Glenn Beck and Matt Kibbe held an event in the key swing state of Ohio to fire up people there and across the country with just four days left before the 2012 Election. Watch it in the video player above, and tune in Monday at 8pm ET on TheBlaze TV for a special broadcast of the program with behind-the-scenes footage.
Glenn opened the his keynote speech by reading a letter that he was given from a listener who was struggling with personal demons and ended up losing custody of his son and ended up living in a storage unit. In the letter, he described his struggles as well as how Glenn inspired him to get up and start turning his life around. He wrote a motto and committed to following it every day: The moment a man stops trying to do his very best is the moment a man starts to do his very worst. Today, the man who wrote Glenn that letter has turned his life around. He has rebuilt his life, advanced in his career, and gotten custody of his son back. He has rescued his credit and on his way to being debt free.
Glenn told the crowd America now faces a similar choice: Do we choose to stop being our best, and as a result start to become our worst? Or do we take a different path?
"We have become a zero sum nation," he said. "One family goes up the ladder, another one has to come down."
He explained that in a zero sum nation where people think that you can only do better at the expense of someone else, values like freedom, charity, merit and virtue are lost. As a result, America has become a handout nation, where people get trophies and awards just for showing up. Because this mentality believes that people can only improve their lot in life by taking from others, the solution becomes equality of outcome for everyone. When this happens, success, progress, and personal responsibility are all lose.
"That's the choice we've been told we have to accept," Glenn said.
Glenn, like many Americans, doesn't believe that's the way things have to be.
"This Tuesday you're going to send a message to the whole world. On Wednesday we're going to wake up to a new America," Glenn said.
"Our choice on Tuesday is greatness, not mediocrity, but greatness. Not just holding on, but greatness. That is the choice: to be better than we ever have in our lifetime. It is an honor to be those people who strive to be so much more," he said.
"We don't want trophies for participation. We don’t want a prize just for showing up.We are the people that changed the world and now stand ready to change it for the better again! This is not something we hope for. This is something we do on Tuesday!"
Glenn also took time in his speech to touch on the events in Benghazi, pointing out that it was not the American way to leave people behind like that nor to order those who are able to help to stand down.
He also touched on New York City and the tragic aftermath of Hurricane Sandy that has seen many still trying to recover. Glenn said that despite the fact that many in New York treated he and his family like garbage over the past few years, he was proud to have been a part of Mercury One's efforts to raise money for the relief. He announced on stage that the organization had raised over 1.2 million dollars in funds for the city because of donations from people like those in his audience Friday night.
"America this is your moment! Ohio this is your moment! This is the moment you lead us out! This is the moment where you give us courage and lead the way so America gets off the mat and knocks the bullies out."
"This is the moment where your hands set the world free once again."
