By irishguy

October 2, 2009 2:55 PM | Link to this

Not at all Vick, I’m just saying he’s wrong.

By vick

October 2, 2009 2:40 PM | Link to this

Irish, are you implying that David Brooks is no longer welcome inside the tent of conservative punditry? Is he just one more pariah? Ejected, for excessive moderation?

By irishguy

October 2, 2009 2:35 PM | Link to this

Vick, if Limbaugh, Hannity, & Beck had the influence Over the GOP Mr Brooks claims, Mr McCain would have never gotten the party’s nomination. He’s waay to moderate for their tastes.

By vick

October 2, 2009 10:34 AM | Link to this

“So the myth returns. Just months after the election and the humiliation, everyone is again convinced that Limbaugh, Beck, Hannity and the rest possess real power. And the saddest thing is that even Republican politicians come to believe it. They mistake media for reality. They pre-emptively surrender to armies that don’t exist. They pay more attention to Rush’s imaginary millions than to the real voters down the street. The Republican Party is unpopular because it’s more interested in pleasing Rush’s ghosts than actual people. The party is leaderless right now because nobody has the guts to step outside the rigid parameters enforced by the radio jocks and create a new party identity. The party is losing because it has adopted a radio entertainer’s niche-building strategy, while abandoning the politician’s coalition-building strategy. The rise of Beck, Hannity, Bill O’Reilly and the rest has correlated almost perfectly with the decline of the G.O.P. But it’s not because the talk jocks have real power. It’s because they have illusory power, because Republicans hear the media mythology and fall for it every time.” (David Brooks/NY Times/10-02-09)

By irishguy

September 30, 2009 9:51 PM | Link to this

Good thing I don’t have an Irish temper :-). Patrick and Colleen, my red headed siblings, got that. My Irish Grandma thought JFK was God’s and Ireland’s gift to the good ole USA.

By vick

September 30, 2009 4:19 PM | Link to this

I’m yankin’ your chain, Irish. Aye, those Kennedy lads were once the pride of Ireland. I’m glad when anybody of any political persuasion reads. Death sells books. Controversy sells books. Name calling sells books. And the best name callers are (drum roll)….we all know the answer to that one.

By irishguy

September 30, 2009 4:07 PM | Link to this

Gee Vick, you don’t much faith in Camelot and the Liberal Lion do you? Far be it from me to start a “Idiotic Argument” with you. Perhaps I should rephrase my premise. I believe Mr Beck will out sell any liberal’s book no matter how revered the author. Last time I checked the NYT list, 3 of the top 5 were conservative books. Perhaps conservatives just are better read than liberals.

By vick

September 30, 2009 3:53 PM | Link to this

Gee Whiz, Irish - are you trying to lure me into some Idiotic Argument here? Let’s see now, Glenn Beck is on TV all the time. He’s on radio all the time. He’s in the news all the time. Great opportunities to promote his book, right? And as for Ted Kennedy, the last time I heard he wasn’t in the best shape for doing much book promotion. Duh, Irish. Big duh!

By irishguy

September 30, 2009 3:33 PM | Link to this

Thanks for your expertise Vick, didn’t know all those details. I’ll bet if you give them both a year, GB will sell 3 or 4 times the books TK does.

By vick

September 30, 2009 1:49 PM | Link to this

Thanks, Irish. The playing field is a bit uneven when comparing these books. They all had different release dates for one thing. Another interesting twist; the Beck book is available as an electronic book. The Kennedy book is not. Kennedy’s publisher wanted to optimize sales of the hardcover version and since the e-book is supposed to be sold for much less than the hardback they chose to keep the e-book unavailable for the time being. The Kennedy book would certainly have higher sales if the e-book version was out. And in regard to the Beck e-book, there are customers posting complaints on Amazon.com that the Beck e-book is overpriced because they are charging more for it. The Beck book has so many graphics I don’t see how it would even be readable in that format?

By irishguy

September 30, 2009 11:42 AM | Link to this

Hey Vick, just saw sales figures on Drudge. Glen Beck 120,888 copies, Ted Kennedy 68,904 and McKenzie Phillips 19,389

By mwm

September 27, 2009 5:53 PM | Link to this

Get real! First off, Beck and his tirades probably do not represent the status quo “conservative” but, the fringe nut case pseudo-conservatives that follow crazies like Limbaugh, Hannity and the faux news set. Limbaugh, a recovering drug addict and what, married four times! Not quite a “conservative” Just a shock jock. Same goes for Beck, recovering alcoholic, twice married. Just another shock jock. And some “morons” will listen to that garbage. Just as some morons may listen to Howard Stern. No difference, just shock jock rhetoric. And yes, in some regards, Murrow, Huntley/Brinkley and even Cronkite did bring us most of the news without the biased political stances of today. Yes, even Cronkite went to VietNam to show the truth; against Nixon’s wishes. In a better format than the ranting lunacy that the right wing media has become. Even as the “stars” of the right wing media embrace ideals that are not conservative.

By JT

September 27, 2009 1:11 PM | Link to this

If I wrote a book report like this review for my teachers when I was in school, I would’ve failed. It doesn’t even sound as if you read it, it sounds like talking points from the Huffington Post or the DNC. Your review actually makes me want to read the it and find out what he thinks.

By JP

September 27, 2009 12:03 PM | Link to this

Yep, by reading some of the comments on this board, I can see why no one wants to stay in Ohio very long. Your brain shrinks…

By Dave

September 27, 2009 11:23 AM | Link to this

When a wise man argues with a fool, soon nobody can tell the difference. When Glenn Beck argues with people that he calls fools, he gets rich. Kind of makes you think, doesn’t it?

By ron

September 27, 2009 10:06 AM | Link to this

Isn’t it great that we live in a country where people like Glenn Beck, Michael Moore, Janeane Garofolo, and Bill Maher can say what they want? I mean, darn that Constitution for protecting our freedom of speech. The bad part is that so many of you sheep fail to actually think for yourselves and take whatever is printed as true. Hey pool boy! Add some chlorine to the gene pool!

By Mercy!

September 27, 2009 9:45 AM | Link to this

I thought I heard one time that Beck was treated for alcoholism or had some mental issues somewhere along the way. If this information is true, that would probably explain some of his bazarre behavior. There is some degree of “weirdness” about his shows.

By Raoul

September 27, 2009 9:43 AM | Link to this

Beck has made quite a stir by airing actual videos of Van Johnson speaking, and by making connections to many of Obama’s Czars to decidedly un-American organizations. Liberals imagine all types of nefarious activity going on with our big corporations and ‘good old boy’ networking between lobbyists and politicians, while right under our very noses the activities of our leftist movement reveals treachery and deceit on a scale unmatched anywhere else. What makes this wrong is that taxpayers are funding organizations that use the money for political power. When public money is used for the political empowerment of a movement, whether on the left or on the right, it is a far greater offense than anything funded by private money. Furthermore, Beck has revealed the level of indoctrination that goes on in the Public School System, which we taxpayers pay for. MWM, Beck did not boil a frog; however he is boiling the political waters by shedding some light on the real world of the leftist agenda. I would think for all those who think ACORN, et al., are working piously on the behalf of poor people, the water is getting a little hot. Calling Beck’s listeners morons doesn’t help make your case. A moron would be someone who thinks a live frog was boiled on TV to make a point.

By DB

September 27, 2009 9:34 AM | Link to this

Vick a few days ago… “I’ll have a review for you this Sunday… Vick Mickunas” and predictably we see that didn’t happen!

By Tom

September 27, 2009 7:31 AM | Link to this

“It is so sad that we no longer have unbiased news reporting.” I think what you’re trying to say is that you miss the days when the media was controlled only by a left wing bias.

By John Moore

September 27, 2009 7:13 AM | Link to this

Here’s something I dont see most liberals “get” here. How about listening to someone and absorbing whats relative to your situation rather than just smearing them. I dont need someone to tell me socialism like obama’s is wrong and cancerous and i certainly dont need someone to tell me I can use my money more wisely than Obama (with failed social welfare schemes). I also dont need someone to tell me the government, rather than me needs to retain the fruits of what i legitimately earn. With that in mind, I could really care less what you think the intellectual value of Beck is. The UNDERLYING value is correct: Obama’s mission is a train wreck and we need to end it fast. Frankly, i see no fault with that reasoning regardless of the issues of Beck pro or con.

By ashamed Democrat

September 27, 2009 2:46 AM | Link to this

Don’t be upset that he brought down your messiah’s Communist gang banger, Van Jones and has exposed the grand anarchist and his gang of street thugs for what they are. ACORN had it all coming to them (and MORE) for the scam they perpetrated on the taxpayers for decades - don’t be a hater because their con game is now history. “Intellectual value”? Your ridicule is straight out of Saul Alinsky’s manual to quell dissent. I find it hilarious that people like you can only resort to those tactics (and race baiting) when your carefully designed facade crumbles under valid scrutiny. I’ve been a Democrat all my life - I KNOW how they operate. Wake up or stay ignorant.

By Emmett Thornton Beaver

September 27, 2009 1:41 AM | Link to this

Again, no book review.

By Matt

September 26, 2009 10:43 PM | Link to this

Glenn Beck is a recovering alcoholic and drug addict. He is also on his second marriage. He even suggested that President Barack Obama’s health care reform agenda is a means by which Obama can effect reparations for slavery. He is a horrible role model and NOT someone who should be educating people through literature.

By mwm

September 26, 2009 8:50 PM | Link to this

I know people that actually listen to Glenn Beck and watch his tv show on faux news. And, some morons actually believe what this idiot, Beck says. It is so sad that we no longer have unbiased news reporting. It is all biased, politically polarized shock factor pseudo-entertainment. With no real intellectual value. People listen to Beck ; the guy that boils frogs.