Beck, Palins, Obamas

Glenn Beck is on the cover of the new Forbes Magazine. My boss set the magazine down on my desk, waiting for my response.
What could I say?
"Hey. Glenn Beck is Glenn Beck," I said, laughing, thinking I knew what she was up to, thinking she was stirring things up, baiting me for fun. But turns out I didn't know.
"Dr. K, I admire Steve Forbes but I neither like nor dislike Glenn Beck. I'm neither a fan, nor not a fan. He is what he is and who he is."
Her turn to laugh, adding "I don't hate him any more. I don't hate anyone any more," she said.
"That's a big step forward for you, Boss."
We both laughed and then she said: "Big step?"
I said "Yeah. No need to be a hater.
Then she sat and spoke to me, of me, and how I'm so, so very conservative and she's so liberal but she likeloves me anyway. I'm not like all those other conservatives.
I didn't pull a Kemp '96, RIP, nope. I didn't thank her for noticing that I'm not raaaaacist-bigot-homophoby while all the rest of the conservatives are. Nope.
I said "Hey, I'm typical. Everyone I know who's conservative is like me. And many you know who are like me are conservative.
We're open hearted. Open minded. Open homed. Open armed. Open-pursed and generous of time and spirit and thought. One oughtn't believe the pinched-brains like Jon Stewart, even if he makes you laugh late at night."
That's not happy laughter anyway, those chuckles summoned by the spiritual miser.
Stop believing the clown-eunuchs.
Believe your own eyes.

Then we spoke of her son, who I know to be conservative/libertarian/Ron-Pauly.
She's still sorely disappointed at raising a non-liberal son.
Her daughter? Kind of liberal, but like me, open to everyone. "Some of her better friends are conservatives. And like you, she doesn't judge or close people out because of political stances."
Yep, and she's happy and beautiful, inside and out, boss. That's your daughter. Watch her and learn what we're like and how to be. What's the point in hating anyway? It's just a philosophical difference between us, for the most part, anyway.
You liberals are merely wrong, not evil -- for the most part anyway.
Would that you would think that of us.
I had to reiterate:
I am typical.
And guys like me are not as rare as you think, we just keep quiet because we're surrounded and we like to work. Plus we're not nearly as bitter-mean as liberals. We know better, think better, feel better and live better. Pay attention to that.
We're also happier; and laugh more. And give more to charity. You could look it up.
***

Recently when I posted another appealing picture -- is there any other kind? -- of Sarah and Todd Palin, Sarah in an ARMY shirt under her jacket, Todd at her side, like always, when I posted that pic, of the two of them, husband and wife, parents of five, Army Mom and Army Dad, grandparents, clean and beautiful, together, guileless, standing in a bakery, choosing some sweets, an online friend commented on the post, saying:

I love Sarah and Todd. I love how they keep on being themselves despite the odd obsession the left has with attacking them.

My response was circumscribed, self-censored, lest I sound what? possessed of the devil myself:

Yes. I'd say it's a loony obsession, to match your odd, but it appears beyond that, beyond oddness or looniness. Sarah and Todd Palin keep on being themselves. It's that simple. They are still normal, in a good way. Or maybe it's that they are still good, in a normal way. It's compelling to witness.

And that's what took me to Searchlight. I wanted to see for myself.
But what I wanted to say to her in response is that it's not odd or loony, or not merely that; rather it is demonic. That's not too strong of a word. And I choose it carefully. The obsessive, daily, endless attack against Mr. and Mrs. Palin is rooted in an unclean spirit. That's the sulfur stink we're gettin' around here -- even from our friends who think feel "she belongs on another planet." What a dark fetish. Even our beloveds are just not paying attention. Not to reality. Not to their own inner workings. Not to the workings of the creepy, lesser, vulgar, power-ravenous creepy elite wannabe culture.
***
The Obama family? Pleasing to look at, to be sure. And I'm not entirely opposed to their role -- the symbolic one anyway. And I've said good things about them here and there. But I'm not seeing any lasting or true goodness emmanating from the outward workings of that odd coupling.
***
And Beck? I've heard him a few times on the radio. Mostly when on vacation, I think. Liked him enough to recall hearing him. I'm a radio guy. Since about second grade. Thanks, Dad. But my radio is full already. In no particular order:

William Bennett. Peter Tilden. Laura Ingraham. Tammy Bruce. Rush Limbaugh. Dennis Prager. Michael Medved. Sean Hannity. Mark Levin. Dennis Miller. Jerry Doyle. Roy Masters. Rusty Humphries. The Elite Mike Church. Michael Savage. Don Imus. Tim Conway, Jr. Hugh Hewitt. Howard Stern. Cigar Dave. Reggaeton.

Who's got time for it all?
Beck used to be on CNN. Is that forgivable?
Dr. Bennett gets a pass for being on CNN.
Not that it matters to Beck what I think, but I haven't granted him the same CNN indulgence as Bennett -- though around here being currently sober and formerly a rodeo clown both count in Beck's plus column.
***
I'm including here a bonus Beck pic, a pic of a Beck fan, snapped by yours truly, in Searchlight, March 27th, while awaiting our Governor Mrs. Todd Palin. What a great day in the desert.
***
Don't be hatin', peeps.