Glenn Beck flew over the Cuckoo's nest or he's really nuts

September 1, 8:17 PMMilwaukee Progressive ExaminerJerome McCollom

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Warning to conservatives:
Based on previous comments if you are easily offended by any criticism of Glenn Beck that doesn't make him out as a serious thinker on the American scene, please don't read this column.  Please don't tell me I don't have to listen to Beck because you didn't have to read this column,  and I did warn you not to read it if you are easily offended. If you do read the column don't make Beck out as someone who is serious in the handling of his topics, he's not. I've listened to him so don't lie to me. He is clownish in his shows so don't hold me a little online columnist to a higher standard then Beck himself. Ok, here's the column.

I think, wait I know that Glenn Becks is nuts. When I mean nuts I don't just mean on the fringe, politically. That he is. I don't just mean he has crazy political ideas. That he does. No, I mean lock me up in a white padded room before I hurt others and myself, nuts. Indeed, Mr. Beck in the weirdest display of political theater ever on tv, actually poured gasoline on someone.  Of course it wasn't real gasoline, just (I assume) water he poured on a person to simulate in his opinion what President Obama is doing to the American people is so bad that President Obama might as well  pour gasonline on the American people.  So, according to Mr. Beck if you disagree with him enough, not only you are wrong but you are doing something that is basically analogous to burning someone at a stake. Or, at the very least you are only one step away from doing something as bad.  So, according to Beck   basically Obama is England burning the American people, which is Joan
of Arc. If this is not only jumping the shark but doing a 720 degree somersault around it while doing it, I don't know. 

    Mr. Beck also had to tell his audience ( and what host doesn't have to tell his audience this all the time) not to commit acts of violence.  He had to plead with his audience  not to be like those  Muslim extremists who are oh, committing acts of terrorism.  Did the new breakdowns on his audience come through that morning? Does he know anything that we don't know?  So, Faux "News" gets big ratings but just how many of those viewers are would be 2nd gunmen on a grassy knoll?  So, maybe Mr. Beck isn't crazy, just a sizable share of his audience. So, if you are a Faux "News" viewer who isn't crazy then please keep an eye out for those who might commit terrorism attacks. Help them get on the necessary medication.  After all, you would be doing what Mr. Beck urges us to do.

A last point to those on the left, people like Glenn Beck get hundreds of radio stations as their affiliates for their talk shows. Not just mild mannered George Will conservatives get these shows  but nutty and goofy conservatives (in a good way) like Mr. Beck. How do they get these shows? Simply, but appealing to a sizable segment of the US who though might not be terrorists but are very, very  angry and mad (as they show as callers to shows they agree with) and are loyal to people who reflect their views and temperament.  If you want to see conservative callers to a liberal show, listen to Alan Colmes. You would be shocked at the names Mr.Colmes is called and the anger and hatred toward him by much of his rightwing audience.  For the life of me I don't know why  Joe " the Plumber" who has called for restricting freedom of the press, does not have his own show. I guess even the right has standards.

   But fellow progressives and moderates who lean left just remember that companies like Clear channel and individual radio stations are basically telling you to "go to hell." They know enough of you will listen and buy the products of advertisers to keep  Beck in big ratings, as with Hannity, Limbaugh and the rest of the hard right on the radio. But these same companies will hardly touch progressive radio. Well, if that is what they want to do then what I say is, don't buy products advertised on rightwing radio. It might not be the biggest thing in the world but it is a start at least. Progressives, it is one thing to be tolerant and to listen to other views (as rule progressives usually do and the rightwing doesn't) but such tolerance is leading to radio stations and their owners to dismiss us and our political views from consideration when putting up talk show hosts.

Lastly it seems that one of those guys who carried a gun to (not the black guy folks) at one of President's Obama's health care debates  is a follower of Reverend Steve Anderson. The "good reverend" who hates gays and thinks they should be executed. The "good reverend: who isn't really that opposed to someone taking out the president, if you know what I mean. Well, it seems that this Chris Broughton moved to Tempe, AZ to be a follower of the "good reverend."  Mr. Broughton stated that he does not care "how God does it." So, now it seems Mr. Broughton thinks his deity is a hitman for hire or at least a Mafia boss who hires hitmen. Gosh, I really hope that Reverend Steve and Pistol Chris don't get their own shows on Faux "News."