Tiny occupies the landscape as she finds it. In this case it's our "mattresses" down Goomp's, folded over upon themselves early morning to make a cave.
“It’s a show for people who feel they belong to an embattled minority that is disenfranchised and cut off,” Northeast Corridor RINO David Frum pontificates to a New York Times reporter re Glenn Beck's hot, hot, hot new five o'clock blockbuster on Fox News. We may not happen to "cling to guns and religion" -- although some of our nearest and dearest do -- but the Tuckmeister and ourselves have become big fans of the late-afternoon entertainer the NYT headlines as "Fox News’s Mad, Apocalyptic, Tearful Rising Star." We don't have to agree with everything Glenn Beck says. As with Rush, we're just glad he's out there. As Dr. Helen wrote the other day, "Moms, Dads, business people and others are taking to the streets and forming connections with each other and learning to organize against the statists of the world." A few tasty excerpts from the mostly totally excellent NYT article:
With a mix of moral lessons, outrage and an apocalyptic view of the future, Mr. Beck, a longtime radio host who jumped to Fox from CNN’s Headline News channel this year, is capturing the feelings of an alienated class of Americans [Alienated? Not really. We just don't like the way President Obama & Company are trying to ram their socialist agenda down the nation's throat].
In an interview, Mr. Beck, who recently rewatched the 1976 film “Network,” said he identified with the character of Howard Beale, the unhinged TV news anchorman who declares on the air that he is “mad as hell.”
“I think that’s the way people feel,” Mr. Beck said. “That’s the way I feel.” In part because of Mr. Beck, Fox News — long identified as the favored channel for conservatives and Republican leaders [As opposed to what? The rest of the cables and mainstream TV networks "long identified as the favored channels for statists and Democrat leaders"?] — is enjoying a resurgence just two months into Mr. Obama’s term. While always top-rated among cable news channels, Fox’s ratings slipped during the long Democratic primary season last year. Now it is back on firm footing as the presumptive network of the opposition, with more than 1.2 million viewers watching at any given time, about twice as many as CNN or MSNBC.
A few more fun 'graphs from the article, and then go ahead and read the whole thing:
Mr. Beck says he believes every word he says on his TV show, and the radio show that he still hosts from 9 a.m. to noon each weekday [Whah? He believes every word he says? With that attitude, he'll never make it as a statist.]
He says that America is “on the road to socialism” and that “God and religion are under attack in the U.S.” [Doh.]
At the same time, though, he says he is an entertainer. “I’m a rodeo clown,” he said in an interview, adding with a coy smile, “It takes great skill.”
And like a rodeo clown, Mr. Beck incites critics to attack by dancing in front of them.
“There are absolutely historical precedents for what is happening with Beck,” said Tom Rosenstiel, the director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism. “There was a lot of radio evangelism during the Depression. People were frustrated and frightened. There are a lot of scary parallels now.” [Yah. Like Chris "thrill going up my leg "Matthews and the abominable Keith Olbermann.]
You go, Glenn!
Update: "Scary parallels?" asks Don Surber in give-me-a-break high dudgeon:
The only parallel to the 1930s that I fear is the government shutting up people like Beck.
It's only "fair."
Update: All things fair in tooth and claw at Modulator's Friday Ark #237.
Here's to Fox and those who leave the statist media to come with the freedom channel.
Posted by: goomp | March 30, 2009 at 08:43 AM
I simply don't think it will happen that the left will shut Beck and company down, Sissy. There are just too many of us Scotch-Irish southern rabble rousers for that to happen. When push comes to shove, there will be a lot of pushing and shoving. And then whatever it takes to regain our fleeting liberties. Count on it.
Posted by: Webutante | March 30, 2009 at 05:43 PM
What a cool photo of Tiny. The mattress looks like giant teeth!
I gave up on Frum some time ago.
Posted by: Tom the Redhunter | March 30, 2009 at 10:42 PM
The South shall rise again! Hitler could not have succeeded in the age of the Internet - information flowing freely would have sabotaged his grandiose vision of totalitarian glory for Germany - as it will sabotage The One (aka The Usurper) in his grandiose plans for America. The man has never run a company so how does he know how to save GM and Chrysler? Is he taking his marching orders from Uncle Georgie (Soros)? Americans can make an impossible to ignore amount of noise about what we do not wish to become of our country. Let's see if that dimwitted buffoon Olbermann (not even a very good sports reporter) reports what's happening. Little Chrissy Matthews is too busy with his tingling legs to pay attention to what's happening in our nation. Even he cannot ignore a true citizens' uprising.
Posted by: Gayle Miller | March 31, 2009 at 10:21 AM
Now that dimbulb that is married to The Lady Wrestler named Michelle is demanding that GM and Dodge quit supporting their NASCAR teams. Has he lost whatever marbles he started with? Does he even HAVE a drivers' license? You'd have to show a valid birth certificate to get one of those after all!
Posted by: Gayle Miller | April 01, 2009 at 11:29 AM
Lo the mighty hunter! I thought "Lo" lived at my sister's house. Her high toned high maintenance bluepoint Siamese Tim has become a full on mouser - brings her presents in the middle of the night - sometimes they're still living! Tiny looks like she's playing a rousing game of "Lurk" behind those piled up mattresses!
Sam the Wonder Cat is entirely too spoiled to hunt for anything other than a treat that got away on his food tray. Yes, my pampered little prince eats off a tray with a place mat and everything!
Posted by: Gayle Miller | April 03, 2009 at 02:30 PM