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Mark Levin vs. Glenn Beck (And Some Other CPAC-Related Musings)

Posted on | February 23, 2010 | 38 Comments

My 17-year-old son Bob was driving home Monday evening after we’d picked up his twin brother James from work and we were listening to the Mark Levin’s opening monologue on 1490 AM here in Hagerstown when I said, “Uh-oh, he’s going after Glenn Beck.” I grabbed pen and a piece of paper and jotted down a few notes, but Mark Maloney at the Radio Equalizer has pretty much the whole thing.

Rather than go into detail, let me ask you something possibly related: Am I the only one mystified by Michelle Malkin’s non-participation in this year’s CPAC?

Michelle always speaks at CPAC. But not this year. Instead, she made a surprise appearance at the blogger’s bash hosted by FreedomWorks.

I don’t know that her absence had anything to do with Beck having the coveted closing-night address — reserved last year for Rush Limbaugh — but a few things occur to me as I think about this Levin-vs.-Beck dust-up.

Michelle Malkin and Mark Levin both had No. 1 bestsellers this past year. Levin’s conservative credentials are impeccable, dating back to the Reagan administration. Malkin has been a conservative columnist since she was in her 20s, is a frequent Fox News contributor and popular campus speaker and, in terms of the conservative blogosphere, her influence is rivaled only by Instapundit.

If you compare either Levin or Malkin to Glenn Beck in terms of their years of service to the conservative cause, then, Beck is certainly much their junior. And since we’re making such comparisons, what about Sean Hannity and Ann Coulter?

Granted, Beck has had an amazing impact since switching from CNN to Fox. He is a dynamic personality and his innovative show is now arguably the most fascinating hour on television.

Despite all that, however, he hasn’t paid his dues to the conservative cause to the extent that Levin, Malkin, Hannity and Coulter have paid their dues. The choice of Beck for the final night’s slot, then, could be perceived as a slight to those others. If that prime spot had gone to any of those four, well, OK. But . . . a Johnny-come-lately? And a somewhat erratic Johnny-come lately, at that?

I’m not saying that’s the explanation, I’m just pointing out that Beck’s lack of seniority in the conservative movement could be a factor here, above and beyond whatever specific criticisms Levin or anyone else makes.

The inexplicable absence of Malkin from this year’s CPAC program is certainly an omen of something. Whether it has anything to do with Beck, I don’t know, but my gut hunch tells me it’s an interesting story, whatever it is.

UPDATE: I agree with what Jonah Goldberg says about Bill Bennett’s criticism of Beck’s CPAC speech. And I like Dan Riehl’s take on the topic of conservative leadership.

In general, I don’t like conservative infighting, except when I’m the one starting the fight, like my call for Goldberg to lead a National Review coup against Rich Lowry. I saw Jonah at CPAC and again urged him to overthrow the Lowry regime, but he demurred. Don’t wait too long, Jonah, or I’ll start talking to eager young Robert Costa – he has that lean and hungry look — and the Costa uprising will overthrow both you and Lowry in favor of a Ponnuru-Derbyshire junta.

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Category: CPAC

Comments

38 Responses to “Mark Levin vs. Glenn Beck (And Some Other CPAC-Related Musings)”

  1. Jamie Holts
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 1:04 am

    Hi,

    I’m just getting started with my new blog. Would you want to exchange links on our blog-rolls?

    BTW – I’m up to about 100 visitors per day.

  2. Matt
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 1:17 am

    A Ponnuru-Derbyshire Junta is pretty unlikely. They don’t seem to like each other much, and I don’t think Derb would even be interested.

    But if they did it would sure as heck be a fascinating and probably great change for NRO.

  3. KG
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 2:47 am

    Humility is a virtue. I would counsel it for Malkin, Levin, et al.

  4. Mark Levin Offers Up Advice for Glenn Beck | REPUBLICAN REDEFINED
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 2:47 am

    [...] Mark Levin vs. Glenn Beck (And Some Other CPAC-Related Musings) [...]

  5. Sissy Willis
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 5:33 am

    See here, seer.

  6. ClericalGal
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 5:35 am

    The absence of Malkin at CPAC might have to do with the John Birch Society being one of the sponsors. It reportedly had something to do with Sarah Palin not attending either. Or, it was too far to go to since she lives in the Denver area now and not D.C. Besides, Malkin also had a good defense of Beck’s speech: http://michellemalkin.com/2010/02/22/attention-gop-john-mccain-is-the-problem/

    As for Levin, I don’t listen to him anymore because of his attacks on Beck. They seem so petty and jealosy-driven.

  7. Canon 5D Mark II Backlight Test : World online computer review
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 6:16 am

    [...] Mark Levin vs. Glenn Beck (And Some Other CPAC-Related Musings … [...]

  8. Grimcargo
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 7:08 am

    To those who want to take shots at Glenn Beck..before you do, tell me what you have done to expose the graft and corruption in D.C.? Before…and BEFORE Glenn came to Fox, what were you doing? STFU or Put up…and you haven’t. All you have done is pick and moan and bitch at someone you are apparently jealous of…Glenn Beck actually DOES something. And btw, stop whinning about John Birch because they will remain just as they are. Never be in power but they do have FREAKING VOTES and we need them to put Obama out to pasture.

  9. William Teach
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 7:19 am

    I’d have to lean with Beck over Levin in this one, as Beck was just saying things that we in the blogosphere have been saying for years, namely that Republicans have to stand up for the Conservative values of their voters. Chill on the spending, promote conservative ideals rather than be a Democrat Lite.

  10. DavidL
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 7:44 am

    It is important to disgingusish between journalists,pundits and movement leaders. Glenn Beck has done great work as a journalist exposing the uttere rot of the Obama administration.

    On the the hand, Beck is not a leader. Rather he is a self-described clown. Sane people do not follow clowns I applaud Beck’s working taking down the Obama admistration. However Beck should leave the movement leadership to the adults.

  11. Guest
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 7:56 am

    Not sure TV personality ‘crazy Howard Beale’ will inspire anything other than crazy cult-rage but this is what TV people do, inspire rage for big TV ratings.

    Mark Levin is right on the money again; other than Marco Rubio perhaps Liz Cheney the CAPC event came off as a miss-mash of muddled message.

    CPAC-not sure how Ron Paul’s 9/11 Truthers, George Will’s Highly Educated Ivy-League Whites or Grover Norquist’s Protectionist Wallets for Open Borders along with crazy Howard Beale’s Glenn Beck encapsulates Conservative appeal However CPAC you managed to create bigger thuggish youth group of punk kids who will beat up anyone against RON PAUL!!!!!

    CPAC you laid down with the snakes now you are poisoned with enraged venom.

  12. Ran / Si Vis Pacem
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 8:28 am

    Stacy,
    I rather think Jonah was going too easy on Bennett. Bennett’s “points” were sloppy and incomplete.

    Bill has a history of taking cheap-shots at those whom he deigns to look down along his nose upon.

    Case in point is “former DJ” Jim Quinn, every bit Bill’s intellectual equal though not an insufferable snob.

    Jonah errs kindly by suggesting that Bennett is a true Reaganite… The problem is that Bennett never met a squish RINO he didn’t promote over a Reaganite when it came down to the crunch.

    Here’s a wild-assed guess… I’ll bet you a beer that Bennett is leaning Crist and hasn’t given Rubio an interview yet. Stopped listening to Bennett two years ago, so I’m totally vulnerable to lose face here. Given Bill’s gushing over McCain, I think I’ll win if you take me up on it.

  13. Guest
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 8:43 am

    “Bill has a history of taking cheap-shots at those whom he deigns to look down along his nose upon.”

    This comment would apply to most of George Will’s Highly Educated White ‘Conservative A’ Listers

    No Intellectual Ordinariness is welcomed in the Highly Educated White minds of Buckley, Rubinowitz, Will, Noonan, Parker, Lowry and Associates.

  14. Frank
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 8:48 am

    Careful Stacy; your libertarianism is coming out of the closet.

    BTW: Hm… grimcargo sure has a way with words, don’t ya think? First he insults conservatives and tells them to shut up, then says we should pander to John Birchers for votes.

    Thanks, but no thanks grim. Include me out. I’ll wait and see how far wild-eyed libertarianism can go without mainstream conservatives like Michelle, Mark and the other 30,000,000 or so.

  15. Live Free Or Die
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 9:06 am

    Amen to Guest#12
    Perhaps Michell Malkin stayed away from a CPAC That was Co-Sponsored by GOProud. ‘Cuz we all know how much the Rainbow Fisting Crowd Hearts Michelle Malkin.

  16. V the K
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 9:10 am

    I didn’t know you lived around Hagerstown? We should meet at Sheetz sometime and eat some pretzel melts.

  17. Jack Okie
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 9:22 am

    Guest @08:43:

    You left out T. Coddington Van Voorhees VII.

  18. chuck cross
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 9:53 am

    As an outsider, it’s fun to watch the clash of all these larger-than-life egos.

    I hope someone puts a string of soundbytes together of them praising and lauding Scott Brown and his “conservative” credentials.

    What’d it take him, 13 DAYS to start voting with the Obama Administration.

    I’m listening to Mike Church on Sirius Patriot Radio 144 absolutely shred the guy, not to mention enjoy his well-deserved I-told-you-so’s.

  19. Emma Morrow
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 10:46 am

    Standing back and waiting for the old Republicans “their due” got us Bob Dole and John McCain.

    CPAC is demonstrating to the youth that Conservatives want NEW ideas, and that NO ONE has seniority.

  20. USMC
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 10:57 am

    Glenn Beck said himself that it must “be a bad year for CPAC if you have me speaking.”

    Levin is a partisan hack. I’ve lost all respect for him and his boy Dan Riehl. This is by far the dumbest thing I’ve seen from Levin and Rush.

    Riehl constantly whines about Beck being a “clown”. Yet Levin spends countless hours whining about “Weiner Nation”, “Chuckie Schumer”, “backbenchers”.

    Did you know Levin bitched that Beck was trying to take credit for the 9/12 rally in DC?
    Hey Levin who started the 9/12 movement?

    You missed another possibility…Hannity. Hannity is off the radar and I’ll wager Glenn is pouncing him in ratings or getting close.

    If Beck does something genuinely wrong, call him out! But if Levin bitches and whines like a girl because Beck never mentioned his book then is Levin really someone to follow and listen too?

    Levin is the reason I haven’t bought his book. I’m not giving that prick my money.

    Palin supported Beck’s speech will Rush and Levin disown Palin now?

    This petty, schoolgirl crap. Levin, Rush and Dan have hit the gutter. Levin is touted as some constitutional scholar yet I’ve learned more from Beck and Judge Napolitano then Levin.

    I question Levin, Rush and Dan’s real motives. Is it for Country or Party?

  21. USMC
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 10:59 am

    I forgot to add the cerebral, scholarly:

    “Get off the phone ya jerk!!”

    Yeah, Madison reincarnated!

  22. Mark Levin – Petty and Envious « The Radio Patriot
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 11:27 am

    [...] you’re not, you’re missing top shelf writing by an observant wit, by the way) — is commenting about it at his site today, wondering aloud at the apparent animosity on display toward Beck by fellow conservatives: My [...]

  23. theCL
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 12:02 pm

    I hate to say it (well I don’t, because I believe it’s healthy for the movement and country to an extent), but a fight is brewing, and the more people try to control the message (like Levin), the worse it’s going to get.

    I was introduced to politics in the sixth grade, Ronald Reagan’s first run. On my 18th birthday, I went straight to the Secretary of State to register as a Republican. I did a ton of voluntary work for the Bush Sr. campaign, so much so, I was invited as part of a small group of Republicans who rode a rock star-style bus to attend the debate in Lansing (sitting in primo seats to boot).

    Needless to say, Bush Sr.’s administration was beyond disappointing for a guy like me, and I’ve become continuously more disenchanted with the party as the years have gone by. I believe in freedom and liberty, the party (and often the movement) clearly doesn’t.

    More than anything, Ron Paul is a metaphor for genuine, constitutionally limited government. The vile attacks on him insult me, not because of the man, but because of the philosophy he represents – liberty. And Beck sometimes gets on my nerves, but he did an outstanding job with that speech! He spoke to people like me.

    I left a comment for Professor Douglas yesterday in which I basically said that the increasing attacks on the liberty-minded folks like me, is creating an increasing resentment within me, towards the conservative movement I’ve been a part of for the last 30 years.

    I’m just one person, but there are millions of people who feel the way I do. The attacks on Ron Paul don’t resonate as attacks on the man, but they resonate as attacks on the belief in a genuinely limited constitutional republic like the one we once enjoyed. The same could be said about the attacks on Beck’s speech.

    I’m loyal to myself and my beliefs long before I’m loyal to any movement, party or politician. If the mainstream types like Levin keep ripping on the liberty movement (especially as the economy continues to slide into oblivion), the irreconcilable split in the conservative movement that THEY are creating, will take us all to places none of us want to go.

    A fight is brewing, and the Levin-types are fanning the flames.

  24. Joe
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 12:23 pm

    I strangely enough agree with both of them, in part. Beck is right that the GOP has some issues. A GOP recovery is worthless if it (as in the majority of party leadership) does not change its ways on what led it to lose in 2006 and 2008 (and no it is not all George Bush). Given the the RNC is wracking up big bucks on stupid perks like private jets–the message has not yet sunk through to some individuals.

    Levin is right that we need to win elections. We do not group good Republicans with bad ones. And if you want to get rid of bad republicans, fight them in the primaries.

    Ron Paul is a nut job. Seriously he is. But that does not mean he is not right on fiscal restraint.

  25. Crabtree
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 12:26 pm

    Its possible that the sale proceedings of HotAir kept Malkin too busy to attend.

  26. Bob
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 12:44 pm

    Radio Equalizer popnts to Beck’s Lefty friends, global warmist feints and his very recent “conversion” to small government ideas.
    It’s much easier for the Left to put a mole in place–a well paid mole–whose assig. is to get as big an audience as possible by mouthing just what the slightly disgrunted want to hear and then push for a split of some kind–a 3rd party, Ron Paul, Himself. He disclaims that’s what he is doing, but by the 2012 elections Hillary will need every bleed off vote he can get her.

  27. Why Did CPAC Snub Mark Levin? | Right Wing News
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 1:01 pm

    [...] Shea King accused Levin of being motivated by "envy," and in support of that thesis quoted my own ruminations about this year's CPAC lineup.This puts me in a very awkward position, because I would very much want to be Levin's friend (no [...]

  28. chuck cross
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 1:33 pm

    @ theCL — very well said.

  29. mariner
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 1:40 pm

    I didn’t know about Levin until last year. When I saw how much effort he expends bashing other conservatives, I decided he isn’t worth listening to.

    Beck isn’t perfect. None of us is. But in the last year he has done more than any conservative except Rush to show the American people the truth behind Obama and his minions.

    The idea that he shouldn’t have addressed CPAC because he hasn’t been around long enough is offensive, and the people pushing it are exactly the elitists that conservatives need to overthrow to make the Republican party represent the rest of us.

  30. Rob Howard
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 1:43 pm

    Here we go again with the Levin is jealous meme. That’s stupid and false. The man has nothing to prove. I’m going to call this out when I see it from here on out because it makes perfectly no sense why a man such as Levin would be jealous of Glenn Beck.

    To me, Levin criticizes Beck because he says *stupid things*. Not all the time, but sometimes. Certainly, his pox on all your houses routine is harmful and untrue. His claims that he was the only one being critical of Republicans and Bush is also wrong.

    Levin’s point is that Beck shifts from conservatism, populism, and libertarianism constantly to the point where he is hard to follow.

    And by the way, to deny Levin’s extremely keen intellect because of his bombast, proves you do not give him enough attention nor listen to his show for more than a few minutes.

    I don’t like infighting either. But Beck sometimes behaves like a useful idiot and he needs to be called out for it.

  31. There’s a Fight Brewing in the Conservative Movement
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 1:45 pm

    [...] more of my thoughts, please see my comments here and here. As I was thinking about writing this post, I came across another that says it better than I ever [...]

  32. Joe
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 1:59 pm

    I like Mark Levin. He is a cranky outspoken New Yorker and is annoying as hell. He missed his chance to be a career State Department diplomat. I still like him.

    Beck is Beck. I like Beck more than I like…say Bill O’Reilly. I disagree on some of Beck’s demogoguery, but he is not just a shameless populist. I definitely like Beck a lot more than Olbermann. But Beck is also no Rush and that is what Levin is saying. And Levin is right. Beck is not in that league.

  33. K~Bob
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 3:42 pm

    I won’t weigh in on Beck. He has enough fans. Levin’s behavior toward him is amateurish as hell. It’s one thing to start a fight with someone to get some attention (it’s in your rules). It’s another thing entirely to accept the role of backstabbing weasel (earned or not).

    But enough of that.

    Derb and Ponnuru? You gotta be freaking kidding me. Derb gets squishy as hell, just when you get used to him standing firm on stuff. And Ramesh Ponnuru, who is at least at intellectually gifted as Charles Krauthammer, is nonetheless an eeyore of the first magnitude. While others in the NR masthead are focusing on the Bright Tomorrows of Reaganism, you’ll typically find the estimable Mr. Ponnuru gloomily pointing out the inconsistencies, the intellectual gaps, and the statistics errors of the home team. All, of course, in an effort to “not look like the other side.”

    When you only have two parties (of note), you cannot avoid massive problems associated with Niven’s Law #16. Ramesh should stop with the “own goals.” Or at least cut the practice down to a dull, eeyorish roar.

    I love the guy’s service to ideas, but dang!

  34. CPAC 2010: Chalk Board Edition : Conservative Compendium
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 3:54 pm

    [...] also agree with RS McCain that some of the criticisms of Beck stink of professional jealousy.  How dare this upstart get a [...]

  35. Sydney Brillo Duodenum
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 5:08 pm

    Levin stated on his Facebook page:

    “I was invited to be the opening speaker at Saturday’s CPAC session. I had accepted but then, to my amazement, I learned that the John Birch Society would be one of many co-sponsors. This takes the big-tent idea many steps too far for me. So, I withdrew. Apparently, others were not so moved. That’s fine. But it wasn’t for me. Bill Buckley and Barry Goldwater, among others, chased the Birchers from the movement decades ago. And they’re not a part of the movement. So, to give them a booth at CPAC was boneheaded.”

  36. A Summary of the Glenn Beck Kerfuffle | Little Miss Attila
    February 24th, 2010 @ 5:49 pm

    [...] for the Jonah Goldberg link goes to Stacy McCain, who also has some thoughts on the Beck [...]

  37. The Monster
    February 25th, 2010 @ 6:56 pm

    Well, my respect for Levin went down a notch. What is so horrible about the John Birch Society that he can’t speak at a conference co-sponsored by them?

    I think the JBS was one of the first practical demonstrations of Alinsky tactics to fix a target, isolate it, etc. The very name of the organization has become synonymous with “kook”, and why? What position has the JBS taken that is so far beyond the pale that respectable folks can’t associate with them?

  38. Sherry
    July 24th, 2010 @ 12:27 am

    I think it’s so obvious that Sean Hannity and Mark Levin are insanely jealous of Glenn Beck. My gosh, do they have to make it so obvious??? You would assume that they would try to show support for a fellow conservative and so what if they disagree on some topics, etc. Hannity is actually the worst because he is on the same tv station as Glenn Beck and yet if he is speaking about conservative talk show hosts, he mentions every other person beside Glenn Beck. Shame on him and Mark Levin.

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