A non-free pass would mean Beck actually took responsibility for his actions and apologized rather than than attempt to excuse himself with false equivalence.
Let's be clear, he baselessly demonized Obama's presidency while the man was actively trying to reach across the aisle and even brought numerous Republicans into his administration. Beck fed lies and hate to incite an angry mob, and was a key player in the last eight years of the bitterest partisan divide and obstruction that we've experienced in the modern era. And now he's minimizing Trump's vile words and actions -- arguably a direct product of the climate Beck helped create -- because somehow Beck's own insane apocalyptic fantasies about Obama should normalize them? That is the furthest thing from an apology. It's a gross insult to anyone familiar with the facts, a cynical attempt to abdicate his personal responsibility, and attempts to mainstream the worst of Trump's behavior.
No. What Glenn Beck is doing right now is just pandering to his own audience that he was at risk of losing entirely if he didn't eventually fall in line with Trump.
I wonder whether you actually read the article you linked, because here's how he tries to shift the blame and deny his own accountability:
>Now, I’ve got people on the left accusing me of creating Donald Trump. And I’m like, “But I’m against Donald Trump. I warned against a guy like Donald Trump.” Well, you created the conditions that grew Donald Trump. “No, I didn’t. I think it was the government — both parties that weren’t listening to the people, that the people got so frustrated they wanted to burn the whole thing down.”
And here's the only thing he apologizes for -- a bullshit non-apology for tone rather than substance:
> And so I’ve been ringing that bell. And I’ve been telling you, “This is going to end in disaster. It’s going to end in disaster.” No exits left. There’s a cliff coming. That’s what I want to apologize for. I still believe that: there’s a cliff coming. But that is such a hopeless message that I can barely survive. And it’s because I have gazed upon the problems. That which you gaze upon, you become.
I'm not going to waste more time debating this, because there's literally nothing to debate. Beck did tremendous damage to the political discourse, and he's never owned up to to it. And what he's doing now to normalize Trump's dangerous behavior is only making the situation worse.
I realize you don't want to debate, and I don't either (based on what you've written in this thread, I mostly agree with you). But, I've been listening to the guy on the radio for the last 2 years and I feel like I've heard this change/realization slowly happening over these 2 years. I never saw the guy on TV, and didn't even know who he was until South Park parodied him in 2010. He still has work to do (obviously), and I just think it is best to have these discussions with people so that more empathy prevails in our country. We just need less hate.
I think you've mistaken me for someone who disagrees with you. Upthread I said he doesn't get a free pass; any non-free pass this fuckface gets should be extremely expensive.
I actually watch Fox with some regularity and follow various conservative news sources. I may not agree with the views, but I want to understand where people are coming from. And Beck's show was consistently so far beyond the pale.
The non-free pass would be that he is rejected from moving toward the center, or even left. Banished to the hellhole he created for himself. He can cry his tears alone in the dark for all I care. His is a poisonous personality.
