I woke up on Wednesday thinking it would be like any other weekday: uncomfortable and full of anticipation for the weekend. But I soon received a wondrous blessing from the news gods, one that fulfilled one of my most fervent wishes.
Talking Points Memo reported, “Fox News and Glenn Beck's production company have announced that Beck will 'transition off' his daily television program later this year.”
Words cannot describe my joy at this announcement.
Glenn Beck is a dishonest scaremonger who peddles horrific conspiracy theories in order to exploit the fears of his audience. He has a long track record of comparing liberals and their ideologies to Satan and socialism; his rhetoric is full to the brim with violent, irresponsible imagery.
In short, Glenn Beck embodies the worst qualities of our heated and fractured political discourse.
Let's take a stroll down memory lane and revisit some of Beck's many shameful moments.
On November 3, 2009, while discussing progressives and the economy, he said, “We will thrive — as long as these people are not in control. They are taking you to a place to be slaughtered. Americans are not the people that do this.”
On August 6, 2009, he enjoyed a dinner with a prop representing then-House speaker Nancy Pelosi and made an aside hinting that he put poison in her wine glass.
On July 28, 2009, Beck went on “Fox and Friends” and shared his opinion that “this president has exposed himself as a guy who has a deep-seated hatred for white people, or the white culture ... this guy is, I believe, a racist.”
In the appropriate uproar that ensued, activists campaigned to have advertisers drop Beck's show. That drop in advertising revenue, coupled with recently decreasing ratings, made the end of his program a likely occurrence.
It is worth saying that my disgust with Glenn Beck lies not in his conservative ideology. If he didn't chronically resort to such low-handed tactics, I would simply regard him as another political commentator that I disagree with in the extreme.
However, Beck has shown himself time and time again as a man who will resort to violent, irresponsible rhetoric in order to make his arguments. That is what I have a problem with.
I'm not naïve enough to think that this will be the last we hear from Glenn. He still has a fervent following, and he is savvy enough to find some outlet to spew his filth.
However, I'm hopeful that his departure from a major news network will result in a reduced profile.
While he will still have his popular radio show and other channels of distribution, his farewell to Fox could mark the beginning of the end — a minimizing of the man's place in the national discourse. That's certainly the least we can hope for.
Contact Tanner at tjgreene@asu.edu
