That settled, it only remains to trot out the “Beck the Entertainer” gambit, which holds that the fact he is interesting AND entertaining invalidates his arguments, and gullible blue-rinse geezers like me, vulnerable to his arts, are likely to pick up guns and/or trade our grandchildren for gold.
On the first point—and at the risk of being unkind—don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it gentlemen. For pop value I rate your clip marginally above going downtown and watching haircuts. Even if you are repelled by the non-existent gallons of tears expended on a daily basis by Beck, you might pick up a few pointers on how to make an argument without sounding like a couple of relatives at a viewing.
On the second point, please observe the two canard limit (okay I made that up–see how silly these inventions sound) and refrain from the “gap-toothed hillbilly” fiction that so infects the perceptions of pundits such as yourselves. Believe me when I tell you many of the people you depict as Jed Clampett are better educated, more well-read, wealthier and maybe even a hair smarter than you are. If you think Beck’s audience is mainly comprised of octogenarian shut-ins you might want to note his ratings against competitors in the 25-54 demographic.
Beyond passing amusement, pillow-fights such as this portend much for the near future. The Left is generally feeling like a guy in boxers discovered in the bedroom closet by a suspicious husband. As the mid-terms approach we can expect greater demonization of those holding the closet door open and a concerted attempt to co-opt the “reasonable” conservatives into believing it’s all a big misunderstanding. It is disappointing to see fellow conservatives, in the name of some Colonel Blimp gentlemen’s rules of engagement, already buying into that charade.
