Putting Bill Bennett In His Place
First of all, I want to say I have great respect for Bill Bennett as a person but I think he showing some misguided Beltway Elitism here. That being said, the following is my heartfelt reaction to his completely misguided analysis of Glenn Beck's keynote speech at CPAC over the weekend. Please read the original article from Dr. Bennett HERE and then read my response.
RESPONSE: What Dr. Bennett doesn't understand is, he doesn't understand. Glenn Beck, the man he is decrying as a demonizer of the Republican Establishment, is fueling the tea party movement, he personifies it. Furthermore, Bennett does not get the sarcasm of a 40 something Gen Xer going to an extreme to prove a point when he says that the Republican Party has a hangover. Beck is talking to a different audience. Middle America. Apparently, at least in this article, Bennett is talking to a different audience as well - Inside the Beltway Elites.
I heard Beck's speech. It was phenomenal. It was dead on! He went into the history of the Calvin Coolidge tax cuts, the impact of Teddy Roosevelt's Bull Moose early stage collectivism. He could have gone on to share a few things about the Feds' repeated bank bailouts that have been occuring since Woodrow Wilson put it in place in the early 1900s or even the Chrysler Bailout, Continental National Bank and Trust bailout or the Savings and Loan Crisis (under Reagan and Bush I). But he didn't. He made his point without it.
Behind all of Beck's comedic extravagance, he gets at the particulars of policy implications better than most. He understands our Country is at dangerous risk of losing it's hallowed AAA bond rating and ushering in an age of inflation like we've never seen. If he goes to a bit of an extreme to issue a clarion call, fine by me! Bennett is old hat on this stuff (and several other issues, I might add). Somehow his Old Boss, President Ronald Reagan, ended the Cold War without firing a shot, saw Solidarity as one means to an ultimately peaceful end and colored around the edges to realize a crowning geopolitical achievement. The George H.W. and W. Bush that Bill Bennett spent 12 years defending did several good things. They also led the nation into a misguided war in Iraq that destabilized an entire region, handing undue influence to a militant theocratically driven Iranian regime (IRGC) while placing secondary (at best) emphasis on the real threats that existed in Iran, itself, and the persistent threats that existed in Palestine, Afghanistan and now, Pakistan. For the last time, Bill, are we truly safer long term than we were after 9-11 for diverting our attention from the real threat and pursuing a war in Iraq?
Finally, (back to Beck) drawing an analogous argument between "Morning in America" and a next day hangover may offend Bennett's sensibilities, (though I don't know what he's upset about, he ripped the phrase off of Reagan who ripped it off of Benjamin Franklin) but it is NOT inaccurate. Apparently, the tea party folks and Glenn Beck understand this better than Dr. Bennett. They have watched both parties become virtually indistinguishable for far too long. As Beck said, tea party activists and myself as a conservative would all agree, we are proud of the work of the likes of Sen. Jim DeMint and Reps. Mike Pence, Michelle Bauchmann and Tom Price. But we know they are in the minority today, not only in Washington, but in the Republican Party. And Bill Bennett's regular Friday fill in host, Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele, hasn't yet given conservatives much confidence in the Republican Party's interest in returning to common sense principled conservatism. When We The People win using the Republican Party in November, as I believe we must, it will be in spite of Establishment Republicans who refuse to properly see the real threat for what it is - Socialism and economic diptheria that is standing at the front door with a ram rod in its hand. It will be because the recovering alcoholic self educated talk show hosts and Outside the Beltway middle Americans of the country took the Party by its nose, ousted the RINOs in the surprising shock of the primaries and forcibly drug it across the finish line and back to its roots! And in place of the lethargy of Washington's Establishment Republicans, we will have Conservatives, who, like Reagan before us, will cast the imminent threat of Socialism for what it is with the appropriate level of alarm, taking the Legislative ACTIONS necessary to begin restoring this Shining City on a Hill to its rightful place.
RESPONSE: What Dr. Bennett doesn't understand is, he doesn't understand. Glenn Beck, the man he is decrying as a demonizer of the Republican Establishment, is fueling the tea party movement, he personifies it. Furthermore, Bennett does not get the sarcasm of a 40 something Gen Xer going to an extreme to prove a point when he says that the Republican Party has a hangover. Beck is talking to a different audience. Middle America. Apparently, at least in this article, Bennett is talking to a different audience as well - Inside the Beltway Elites.
I heard Beck's speech. It was phenomenal. It was dead on! He went into the history of the Calvin Coolidge tax cuts, the impact of Teddy Roosevelt's Bull Moose early stage collectivism. He could have gone on to share a few things about the Feds' repeated bank bailouts that have been occuring since Woodrow Wilson put it in place in the early 1900s or even the Chrysler Bailout, Continental National Bank and Trust bailout or the Savings and Loan Crisis (under Reagan and Bush I). But he didn't. He made his point without it.
Behind all of Beck's comedic extravagance, he gets at the particulars of policy implications better than most. He understands our Country is at dangerous risk of losing it's hallowed AAA bond rating and ushering in an age of inflation like we've never seen. If he goes to a bit of an extreme to issue a clarion call, fine by me! Bennett is old hat on this stuff (and several other issues, I might add). Somehow his Old Boss, President Ronald Reagan, ended the Cold War without firing a shot, saw Solidarity as one means to an ultimately peaceful end and colored around the edges to realize a crowning geopolitical achievement. The George H.W. and W. Bush that Bill Bennett spent 12 years defending did several good things. They also led the nation into a misguided war in Iraq that destabilized an entire region, handing undue influence to a militant theocratically driven Iranian regime (IRGC) while placing secondary (at best) emphasis on the real threats that existed in Iran, itself, and the persistent threats that existed in Palestine, Afghanistan and now, Pakistan. For the last time, Bill, are we truly safer long term than we were after 9-11 for diverting our attention from the real threat and pursuing a war in Iraq?
Finally, (back to Beck) drawing an analogous argument between "Morning in America" and a next day hangover may offend Bennett's sensibilities, (though I don't know what he's upset about, he ripped the phrase off of Reagan who ripped it off of Benjamin Franklin) but it is NOT inaccurate. Apparently, the tea party folks and Glenn Beck understand this better than Dr. Bennett. They have watched both parties become virtually indistinguishable for far too long. As Beck said, tea party activists and myself as a conservative would all agree, we are proud of the work of the likes of Sen. Jim DeMint and Reps. Mike Pence, Michelle Bauchmann and Tom Price. But we know they are in the minority today, not only in Washington, but in the Republican Party. And Bill Bennett's regular Friday fill in host, Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele, hasn't yet given conservatives much confidence in the Republican Party's interest in returning to common sense principled conservatism. When We The People win using the Republican Party in November, as I believe we must, it will be in spite of Establishment Republicans who refuse to properly see the real threat for what it is - Socialism and economic diptheria that is standing at the front door with a ram rod in its hand. It will be because the recovering alcoholic self educated talk show hosts and Outside the Beltway middle Americans of the country took the Party by its nose, ousted the RINOs in the surprising shock of the primaries and forcibly drug it across the finish line and back to its roots! And in place of the lethargy of Washington's Establishment Republicans, we will have Conservatives, who, like Reagan before us, will cast the imminent threat of Socialism for what it is with the appropriate level of alarm, taking the Legislative ACTIONS necessary to begin restoring this Shining City on a Hill to its rightful place.
posted by Joel Aaron at 1:45 AM
3 Comments:
Great response and right on point Joel. Bennett expresses the attitude that must be changed in order to save America and bring our government back to a "Representative Republic" based on the Constitution of the United States of America. "We the People" are now awake, watching and working to accomplish this!
Joel, I also felt betrayed by Dr Bennett's weekend response. He has so much to offer conservativism - and has historically been faithful to the movement. But it was evident he missed the Beck sarcasm. I still respect Dr Bennett. Your thoughtful article encourages me.
Joel - Your brain's way of thinking, along with your admiration, complete understanding and love for Glenn Beck are like a mirror image of mine... I like and agree with everything you say, same goes for Glenn... I am so amazed, greatful and proud of Glenn Beck and all he's done for US - the people... Glenn and you are both so humble, you know how blessed you are by God and you both make me feel so proud... Love & Prayers from Houston...
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