Our political Quote of the Day comes from Commentary’s Peter Wehner, who took a hard look at Fox News’ talk show mega-star Glenn Beck in light of Time magazine’s cover story on Beck and asked himself whether Beck was good for conservatives.
And what he sees, he says, should “worry the conservative movement.”
I say that because he seems to be more of a populist and libertarian than a conservative, more of a Perotista than a Reaganite. His interest in conspiracy theories is disquieting, as is his admiration for Ron Paul and his charges of American “imperialism.” …Some of Beck’s statements—for example, that President Obama has a “deep-seated hatred for white people”–are quite unfair and not good for the country. His argument that there is very little difference between the two parties is silly, and his contempt for parties in general is anti-Burkean… And then there is his sometimes bizarre behavior, from tearing up to screaming at his callers. Beck seems to be a roiling mix of fear, resentment, and anger—the antithesis of Ronald Reagan.
I understand that a political movement is a mansion with many rooms; the people who occupy them are involved in intellectual and policy work, in politics, and in polemics. Different people take on different roles. And certainly some of the things Beck has done on his program are fine and appropriate. But the role Glenn Beck is playing is harmful in its totality. My hunch is that he is a comet blazing across the media sky right now—and will soon flame out. Whether he does or not, he isn’t the face or disposition that should represent modern-day conservatism. At a time when we should aim for intellectual depth, for tough-minded and reasoned arguments, for good cheer and calm purpose, rather than erratic behavior, he is not the kind of figure conservatives should embrace or cheer on.
Image means a lot in American politics. JFK had the image of a glamorous, vigorous President (even though info that came out after his death indicated he was not the epitome of health), Reagan’s Happy Political Warrior convinced many who didn’t agree with him to listen to his message and give him the benefit of the doubt and their support; Obama’s positioning himself as the agent of change helped him in 2008 (and can hurt him in 2010 if there aren’t some concrete results by then on at least several fronts).
Many present conservatives seem in danger of being constantly stuck in anger mode — whether it’s on the tube, on the radio, or in how they present themselves on paper or in cyberspace. Rage and attack mode are OK for those who already agree with you, but they don’t win over those who are pondering both sides and don’t like what they see on either of them.
To his many followers, Beck is a genius who “gets it.” To those who disagreewith him and to some of those in the middle, he is The Twlight Zone — and if he becomes the face of modern conservatism, the conservative movement will indeed suffer some significant erosion.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.