“Glenn Beck represents a truly troubling trend in television journalism. Since May 2006, the radio talk show host has had his own one hour nightly programme on CNN’s Headline News channel. While the network may have hoped that Beck’s flamboyant style would increase ratings, the cost to their integrity has been staggering.

In just the past two months, for example, one half of Beck’s shows have focused on matters Muslim. Beck insists that he is not opposed to all Muslims, only what he refers to as the “10 per cent who are evil”. He then counters this observation by stating that the vast majority of good Muslims have been cowered into silence by the extremist 10 per cent, so that they too stand indicted by their cowardice. Only when they do speak out, Beck says, will radical Islam be defeated and the rest of us be safe from their scourge. The net result of this circumlocution is that the majority of Muslims are to blame.” - James Zogby

You know what I find to be a really disturbing trend? The fact that guys like Keith Olbermann never get mentioned in articles like this. All this is, is another episode of “Throw The Conservative Under The Bus.”

As is the common plight of most conservative commentators, even I, included here on the lowest level of the totem pole, is as follows:

Nobody really listens to a word we say. If they did, they wouldn’t have a case against us. As most of you know, I am a huge fan of those like Limbaugh, Beck, Hannity, Coulter, and Malkin. I will agree that Hannity can sometimes get a little too revved up, but for the most part, he’s dead-on. More than that, he believes what he says, and he has the right to get out there and say it. That should be fine. But it isn’t, simply because he’s conservative.

In the case of Beck specifically, Zogby’s claim is nothing more than wishful thinking on his part. Anybody who actually *listens* to Mr. Beck on a regular basis, as I do, knows that he is not anti-Muslim. He has never called for the out and out destruction of the Muslim community. He has merely tried to appeal to American Muslims to do their part in order to help put an end to this ongoing crisis. Not all Muslims are bad, and he has said that very thing. He is very honest about what he believes, and in truth, he is probably the least inflammatory of the current crop of pundits, regardless of ideology.

I for one have seen nothing on Mr. Beck’s television program which would harm the integrity of CNN Headline News. His one hour nightly opinion/analysis show is the fastest growing show in cable news. Personally, I think that can be attributed to his sense of humor, and his conservatism.

Glenn Beck is a different kind of conservative commentator. While he wears his ideology like a badge, he doesn’t tie himself to a political party, nor does he shill for anyone. People accuse him of being a “Republican”, yet he is good friends with, and agrees on some issues with famed Democrat senator Joe Lieberman. Mr. Beck comes out and tells you who he is. He admits to being a staunch conservative, and that his program contains a good dose of his opinion.

This, much to the dismay of those in the mainstream media, is what they find to be truly disturbing. Not only does Glenn Beck have the third-most listened to radio show in America, he now has the fastest growing television show in cable news.
The underlying point in Zogby’s raving is actually “Conservatism must be stopped.”

When you look at the numbers, it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen any time soon.

Isn’t it funny how Keith Olbermann never gets mentioned?

Just a thought.

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