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November 17, 2006

Some of Glenn Beck's best friends are Muslims

Glenn Beck recently interviewed Rep.-elect Keith Ellison (D-MN), the first Muslim ever elected to Congress. Not only did he suggest that Ellison is faced with the burden of proving he is not working with the terrorists, but he used the classic, "I don't have anything against Muslims, BUT..." line:

BECK: OK. No offense, and I know Muslims. I like Muslims. I've been to mosques. I really don't believe that Islam is a religion of evil. I -- you know, I think it's being hijacked, quite frankly.

With that being said, you are a Democrat. You are saying, "Let's cut and run." And I have to tell you, I have been nervous about this interview with you, because what I feel like saying is, "Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies."

And I know you're not. I'm not accusing you of being an enemy, but that's the way I feel, and I think a lot of Americans will feel that way.

ELLISON: Well, let me tell you, the people of the Fifth Congressional District know that I have a deep love and affection for my country. There's no one who is more patriotic than I am. And so, you know, I don't need to -- need to prove my patriotic stripes.

This sounds almost word for word like something you would hear on the Colbert Report, which, unlike Glenn Beck's interview, is satire.

Posted by Elyas Bakhtiari at 10:01 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

November 14, 2006

The Kingmaker?

Is Jon Stewart single-handedly responsible for the Democrats' success in the midterm elections? Townhall columnist Rusty Shackleford thinks so and compares Stewart's role in this election to Rush Limbaugh's in the 1994 Republican takeover of Congress.

Shackleford thinks it has to do with Jon Stewart's target audience:

In the 2004 election nearly as many young people cited The Daily Show as a source of news as any other source. And Jon Stewart's Daily Show audience has only grown since then.

On the college campus where I teach, Jon Stewart's is the first and last word on all things political. His is the only name that all recognize. It’s more than that: his views are the only views considered socially acceptable. When Jon Stewart believes something, students believe it. He who Jon Stewart hates, students hate.

He has a point, considering voter turnout among young people was up this year. At least 10 million "young people" between 18 and 29 voted. Nationwide, in House races, 61% of young people voted for Democratic candidates -- the highest proportion for any age group.

This could be because Jon Stewart told them to vote Democrat, as Shackleford implies. Or it could be because they were simply as fed up with Republican leadership as the rest of the country.


Posted by Elyas Bakhtiari at 4:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack