Chuck Todd Goes off on Glen Beck

[Perky]

The White House doesn't want to give Glenn Beck a bigger platform or extra oxygen -- especially regarding his remark yesterday that the president has "a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture" -- so they won't comment, even off record. Beck, after all, is a radio DJ who somehow ended up getting a national platform to give his opinion on politics. What's most amazing about this episode is that what Beck said isn't a fireable or even a SUSPENDABLE offense by his bosses. There was a time when outrageous rants like this would actually cost the ranters their jobs. But not anymore; if anything, it's now encouraged. And all of this could turn ACTUAL journalists into the next Howard Beales. It's getting nuts that the folks who are creating the perception of an ideological/polarized media world are people who have never really spent their lives being journalists. Whether it's former political consultants-turned-TV execs or former radio DJs, or former California socialites, the folks helping to accelerate the public's perception of the media off a cliff made their livings trying to do other things. Of course, Beck's crazy language could have one unintended consequence: It could cost him bookings with any Republicans who want to be popular outside Beck's hard-core bizarro-land viewers.

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/07/29/2013177.aspx

[wildflower]

1. I remember when commercials for Beck were running on progressive radio

They featured him saying "I'm just looking for a little common sense" and claiming not to be left or right. Anyone remember those? It was probably a year or so ago.

[senseandsensibility]

6. Yes I heard them on Air America

That's actually a favored technique of the right wing blowhards. O'Reilly does it when he claims to be an independent, and Palin did it when she said she would campaign for Democrats. They want to broaden their appeal beyond the bottom twenty percenters, but they won't change any of their hard right, corporatist agenda, so they try to fuzz things up. They might fool a few idiots, but most of the real idiots are already their followers.

[Caoimhe]

2. Yes we all know Obama hated his mom

Beck is an idiot who will say anything to get attention. I hope he keeps up the looniness and continues marginalizing himself and his nutbag fans.

[PatSeg]

5. And the grandparents who helped raise him

It must have been hell being raised by people he hated so much!

[jhain]

13. Beck isn't he even his name.

he probably changed it so his drug dealers couldn't find him and break his knee caps.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0703/15/pzn.01.html


BECK: I would get up, do the show, run the radio stations, come home, by 5:00, not a second after, I would pour myself one tumbler. I would smoke a bong, and take it from there.

ZAHN: Were you doing this with kids in the house?

BECK: Mm-hmm.

ZAHN: Did your kids see you...

BECK: No.

ZAHN: ... get stoned?

How disgusted...

[high density]

3. I was just thinking this morning while watching the Daily Show...

...that about 90% of the craziest stuff is said by perhaps ten people on TV and radio. O'Reilly, Hannity, Limbaugh, Beck, the three Fox & Friends morning idiots, and Dobbs come immediately to mind. There are the other nuts that pop up from time to time like Coulter and Bachmann, but their influence is more random. The Hannity types are beating the bizarro-land drum to an audience of tens of millions on a daily basis. They have been doing it without much question from the DC beltway types like Chuck Todd. So far I am not convinced that the sane media will challenge these people, since they feel their job is to simply present "both sides" of the story, no matter how awkwardly obtuse or factually wrong one "side" may be. I am glad MSNBC's First Read finally found a point where they thought it was worth standing up and saying stop, I'd just like to know when we can see people doing that regularly. It has reached a point where leaving it up to a comedy show like Jon Stewart is ridiculous.

[OneGrassRoot]

4. Yes, maybe they will FINALLY start to have some professional pride....

and act like responsible investigative reporters and journalists, clearly separating themselves from the crazies. Focus on NEWS and facts once again.

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. A guy I went through elementary school with sits in for Beck on the radio

He used to be a sports radio guy. Then he hooked up with Beck and subs for him when Beck isn't on the air.

His family lived close to mine and they were the nicest people.

I want to call the show when this guy is on and tell him the nuns who taught us in elementary school would be ashamed to hear his obnoxious anti-Obama rants. We went to a very liberal Catholic school (Catholics were pretty liberal in the 60s and most were Democrats) and we raised money for the poor, worked in food kitchens and did other volunteer work in the urban core. I guess this guy forgot all that he was taught in elementary school.

[sledgehammer]

10. Some people do this stuff just for the job...

...and not because they fully believe what they are saying.

I knew one guy who worked on the set of a right-wing loudmouth (he was an audio engineer or something). He said that off the mic, the host was definitely a staunch conservative, but nowhere near the level of what he is on radio. I think many preachers are like this too once they are standing in the pulpit - they embellish their talk and tone to add some spiciness.

It's about ratings, attention, and $$$. People will do anything for it, including willful misinformation. It's sad really.

[followthemoney]

8. The corporate enablers let them spew their crock of ungold.

I don't want to hear their sh*t.

They need a boot energeticly inserted into the offending orifice.

[blueworld]

9. Beck, Malkin, Coulter, Limbaugh, Kristol, Gingrich...

I disagree with Todd that Beck's lunatic rantings aren't suspendable offenses. Don Imus was booted off NY radio for an offensive comment that he tossed out thinking it was humorous (no excuse, I agree). However, Beck is a raving loony who IMHO practices sedition & is deliberately speaking this filth.

Not that I expect anything resembling critical thinking from anyone of the right-wingnuts, but nonetheless my teeth buzz. During the election, they were convinced Obama wasn't black enough. Now, he's a racist. A black racist or a white racist? That depends on what load of manure Beck is shoveling at any given moment. Dobbs is pushing the "birther" idiocy. O'Reilly still can't count ("The US has a larger population than Canada"...see Paul Krugman's blog). Bill Kristol still manages to make himself heard although he should be strangled by his own sphincter at this point. This morning's interview with that vampira Malkin for her new trashy book actually had me rooting for Matt Lauer - that's worrisome for me.

We sane folks obviously don't watch Faux, but I think Beck has gone so far over the edge (this time without tears) that it's time for a massive e-mail blitz & perhaps some nice demonstrations outside the studio (a la Letterman & Imus) to have his ass kicked off the air. I'm sure he can still get a job in East Bumblefreak somewhere, but he shouldn't be allowed a NYC venue any longer. :mad:

[Supersedeas]

14. insight distinction

[badgerpup]

11. I guess we haven't come very far after all...

Useta be in small villages, people would get a great deal of entertainment out of the 'village idiot'...often provoking them into screaming, spitting fits so they could laugh at them.

At least nowadays they (the erstwhile 'village idiots') get paid big bucks for their foaming-at-the-mouth episodes of incoherent raging...
so maybe we DO progress as a society.
:sarcasm:

[indimuse]

12. Dan Rathers...

+ Truth = Firestorm and OUTRAGE!!

[BlueIdaho]

15. The enemy of my enemy is not my friend. nt.