This afternoon in Washington, D.C., Glenn spoke at the Values Voter Summit on the extraordinary change occurring throughout politics in America and the role faith is going to play.
"I think we're on the verge of extraordinary times," Glenn told the crowd, "and I think our vision is way too small."
As one attendee tweeted, with his chalkboard at his side, Glenn poised to lay out the facts about what challenges the country faces, and how, if people of faith don't stand firm, it could look like a "brave new world".
@glennbeck blackboard poised beck teaches us about the brave new world #vvs13 #beaware#faith— Patti Garibay (@PattiGaribay) October 12, 2013
Glenn pointed out that there have been amazing advancements in technology — things that could empower Americans to educate themselves beyond their imagination without stepping foot on a college campus, but they're also shifting the focus of many from what matters and causing those in power to hold onto it as strongly as possible.
"90% of what you're living is garbage," Glenn noted, pointing out how families sit around the dinner table with their eye fixed to their mobile device or watching TV.
Glenn's point here wasn't that technology is bad, he encourages his audience to use social media every day to spread the truth, his point is that we're allowing it to shift our focus from what we're supposed to be doing and who we really are. It's taking individuals into a world of virtual reality, further away from the truth. Hardly something Americans need in a time when the media and politicians are running from reality as fast as possible.
The Beck household has a new policy now, Glenn explained, no video games in the house. Not because Glenn thinks video games are evil, but because his son was so fixated on the virtual, not the real. The information and communication advancements are incredible and useful, but they're for life outside of the house.
"I put on our chalkboard at home: The next person caught playing video games in this home can find all of the electronics at the bottom of the pool," Glenn said.
Despite the universal opposition to Glenn's new rule (including his own), overnight the family dynamics fundamentally changed. They spent more time talking and interacting with one another, reading the scriptures together, it kept them from being distracted from one another at home.
Glenn compared this to what he believes the country needs to. Not cut out electronics, but interact with one another on a personal level. Focus on the things that matter.
"It's not hard to fix the things that are wrong with our world," Glenn explained, "because we are all individually broken."
Glenn explained that as a nation, America is focused on the wrong things and losing its way, because our families are focused on the wrong things. And, many Americans are looking for someone else to fix the problems.
"When the country was founded, what used to be at the center of every town?" Glenn asked the audience.
The answer: The Church.
"What's at the center now?" he continued.
Shopping and entertainment.
Glenn's point? It's no secret that Americans are fat and addicted to entertainment. But while progressive mayors, like Bloomberg, go after the businesses, Glenn pointed out that it's a problem with the individual and the family, not the overall community. Almost all of our problems can be boiled down to the individual level.
"We are fat and addicted to entertainment and television," Glenn continued. "If you're designing a house, what is at the center? Your kitchen and living room."
"What we design is who we are," he added. "It's time to redesign."
And Glenn wasn't just talking about our neighborhoods, but the whole system. The country, from an individual level to a national level needs to be redesigned to focus on the truth and the individual.
Using education as an example, Glenn explained that the solution isn't clearly not looking to government leaders for solutions to the problems with society, the solutions is shifting focus back to the things that matter — who we are, faith, family, and charity.
"Serving God is serving your fellow man," he said to the Values Voter attendees. "That's the American religion. That's why we're charitable. Serve your fellow man."
Glenn noted that serving our fellow man and a belief in a better tomorrow are what make America exception. He went on to recount the true story of Thomas Edison and Tesla. While most give credit for the innovation of affordable electricity to Edison, it's Tesla who was responsible for a/c (the alternating current). For that history, click HERE, but it all boils down to one man trying to hold onto power instead of doing what's right for the individual.
Does that remind you of anything going on just down the street at in the Capitol building? It should, and that's where Glenn was headed next.
Wrapping up his speech, Glenn told the crowd that they are close to winning. He pointed out the dismal poll number from inside the GOP that are being reported across the media — except, he had a different take. What the media isn't tell the public is that the low GOP approval rating is from Republicans. Americans are upset with the leadership in the Republican Party because they aren't representing them. Instead, they're focused on holding onto power.
“You are looking at a one party system,” Beck told the audience Saturday at the Values Voters Summit in Washington.
“You’re looking at a system with John Boehner, John Cornyn, Lindsey Graham, Chuck Schumer, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, they’re all the same. I am thrilled to say we are finally standing up. We are finally saying ‘No, this is what we believe and we will not move.”
Beck said the notion that Cruz and Lee will harm the Republican Party by holding firm against Obamacare is wrong.
“I’m tired of people saying, ‘oh but we might lose, yes. And we just might win,” Beck said, causing the ballroom to erupt in a rousing standing ovation.
He also pointed out that President Obama’s approval rating now is three points lower than President George W. Bush’s approval rating was at this point in his second term. Given that Obama has the backing of the media when Bush had the scorn of the media, Beck said he believes Republicans should show more backbone.
“The guy who had the press going after him saying, I think this guy might be a vampire,” Beck said of Bush. He added of Obama, “He has the movies. He has the university system. He has television. He has the news. He has GE, Comcast, and NBC. And he still has a lower approval rating than Bush.”
“Why are Republicans at 28 percent approval? I’m surprised they’re that high,” Beck said. “They will tell you because of peope like Ted Cruz or people like Mike Lee. That couldn’t be further from the truth. I believe those two guys are stopping the Republicans from having an 18 percent approval rating. These guys are truly remarkable. They both went to their constituents in the election and said, this is exactly who I am and this is exactly what I’m going to do. And now they are getting hammered by the press and the Republicans for doing exactly what they said they were going to do.”
Americans want a party that actually represents them.
"We don't want to start a third party," he noted, comparing the lack of principle in the GOP with the Whig party — the party the Republicans rose from the ashes of.
“Let me tell you a little story. History repeats itself. ‘You don’t want to start a third party.’ But there were about 20 Whigs and a few Democrats who said, you’re lying to us. It’s time to end slavery and you’re lying to us.”
Seeming to make a comparison to Ted Cruz, Beck noted how “Charles Sumner was one of the most unpopular senators. He was tearing apart the Whig party. Everything you’re hearing has happened before.”
He added, “It was six years later that a big gawky skinny guy with a goofy hat stood up and said I’m a Republican and I’m going to end slavery."
"You’re on the verge of winning. And it’s going to happen quickly if you don’t compromise you’re values."
