By Brandon Backlin
2/18/10
It’s hard to know when people pull tricks on you, be them as expected as that douchebag from high school, to those that you would not expect in your lifetime. For me, that last person was Glenn Beck.
Believe it or not, I used to be a huge Glenn Beck fan. I used to follow him without question, much like sheep follow the shepherd or dog. I first questioned him when I heard him call for a flat rate tax on all products and materials on the Bill O’Reilly show. Pretty progressive idea, eh Glenn? That does nothing to curtail the rising cost of products, since the material used and the products themselves are taxed. Here’s an alternative I
propose, and it’s actually, you know, fair.
The second, and most deadly, blow was when Glenn got all defensive on Medina’s affiliation with 9/11 Truthers. To most people, if you call the Alex Jones show even once, you are immediately affiliated with them (or be called crazy). In my case, if you want an independent investigation into 9/11 (as in, one not carried by the National Institute of Science and Technology or anyone affiliated with the government), you’ll be called a Truther; even if you have no pre-conceived notion of the truth. Here is what she said (quoted from prisonplanet.com):
“I think some very good questions have been raised in that regard,” Medina said. “There are some very good arguments, and I think the American people have not seen all the evidence there, so I have not taken position on that.”
Did you see that ladies and gentlemen? She has not taken a position on that. So you know that whole "Question with Boldness" thing that Mr. Beck’s producer splashes on the intro to his TV show? Not happening in the case of 9/11. To me, it would seem pretty bold to question both the government and the popular explanations at that time. Now more people are questioning the official story (84% of people in a CBS/New York Times poll back in 2006, although I would like to see the demographics of those polled). The tactic used when Glenn asked the question was to make it as broad and general as possible. Psychics use the same trick to make themselves seem right most of the time. The question was, "Do you think the government had anything to do with 9/11?" The issue with that is, there are so many variables involved with the attacks that we may never know the whole truth.
Debra Medina definitely did the right thing here. Had she said yes, she would have been ambushed more than she has now and quite possibly been ousted from the race. Had she said no, she could have been seen as and probably be supported by neo-cons, a movement that is seen with a negative connotation and took over the conservative party, and lose support from the paleo-con crew (a force to be reckoned with in Texas).
Besides, how is being a Truther seen as a blight when you’re running for governor? You don’t represent Texas in the House or Senate, you’re just at the top of the executive branch in your home state. In other words, since I live in Missouri, how can her being a Truther affect me?