Why Sarah Palin Should Not Defend Glenn Beck

http://correspondents.theatlantic.com ^ | Aug 27 2009 | Conor Clarke

[Maelstorm]

Sarah Palin takes to the digital pages of Facebook in praise of embattled and boycotted TV host Glenn Beck:

FOX News' Glenn Beck is doing an extraordinary job this week walking America behind the scenes of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and outlining who is actually running the White House.

Monday night he asked us to invite one friend to watch; tonight I invite all my friends to watch.

Palin thus ensures that the current Beck controversy will continue for at least another week. And I continue to be impressed and befuddled by two features of this controversy. The first is the degree to which Beck's supporters are largely unwilling to defend or engage with what Beck actually said to start the boycott. (Namely, that Obama is a "racist" with a "a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture.") The vast majority of what you hear from Beck supporters is that the left has been mendacious in handling the boycott campaign, by listing among the boycott signatories some companies that never advertised with Beck to begin with. But even if this were entirely true (it's partially true), it misses the point: The factual question of whether the boycott is calculating is unrelated to the interpretive question of whether what Beck said is defensible. And what Beck said was, I submit, stupid and indefensible. Does anyone disagree?

The second surprising feature is the degree to which this is wrongly described as a free-speech issue. This is a pretty big, basic misunderstanding of how free speech works. Free speech is a "negative" right: It prevents the government from silencing you. But it doesn't guarantee you the right to a soapbox or a megaphone or an audience. And it certainly doesn't guarantee a gigantic corporate paycheck for speaking your mind.

...

[Maelstorm]

This guy is wrong. Obama is/was clearly racist especially in the way he rushed to the defense of Prof Gates especially in the way he did it assuming the white cop had acted stupidly but this is not the first time he has shown racist overtones. Sarah is refreshing, she doesn't care what the press thinks and I'll stand with her and Beck and any one else who doesn't give lip-service to beast in Washington DC. Liberalism wins when it can make the rules to suit it. Too many like this individual are blithely going their way giving lip-service to the beast. Below is a great video of Sarah urging everyone to "Resist Enslavement to big government".

[Mr. K]

Sarah Palisn should not take ANY advice from the media, and they must have brass balls for making suggestions...

[listenhillary]

Who is Conor Clarke and why should I care what his opinion is?

[Bahbah]

Sarah Palin, as usual, is right on the money.

[cripplecreek]

Free speech is a "negative" right: It prevents the government from silencing you. But it doesn't guarantee you the right to a soapbox or a megaphone or an audience. And it certainly doesn't guarantee a gigantic corporate paycheck for speaking your mind.

LOL It gives you as big a megaphone as the people who are willing to listen and as big a paycheck as a corporation wants to pay.

[Paradox]

The second surprising feature is the degree to which this is wrongly described as a free-speech issue. This is a pretty big, basic misunderstanding of how free speech works. Free speech is a "negative" right: It prevents the government from silencing you. But it doesn't guarantee you the right to a soapbox or a megaphone or an audience. And it certainly doesn't guarantee a gigantic corporate paycheck for speaking your mind.

I've been trying to explain this exact thing to liberals for over 20 years, THEY are the ones who get this wrong. No conservative that I know thinks this is a "free speech" issue, which is why they have started their own "negative boycott". This guy is beating up strawmen.

[Cringing Negativism Network]

Enough of GOP weenies always explaining why taking a stand is wrong.

Please Mr. The Atlantic author guy with all due respect.

Shut up, sit down, and stay out of the way.

[Maelstorm]

Yeah they don’t understand that turn about is fair play.

[Cheetahcat]

Lets see 22 years in the Church of Wright tells me this Guy is Wrong!

[cripplecreek]

Who is Conor Clarke

Apparently some guy with megaphone envy.

[Bahbah]

Obama is a "racist" with a "a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture

Read his book.

[keats5]

I like Palin and Beck

As for Conor Clark... wait, who IS Conor Clark?

[bitterohiogunclinger]

Obama Racist? Next you'll be trying to say he's a leftist commie fascist. You'd be right.

[Maelstorm]

I couldn’t agree more. I do not understand why so many in our camp are ready to surrender before the war is fought. Though I’m not sure this guy was ever in our camp. He appears to be a soft headed liberal.

[Sarah Barracuda]

Sarah can give a rats behind what the media thinks of her. She was right about the death panels and she is right on the money with Glenn Beck. Sarah has every right to state her opinion, she doesn’t sit at home saying “Gee I wonder what the media will think of me if I support Glenn Beck” I think we all know how Sarah feels about the commie press

[cripplecreek]

Beck must be silenced ping.

[Carl LaFong]

Did you hear that, Sarah? Conor of the Enchanted media wants to instruct you on what the first Amendment means and tell you how to act. He (She?) is just trying to be helpful, after all.So shut up ,sit down and take your media beating like a good little girl.

[Drill Thrawl]

And what Beck said was, I submit, stupid and indefensible. Does anyone disagree? Yes I disagree with you and I agree with Glenn. I have believed that The One is a racist since the spring of last year. You don't sit in a racist church for 20 years if you are not a racsit.

[Bratch]

Conor Clark

[Mad Dawg]

Of course he’s a racist! I can’t believe anyone questions that.

He’s also, strictly speaking, a bastard, or right next door to one.

He’s the president. We owe him a hearing, but that’s it. I hear him. I disagree. I am a free man, for the time being.