Here is Glenn Beck on Barack Obama:
For people who choose not to watch the whole video, Beck says that Obama has "a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture." The degree to which this sort of thing outrages you might depend on the type of day you are having (sometimes it is impossible to let Fox dictate your moods), but suffice it to say that after watching the video, I was pretty disgusted. Whether or nor Beck should apologize is beside the point; our public sphere is already awash with too many phony apologies. The real problem is that lunatics have big megaphones.
Over at the Corner, Jonah Goldberg (a frequent Beck guest), in an authentic profile in courage, rants about MSNBC before commenting:
Okay, so now I've watched it. I agree with a lot of it. But I don't think the words "a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture" were all that well chosen (which is clear since he later contradicts himself by "I'm not saying he doesn't like white people"), but on reflection--and viewing--I don't think he has to retract anything.
A couple things come to mind. First, in the same sentence that Beck generously allows that Obama may not in fact hate white people, Beck concludes by calling Obama a "racist"! Goldberg is apparently very easy to satisfy. And finally, notice the language: Golberg "does not think" Beck's comments were "all that well" chosen. What condemnation! Even the "serious" American right is in a pathetic state these days.
--Isaac Chotiner