Glenn Beck, Fox News, Find Ratings Gold By Challenging Obama

Los Angeles Times:

Reporting from New York -- Before Glenn Beck started his new show on Fox News in January, he sat down with Roger Ailes, the network's chief executive, to make sure they were on the same page.

"I wanted to meet with Roger and tell him, 'You may not want to put me on the air. I believe we are in dire trouble, and I will never shut up,' " said the conservative radio host.

But before Beck could say anything, Ailes shared a message of his own: The country faced tough times, he said, and Fox News was one of the only news outlets willing to challenge the new administration.

"I see this as the Alamo," Ailes said, according to Beck. "If I just had somebody who was willing to sit on the other side of the camera until the last shot is fired, we'd be fine."

That couldn't have suited Beck more. In making the jump to the top-rated cable news channel from HLN, where he had a show for two years, he hoped to alert more people to one of his consuming fears: that the government's handling of the economic crisis is ushering in an era of socialism.

Read the whole story: Los Angeles Times

Comments

[vaden111]

As a canadian, I can not believe the hatred you have for Beck,O'Reilly,etc. Did you ever listen really listen to them? I never forget the time they said that Rush was a racist. Later I found out that his right hand man "snurgly" was black. They worked together for at least 14jrs. This is the same ,Beck is someone who really cares for his country. The way Obama is going, towards socialism, is really scary. Even Obama supportersmust think"what is he doing!"

[mrtool2u]

Like my first line said,,,I used to hate them,,,,,,,now I am depressed if Rush is off for the day. I walked away from a state job so I could stay in my service van so I could stay sane by listening to Rush.

[mrtool2u]

I used to hate guys like Beck,Limbaugh,and O Reilly,,but then I grew up. If people would just open their eyes and listen,,,these guys really do have the best interest of the country on their side. Just open youe eyes,and ears and listen and I hope most people could agree. There is a reason guys like this are #1,,,they deserve it. Compare beck or O Reilly to a show like olberman,,,about the most hateful one sided person that there could be,,,,,his show has no class compared to Beck or O reilly.

[Osusuki]

Glen Beck and Roger Ailes are two unbelievably disturbed specimens, feeding off each others' anxieties, fears and delusions. They remind me of nothing so much as two puppies who were weaned tragically early, whining pitifully and licking each others' noses raw in an animal shelter somewhere. Thanks to the first amendment, we can't stop it; however, it's still a shame to have to watch it being played out over the satellite feeds of the world.

On the other hand, without Beck and Ailes and their "news" organization, how could we ever be treated to the rare entertainment of Shep Smith's ROFL take on the Beck phenomenon?

[IamPhenom]

Glenn Beck is dangerous to America. His uneducated rants lack critical thinking. He is such an ideologue, he actually makes Bill O'Reilly look independent/fair. Beck "dumbs down" every argument into simplistic sound bytes.

The first time I ever heard of Beck was when CNN/Headline News was promoting his Headline News show. He was ranting against political correctness, saying we SHOULD racially-profile people for security purposes after 9-11. He gave this simple-minded explanation, showing an elderly white woman and asking the audience if she "looks like a terrorist to you". I was dumb-founded hearing that kind of ignorance. Did he forget there was a young, white Taliban (John Walker Lindh)? Did he forget we had Hispanic Al Qaeda members (such as Jose Padilla)? Did he forget the Al Qaeda "shoe bomber" was an Englishman named Richard Reid? There are Chinese Muslims. There are Russian Muslims. Is he purposelly ignoring domestic terrorists like Tim McVeigh/Terry Nichols? Does he not realize terrorists would adapt if we only investigated Arab/Muslims? Did he not realize a terrorist could do something like swap out the bag of another passenger? Does he not realize terrorists could indoctrinate anyone or any color/race?

That to me is the prime example of what is wrong with Beck. The guy is truly clueless, as well as being mentally unstable.

[Gizmo1125]

Glenn Beck has become one of my favorite shows. I find myself watching him everyday at 5:00. He thinks outside the box. He gets you thinking of all the possibilities and scenarios.

[clumberfeet]

He thinks inside the butt.

[constitutional 1]

Glenn Beck has a great show. Libetarians might be on to something

[stella801]

I saw him the other night talking about how he took his daughters to learn how to shoot guns. On the way home they were crying and telling him they were scared. Instead of calming them and trying to inspire hope and inspiration, he told them that they should be scared. I ask you...what kind of parenting is that? This guy is just another fear monger and more importantly, a very bad parent role model.

[Nepe]

I think he proved his point. Since those girls are scared now of guns, do you think they will ever want to touch one? He is not going to sugar coat the truth. It's like when you tell your kid to not touch the stove because it is hot and then they do. Just because their parenting is different from yours does not make them a bad parent role model.

[splinter1968]

Beck is hilarious! One of the best comedians out there. You rock Beck!

[fignozzle]

premature olbermann wannabes.

[constitutional 1]

Olbermann in a tool who's career peaked at sportscenter

[sunny555]

He is Cornell-educated and extremely smart, which is clear whether or not you agree with him. I'd say his career is going pretty well; he will always be employed.

[dgscol]

Obama set the tone for his administration in the campaign when he said "I know what it is like to be a small part of a larger political entity." So now he is reading the teleprompter. Someone has to say it.

[Pyfagorus]

Beck is perhaps the stupidest person ever to be given his own TV show. Last week he was on O'Reilly and asked in all seriousness "Since when has this country ever been about the greater good?!" Um, that would be only since 1787, Glenn... you know, where it says "provide for the common defence" and "promote the general Welfare" in a little document called the US Constitution? Ever heard of it?

[Cinnamonape]

Beck is playing into all those white-supremacist racist militia types out there.

http://www.esquire.com/the-side/richardson-report/glenn-beck-fox-news-030309

Unfortunately, my reading of Article 1 and 2 of the Constitution suggests that the militias were to be regulated and disciplined by Congress, the officers appointed by the States...and were to be called up in order to SUPPRESS "insurrections and foreign invasions".

Nothing in there about the militias rising up against the government.

I wonder if Mr. Beck and his buddies could point that part out to me.

In fact, the Constitution was created after the United States almost fell apart when domestic armed groups nearly brought down State governments and posed the risk of secession. The Whisky Rebellion and Shay's Rebellion amongst other uprisings were quelled by calling up the militias. Washington, DC was created because armed men occupied Philadelphia Hall during a Constitutional Congress. That is precisely why militias were not independent. Private GROUPS of armed men were considered dangerous to the survival of the Republic.

[Chet Martin]

Why do you think the Founders gave us the Second Amendment? To resist tyrannical government. In fact, Jefferson was excited by Shay's Rebellion because he believed it was good for government to be scared of the people, rather than the other way around. "The Tree of Liberty must occasionally be watered by the blood of patriots and tyrants."-Thomas Jefferson

[vasta]

I think the Democrats better wake up and get some good looking, loud mouth, anchors on board soon.

Fox has to O'reilly, Hannity, Beck, Megan Kelly, Greta, these people are bull dogs.

CNN has Campbell Brown, Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper, nice people but they are BORING!

Sorry to say CNN morning and afternoon anchors are worse than the evening ones.

These Fox Nuts are killing the President's message.

[4akinderworld]

The message is way bigger than the ijjits at Faux Noise.

[dxz]

The problem with liberals is that we flick thorugh the channels with the intention of wanting to know what Fox is saying and what CNN is saying. Conservatives devotedly watch FOX. CNN is useless with their ridiculous attempt to be fair. What is fair in John King allowing Cheney to spout off lies without a counter?. By the way, Liberals should watch more of MSNBC so that they can have increased viewrship and thus tailor their program more to us.

Also, we should petition MSNBC to put Ed Schulz on the Cable. He should take over the 6pm or the 10pm slot. With a line up like Schulz, Mathews, Olbermann and maddows, we

[StuartGalley]

That is not true. I do the same thing. I watch Fox but can only handle so much of Bill O and really can't handle Hannity. But I can handle Beck. He is right on.

Bur I digress. I switch to MSNBC occasionally just for the sheer comedy of it. Olbermann is a freakin' joke. When he can say something fair and/or balanced, please let me know. He spends his whole show talking about Fox. Talk about free advertising. Bill O is getting carried away with NBC lately too. If Bill O was smart he would do what he used to do and what I do....don't even acknowledge the existence of MSNBC or Olbermann or Maddow for that matter.

[dashboard]

Beck we will take your offer, please shut up.

[swift goat pet for truth]

GOPers need to watch more because they need somebody to tell them what to think.

[Nepe]

Really is that right? Because MSNBC tells you what to think.

[4akinderworld]

Don't watch it. Don't have cable. I use this thing I got at birth. It's called a BRAIN. It helps me to read and process what I read. That's how I know what to think. I read stuff from the liberal media, and stuff from the conservative media and then I process it and arrive at a decision.