Michael C. Moynihan on the Glenn Beck Show

On Tuesday, March 24, 2009, Reason senior editor Michael C. Moynihan visited the Glenn Beck show to discuss the Obama administration's plan to allow the government to seize control of non-bank financial companies.

Comments

[Underzog]

One of the more rational of the Reason writers on with the entertaining Conservative, Glen Beck.

[BDB]

You went on Beck? Really?

Christ on a cracker...

[Kolohe]

Nota Bene:

Unlike George Will, Glenm Beck's suckatude cannot be overstated.

But he is a hoot.

[Warty]

If you must go on Glenn Beck, please at least call his bullshit when he calls himself a libertarian.

[D.A. Ridgely]

Glenn Beck couldn't win a debate against a toaster oven. Imagine my chagrin, therefore, to find myself in agreement with what he said (translated into standard English, of course) in that clip.

Did Moynahan get to say anything? Five minutes of Beck is my absolute limit, agree or not, and I clicked off at that point.

[BDB]

I think Moynihan is angling for his own show on Fox News now. Maybe he wants to replace Van Sustren.

That's the only possible explanation for going on Beck twice. The dude is fucking nuts and needs meds, fast.

[Jerry]

I think Moynahan still got his points across. But they should instate mandatory drug testing for personnel at Fox News.

[Mo]

DAR,
A toaster oven would have more dignity than to appear on Beck's show.

Also, did Goldberg call TR a liberal? I'm sure that's news to fellow conservatives. It was sure a hoot hearing an advocate of expanding government intrusions on civil liberty reciting Franklin's quote.

What sucks is I largely agreed with the messages being stated despite the hypocritical docuhbaggery of the panel.

[brotherben]

Jerry, that is found on page 14 in The Obamachine handbook. "All non-administration personnel involved in news, opinion, punditry and comedic commentary, in any medium or market,will undergo weekly screening for banned substances."

[Kolohe]

Also, did Goldberg call TR a liberal? I'm sure that's news to fellow conservatives.

It's not uncommon for conservatives to dislike TR. I mean, it's nowhere near their opinion of FDR, but many hold Coolidge and even Harding in higher esteem.

And Goldberg has that liberal fascism tic where terms mean whatever he says they mean. (not that he doesn't have a point, but it's barely enough to fill a parenthetical blog comment, much less an entire book)

[Kunal]

Dude, Moynihan, that was just creepy. "Hahaha, America is so fucked, hahaha!"

Also, you should have totally called him out when he claimed to have opposed power-grabs by the Bush administration.

[Right Wing Realist]

That's a 3:37AM show, isn't it?

[Hmmgrats]

Nice to see you getting some "mainstreamish" press. Here's to hoping it boosts your sales and readership and helps to spread a little common sense.

PS. please kiss more ass and move up to Cavuto. Maybe you can debate John Stewart next sweeps!!

[Mari Dupont]

Beck is a loon, but his ratings are doubling every minute. Soon he'll be passing up Oprah. If Michael M is angling to be Beck's sidekick, he'll need to hone his soundbites; Beck obviously doesnt have the patience for any response longer than 20 seconds.

[Hmm]

The format is what it is and more than likely in part drives his ratings. The content is another matter. Press and air time is press and air time, use the opportunity to your advantage. Hell I'd do a panel with Grover and Oscar if the audience and topic were right.

[Some Guy]

Glen Beck may be a nutjob with too much sugar, but he's right on this. WHY would bankruptcy be a bad thing?

[James Ard]

What's conservative about a national service loving, ithmus stealing, corporate meddling, envirowhaco blowhard?

[Jefferson]

I can barely take Beck's manic personality, but I have to give him kudos for having real libertarians on his show.

[Jeff Riley]

I get tired of libertarians excluding people entirely who have divergent views on some issues but still hold to libertarian principles. I also get tired of libertarians only tolerating people who speak about libertarian ideas in ways that sound like it came straight out of an academic paper.

Glenn Beck is not as libertarian as I am. His views on international affairs is far more interventionists and he has not recognized a lot of issues I believe are important. However, he is an independent thinker. He is willing to go after Republicans now, even if he did not do enough in the past. He is willing to learn and change. He gives different views an opportunity. He has more libertarian guests than any hosts i have ever seen. He is giving the points of view that libertarians hold a chance. He has been wrong in the past, but he is still making an attempt to present an independent libertarian point of view.

The Glen Beck and his audience is exactly the group that libertarians need to appeal to. These are the regular people who can make a difference in elections and pressure legislators. I believe the reason that the libertarian movement has been in large a failure is because libertarians have been to snobbish in who they accept. I don't have to be in total agreement with someone to let them help me on issues we do agree on. I also don't need someone to sound like an economics professor in order to listen to what they have to say.

If you don't like Beck's style, fine, complain about his style. Don't try to tear down what he is doing because of it. Beck is far from perfect, but he is the best we have at presenting libertarian views to the public at large. Or you could be honest and say you oppose Beck because he is interfering with your ability to feel better than other people because libertarianism is for the special elite, not the ignorant masses.

[Jeff Riley]

Sorry about the grammar mistakes. I wrote the post in spurts at work and really should have taken the time to preview it.

[dhex]

"Beck is far from perfect, but he is the best we have at presenting libertarian views to the public at large."

shit's even more fucked up than we though.

[Mo]

Beck is a loon, but his ratings are doubling every minute. Soon he'll be passing up Oprah.

"Did you know that disco record sales were up 400% for the year ending 1976? If these trends continue...ayyyyy!"

[hmm]

"I get tired of libertarians excluding people entirely who have divergent views on some issues but still hold to libertarian principles. I also get tired of libertarians only tolerating people who speak about libertarian ideas in ways that sound like it came straight out of an academic paper."

I couldn't agree more. One of the largest hurdles for the party is itself as far as expanding its ranks.

[Cool Cal]

The old Beckmeister is a bit of a loon, but I will give him this, for a guy who seems to occupy the same media niche that O'Reilly and the like do, he has the remarkable ability to have a guy like, oh, say ... Penn Gillette on (thrice) and not shout him down for being a degenerate libertine - indeed, maintain a civil discourse. I know, it's like the old Chris Rock routine, that's what a host is SUPPOSED TO DO! But considering his compatriots, I'd say he does give his guests a good, fair podium.

Though, I would LOVE to see anyone from Reason shred Jon Stewart a new asshole. Just to see a real articulate libertarian and not some strawman with a heartbeat would be truly great on that show. Though he did at one point have Amity Shlaes on and gave the standard, "Tell us about yer book, Sweety" rather than engage her in a "How dare you challenge the pieties of the New Deal" death match.

[patriot]

I agree with Jeff. True conservatives share 90% of the libertarian viewpoint. Why would we want to sharply criticize them because of the 10% we don't agree on? I watch Glenn and he does more to promote libertarian ideas than any other mainstream personality. Neither conservatives or libertarians like government very much. Now let's have a tea party.

[dhex]

"Neither conservatives or libertarians like government very much."

yeah...no. the last eight years kinda shot that canard right in the face.

[Jeff RIley]

"yeah...no. the last eight years kinda shot that canard right in the face."

Don't confuse the Republican Party or particular politicians who claim to be conservatives with real conservatives.

To quote the Good Book, "You can tell a tree by the fruit it bears." The modern GOP and Bush are not conservative by the definition they themselves wish to use. The are not small government fiscally responsible politicians.

If I had to guess, I would say this hypocrisy is probably why Beck feels more akin to libertarians lately, when he probably comes closer to conservative than many libertarians on the world's smallest Political Quiz. (I'm a 100% libertarian by the way.)