In terms of con artists Glenn Beck is really good. I just saw him speak at the Values Voters Summit and he has extremely high entertainment value. He is a master performer and can pull tears out of the sky when he needs to. However, in terms of substance, he needs a little work.
The low point of his sermon came when he repeatedly attacked people who got college loans and then complained when they were in debt. His answer: Skip college and educate yourself at the public library.
Sadly, the brainwashed and the brain dead sheep in the crowd cheered when he said this. Did they really hear what he was saying? Had they doomed their own children’s careers by not helping them obtain financing for college. Or, maybe they are hypocrites and got the loans for their own children and simply don’t give a damn about the future of other peoples’ kids.
I thought it was telling that Beck never suggested what people should do when asked for their education level on resumes. Should their resumes simply read “public library”? And since conservatives hate public anything, won’t these institutions be on the chopping block too one day?
I’m ready to go home. The Values Voter Summit is just a collection of angry fundamentalists with wacky views who go through remarkable contortions to mask their true intentions. It’s a sad lot.
Thank you for your hard work covering this! I know it must be nauseating.
Couple of questions:
- Can you report on any of the informal talk amongst the audience members?
- I get the impression that this VVS is more focused on anti-gay hate than last year’s. Could you give us an idea of how often or what percent of speaking time is dedicated to attacking us?
Why bother with the public library? The answer to ANY question you’ve ever had – or have now – and the answer to EVERY question you will have in the future can be found on Conserv-a-pedia. *snark*
Good lord… I hope you wore a Hazmat Suit.
Where are people to go as public libraries’ funds are cut, their hours reduced and their doors closed?
It’s not even original, he stole it from “Good Will Hunting”
Thank you for your willingness to endure angry radicals whose goal is to eradicate gay people, create a theocracy in the US and imbue it all with a heartless, godless philosophy that says, “You’re on your own!”
I thought public libraries were evil soshalamism. Real Americans buy there books and don’t accept government handouts.
I’m sure he meant the PRIVATE ENTERPRISE public library.
PhillipJ:
Look up gay on conservapedia. Just do it. And then laugh…
I haven’t yet, Emma, but I will. The only thing I’ve ever looked up on there was “gay bowel syndrome” :-)
David — I infiltrated the 2011 VVS for my blog, and I picked up on some of the small talk among attendees.
- I overheard two young men having a discussion about Santorum. One commended the other on having a conversation with Santorum, and said that he goes to Santorum’s church.
- Another young man was talking about the GOP line-up with a group of older attendees, saying that “life” and “pro-family” positions were deal-breakers for him regarding GOP candidates.
- One woman was telling another that she’s always been concerned about social issues since she was very young, and that she got involved with Focus on the Family for that reason.
Also, to answer your question about anti-gay rhetoric, there was a lot of it at the 2011 VVS, as there was at the 2010 summit.
- Many candidates spoke of protecting “traditional” marriage, and Brian Fischer was particularly anti-gay in his speech.
- During a breakout session on how the welfare state is supposedly undermining the family, one of the speakers said something to the effect that condoms in schools are part of the gay agenda’s strategy to get into the schools (!?).
- In the exhibit hall, PFOX, NOM, and other anti-gay organizations had booths.
Wayne, I admire your tolerance and ability to not puke when being bombarded with this garbage live, no less. I couldn’t even listen all the way through any of these sicko videos. Glenn Beck – he could turn a sharks stomach, and sharks can digest anything! It amazes me that these people can’t really hear themselves – they are so twisted in their feelings and thinking. It is truly sad that they get the audiences that they do. It says a lot about Values Voters, doesn’t it? Of course, like I’ve said before, it’s a truly great way to live off the stupid and disillusioned believers. They will happily part with their money to hear what they want to hear.
@Ahab:
I love your blog! You are now bookmarked. Please let other bloggers know about it so they can add you to their blogrolls. Thank you for going into the lion’s den to report on this. Also, I like the reference to A Handmaid’s Tale. A great book.
On VVS: I see that there was no breakout session on poverty, joblessness or homelessness. Shocker!
David — Well, there was a breakout session entitled “How the Welfare State Erodes the Family.” The basic jist was that single mothers and their children are more likely to live in poverty than married couples, so marriage promotion is therefore the answer to poverty.
That’s right. No talk of funding education or job creation. Their answer was to encourage marriage.
:: shakes head ::