How Glenn Beck led his tea party followers into the GOP
Posted in Main Blog (All Posts) on October 30th, 2010 4:46 am by HL
How Glenn Beck led his tea party followers into the GOP
Glenn Beck’s political activism — from the 9/12 Project to his 8/28 rally — has made him a leader in the tea party movement. Beck has used that status to drive his followers into the Republican Party and bolster its get-out-the-vote efforts for the 2010 elections.
Analysis: Tea party supporters overwhelmingly support Beck
Analysis: Tea Party activists “deeply identify” with Beck. A July frequently promoted the Tea Party protests and hosted the organizers of several tea party events. On his April 8, 2009, radio show, Beck said he was “going to do a fundraiser for” the organizers of the April 15, 2009, San Antonio tea party. Beck said that he “heard it’s like $500 a plate or something like that” and that he would speak at the luncheon. Beck later announced he would not serve as the keynote speaker for the San Antonio tea party rally, as he had originally intended, but Beck reportedly still headlined a fundraising luncheon for the tea party organizers on April 15. Beck hosted his April 15, 2009, show live from the Alamo.
Beck aligns himself, his 9/12 Project with tea party movement
Beck started 9/12 Project, whose members helped to organize 9-12 protests. On March 13, 2009, Beck announced the launch of his 9-12 Project, whose members helped organize and turn out participants to the 9-12 protest. Beck reported that “[o]rganizers say the 9/12 movement began with Fox News television personality Glenn Beck ‘to help remind us of where we were after the attacks on 9/11/2001,’ said Michael Gallops of the Rowlett Tea Party.”
Beck: “You’ve got to unite” through 9/12 Project. On August 27, 2009, Beck said of the 9-12 Project: “A few months ago, I told you, you got to know you’re not alone. You’ve got to know. You got to unite. Talk to people. Make sure you know you’re not alone, through the 9-12 Project. We started that. Millions all involved across the country and the 9-12 Project and other organizations like it. I knew we needed to connect with one another.”
Tea Party Express tour led to Beck-promoted 9/12 gathering. Beck reads a FreedomWorks ad on-air. In one such ad, Beck said that “I don’t want you to do anything that brings you into line with progressives, but I want you to look for people that have some structure and some framework that can move and motivate a lot of people and can keep you connected. FreedomWorks has that infrastructure.”
FreedomWorks, tea party group align with Beck’s 8/28 rally
Beck planned to tell 8/28 rally attendees to get involved with FreedomWorks. In an article on Beck’s August 28 “Restoring Honor” rally, Politico asked, “What kind of help do you need?” DeMint promptly directed Beck’s viewers to a GOP fundraising website. Beck also allowed Bachmann to plug her Facebook page, where viewers could donate to her campaign, as well as her political action committee
Beck: “Vote however you want,” but “it’s usually the Republican.” On the October 27 edition of his Fox News show, Beck said that “Your first priority as an American should not be for the R or the D. … You vote for the candidate with honor and integrity, the one who stands for the Constitution, one that is for smaller government and cutting spending. ” Beck added, “You vote however you want. That’s what I look for. And if it’s — well, it’s usually the Republican.”
Beck is not “telling you who to vote for,” except when he does. Despite repeatedly saying he does not endorse candidates and isn’t “telling you who to vote for,” Beck has made clear to his audience which candidates he thinks they should support or oppose in the upcoming midterm elections, often praising Republican candidates or attacking their Democratic opponents.
Beck’s get-out-the-vote effort mirrors that of his employer. Media Matters has detailed how, during the 2009-2010 election cycle, more than 30 Fox News personalities — including Beck — have endorsed, raised money, or campaigned for Republican candidates or organizations in a total of more than 600 instances. Fox News’ Republican get-out-the-vote operation has intensified as the election has drawn nearer as GOP candidates have flocked to the network for softball interviews.
