I have mixed feelings on this and I will explain that:
Via Mediaite:
Having conquered TV, radio, book publishing and now live events, Glenn Beck is looking to expand his media empire into a new arena – the web (obviously GlennBeck.com is thriving too).
Mediaite has the exclusive details about a news and opinion website Beck is launching tonight. Here’s what to expect.
Beck’s new site is called TheBlaze.com, and will be edited by Scott Baker, formerly of Breitbart TV and host of “The B-Cast”. In an exclusive statement, he tells Mediaite:
Our hope is that everyone who comes to The Blaze finds original reporting, insightful opinions and engaging videos about the stories that matter most. We are excited to launch and I look forward to keeping Scott and his team busy by sending countless ideas at 3am every morning.
We talked to Baker today about what readers can expect from the new site, the team behind it and more. “It’ll be news and information,” he told Mediaite. “Some commentary and opinion stories we’re interested in that are being under-covered or not covered.”
People will inevitably make the comparison to Arianna Huffington – whether Beck’s role as figurehead behind the site will make The Blaze into a conservative Huffington Post. “The one thing pretty clear around Mercury [Beck’s company] is that Glenn is not short on ideas or hesitant on input,” Baker said. “His input is already evident in how the site looks, and that’s what will continue. It will be a continual flow of tips and suggestions and encouragement.”
As I said above, I do have mixed feelings about this; let me explain. My hope is, that Glenn Beck’s team will do hard reporting and critical thinking pieces about the players in the Conservative movement. My fear and realist intuition tells me, however, that this site will most likely be; and I do hope that I am wrong — just another Conservative echo chamber for the right. I think one of the biggest issues with the Conservative Blogosphere, is that there just is not any critical thinkers or intellectuals anymore. All you have are these people on the far-right, who stick to the normal talking points. There are exceptions to this rule, such as this site here. But the majority are just a part of the echo chamber. Interestingly enough, the site that I just referenced, is considered by some, not to be Conservative enough for their liking. Which I find personally to be quite strange.
Speaking of that echo chamber, let me say this; some of you might have noticed that this site’s tone has changed a bit. I will explain that. When I first switched sides politically after basically “Waking and smelling the coffee” on the Democratic Party; I began blogging as a Conservative. At first I was a strict Paleo-Conservative. Because I just did not agree with President Bush at all. In fact, he was the reason why I started blogging in the first place. Did I suffer from BDS or Bush Derangement Syndrome? Not as bad as you would think. I simply could not stand the man’s arrogance. But was not as whacked out about it as some were and still are on the left and some in Paleo-Right circles.
Anyhow, as I went along, I began to see; like I did with the Democrats, that there were just things in the Paleo-Conservative arena that took me aback a bit. I mean, it is one thing to not like the identity politics of the left. But it is an entirely different thing to look at black people as intellectually inferior to white people. It is one thing to dislike the Identity Politics, when it comes to the Jewish Race, on the right and disagree with Wilsonian Foreign Policy. However, it is another thing entirely to believe that there is some sort of Jewish cabal to overthrow the United States Government and refer to that as the “Zionist Occupational Government” or ZOG as it is called by many Paleo-Cons.
Continuing; After coming the realization that the Paleo-Con right was not much about anything other than bitterness and resentment of those who kicked them to the sidelines for being the true bigots that they are. I basically decided to become a part of that “Echo Chamber.” I tried that for a while and for I while I was content with it. However, as I went along; I simply began to grow frustrated with what I saw as just straight up propaganda by the right. Especially when it came to President Obama. I mean, I do not like his Socialist nonsense anymore than anyone else. But there is just some of that “Shrieking Harpy” nonsense that I just do not agree with. Further more, I still remain convinced that Wilson foreign policy is just wrong. I have always vowed on this blog, that I would tell you want I think. Even if it means that someone calls me a “Neo-Con”, a “fake Conservative” or whatever else that any of this mindless sheep want to hang on me. I would rather be truthful and straight with you all, than to push a damned MeMe on a blog to suit everyone else. My feelings are SCREW EVERYONE ELSE. Because they are not me; and I will not publish propaganda here to appease anyone else. I have never done that, and I never will.
In Closing: I hope Glenn Beck’s new site is an independent Conservative Voice that speaks for itself; and not the talking points of the Right. More of that is needed, and that is what I will do here on this Blog, no matter the cost.