Glenn Beck Leads 9/12 Tea Party From Comfort of His NYC Studio
“I launched a project back in March and it comes together Saturday, 9/12,” says Glenn Beck in a Foxnews.com promo video. “Thousands of people are going to gather in Washington, D.C., and around the nation, to stand up for the principles and values that have made America great.”
Where was Beck today? In his New York City Studio – but he wasn’t happy about it.
After all the promotion of this Beck-driven event, on Fox News, on Beck’s personal website and on the 9/12 project website, it was jarring to see the Fox News host conducting his program like any other usual 5pmET weekday show. Here’s how Beck explained it:
Well hello America, I have to tell you I’m not in a very good mood today because I would much rather be, can you show the pictures of Washington, I would much rather be in Washington DC today…I’m not in a good mood because I would rather be there quite honestly, and standing in the crowd with people.
Well if he would rather be standing in the crowd, with the people, why wasn’t he? This project is something he admits to launching himself, and now we’ve reached the much-talked about date. The two-hour special featured a look at various tea party protests around the country, but the focus was D.C. Instead of Beck on the ground, it was FNC reporter and ambusher Griff Jenkins, making sure to ask at every possible opportunity for members of the crowd to talk to Beck. Wouldn’t it have been more effective if Beck were actually there? And further, despite saying he’d “rather” be in D.C. he gives no reason for why he didn’t actually go. FNC tells Mediaite the plan was always for Beck to anchor from the studio.
Beck described the crowd as a “collection of Americans who want both parties to stop with the corruption stop with the spending and start listening to the people.” It’s not a stretch to say Beck is the leader of this group. But by having him stuck in the New York City studio, it comes across like the general who isn’t willing to hit the frontlines with his troops. Instead, he’s the distant coach – calling the plays in the huddle and letting the players run around and attempt to execute the gameplan.
Beck has an enormous platform in Fox News, and an ever-expanding audience. No one can argue that he’s at the top of his game right now. And he certainly has his critics – many with legitimate concerns. But he’s here to stay – or until he self-destructs. His strong ties to the grassroots tea party movement will surely boost his appeal with those disenchanted with the government. But couldn’t he have attended his own party?
On a side note, here was the other reason Beck wasn’t in a good mood:
And then the other thing is I spent it about an hour in traffic, this is how out of control our government is. Here in New York, they had a Labor Day parade today. The week after Labor Day. Nobody stood and watched it. It was labor unions, just walking down the street, and so they closed the traffic here in New York.
With one project down, it’s time for a new project. Here’s Beck explaining his newest feature, finding 56 “re-founders” in D.C. to “help us get the disease out of there”:
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29 comments
SuperSmart says: “FNC tells Mediaite the plan was always for Beck to anchor from the studio.”
FNC, that was a stupid plan. Stupid even for you. I’m guessing that Beck was keenly aware of the sort of folk who were in attendance in DC (idiots, morons, racists, conspiracy theorists, nut jobs, wackos, the mentally disturbed — you know, typical Fox News viewers) and he simply didn’t want to have to touch them.
Delousing can be a bitch.
And if anyone in DC sees Griff Jenkins, please try to help him find his dignity… he seems to have misplaced it.
Kelflakes44 says: It’s pretty bad when he can’t come to an event he has been promoting for months. What a ripoff for his fans.
m says: HAHA! What Congressman will participate in something that requires them to 1) Claim that their own political party is bad 2) Stop participating or vote for any new legislation 3) Make them publicly state that they’ve been corrupt (but thanks to Beck not anymore!).
If I was a Democratic Congressman right now, I would try to get 55 other party members to fill up all the slots. Because right I don’t understand the purpose of this more than just an effort of Glenn to highlight 56 Republican members of Congress who happen to have a constituency which watches or listens to his shows.
m says: Maybe the reason why Beck didn’t attend today was because he didn’t want to cross the line from a media host into straight-up political advocacy. Wouldn’t be surprised if Fox News higher-uppers personally told him not to.
JimW says: All the blowhards are back… SuperSmart (yeah right) & m… Kind of sad, really.
This event was Rock and Roll parking lot for right wing loons. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GL1BWrqhBY
SuperSmart says: “Maybe the reason why Beck didn’t attend today was because he didn’t want to cross the line from a media host into straight-up political advocacy.”
Is this the most subtle sarcasm ever? This was Beck’s party. For him not to show up is the height of hilarity.
And this defines political advocacy from the git-go… but for Beck and Fox News to co-opt the tragedy of 9/11 for this sparsely-attended failure of an event… even JimW finds that disgusting and shameful.
So have we heard attendance figures yet? As that crowd looked scattered, to say the least. 10,000 people, maybe. Fox News will undoubtely report 100’s of thousands… hell, they could say a million and their flock would believe it. But it is quite clear that the numbers were well under what they hoped for.
But whatever the headcount, there were certainly many-a-curious on-looker with camcorders in-hand looking for some fabulous YouTube video.
Can you imagine the glorious footage one could get with all of those nuts out in the sunlight and in the same place? To suggest that we’re gonna see some great footage emerge over the next few days would be an understatement.
SuperSmart says: Right on queue, the bullshit starts to flow… 3rd paragraph from the bottom of this:
Is this: “‘It looks like Saturday’s event is going to be a huge gathering, estimates ranging from hundreds of thousands to 2 million people,” Doug Thornell, an aide to Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., wrote in a memo obtained by FOXNews.com.”
Hundreds of thousands?!?! LOL!!!!11
2 million?!?!? Well, now I’m just offended. /sarcasm
ImNotBlue says: The demonstrators numbered well into the tens of thousands, though the police declined to estimate the size of the crowd. Many came on their own and were not part of an organization or group. But the magnitude of the rally took the authorities by surprise, with throngs of people streaming from the White House to Capitol Hill for more than three hours.
Up to two million people marched to the U.S. Capitol today, carrying signs with slogans such as “Obamacare makes me sick” as they protested the president’s health care plan and what they say is out-of-control spending.
______________
*Sigh* Finding information to disprove your hate, doesn’t really take much effort. I just wonder why you think so little of people who agree with you… why is it that you feel you can tell an overt lie, and that they won’t notice or care?
______________________
BUT, on another note… is it necessary to insult Beck with every post from Mediaite? What’s the deal? Anyone want to find an article about Beck that isn’t snarky, or necessarily rude? Paging Dan Abrams… is the goal of this site to attack certain hosts, or to report on important or relevant media? Some of your writers seem to take turns bashing certain people even when there’s no real story to report (the example of yesterday’s “Maddow attacks Beck” story… what was the point? How is that new?). We get it… you guys don’t like Beck… fine… move on already. You’re just making yourselves look foolish.
Why wasn’t Glen Beck at his own event? I worked in radio for a few years and maybe TV is different, but in Radio, if you are taking the lead and promoting an event, you’re supposed to show up.
This will come off as a very lame P.R. stunt. Wait until Stewart and Oberman get the news that Beck was a ‘no-show’ to his own event.
anti socialist says: You guys are all just sad. There is a movement in this country of the hard working, tax paying Americans. I am so tired of being called a racist for standing against this tyrannical government. I attended a Tea Party today, so glad I did. Was filled with all colors, all races, all ages. In case you guys haven’t noticed, the silent MAJORITY is finally standing up and now that they are all you can say is we are racists. Give me a break, that is an old, tired, argument. We are taking this country back from the liberal pussies that have taken it over. It’s time to get someone on office that doesn’t apologize for the USA. And if you feel that you need to apologize to the country that has given you every freedom imageinable, then get the fuck out!!!!!!!!
TBDave says: Aside from all the stupid Beck-bashing, it’s a very good question. I’d like to know why Beck wasn’t at the event. He seemed to be genuinely upset about being stuck in the studio.
He was live at the Tax Day protests. So why wasn’t he at the big event? Has anyone checked the tapes from recent shows? I always had the impression he’d be broadcasting live from the event. But maybe I was wrong.
On a side note, I also found it curious that FNC didn’t promote the event more. They did a lot of promotion for the April protests. But outside the GB Show there was very little promotion, and this was a much larger event.
I wonder if there’s some back story to all this?
m says: Probably because Fox News realized that it crossed a line when they became the de facto organizer for the Tea Party protests. Someone at Fox or NewsCorp must’ve considered it a bad thing when the network was pulled into straight up political advocacy.
Has the lefts fear of Glenn Beck surpassed its fear of Rush Limbaugh?
It was just a few months ago that all lib media was attacking Limbaugh as the leader of all things conservative. Now it seems as if all left media is going in to full attack mode on Beck.
It is really pathetic to watch.
SuperSmart says: Chuck, I agree, it is pathetic to watch.
Watching the 24/7/365 race-bating and hate-foaming that Fox News passes off as “News” is indeed pathetic.
The fact that so many Americans not only don’t see this — but celebrate it — is simply sad.
propitiousmoment says: Would somebody please tell me how your freedoms have been abridged by the Obama administration? I can point to good examples from the Bush years, but what has Obama done that made you any less free?
SuperSmart says: ImNotBlue, Beck is Joseph McCarthy, in turd-nugget form.
Speaking for myself: To not constantly rail against him and his employer until he either learns to argue his political points without foaming hate and race-baiting, or is fired, would be un-American.
BTW, 60k to 70k is the fire department’s crowd estimate.
anti socialist: Please show me pictures from the Tea Party pointing out 100 different black people. 100 out of an estimated 60,000 to 70,000 shouldn’t be too difficult. There are picture sets popping up all over Flickr to help you out.
rmbltmbl says: It was a couple weeks ago when Beck seemed clear the reason he would be in the studio was to ENSURE that 912 DC was covered, something FNC apparently would not do without Beck. With all the people here who are so knowledgeable about Beck and why he was on FNC, including Krakauer, I’m sure you already knew that though.
anti socialist says: HA, HA, HA, silly liberals, politics is for adults! You will find shortly that your MESSIAH is nothing more than an illegal criminal, and he will be flushed down the toilet along with his other criminal friends, Acorn.
propitiousmoment says: Anybody??….. I didn’t think so. Nobody has a specific act that Obama has taken since he took office, that has reduced your freedoms one iota. Yet you take to the streets (in smaller numbers than you want to admit) to scream about how he is a dictator. You are all reacting to a carefully crafted set of buzz-words, not verifiable facts.
m says: propitiousmoment makes a good point. I don’t understand what Obama does that is making America less free or less American. If he’s doing *anything* it’s improving America to make us a better country than before. The United States back in its foundation wouldn’t have passed the threshold of constituting a modern democracy; we had slavery, women couldn’t vote, rampant ballot corruption, etc. Throughout our history, we’ve tinkered and changed how America works and we’ve become a better country because of it. If you think the golden age of this country was in its inception (which Glenn Beck seems to believe) then you should just build a time machine and go back in time – because maybe you weren’t meant to belong in the 21st century.
ImNotBlue says: Jerome Ford says:
September 13, 2009 at 12:48 am
Why wasn’t Glen Beck at his own event? I worked in radio for a few years and maybe TV is different, but in Radio, if you are taking the lead and promoting an event, you’re supposed to show up.
The reason why Beck didn’t show is pretty obvious… and the whole argument is within the “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” realm.
If Beck showed up, the press (and those who gleefully attack Beck) would suggest this wasn’t a real protest of real Americans, but a FOX News sponsored publicity event, staged by Beck… full of misinformed fools, not “real” Americans.
So Beck stayed away… and so the “press” is forced to report that Beck “inspired” the event, but didn’t show up. They’ll still slam Beck (because that’s what they do), but it will be a little harder to suggest that the folks showed up to see Beck.
SuperSmart says:
September 13, 2009 at 1:20 pm
ImNotBlue, Beck is Joseph McCarthy, in turd-nugget form.
Speaking for myself: To not constantly rail against him and his employer until he either learns to argue his political points without foaming hate and race-baiting, or is fired, would be un-American.
If you were able to rail against him logically, coherently, or with some modicum of thought, you might have a better argument. Instead, you throw childish insults around and digitally stomp your feet. To debate is American… what you’re doing is more juvenile than patriotic.
propitiousmoment says:
September 13, 2009 at 5:01 pm
m says:
September 13, 2009 at 6:55 pm
I don’t understand what Obama does that is making America less free or less American.
This is what happens when you shout that the other side is “racists” and “morons” and blah-blah-blah. You’re not actually listening, so you don’t understand what’s going on. Because you’re actively ignoring the opposition, I’m not sure you can really claim that they’re not presenting an argument… you’re just not hearing it.
But to answer Prop’s question… in short… many protesters don’t like the idea of the government taking over 1/6th of the economy, while we are already in massive debt. For more information, search Google… and try to pay attention.
rmbltmbl says: I suppose it is ‘only okay’ to complain about losing freedom after its done, huh?
shootfromthehip says: “And then the other thing is I spent it about an hour in traffic, this is how out of control our government is. Here in New York, they had a Labor Day parade today. The week after Labor Day. Nobody stood and watched it. It was labor unions, just walking down the street, and so they closed the traffic here in New York.”
They also closed highways and major streets in D.C. in several areas so that your zombie army of rednecks could walk on the mall resulting in traffic jams. What a ass Beck is, seriously.
m says: ImNotBlue said “many protesters don’t like the idea of the government taking over 1/6th of the economy, while we are already in massive debt”
In no part of this health care reform bill does the government do any form of take-over of the private sector. That’s why all of the protestors and town hall shouters are just insane. They would know this if they didn’t only watch Fox News and listen to talk radio all day. So it’s not possible to blame them for their ignorance, as it’s not their fault they’re misinformed.
Remember when Republicans a year ago said we needed “smart regulation” after all the banks fell apart? That’s what this bill is.
rmbltmbl says: Yeah, never says to me.. “CHANGE AND HOPE”
ImNotBlue says: In no part of this health care reform bill does the government do any form of take-over of the private sector. That’s why all of the protestors and town hall shouters are just insane.
Ugh. There is more than enough evidence to suggest that this is the first step in a full takeover, and you know it. Whether it’s Obama saying he wants a single-payer system just a short while ago (see YouTube for the clip), or the economists and political experts who can put two and two together (if a government option comes along at a significantly lower cost to the payers -sans eventual tax increases-, how will private businesses compete? They won’t be able to, they’ll close, and thusly be absorbed into the government program and so on and so on.)… the end game is pretty clear… you just have to think about it.
So it’s not possible to blame them for their ignorance, as it’s not their fault they’re misinformed.
Well, I’ll disagree with you on this point too. If someone is getting misinformation (whether it’s as you suggest, FNC, or as I would suggest MSNBC or the blue blogs), it’s their responsibility to seek the truth… not to sit back and wait for the truth to be thrust upon them. Personal responsibility, my friend… that’s what that is all about.
Remember when Republicans a year ago said we needed “smart regulation” after all the banks fell apart? That’s what this bill is.
Oh, come on… be serious. If it was “smart regulation,” we’d all be able to read the bill! The fact that there is NO ONE BILL to read, the fact that they’re trying to pass something we haven’t read, the fact that they’re trying to pass something THEY haven’t read (and the fact that they’re apparently okay with that), and the fact that every time a Republican mounts a protest against “the bill” something else is removed under the cover of darkness (see: death panels, illegal immigrant coverage, etc.) shows this isn’t “smart regulation.” I’m all for some “smart regulation,” and this surely ain’t it.
m says: Wanting single-payer isn’t the same as getting it. 99% of all Democrats want a single-payer system where there are no private insurance companies at all. THIS BILL IS THE COMPROMISE!
Regarding personal responsibility, I am in absolute agreement with you. It’s their own fault that they only get their news from conservative media, thus never hear bad news or important news – only news that is predispositioned to affirm their existing views.
This bill is basically just regulation. It’s smart regulation. Read the bill yourself. There’s nothing that mentions anything about a government takeover. The Public Option is only activated for 1) those without existing insurance 2) in states where there is a *lack* of insurance choice. If this is your definition of government takeover, it’s the most lamed, watered-down takeover in global government history.
ImNotBlue says: m says:
September 15, 2009 at 1:21 pm
THIS BILL IS THE COMPROMISE!
Well, we don’t really know what “this bill” is yet, because we haven’t seen it. Which one? The new bill released today, the ones from a few weeks ago? Which one?!
It’s their own fault that they only get their news from conservative media, thus never hear bad news or important news – only news that is predispositioned to affirm their existing views.
Just as it’s Liberals’ fault when they get all their news from the blue-blogs, Jon Stewart, and Keith Olbermann. Two way street, my friend.
And again, one of the problems with the Public Option, is that if it provides care at a substantially reduced cost (because it’s subsidized behind the scenes with taxpayer money), it will effectively put the private insurance companies out of business… thus building a large government monopoly. Just because it appears to start out slow or “small-ish,” doesn’t mean it will wind up that way. We have to logically look down the road a bit… don’t you agree?
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