Beck: Olbermann killing democracy

[BobcatJH]

This is rich, considering the source:

BECK: Latest issue of "Rolling Stone" has hit the newsstands, and in it there is a profile - no, no, actually more of a canonization of Keith Olbermann. The thing that struck me when I was reading the article wasn't the article itself or the self-importance in it, but a small sidebar in which he took a swing at three anchors on this network, Anderson Cooper, Nancy Grace, and yours truly.

Here's what he had to say about me. "A wolf in sheep's clothing. The very dangerously bigoted guy who is selling himself as a pragmatic philosopher. I don't think he sees his own bigotry. There's something about him that suggests that, one night, he'll say something that will cost him his career in television."

You know, let me be clear about something here. Keith Olbermann is right, at least on the last part. After 30 years in broadcasting, three hours of live radio content every day, plus one hour of TV a night, one comment could end my television career. It's not a question of if, but of when.

Until the inevitable comes, I'll continue to tell you what I believe. At the same time, I struggle to find the answers to the issues that we face on my own. We'll talk about it. Yes, I am not perfect. If I were, I wouldn't really bother to ask any questions.

I mean, I guess I could just stay out of trouble by asking clearly scripted questions to guests who won't disagree, but that would kind of be planned and kind of a planned perfection that breeds arrogance that is far more dangerous than being a dope like me who says the wrong thing from time to time.

If I'm going to be shut down for that, well, it will likely be because of an intolerant ideologue like Keith Olbermann. The very idea smacks of the same McCarthyism Murrow fought so valiantly against.

Hey, Keith, you're not saving the world's democracy; you're killing it, my friend, by trying to limit the marketplace of ideas to only those that reflect your own.

Me personally, I surround myself with varying points of view. My staff: blood shooting out of your eyes liberals, conservatives, men, women, minorities, and, you know, it's weird, I don't need a mailbox outside my office to communicate with them. Oops, did I say that?

When you make pronouncements as bold as, "The man who sees absolutes where all other men see nuances and shades of meaning is either a prophet or a quack," you better be a prophet, man. You know, and frankly, Keith, nah, you're not really a prophet. I'm just saying.

And here's something I'm just saying, Glenn: You're an asshole.

[Gman]

1. dupe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x307922

[Selteri]

2. And not a bit of this surprises me over Glenn Beck.

I can't stand to listen to him because of his spite and cruelty, sounding much like one of those crazy nasty old men in a nursing home that is too old to care about what people think over what they say.

[Deep13]

3. Per pot: "That kettle is black, black, black!"

:eyes:

This is despite the fact that the kettle in this instance is still nice and shiney copper.

[RandomKoolzip]

4. "Blood shooting out of your eyes liberals?!" What does that even mean?

Does he mean "tear ducts?"

Anyways, I'd rather be a "blood shooting out of your eyes liberal" than a "dogshit gushing from your mouth conservative."

[PVnRT]

5. Who the hell is Glenn Beck?

:shrug:

[libodem]

7. He's a big mouthed radio jerk

who has his own TV show, now. He thinks he's really funny. So his gimick is to wrap his unpalatable hatred and bigotry in a joke and serve it up like gourmet worms. That is the danger, laughing it off, like a joke, while he slams and defames liberals and elevates and polishes conservative talking-points, just as adeptly as Rush Limbaugh or O'Liely. The TV show is on CNN and is more like something Fox would carry. He slips under the radar as a hatemonger. What a pig. You are lucky not to know who he is. BTW he's a Mormon.

[spooky3]

6. He just wants the free publicity from being named Worst Person in the World

[SOS]

8. "trying to limit the marketplace of ideas to only those that reflect your own"

It's so unfair! The right has nobody (except the partial list below) to present their viewpoint.

Fred Barnes
Glenn Beck
Tony Blankley
Neal Boortz
David Broder
David Brooks
Tucker Carlson
Neil Cavuto
Ann Coulter
Candy Crowley
James Dobson
William Donohue
Matt Drudge
Jerry Falwell
John Gibson
Newt Gingrich
Jonah Goldberg
Lucianne Goldberg
Sean Hannity
Brit Hume
Laura Ingraham
Daryn Kagan
Mort Kondracke
Charles Krauthammer
William Kristol
G. Gordon Liddy
Rush Limbaugh
Rich Lowry
Michelle Malkin
Dennis Miller
Melanie Morgan
Dick Morris
Robert Novak
Norah O'Donnell
Bill O'Reilly
Tony Perkins
Pat Robertson
Tim Russert
Michael Savage
Joe Scarborough
John Stossel
Andrew Sullivan
Chris Wallace

[Nimrod2005]

9. Hey Beck, GO FUCK YOURSELF...BTW, he is a Mormon

[vireo]

10. He's also a Moron n/t

[Bucky]

13. So?

Pointing out someone's religion isn't an argument, unless you're a bigot.

So why exactly are you making a bigoted argument?

[Nimrod2005]

17. I am a Mormom, the religion does not teach this rightwing hate filled type

crap...I was not being a bigot.

[Bucky]

30. Then why are you bothering to point out his religion. What does that have to do with anything?

Here's the thread trail--

OP: "Beck: Olbermann killing democracy" then a lot of crazy shit Beck is saying, but nothing touching on religion.

Nimrod2005: "Hey Beck, GO FUCK YOURSELF...BTW, he is a Mormon" followed by N/T

Now, why again did you mention his religion? What again does this have to do with the topic at hand? Let's try this out.

sample demographic nonsequiter about public figure #1:

Lieberman is selling us out to Bush and the stinkin' RethUglican Party. And by the way, he's a Jew.

sample demographic nonsequiter about public figure #2:

I'm tired of this vacuous, warm-fuzzy, "rockstar" approach to politics. And that includes Barack Obama, the black guy.

sample demographic nonsequiter about public figure #3:

Alberto Gonzalez is completely ignorant about the Bill of Rights and what it's needed for. And did you know that he's a Mexican-American?

Would you be uncomfortable with any of these pointless tack-ons? I'm gonna guess yes, because you know mentioning someone's background without reference to the debate at hand is a tactic used by bigots to stir up resentment. So when I see someone say "Fuck Beck; he's a Mormon" you're damn right I'm gonna call it a bigoted statement. I've read more than a couple of comments on DU using Romney's religion as part of an argument against him, comments to the effect that "of course he's a 'winger; you know what those people believe?" So it's not like DU is a hate-free zone.

[CBHagman]

36. Weird news tidbit re: Beck and Mormonism.

A recent profile in The Washington Post indicated he more or less shopped through the different faiths before converting to Mormonism. It sounded less like being a spiritual seeker than being a calculating, cynical sort.

And he given his leering comments to the female guest the other week, he doesn't appear like any Mormons I know!

[Bucky]

11. "...asking clearly scripted questions to guests who won't disagree." Um, disagree with a question?

You don't disagree with questions, you answer questions. Well, unless they're questions that have so heavily slanted a bias that there's only one answer. To be fair, I haven't seen Beck ask a lot of slanted questions. He vigorously disagrees with his guests (and usually with common sense, as well), but at least he lets them answer his questions before blithering his foolishness ("Look, I'm just a complete idiot here, but it seems like everything you say supports terrorism.").

He's not like the Foxies who rarely even allow opposing viewpoints on air unless they're voice by some stammering scarecrow of a human being. Beck is pretty obnoxious, but I don't have a problem with a conservative voice being on the air. What bothers me is that there's only one equally aggressive liberal voice on the news.

[LanternWaste]

12. And let's be honest, Mr. Beck

Having studiously avoided all the cable-dead-heads for the last ten years with only an occasional view of the loudest of them, I've come to the conclusion that Olbermann is something... different.

While I don't make it a point to watch his show, but I certainly don't change the channel when he's on. There's something traditionally delicious about his program. His monologues are incisive, full of wit when appropriate, scathing at times, and seems to avoid the common parlance and trendy colloquialisms of AM radio and cable editorializing.

Beck is... well, Beck is just another self-aggrandizing entertainer who doesn't seem to understand the difference between editorializing and news; who doesn't appear to understand the difference between opinion and authentic truths.

And now Beck is aggravated that he's being called on that. Mr. Beck, McCarthyism is asking a guest to prove that they're not a terrorist. McCarthyism is limiting tolerance to only those ideas that you alone are comfortable with. McCarthyism is telling someone who voices their opinions about you that they're killing the marketplace of ideas

And let's be honest, Mr. Beck-- for once, let's be honest-- The Marketplace of Ideas is a work of fiction. It's nothing more, nor nothing less than merely The Popularity Contest of Ideas. And since you're losing the popularity contest, you're pissed off about it, and you don't have the maturity (or the strength of your own convictions-- you decide) to admit it, so you simply tell the dog to attack the mailman because you don't like getting your Past-Due notices.

[tavalon]

25. Very well said!

You could write for Olbermann. Nicely done, LanternWaste, nicely done.

[LanternWaste]

32. Thanks! I think I'm gonna make you my new best friend!

Thanks! I think I'm gonna make you my new best friend!

Now that we're best friends, I think it would be a nice gesture if we could trade weather for a few months. I'll send you some TX summer and you send me some WA rain and fog. Deal? No? Well, I hadda try...

(Thanks again... have a great rest-of-the-week!)

[tavalon]

35. Not a chance dude!

I moved away from Texas to get away from the summers and the idiot politicians. We let a few of the latter escape, let's not do that with the former! ;)

Come visit here instead, best friend. Our summers are beyond belief beautiful. I don't think I'm supposed to tell you that, but being that we're best friends.......

[durrrty libby]

14. WooHoo Keith is hitting a nerve. Love it

[Mr. Ected]

15. Just When I Thought I Couldn't Love KO Any More Than I Do

I find out that the pompous windbag Glenn Beck is THREATENED by KO's honesty, integrity and genuineness.

Keith, dude, I love you more today than yesterday.

[frogmarch]

16. Up yours, Glenn Beck

You're just in a snit because Keith once named you in his list of Worst Persons in the World.

[otohara]

18. they Can't Stand Having Liberals

to counter their garbage.

[LittleClarkie]

19. Did he just compare himself to Murrow just because Keith told the truth about him

That's not what Murrow faced, Beck. You are not Murrow personified, Beck. If anyone comes closest to that ideal, it's Keith, not you. All he did was give his opinion, same as you. That is NOT killing democracy, and the fact that you're trying to convince people that it is shows that YOU are the one who does not understand the concept of freedom, not him.

Way to tell it like it is, Keith Olbermann.

[tavalon]

26. The way I read it

he was dissing KO for acting as though he is the modern day Murrow. A comparison that he likely made because KO uses the "Good night and good luck." sign off. Beck may have been mouthing off (nothing new there) but that is just how I see KO, as our modern day Murrow and I love watching this future historical icon in real time.

[WCGreen]

20. His eyes are green with envy as he realizes he will never

attain the stature of someone who speaks the truth without an agenda...

[babsbunny]

21. SendTo Keith!

[FVZA_Colonel]

22. Glen Beck basically criticized Joseph McCarthy in that piece?

Well, I certainly would not have ever fucking expected that.

[Mz Pip]

23. Okay, Glen

I'll bite. How, exactly is KO trying "to limit the marketplace of ideas to only those that reflect your own"? I seriously doubt RW shills will limit their drivel because KO might call them out. I'm just glad KO is there to point out some of the distortions and hypocricy the passes for news out there.

He's not trying to stop anything.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[donkeyotay]

24. I saw some of Beck's show once, and then went back to check

if I really had seen what I thought I saw, and I find Keith's description to be accurate:

"A wolf in sheep's clothing. The very dangerously bigoted guy who is selling himself as a pragmatic philosopher. I don't think he sees his own bigotry.'

Free marketplace of ideas, from the right to the far right. Olbermann is our consolation prize, our little oasis in the neocon desert.

[cui bono]

27. I thought you meant the musician Beck when I saw Rolling Stone.

I heard he's a scientologist, but he doesn't seem like a total loon.

Glad it wasn't him. I want to keep buying his CDs and going to his concerts. ;)

[yellerpup]

28. "blood shooting out of your eyes liberals"

He must mean me. Everyone else on that list "conservatives, men, women, minorities" sounds normal.

[Janice325]

29. Glen Beck can kiss my ass.

Maybe Beck thinks that dissing KO will somehow improve his own ratings.
What a pathetic jackass.

[tex-wyo-dem]

31. Hey, Glen...just admit it...

you have no fucking idea WHAT McCarthyism is, now do you.

Here's a tip: Use the GOGGLE!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Red_Scare

McCarthyism is the term describing a period of intense anti-Communist suspicion in the United States that lasted roughly from the late 1940s to the late 1950s. The term derives from U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy, a Republican of Wisconsin. The period of McCarthyism is also referred to as the Second Red Scare, and coincided with a period of increased fears of Communist influence on American institutions and espionage by Soviet agents.

During this time many thousands of Americans were accused of being Communists or communist sympathizers and became the subject of aggressive investigations and questioning before government or private-industry panels, committees and agencies. The primary targets of such suspicions were government employees, those in the entertainment industry, educators and union activists. Suspicions were often given credence despite inconclusive or questionable evidence, and the level of threat posed by a person's real or supposed leftist associations or beliefs was often greatly exaggerated.

Now tell me this, Glen, who has been responsible for calling others "terrorists sympathizers," "America haters" and "Nazi appeasers" in retaliation for expressing their opinions (in the "marketplace of ideas," if you will)?

I'll give you a hint: They're from your neck of the woods.

Pot meet kettle, indeed.

[Miss Chybil]

33. I think these guys, KO included, talk too much about each other.

Just my opinion... If I never watched KO, I wouldn't know diddly about Mr. Loofah, or any of these other twirps. Know what I'm saying?

[SoCalDem]

34. I am surprised that the network "allows" this sort of thing

They are both employed by the same "overlord", aren't they?