Author Topic: Beck: I played a role in tearing country apart  (Read 1144 times)

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Offline happyg

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Beck: I played a role in tearing country apart
« on: January 22, 2014, 05:09:50 pm »
Fox News’ Megyn Kelly extracted an interesting and introspective mea culpa of sorts from her former colleague and friend Glenn Beck last night. Looking back on his days at Fox, and some of the antics his show highlighted, Beck muses that he contributed to “helping tear the country apart” and wishes now he’d focused more on the “uniting principles” in American politics:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8sQhSAEmHRM
Beck’s new platform The Blaze also carried the clip:
Quote
“I remember it as an awful lot of fun and that I made an awful lot of mistakes, and I wish I could go back and be more uniting in my language,” he said. “I think I played a role, unfortunately, in helping tear the country apart.”

“I didn’t realize how really fragile the people were, I thought we were kind of more in it together,” he added. “Now I look back and I realize if we could have talked about the uniting principles a little more instead of the problems, I think I would look back on it a little more fondly. But that’s only my role.”
It’s interesting to hear Beck offer this admission, especially on the platform on which that arguably took place. If that’s how he feels, I’m not going to argue against it, although “tearing the country apart” is in my opinion an exaggeration. I’d guess that most in this industry have moments that produce similar regret … if they’re being honest with themselves.

This is the choice that all of those who enter the public debate have to make, though — whether to use hyperbole to exacerbate and inflame tensions or offer ways for people to come together and find solutions. That is not a binary choice, though, but a spectrum over which we all move over the long haul. Some days and on some topics, even the best of us get overly passionate, while other days perhaps a little too dry and analytical.

The best anyone can do is to know who they are, know who they want to be, know what they believe to be right and moral and ethical, and hope that our decisions eventually reflect the best of us. When we fall short, recognize it and make the proper adjustments. Beck shows once again that even with the antics, he’s an intriguing and thoughtful player on the political media stage, capable of surprises and insight. Good for him.
By Ed Morrissey
http://hotair.com/archives/2014/01/22/beck-i-played-a-role-in-tearing-country-apart/

Offline Gazoo

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Re: Beck: I played a role in tearing country apart
« Reply #1 on: January 22, 2014, 05:14:48 pm »
I see it differently. Beck pointed out how Obama is/was divisive. He went to the WH and led a large protest. So the Beck statement is odd.
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Offline happyg

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Re: Beck: I played a role in tearing country apart
« Reply #2 on: January 22, 2014, 05:21:38 pm »
I see it differently. Beck pointed out how Obama is/was divisive. He went to the WH and led a large protest. So the Beck statement is odd.

I agree. He opened the eyes of a lot of people, and if that is divisive, so be it. Things would be worse without his educating the people.

Offline truth_seeker

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Re: Beck: I played a role in tearing country apart
« Reply #3 on: January 22, 2014, 05:48:03 pm »
Another example of a product (media personality) serving a narrow but loud market niche.

The question for ME is this: Do such personalities influence the opinions of others, or do they just reinforce already held opinions?

The same is true for most such media figures, btw. (Limbo, Levin, etc.)

I think probably NOT. Anybody remember standing in line at the election polls, remarking how they listened/saw Glenn Beck recently, and decided to change their votes?

I think NOT.
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Online mountaineer

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Re: Beck: I played a role in tearing country apart
« Reply #4 on: January 22, 2014, 05:51:56 pm »
I never watched Beck when he was on FOX and only occasionally listen to him on radio now, so it's safe to say I was not affected by his alleged divisiveness.  :shrug:
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Online Bigun

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Re: Beck: I played a role in tearing country apart
« Reply #5 on: January 22, 2014, 05:54:29 pm »
Personally I don't think telling the unvarnished truth is EVER divisive but obviously someone has convinced Beck otherwise.
"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
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Offline musiclady

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Re: Beck: I played a role in tearing country apart
« Reply #6 on: January 22, 2014, 06:04:37 pm »
Personally I don't think telling the unvarnished truth is EVER divisive but obviously someone has convinced Beck otherwise.

And that's sad.

Beck's on the wrong path here.
Character still matters.  It always matters.

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Online Bigun

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Re: Beck: I played a role in tearing country apart
« Reply #7 on: January 22, 2014, 06:06:29 pm »
And that's sad.

Beck's on the wrong path here.

 :beer:
"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
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Offline Relic

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Re: Beck: I played a role in tearing country apart
« Reply #8 on: January 22, 2014, 06:15:50 pm »
The question for ME is this: Do such personalities influence the opinions of others, or do they just reinforce already held opinions?

That's a good question. I don't think there is a one size fits all answer. I would wager that the bulk of the audience for these people has already made up their mind, so it's an echo chamber.

When I found Limbaugh, I was barely right of center and voted Democrat quite often. Limbaugh opened my eyes to some things. You could say I was already looking, but Limbaugh brought me into the fold.

The point is, these guys can serve as introductory agents for conservative ideology. Unfortunately, Beck, when he was on Fox and CNN came across as seriously unstable. I don't think that helped.

Offline truth_seeker

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Re: Beck: I played a role in tearing country apart
« Reply #9 on: January 22, 2014, 06:54:59 pm »
That's a good question. I don't think there is a one size fits all answer. I would wager that the bulk of the audience for these people has already made up their mind, so it's an echo chamber.

When I found Limbaugh, I was barely right of center and voted Democrat quite often. Limbaugh opened my eyes to some things. You could say I was already looking, but Limbaugh brought me into the fold.

The point is, these guys can serve as introductory agents for conservative ideology. Unfortunately, Beck, when he was on Fox and CNN came across as seriously unstable. I don't think that helped.
Unlike you, I was a conservative Republican when I found Limbo (1990). He entertained me for years. but it is predictable and repetitive. Now I prefer the Fox Business channel, Cavuto, Dobbs and  Stossel.

I don't need to be screamed at, for example, by Levin. Don't need the drama.
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Re: Beck: I played a role in tearing country apart
« Reply #10 on: January 22, 2014, 07:08:40 pm »
And that's sad.

Beck's on the wrong path here.

I agree...he brought a lot of information to our attention...I just don't get it and I am very disappointed in his statement last night..
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Offline Rapunzel

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Re: Beck: I played a role in tearing country apart
« Reply #11 on: January 22, 2014, 07:19:02 pm »
I agree...he brought a lot of information to our attention...I just don't get it and I am very disappointed in his statement last night..


The comments on Facebook were interesting.. it surprised me ad I figured it would reflect the haters on this forum, in fact they were overwhelmingly positive for Beck and how much people appreciated what they have learned about real American History thanks to his old Fox show...  quite a few saying they thought they were liberals until the started listening to Beck.. Oh, and this wad on Megyn Kelly's FB page, not Becks.
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Offline musiclady

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Re: Beck: I played a role in tearing country apart
« Reply #12 on: January 22, 2014, 08:41:58 pm »
I agree...he brought a lot of information to our attention...I just don't get it and I am very disappointed in his statement last night..

What I wonder is, how does he think he should have 'united' the country when most Americans weren't hearing the truth about Obama from almost anyone else?

Does he regret 'dividing' us in talking about Valerie Jarret, Anita Dunn,  Van Jones, the czars, and all the other crap Obama has been doing since he's been in office?

I don't get it either.

btw, Brian Fischer of American Family radio was disappointed too, since he considers Beck an ally in the culture wars and wonders if he's gotten soft.
Character still matters.  It always matters.

I wear a mask as an exercise in liberty and love for others.  To see it as an infringement of liberty is to entirely miss the point.  Be kind.

"Sometimes I think the Church would be better off if we would call a moratorium on activity for about six weeks and just wait on God to see what He is waiting to do for us. That's what they did before Pentecost."   - A. W. Tozer

Use the time God is giving us to seek His will and feel His presence.

Offline musiclady

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Re: Beck: I played a role in tearing country apart
« Reply #13 on: January 22, 2014, 08:43:30 pm »
Unlike you, I was a conservative Republican when I found Limbo (1990). He entertained me for years. but it is predictable and repetitive. Now I prefer the Fox Business channel, Cavuto, Dobbs and  Stossel.

I don't need to be screamed at, for example, by Levin. Don't need the drama.

I suppose when you stick by the same principles and talk about them for 3 hours a day for over 25 years, you do get a bit 'predictable' and 'repetitive.'
Character still matters.  It always matters.

I wear a mask as an exercise in liberty and love for others.  To see it as an infringement of liberty is to entirely miss the point.  Be kind.

"Sometimes I think the Church would be better off if we would call a moratorium on activity for about six weeks and just wait on God to see what He is waiting to do for us. That's what they did before Pentecost."   - A. W. Tozer

Use the time God is giving us to seek His will and feel His presence.

Offline Rapunzel

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Re: Beck: I played a role in tearing country apart
« Reply #14 on: January 22, 2014, 09:45:58 pm »
He talked about this today on his morning progra, Interesting, he said he was very nervous because he knows Megyn is a no-nonsense interviewer, but he didn't expect the question when she asked it.  He went on to discuss how he prays every day to make him a better man and for God to help him find a way to say and do the right things to help unite this country, it is very disturbing for him to see the country he loves so bitterly divided.  I don't think he regrets bringing the things to our attention he brought out, just regrets doing it in the manner he did in his early days at Fox.  He said he often feels like a square peg trying to fit into a round hole..

I remember when he was on CNN my husband, who was not a fan of constant politics, and I found his show and we started watching it every night. George would say - I can't believe this guy is on CNN.  Well as we all know it didn't last long because they couldn't have someone speaking the truth on their network.  We were thrilled when he went to Fox and would watch him every afternoon.  I think a lot of people who denigrate him never watched him on either CNN, FOX or on THE BLAZE...   and BTW yesterday the push to get people to call their cable companies to get them to carry The Blaze was very successful, Beck had a cable company employee call his show and say that he was overwhelmed with calls from people wanting The Blaze yesterday... and he heard the same from other places also.
�The time is now near at hand which must probably determine, whether Americans are to be, Freemen, or Slaves.� G Washington July 2, 1776