So Glenn did The View today, that bastion of Journalistic Integrity ... wait, no, they're just a bunch of women talking about the issues. Well except maybe Barbara. So they obviously don't do any fact-checking. Well that was basically the gist of Barbara's attack on Glenn, and turnabout's fair play, right?
(Fire can't melt steel? Radical Christians are just as dangerous as radical Muslims? Anyone? Bueller?)
I watched the first segment on Glenn's site, uncut. Glenn correctly said they ambushed him.
On the one hand, it was partially his fault. A week or so ago he recounted a recent meeting on a train between himself and Barbara Walters and Whoopie Goldberg. And he made it sound as if the meeting was uncomfortable for him due to judgementalism he perceived on their part.
Now if you don't believe that the judgementalism he perceived was there and real (which Woopie boldly admitted upfront), I've got some property in the Everglades to sell you -- BUT ... that's not the point. He gave them ammo BEFORE his guest appearance -- and they used it.
When Whoopie saw his characterization of their meeting, she was offended. I'm sure Barbara was, too. This is because in their heads, they were trying very hard to be civil. I'm sure they were. The dual point being a) they had to try very hard, and b) their voices and body language I'm pretty sure (opinion here, I know, but I also know their political views and I know human nature. I don't think I'm stretching credulity here) gave away their feelings. Glenn's mistake was doing the bit in the first place. He may even know that now, especially if he already knows what I'm about to point out.
These women are Progressives. They disagree with him 180 degrees and at high velocity. They think he is a dangerous force in our society. And they know they have a big audience of people who, if they watched Glenn and some of them might, might actually listen to him. Glenn had to be discredited. But he's pretty hard to discredit, because he is, in fact, a pretty reasonable man, he does care about checking his facts, and he's waaaaaay more open minded than the left makes him out to be.
He's a kinder, gentler Rush Limbaugh. And I mean that in a good way.
So what did they do? First, they used his version of the story, his perception of what happened to call him a Liar™. Hitting him from both sides and making sure he didn't really have time to answer their insinuating questions, Barbara came in with prong two -- Glenn doesn't check his facts. She started with "you're an investigative reporter" ... Glenn said "no", and then ... some other kind of journalist. "No", said Glenn. I'm a commentator. "So you don't check your facts." "Liar™", and "you don't check your facts" were repeated over and over again without any time for a coherent response for the first 7 minute segment, over something frankly out of the blue (who walked up to whom when they introduced themselves on the train) so that Mr. Beck would be spending many more mental cycles on "what the heck are they talking about?" rather than have an answer to a substantive but perhaps tough question.
Glenn, that was the game plan from the beginning. Those who aren't familiar with you and weren't paying attention to what was going on ... after that first 7 minute segment had two take-aways. 1) Glenn Beck is a Liar™ . 2) Glenn Beck doesn't check his facts.
Glenn Beck is untrustworthy. Don't listen to this man. (a sublter form of shut uppery. It's don't listen-ery).
Mission accomplished. It doesn't matter that they were full of shit about a bogus "issue". That's what the majority of their audience probably came away with and that was their intent.
The second segment went a little better. After Joy Behar said that she never heard him criticizing Bush and the Republicans (which Glenn quickly pointed out that she never watched his show, and she had to agree -- I know he's right because I have watched and listened to his shows and I've heard him make just such statements and arguments) ... after that, he got to talk about the fact that the parties stand for getting people in their parties elected. And there was much applause.
At one point Barbara said "you cry, it's one of your trademarks", and then asked what his real convictions are. Glenn complained that he was being made fun of "on the quintessential chick show" for crying. Barbara objected, but the show opened with Joy asking him if he was really crying or if he had to pull some eyelashes to cry. I don't blame him for being defensive.
Anyway, that's my take on it.
Does Sarah Palin think Africa is a continent or a country?
I don't know, does Barack Obama think there are 50 states or 57? Does Barack Obama think there is an Austrian language? Does he think a tornado in Kansas really killed more than three times, almost four times -- as many people (10,000) than were killed in the WTC on 9/11? Does he think Iraqis and Afghans speak the same language?
And let's not get started on Biden. Ms. Behar.
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