Thursday.....Politics.....No Longer Lemmings

Talkers Magazine caters to those who are interested in talk radio, whether the programs be conservative, liberal, sports or any of a number of specialty topics. The February issue gives the latest annual Heavy Hundred talk show hosts, or 100 top radio talk shows. Rush Limbaugh was on top, of course, followed by Sean Hannity and then Glen Beck and Michael Savage. A few of these men have openly criticized Glen Beck for his recent comment in his speech at CPAC that there is little difference between Democrats and Republicans. The thinking is this: everything is looking good for the elections in November and again in 2012 and the last thing we need is anyone encouraging a "third party." Under normal circumstances, I would heartily agree with all three of these assertions, but these are not normal times, the potential calamities are too near. I'm not exactly what you would call a Glen Beck fan and wrote a critical blog last week about his American Revival Tour; not to silence him but to let it be known that there are other issues to be considered. Like him or not, he is very effective... more effective than most of those criticizing him. My primary concern about these salvos is this; liberals have perfected attempts to silence conservatives through targeted coordinated talking points and attacks on one's character. (Robert Bork?) If the conservatives use the exact same strategy to silence an opponent so that they themselves can set the agenda without being opposed or even questioned.....then they would have proven Glen Beck's charge that the two parties are alike!!! You cannot demand fairness from liberals and then not extend it to those in your own sphere. A second point of concern to me is that if one thinks that any election result this November can fix the problems that have come upon us like a flood, then they are the ones that have come up drastically short in discernment, not Glen Beck. No election returns can fix this mess. It can only stem the tide. This, in no way says or insinuates that we should not work as hard as we can in this area. These coming elections might be tourniquets, they might even be preventions for future diseases but they will not be cures for where we are now, nor should they be looked at as providing a clean bill of health. A third concern that I have is that "if" the American public gravitates towards a third party due to a lack of trust in the two major parties (large differences acknowledged) then so be it! Attempting to stymie this would be usurping control from the people which is what we have been fighting against! By all means, argue against a third party, present your evidence, but do not coerce, bully or seek to rule with an overbearing arrogance. One last comment, although I am not for a third party, it is my opinion that with the high level of disapproval of the current administration, even a third party could not keep this radical leadership in office. If Glen Beck digs a hole that he could stumble into, and he is very impulsive therefore that is a possibility, then that is his business. We need humility in this party and this movement more than we need the same old political strategies, backroom negotiations and condescending lip service to the constituents.