Editor's Note: The following is based on Glenn's monologue from November 7, 2016.
Tuesday, we vote. Tomorrow, we vote for president of the United States. But on Wednesday, we vote for us. We vote for America. We vote to define our future. What kind of future do we want? What kind of future will we create? I'm a big believer of, as a man thinketh, he becomes. What we think, we will become and create.
I think I'm actually finding beginning to get it. I really do. I don't know how I would have done things over again if I had to do them with the same information, you know, from the past. I think I would do it exactly the same way I did. It was the best I could do.
Wednesday, It's About Us
Wednesday, we have a chance to do it all over again. And this time, we have more information.
For instance, it's not about the leader. It's not about the Republicans. It's not about the Democrats. I get that now.
It's about us. And that's the good news. Because what made America great in the first place was us. America is good.
Some people in the press are saying that people like me created Donald Trump, which is absurd, like I had that much power --- but I didn't. Neither did the Republicans. Neither did the right. Neither did the left. Neither did the Democrats. Neither did Barack Obama.
Some on the right say that Barack Obama created Donald Trump. I think they're incorrect as well. We all together created the conditions that allowed a Donald Trump to flourish. And the same with Hillary Clinton. All of us. Those who stood or still stand cheering or defending those things that we know are wrong. And I'm going to add another group in. In fact, a much larger group.
Why Is the Majority Silent?
You know who else helped create Donald Trump? Those who remained silent the entire time. Do you know that only 18 percent of the American people of voting age actually vote for president of the United States. It's down to 18 percent.
The silent have a ton to answer for. Same thing with Hillary Clinton. The left says, What have you conservatives nominated? Yeah, yeah.
Hey, progressives, hold on just a sec. Take a look at what you nominated. And the right can't blame her for getting away with corruption.
She's gotten away with corruption! The Democrats, the press -- no, no, no. No, no.
Practice What You Preach
A recent study conducted by members of the faith community showed that when it comes to corruption and the things that we do in our own life, Christians show no statistical deviation from those not claiming faith. In fact, those who claim that they have no faith, in some areas, have higher marks than Christians.
So if we aren't living it, why should our politicians be expected to?
I mean, this is our own life. In our own life -- she's getting away with it. We celebrate cheating in taxes as a culture now. We celebrate Ashley Madison.
For the love of gosh, Ashley Madison. They were exposed and something broke in, took all of the addresses and names, exposed all the people that were paying to cheat on their spouse, and they still are in business. We celebrate cheating.
I want you to know, all of the things that I warned about -- extremism, civil unrest, monetary crisis, war -- it's all coming. And I believe the average person can feel it. It's what they feel inside. It's not a prediction. It's a warning. And something is ringing in us saying, Boy, Tuesday is really important and kind of scary.
But let me point something out.
Principles Over Parties
All of these things aren't coming because of Barack Obama. They're not coming because of George W. Bush. They're not coming because Donald Trump wins or Hillary Clinton wins. They aren't coming because of Putin, Osama bin Laden or the Castro boys. It's because of the heading our mistakes and choices have set us on.
We failed by choosing a side over principles. Churchill said, Some men change their party for the sake of their principles, others change their principles for the sake of their party. Which one are we?
We failed the republic when we compromised what we knew to be true, because if we didn't, we wouldn't get what we wanted.
Now, take this out of politics. This is true -- the banks. Oh, the banks. Boy, the banks sure have ripped us off. Really? Let's go with the banks here a second. Wasn't it the banks that fail us or the fact that what we wanted, we wanted so badly that we chose to believe that zero down, no interest, and no proof of income was sound banking.
They didn't con us into that. We wanted to believe that. Because we wanted the stuff that loan would buy us.
Do We Have Higher Standards?
Let me take on the press here for a second.
Has the press failed us? Sure. Sure.
But why did they fail us? Let's take a look at what we've created to disrupt the press.
Is Breitbart and Drudge right now any better than CNN, NBC, ABC? Are they any better? Yeah, they might be much, much worse. In fact, I contend they are much, much worse. But it's on our side. And so the sites that we created and we support, because the press is so lopsided, we tolerate because it helps us get what we want.
If our side is winning, the ends justify the means. And let's not complain about the press. Because let's look at the press that we all now have. Because we're all publishers. You know that little thing on Facebook that says post, it should say publish. Because you're a publisher now. You can publish something for the world to see. Is your personal media -- your social media -- do you have higher standards than ABC and NBC? Do you have higher standards? Have you set a higher bar for truth and basic fairness?
Or when you see something, a headline, you don't even bother to read the whole story, let alone check out if that story is from a legitimate source, do you just post it?
Are we posting -- are we behaving in social media in ways our mothers would be ashamed of. And before you answer that, you better check your mother's social media. Because we may have to go back to her mother to find some shame.
Theater of the Absurd
We have changed, as a people. And it is no longer about how we play the game. It's only about winning. That's what this whole election is about. It's not about win or lose.
And we become so farcical, that Molière couldn't have come up with some of this stuff. In fact, we become so absurd that the writers at Saturday Night Live no longer even have to earn their money. Stenographers can just prepare Saturday Night Live by writing down what they hear in the news. That's it.
The point is, it isn't about them, whoever you wish to assign them. And this is where we can find our hope. Because the only thing we have power over is us. Once we center ourselves and we come back together, directed by a polar star, a set of principles, then we, the people can solve any problem.
And we do it every time. And usually, at the last hour. It wasn't Patton and Eisenhower or Churchill that saved the world from the evils of Hitler. It was the millions of people that we don't even know that fought on the beaches and -- and worked overtime in the factories. It was every individual choosing for themselves to rise above the madness.
And as a country and a people, we've done it time and time again. And, in fact, as a parent, as a human, most likely, you've done it time and time again. When you thought there was no way for you to go on, you got back up on your feet because you know, tomorrow is going to be better. Life goes on. It's what I choose to make it.
I deserve more than the misery that I'm in right now. We're better than this.
The Sun Rises on Wednesday
The election happens on Tuesday. That one day and that one day only. Then the sunrises again, and it's Wednesday, where we're going to be faced with an even bigger choice.
Right now, the polls say only 48 percent of the American people say they will stand with President Hillary if she's elected. And the number is much lower if it's Donald Trump.
You know, we used to say something, yes, he can get elected, but he won't be able to govern.
That used to matter, the coming together after the election and being able to govern. But it doesn't seem to matter anymore. It didn't in the primary. It's all about winning.
In fact, Donald Trump said something that I have to admit is true and I agree with. He said at one point, several times, You're going to get so sick of winning. And I remember thinking, That's ridiculous. Who is ever going to get sick of winning? Well, I am. If this is what winning is, I am sick of it already. I am deadly sick of it.
I know that's not what he meant, but if winning means that half the country loses, well, that's what causes civil unrest and civil war. And don't get me wrong, again, 48 percent say they'll accept Hillary. Less than that say they'll accept Donald Trump. It's both sides. It's all of us. But we do have another choice.
May I ask, when did we start allowing the president of the United States to affect our lives so much? I mean, it didn't affect our parents' lives to the degree that this has. This has been all consuming. Why did I allow myself to believe that if Obama won in 2012, the world would be over. The country wouldn't make it to 2016. I believed that, and let me flip it around. Do you know how many people there are that believe if Romney had won, life would not go on?
The people on the left, oh, my gosh. I would bet those people on the left that fought hard against Romney, that said he was the worst diabolical woman hater ever, those people who fought in 2012 against him would give their right arm for Mitt Romney right now.
Wednesday Will Define Us
What we do tomorrow is really important. What we do on Wednesday will define us. And the world will be watching. So I can't tell you what I'm going to do or what you should do. But I'm going to tell you what I'm going to do.
I believe that I have new information now. I've learned from past mistakes, and I see Wednesday as a chance to not repeat the mistakes that we made with the battle with Bush and Gore, and Bush and Kerry, and Barack Obama and John McCain, and Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. I've learned. So I'm going to spend the next four years taking the beam out of my own eye before I worry about anybody else.
I am not going to say that either one of these two is going to be the death of us, even though that's what I feel. But we're going to make it, because we have each other.
I am going to continue to speak up in defense of the principles that I believe in. I'll call out the leaders who fail to live up to those principles, or even their own principles. But I'm going to clean out my own house first. And I will stand with anyone who is honestly trying to do the same.
I'm not going to make it about him or her for president. I'm not going to make it about us versus them. I will listen more. I will learn more. I will read more. I will reach out more. I'm going to spend the next four years kissing 1,000 toads in an effort to find a single prince, one that is actually trying to do the same in his or her realm. May not find any, but I bet you we do.
And when we do, together, we will change the world for good. And that brings me to this. I'm going to stop worrying about doing well. I'm just going to worry about doing good, come what may.
Take to heart the meaning of the words, Those who are willing to lose their life will gain their life. Turn the other cheek. Don't strike back. Forgive 70 times 70.
I would ask the same, but I will find a way to love people, even if they don't do the same. Because I know people are in pain right now. People are frightened. People are angry. People are distrusting. And I get it. I am too.
But I'm going to do my best not to add to the anger or the distrust. And what's more, I will try to heal the wounds, even if new wounds are inflicted upon me by the person I'm trying to help.
To me, on Wednesday, we have a chance to say, it doesn't matter where you've been. It doesn't matter who you voted for in the past. It matters where you're headed. Words don't matter anymore, show me the deeds and that will tell me what you believe. Preach it all the time from the pulpit, brother. But I'm not going to join you until you get out of the pulpit and I see you living it at your toughest moment.
That's what made America great. I've been called crazy a lot lately. But I'm going to start taking that as a compliment. Because I think everybody can see the world is upside down and everybody has gone insane. And if that society calls into question my mental state, because I refuse to play this game another quarter, so be it.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results. So I'm going to do something entirely different. And I hope to gain different results.
And if they want to call me crazy, that's fine. Maybe it's time all of us go just a little bit crazy.
Listen to this segment from The Glenn Beck Program:
Featured Image: The Glenn Beck Program, November 7, 2016.
