. It is rare that absolute eloquence of stance, words and deed sway many voters. They elevate the conversation, but don’t always give rise to TV ratings, or change many minds. Just look at any legislation; it hardly ever resembles a kinship with liberty. even when it is often titled that way. In practice, most legislation affects liberty negatively.

America likes its info fast. Glenn Beck provides little if any of it. But folks watch him because he is a slightly more logical reactionary than the MSNBC types that flail away out there. The MSM had all types of Beck’s before Glenn Beck came along. Once in a while, they’d snag a corrupt or scheming official. Since the press resembles a state-run advocacy organization these days, Beck’s novelty is all the more glaring.

The arguments regarding liberty are necessary, their result is rarley ever as pure as the idea. But the very freedoms we worry about need to be protected, even if it results in a few more Glenn Becks, or God Forbid; Rachel Maddows. A cursory glance at the agenda over at the FCC these is enough to scare anybody into wishing there were more Glenn Beck’s out there exposing the tyranny going on in the cabinet level posts of this country.

Of course, you’re too wrapped up in your mutual mental masturbation of each other to give a rip about what’s happening to the country.

Glenn is asking the questions that EVERYONE should be asking.

It’s a shame that an “entertainer” is more cutting edge than the fringe media (CBS, NBC, ABC, msNBC, CNN, etc).

So, go ahead and attack the messenger because you don’t have the first clue about what he’s actually talking about.

The Stacy McCain’s (and Pam Gellar’s and Robert Spencer’s and Glenn Beck’s) of the world believe this is their time. They are the sorry equivalent of the loony wingnut left, only scarier because they are attempting to co-opt (and corrupt) the ideas that lead to free markets, free trade, self-determination, and a strong national defense protecting a live and let live society…

That said there sure are a lot of idiots on the right and left these days. Did you see the new Public Policy Poll?
Only 37% of Republicans believe Obama was born in America. WTF?
Of course the Democratic voters don’t come off too well either. 25% of Democrats, think that George W. Bush let 9/11 happen to justify war.
And just for fun 10% of voters say they think Obama is the Anti-Christ with 11% unsure and 8% say the same of Bush with an equal 11% unsure.

What is happening to this country?

“The 30% of you who don’t believe this or reject it because you think it doesn’t matter are kidding yourselves. And you’re dragging conservatism down with your blindness.”

First, you present nothing to support that only thirty percent “don’t believe this” or “reject it because you think it doesn’t matter…” My guess–the same way you devined your percentage–is the percentage is closer to 100 and absolutely correct in its opinion. Now if you want to Sullivanize yourself, it is your blog and have at it. But if you want to be taken seriously rather than read by dwindling freak show fans, you might want to take stock of such breathless, unsupported and rather off-the-wall assertions.

I won’t even ask how you have concluded Beck hurts conservatism since he isn’t one or even a Republican, has become a Brooks-like useful idiot and embraced Obama over McCain, and so forth. You are heavy on rhetoric and regurgitation of legacy media tripe but just as light on substance to back up your claims.

And even if you were right, and you aren’t and present nothing to show you are, to what effect? Will you launch a one-man campaign to end Beck’s career? Would that be worth a good goddamned? Hell, Soros-funded Media Matter did and Beck came out ahead. Would an obscure, increasingly erratic blog slay a pop culture giant? And why would it?

I also would nit about your description of the nation as “getting younger” since it is just the opposite per the census and hence the SS and Medicare crises, but demographics can be skewed like any statistical-based science. And poll after poll shows that the nation has become more conservative and wants less government contrary to what you wrote above. Maybe MSNBC or a hot Ouija Board reached another conclusion but objective numbers aren’t your friend here.

I’m not being a son of a bitch. But, really, Rick.

The JBS was read out of the conservatives by attacks from the right, that they were insufficiently conservative. If Glenn Beck is to be read out of the movement, there’s one striking advantage here. He doesn’t claim to be a conservative. There, job done. What’s being done is a lie, a falsehood, committed by the mainstream left to conflate a self-described libertarian with conservatism.

There is an alliance, one of convenience for both sides, between conservatives and libertarians. This is well known inside the GOP and the right. The left takes delight in wedging this alliance and trying to force libertarians to defend conservative positions and conservatives to defend libertarian ones.

Somehow reaching across the party lines is viewed as somewhat noble bipartisanship that’s for the good of the country but reaching across the libertarian/conservative divide is viewed less admirably. This is the politics of division.

I don’t think that Glenn Beck has everything right. From what I can tell he’s got significant policy differences with me. He also doesn’t seem to do his research at the very least. And I’m a libertarian. In a world where Obama isn’t pilloried to renounce the modern day wobblies (ANSWER) when he finds himself on the same side, why should the right accede to a double standard?