And now, I defend the Pope against charges of atheism.
So, Glenn Beck, the guy who has spent more than two years defending the Tea Party, now thinks the Tea Party is filled with racists? That’s what we’re supposed to believe today? Seriously?
Ugh…ok. It all starts with Glenn on Fox Business when Glenn asked the question—how can the Tea Party support a progressive like Newt Gingrich? What is it? Race? You can watch the interview here.
Now, I suppose if Glenn was some MSNBC host, and that’s all the information you had, it’s possible you could think that Glenn believes the Tea Party is filled with evil racists. But, that’s not the case, because we are real people who live on earth. One of the benefits of living on earth, is that we can look at other events that have happened on earth, and judge that event in context.
Does Glenn make points in ways that often piss people off? Yup. Welcome to the Glenn Beck program: the show that once made a point by claiming, for a full hour, that he had once kissed his sister.
Some people were shocked by what Glenn said. I wasn’t particularly stunned, given that he had made the exact same point on the radio two days earlier. The only difference between the two is that, on his own show, where he controls the flow of conversation, Glenn was able to fully make the point. Here is the transcript:
GLENN: This is going back to Roosevelt. Listen to this because this is the same thing. America, the disease is progressivism. It is not Republicans, it is not Democrats, and damn you, Tea Party people, you make your choice. Was it about Barack Obama? Is it because he's black? Or is it his damn policies?STU: Certainly not because he's black, as you know.
GLENN: I know that. But then if you are supporting Newt Gingrich, where are you going? Who are you?
Does that sound like someone who thinks the Tea Party is actually racist? Or does it someone saying he really doesn’t think Newt is the Tea Party candidate? Remember, this is BEFORE the Fox Business interview. Are we really supposed to believe that Glenn, after 3 years of unparalleled support of the Tea Party, now thinks they’re racists? Are we really supposed to believe that in a period of 48 hours, Glenn went from specifically saying “I know” that this isn’t about the race, to believing the exact opposite?
I get it. Glenn didn’t explain himself with the appropriate 32 minutes of disclaimers…once. But…really? He has been one of the nation's most consistent supporters of the Tea Party, especially on issues of race. To give just one example of the thousands that exist:
GLENN: But that's not why people are rising up. It's such a ridiculous thing. We're not rising up---the tea party ---because of Barak Obama or because of ---How unbelievably infantile do you have to be to believe it's because he's black? That's such a third grade argument it's ridiculous.
Look, you can disagree with Glenn’s point, that Newt and Obama are both too progressive. You can disagree with how he made that point. I’ve been more critical of Newt than most, but if it comes down to him and Obama, I can’t think of a scenario in which I don’t hold my nose and vote for Newt. But, only an idiot would believe that Glenn Beck actually thinks the Tea Party is filled with racists. If that’s what he was really saying, he was calling me, his best friend Pat, and probably the majority of his staff racists. I think he’d likely be calling himself a racist when it comes down to it.
Anyway, a borderline(?) psychotic blogger who hates Catholicism just told me the Pope is an atheist! Do you believe that?!!!!?!?