As always, there are just too many things for one man to write about. I would write about Nancy Pelosi
Nary a day goes by when you cannot write something both poignant and obvious about her. Let’s just say, I wonder where her concern was prior to January 20, 2009?
Rather, I would like to do a little breaking down of the split personality piece written by David Von Drehle for time.com on Glenn Beck. We can break it down by web page, as each seems to have its own little personality.
Pg. 1 -- HUMAN INTEREST
David Von Drehle starts off with a few jabs at the 9/12 protesters highlight two of the more extreme signs that I have seen reported on from the protests. Then he goes into human interest mode writing about a particular woman who seems to really like Beck. I will give Mr. Drehle credit, his piece does highlight the fact that what you think of the protests may depend on your political point of view.
Pg. 2 -- HIT PIECE
Mr. Drehle basically attacks Beck, spins things to make Beck look like a fear mongering opportunist. Who knows, maybe that is all Beck is (I don't watch his shows or partake of his other media offerings), but in true neo-journalistic style, you don't get to hear that side of his story. Mr. Drehle has a mini-caption titled "Fears of a Clown," and says that these are hard economic times for conservatives. Little did we know all it took to not suffer from this recession was becoming a liberal?
Pg. 3 -- LEFTIST COLORS FLYING
This page Mr. Drehle does say some good things about Beck, but goes back to the liberal well of evil capitalism. He points out the money Beck makes, as if this should discredit him.
Pg. 4 -- THE REAL STORY
It is the talking head industry on both sides that is the true story here, but Mr. Drehle only takes swipes at Beck in his calling out the talking heads on TV. This, in my opinion is where Pelosi's comments and this story meet.
Nancy Pelosi and Mr. Drehle are correct; there is a large bit of anger out there. I share that anger. However, both would incorrectly tell you that it is one sided and only started shortly after January 20, 2009. This sentiment has had ebbs and flows, but really started back on its current upward trajectory in the late 90's with Whitewater and the Clinton sex scandal. It hit a new level after the 2000 election. Lets be real, the animosity today is nothing like it was 8 years ago prior 9/11. Liberals truly thought that W. Bush had stolen the election in Florida and not matter what the media recounts showed, would not let go. That hatred flowed out from there. It may have dipped some in the wake of the terrorists’ attacks, but went even higher in the fall-out of the War on Terror in Iraq. It went up again with the supposed torture memos, and Nancy Pelosi saying the CIA lied to Congress. T
Nightly Congress and talking heads-TV (my apologies to David Byrne) battled for supremacy over the political hate game. Just when Keith Olberman or Sean Hanity looked to be galloping ahead, a party whip would get on a Sunday morning news program and ratchet up the bar. It was a never ending 24-hour news cycle of who could be the loudest, who could talk over each other the best and who could slander the other the most. What started out in a thoughtful professional manner on Crossfire all those years ago has sunk that medium and seemingly brought political discussion down with it into an abyss of shit.
Then you had the white night (figuratively speaking), "the one" who was supposed to (if you believed his campaign rhetoric) come in and transcend the hatred and political fighting and unit the nation and the world in peace and love. He campaigned much as President George W. Bush did in 2000, as someone who could bridge the political gap. And just like President Bush, he has not only failed to fulfill this promise, President Obama has become the lightening rod.
Like Glen Beck (at least according to this story), I fear. I fear that this nation is falling from its perch as the greatest nation in the history of the world. I fear the America I grew up knowing will only be a memory in a few years. And like Glen Beck (according to this story), I don't know what to do about it. The only thing I know to do is to pray, pray that God will protect me and my family. Pray for the peace that only a relationship with Jesus can provide. Pray for, as Pope John Paul II said, the ability to be still.