From David Carr‘s piece on Glenn Beck in the New York Times today (3/7/11):
“When I first came here,” he told his audience on Wednesday, “I had this pie-in-the-sky belief that if I told you the truth, if I verified all of my facts and double-checked, and we could make that compelling case with facts to back it up, the journalists in other places would get curious and they’d use their resources and they’d investigate and they’d prove it right and they’d show it too.” Then he shook his head and laughed bitterly.
There’s nothing to say about that, really. Everyone should read James Wolcott’s wonderful piece in the new Vanity Fair on the cable news culture of the moment. On Beck:
Even in a clown era, Beck is an unlikely crusade leader. Round and beige, he resembles one of the squeamish pod sperm awaiting launch instructions upstream in Woody Allen’s Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex. Like radio god Rush Limbaugh, Beck combines the roles of pedagogue and demagogue into a single luncheon meat, slathered in blather. But where Limbaugh stays on track in the radio studio, taking a single theme and pounding it flat, Beck is a grab-bag collage artist of half-baked ideas and lore, grafting bits of history and chunks of speculation into a clanking Frankenstein monster with Barack Obama’s face sewn onto Karl Marx’s head and one arm raised in permanent Nazi salute–“liberal Fascism” as an evil action figure.
As Wolcott goes on to argue, the fact that Beck’s rhetoric doesn’t make sense is precisely the point: “Incoherence isn’t a bug in Beck’s software program, it’s the primary directive.”
The link to David Carr’s piece is wrong.
@ chuck
for the carr piece click on the date at the end of the sentence rather than on his name
Love it when you libs start to spurt
Im looking at all these stories this week.Not one word on the NPR “resignations”.Or the Senators who fled their states to avoid loosing a vote(Im trying to visualize all the Rs leaving the capital during the Obama healthcare vote)It really feels as if the liberal cause is scraping ,scraping the bottom of the barrel to say anything as their world crumbles.Obama had a big press conference today on how well he was doing on oil production. What the flippin hell is he lying about now?When does spin become a damnable lie?Maybe when even his own people are saying what did he just say?Where was the press?Not one question on Wisconsin.No one even challenged his lies.Really this carnival is just about over.We really need adults back in charge.
Oops just saw the last story is on NPR……..Fair is actually defending these anti semites.Can’t believe it. Actually yes I can.All too understandable to those of us who knew this is who they were.New lows girls and guys
Michael, FAIR is not a news organization, I thought you should know that.
Thomas when i came on board my expectation was that FAIR was a forum to address the misrepresentations by the press over a wide range of things. The truth was far simpler. Attack conservative ideals, and fight any perceived flaws of liberalism.I had stumbled into the wrong party.I was an African American at a Klan rally.A jew at a Nazi sing along. Sarah Palin at a vegan…..well you get the point.I appreciate Fair talking about Glen Beck or Rush ,but truthfully they really are not in the news at this time.I think articles on (Democratic) United States Senators in two states on the lamb from the law ,their jobs,and their constituents who hired them to sit their asses down and REPRESENT them is a wee bit more important.Don’t you?
Michael, Michael, Michael — If you want daily news coverage, buy a newspaper or turn on one of the cable channels.
FAIR comments on errors and misrepresentations, whether or not they are at the top of today’s news. If there are errors or distortions in the commentary on your favorite “conservative” or “liberal” stories, I imagine they will get around to them.
In the meantime, please stop whining about being oppressed.
Financial Times 3/2/11
US oil production last year rose to its highest level in almost a decade, thanks to an increase in the use of â┚¬Ã…“unconventionalâ┚¬Ã‚ extraction techniques .
As a result, analysts believe the US was the largest contributor to the increase in global oil supplies last year over 2009, and is on track to increase domestic production by 25 per cent by the second half of the decade.
According to the US government’s Energy Information Administration, domestic production of crude oil and related liquids rose 3 per cent last year to an average of 7.51m barrels a day â┚¬“ its highest level since 2002.
The rise enabled a 2 per cent drop in US oil imports to 9.45m b/d, in spite of rising demand as the economy recovered. US oil imports have fallen steadily since 2006.
The revival of US production has been made possible by a rush of small and mid-sized companies into onshore regions such as the Bakken shale in North Dakota, the Permian Basin in west Texas and the Eagle Ford shale in south Texas.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8698ae80-4503-11e0-80e7-00144feab49a.html#axzz1FXvTX1ED
The Democratic state senators who left Wisconsin ARE representing their constituents by trying to prevent passage of legislation to which those who elected them are quite obviously opposed. Polls show even the voters in red districts are against denying collective bargaining rights, but that did not stop the Republicans from stripping those rights away anyway, without even following the open hearing law.
Gee whiz, Martha, anybody with an IQ over 80 knows that, but of course in this day and age one needs to point that out, unfortunately. As the Arabs say, revenge is a dish best served cold, and soon enough a few Republicon (Norman Goldman’s apt word) Senators in Wisconsin will be given the gate. The Governor? Gear up, hunker down, and do it, Wisconsin: Throw that lying asshole into the street next January. His political career ended about five weeks ago, but that lying dumbell Christer toady doesn’t know it yet. Good. It’s time for all working people (the vast, vast majority of folks in this country) to get ready, as Curtis Mayfield once said. The war of All against All arrived thirty or so years ago; most citizens in this country didn’t realize it until the desperate, illegal, and totalitarian power grab in Wisconsin. Now, more know, but even more outrageous predations are soon to follow–the reactionaries think the time has come to finally seize the golden ring. We’ll see. The summer may be more interesting than we might be comfortable with.
Oh, and Beck? He’s the grinning, imbecile face of modern “conservatism.” A complete ignoramous, greedy, stupid, violence-loving and a lover of all things totalitarian and oppressive. In short, the perfect sociopathic spokesman for the New Dumb, as HST once called it. He’s rich beyond the widest dreams of King Midas, yet still the lying little butterball sychophant schmuck feels the need to gull the dopes who hang on his every word on FOX. The perfect storm: A moron, leading morons into battle for the very forces that put said morons in their wretched conditions–led by a moron who makes more money in one week than his stupid followers make in year.
Martha do you really believe that all Republican senators should of fled the state or country when the healthcare vote came up?Or any other vote not to their liking?Or how about ditching the inauguration?
Tim what you don’t get about the Right, especially the conservatives and the tea party is we are not FOLLOWING anybody.Their is simply a massive din against the Obama regime growing everyday .Beck is just one voice among more than half the country.The left is the place of political messiahs.And stop your ridiculous socialist up with the workers talk .All you need to know is Carter signed into legislation that it is illegal for federal workers to unionize.You and your prez are being ordered about by strong arm union thugs who fear giving THE PEOPLE the right to choose whether to unionize or not …therefore drying up their union slush funds..
“Their [sic] is simply a massive din against the Obama regime growing everyday.”
Nonsense. Obama’s approval/disapproval numbers have basically remained steady for the last year….see here: http://www.gallup.com/poll/113980/gallup-daily-obama-job-approval.aspx
“Their [sic] is simply a massive din against the Obama regime growing everyday.”
A new ABC News/Washington Post poll finds just 43% of Americans approve of the way President Obama is handling the economy. However 46% say they trust Obama on the issue as compared to 34% who trust Republicans.
“What’s more, by a 9-point margin Americans now see Obama as better able to handle the deficit than GOP lawmakers in Congress. That represents an 11-point drop for the GOP since December — a period when Republicans have made cutting federal spending a centerpiece of their agenda.”
http://politicalwire.com/archives/2011/03/15/americans_trust_obama_more_on_the_economy_deficit.html
Helen your dreaming.His tracking index is still -13/14The polls you are quoting are those that are based on a basic notion that as long as Obama does little and moves right…people hate him less.There is a tendency to want the president to do well.And as long as this man is doing nothing in effect to rock the boat…….Even i can ignore him.We can play poll games all day.The tracking polls still indicate that he will be smashed in the coming elections…..And that is against nobody as of yet.He lies about this and that(the comedy show the other day on his success with the oil industry).Looks presidential…..and honestly that is about the best he can do,and the best we could ever hope for.He cant generate a republican vote.Has lost all the independents.His polls on Dems are up a bit. Down a bit on hard core libs.He cant seem to make a foreign policy decision to save his life…..or anybody elses.Honestly i cant think of much to say positive about him.This week he did not cower in the face of the nuclear problem in japan.I suppose i will give him a plus grade there.In the end this will all come down to the man on stage holding the auditions yelling NEXT as obama disappears stage left.I hope you were not one of those who believed in him.My condolences.
And Helen how are Dems going to handle the deficit?Run away from the capital if the bill goes against their wishes.They can hide in my barn.It tilts to the left.
Gallup has his tracking numbers at plus 4…and for the last year the entire range has been from +4 to -4…..You’re quoting fraudster pushpoller Rasmussen.
recent polls [Note “A” = all voters “RV” = registered voters]
Bloomberg 3/4-7/11 1001 A approve 55 disapprove 41
DailyKos/SEIU/PPP (D) 3/4-6/11 1003 RV approve 50 disapprove 46
Resurgent Republic (R) 3/1-3/11 1000 RV approve 49 disapprove 47
NBC/WSJ 2/24-28/11 1000 A approve 49 disapprove 44
His Job Approval numbers among Independents are all over the map…He hasn’t “lost all of them” in any poll, of course
CNN 3/11-13/11 A Approve 46 Disapprove 49
YouGov/Polimetrix 3/5-8/11 317 A Approve 37 Disapprove 59
DailyKos/SEIU/PPP (D) 3/4-6/11 290 RV Approve 53 Disapprove 41
Resurgent Republic (R) 3/1-3/11 RV Approve 39 Disapprove 54
Quinnipiac 2/21-28/11 RV Approve 43 Disapprove 48
Every poll I’ve seen putting Obama against a named Republican…Huckabee, Romney, Palin etc has him leading…. Some recent state polling in Virginia and Pennsylvania show Obama with solid leads, states the GOP needs if they can even think about beating him.
Most recent National Poll Obama 45%, Huckabee 43% (PPP 3/10-13)
Those damn facts do have a liberal bias, don’t they, Helen? And it sure will be fun to see the witless liar Huck in the national spotlight, day after day, won’t it?
So you see Obama ahead in presidential elections?You are dreaming Helen.Following only those polls that say what you want to be true.My guess will be he will get creamed as we have never seen in our lifetime.But I had this same argument with my lib friends since he won ,about the effect on the elections we just witnessed.I knew his agenda would get his party murdered.My lib friends thought otherwise.Showed me endless lib polls that said you would hold power.How did that work out again?So believe what you will.Day after election day you will see a wipeout. Although……………..There is one aspect of this that is very interesting.I have never seen a party so ill prepared to take advantage of the message they have been handed.The tea Party handed this to the feckless Republicans,and what was the first thing they did to all those incoming freshman?They tried to force them into the Washington muck.THank God it did not happen.So there is that.Who will carry the message?
Today it has been reported that Hilary is sick of Obamas do nothing style.She was pointedly asked will you stay on?….. NO.Secratery of defense?..NO President?……NO.So it is funny that at a time when we have a non president at the helm less people than ever want the job.Of course there is plenty of time.IN a joke poll of Gumby vs the prez it was even up.He can not win without the independents.He has none as of now.NO republicans.No swing votes.Blacks and unions and die hards and haters is about it this time around.And remember I called an Obama win as soon as he announced.Obama was my pet project since his speech at the DNC.i knew his strengths and his weaknesses.And the climate of the nation.He was riding a wave.This time he is standing in the way of that same wave coming the other way.Beleive me helen…he is toast.
“Following only those polls that say what you want to be true.”
Uh, no….I simply printed the newest polls posted…..
Plus, you’ll note i printed these polls
YouGov/Polimetrix 3/5-8/11 317 A Approve 37 Disapprove 59
Resurgent Republic (R) 3/1-3/11 RV Approve 39 Disapprove 54
And you’ll note that the (R) next to Resurgent Republic’s name indicates that it’s a Republican pollster
Resurgent Republic (R) 3/1-3/11 1000 RV approve 49 disapprove 47
“He can not win without the independents.He has none as of now.'”
Uh, the second set of polls I reprinted were for Independents only. Even without the PPP poll his job approval range with those voters is from 37 to 46.
Here are the Job Approval numbers from the newest poll by each individual pollster
Rasmussen 3/14-16/11 1500 LV approve 44 disapprove 55 –
Gallup 3/13-16/11 1500 A approve 50 disapprove 43 –
CNN 3/11-13/11 1023 A approve 50 disapprove 47
ABC/Post 3/10-13/11 1053 A approve 51 disapprove 45
PPP (D) 3/10-13/11 642 RV approve 47 disapprove 47
DailyKos/SEIU/PPP (D) 3/10-13/11 1003 RV approve 45 disapprove 51
YouGov/Polimetrix 3/5-8/11 1000 A approve 44 disapprove 48
Bloomberg 3/4-7/11 1001 A approve 51 disapprove 43
Zogby (Internet) 3/2-4/11 2061 LV approve 44 disapprove 55
Resurgent Republic (R) 3/1-3/11 1000 RV approve 47 disapprove 49
Newest poll: Ohio voters only 2012 President: 46% Obama , 40% Romney (PPP 3/10-13)
It goes without saying that Ohio is a state the GOP needs to win if they can even start thinking about beating him.
————–
PS from previous comment
first time around I got the Resurgent Republican numbers flipped, apologies.
And as Nate Silver pointed out, the Zogby (Internet) polls are hopelessly unreliable.
Here’s that Virgina poll info
In the all-important battleground state of Virginia President Obama currently leads Mitt Romney by 6 points, Newt Gingrich by 12 points and Sarah Palin by 19 points, according to the survey from Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling.
â┚¬Ã…“Virginia is just as strong for Barack Obama right now, if not stronger, than it was in 2008,â┚¬Ã‚ PPP president Dean Debnam said.
http://hamptonroads.com/2011/03/poll-obama-ahead-gop-field-virginia
More details from that Ohio PPP poll
Among all voters Mike Huckabee trails Obama 48-41, Newt Gingrich lags behind 50-38, and Sarah Palin is down 52-36.
Even though independents don’t like Obama they’d still vote for him by 8 points over Huckabee, 15 points over Gingrich, and 17 points over Palin while trailing Romney by just 2 with them.
Thanks for the tireless work here, Helen.