Palin (hearts) Beck

By Michael J.W. Stickings

There's really no point commenting on Sarah Palin's short piece on Glenn Beck for Time's "Leaders" feature, but humour me while I post a few quotes:

"Glenn's like the high school government teacher so many wish they'd had, charting and connecting ideas with chalk-dusted fingers -- kicking it old school..."

-- Kicking it old school? Did Palin outsource this piece to a 14-year old? And if Beck's a teacher, he'd fit in best at a Cambodian re-education camp, I think. We remember Jon Stewart's utter dismantling of Beck and his chalkboard, do we not?

"Glenn, 46, tackles topics other news shows would regard as arcane."

-- You know, like from when people thought the earth was flat. And of course he does it all with an ignorance one can only call medieval.

"Consider his desire to teach Americans about the history of the progressive movement: he's doing to progressive what Ronald Reagan did to liberal -- explaining that it's a damaged brand."

-- If Palin dislikes progressivism so much, she should give up her right to vote and send her kids off to work 16-hour days at a factory in Manchester.

"His love of the Founding Fathers inspires others to learn and respect our nation's history."

-- This is where I wish I could pull in the Founding Fathers and have them give Beck and Palin a smackdown, like Woody Allen did in Annie Hall with Marshall McLuhan.

"Best of all, Glenn delights in driving the self-proclaimed powers-that-be crazy."

-- Sure, because it's impossible to engage rationally with him. And how are you supposed to have any sort of meaningful interaction with someone who essentially denies reason?

"Even his critics (whom he annihilates in ratings) have to admire his amazing ability to galvanize everyday Americans to better themselves and peacefully engage their government."

-- Well, he does do very well, that's true, but there's nothing I admire about him. Galvanizing people by adding to their abject ignorance and bigotry isn't anything admirable. 

And that goes for Palin, too.