Glenn's 2008 Message About Barack Obama Should Ring True for the Left in 2016

November 10, 2016

Writer

When Barack Obama was elected in 2008, Glenn went on air with a word of advice to Americans on both sides of the aisle. Hindsight being what it is, his message might be even more applicable today than it was back then.

From 2008:

He's going to be the President of the United States. Let's give the man the respect that the office deserves. Let's be better people than they were to George W. Bush, be better people than the left was to us. Let's treat them the way we would them to treat us.

And I believe that's by saying, congratulations, President-elect Barack Obama. You have the toughest job in the world. And in any way that I can, I will help you and support you. I am not going to sell out my values, but I think any man of honor, any man of integrity, any man who deserves to be in the Oval Office can appreciate that.

You're not their president. You're not the president of the left. You're the President of the United States. You're our President. You're my President.

In any way I can, without selling out my principles, we will help you.

Glenn reflected on this pivotal moment from the past during his radio program on Thursday. Echoing his own message from 2008, Glenn urged Americans --- and Republicans in particular --- to move forward with kindness.

"Let me give the advice on both sides: Republicans, please, do not push this pendulum. Do not go for revenge. Do not go for vengeance," Glenn said. "Dismantle the pendulum. Do not swing it so far, because as I said in 2008, it will swing back as far, if not farther than you push it."

He went on to call for Americans to reach out to those who did not vote for Donald Trump with decency and respect.

"It is our job to reach out now to our friends, our friends who didn't vote for Donald Trump," he said. "I know we had all kinds of words. Let's forget about that. Let's move forward."

Read below or listen to the full segment for answers to these pivotal questions:

• What did Glenn say in 2008 about the pendulum swinging?

• Why is it dangerous to concentrate too much power in one individual?

• Exit polling showed that 27 percent of voters want what?

• Why should we not dismiss the fears of those on the left?

• Should we treat liberals with more compassion and understanding?

Listen to this segment from The Glenn Beck Program:

Below is a rush transcript of this segment, it might contain errors:

GLENN: I want to play something that I said on this day in 2008, when Barack Obama -- and I want you to listen to this, especially if you didn't vote for Donald Trump or if you're on the left. I want you to listen what I said in 2008 on the day they announced that Barack Obama would be President-elect Barack Obama.

(audio starts)

I give the same warning to the Democrats that I gave to the Republicans in George Bush shortly after 9/11: Be careful how far you push this pendulum up. Because if you take this pendulum and try to swing it so far up, the pendulum always swings back. And when it does, it goes back as far, if not farther than you just swung it. That's what gave us Barack Obama.

What gave us Barack Obama was the pushing of that pendulum so far. The wrapping of America in the flag and everything else, and not really standing for anything, as they push this pendulum up. It's going to swing. Mark my words, Democrats. It will swing just as far the other way. And what I said was the danger after September 11th: You interject hunger and fear, that pendulum can stop. And it depends on who is in power that grabs that pendulum.

So while you may be happy today about Barack Obama, be careful what you do. Because we don't want an extremist on either end to grab the pendulum. We've got to -- we've got to bring the pendulum and stop it swinging so far and bring it closer to the center. We're not that different.

(audio ends)

PAT: That might be the truest best callback we've ever played of one of those clips, of something you said in the past.

GLENN: So that was 2008. So now let me issue an update on that.

We know that to be true now. We know that to be true.

PAT: Uh-huh.

GLENN: And one of the things we saw last night in the exit polling is that 27 percent of those who voted wanted a strong man. Wanted a strong man. That is the interjection of fear and hunger of -- it could be a million different things for a million different people. The pendulum swung too far.

If anybody was worried about the power of the government, like we were, if you weren't worried about that, during the Obama administration, we kept saying, "Somebody is going to come in that you're not going to like. You don't want to give them that much power."

So let me give the advice on both sides: Republicans, please, do not push this pendulum. Do not -- do not go for revenge. Do not go for vengeance. Do not take the IRS -- de-weaponize the IRS. Do not even allow it to continue to be weaponized. Dismantle the pendulum. Do not swing it so far -- because as I said in 2008, it will swing back as far, if not farther than you push it.

Now, let me give -- let me give some advice to the left that comes not from knowledge, but from wisdom. Because I've lived it.

Last night, I heard Donald Trump called everything. Everything. I realize -- I realize, as I pointed out under Barack Obama, there are echoes of 1933.

Now, you didn't want to hear that when I said that about Barack Obama. Too much power is being concentrated in one guy. Be careful. That's what happened in 1933. Okay. You didn't like it.

Last night, I heard so many comparisons of Donald Trump to Hitler. And we, on the right must not dismiss their fear.

For instance, people who are saying, people are going to be scooped up in the middle of the night, blah, blah, blah, blah. You may not believe that. You may say, "That will never happen." But instead of saying, "Oh, stop it. He's not going to ban all Muslims. Stop it." That's a real fear. Remember the fears that you had under Barack Obama. They could tell you a million times it wasn't going to happen, that he wasn't going to suspend the election, but a lot of people still had that fear and wouldn't let go of it.

And every time they said, "Oh, please," that's ridiculous, what happened? Did you feel better?

We have to say: Look, I don't believe he's going to scoop up Muslims. I don't think that's going to happen. He's not going to ban all Muslims.

But let me tell you something, if he does, I'm on your side. I'm on your side. I will stand against anyone who does anything against a man because of their religious beliefs. I'm for the Constitution. Don't worry about it.

And if we cross that bridge, we're going to cross that bridge together. Take that attitude instead of dismissing their fears because many on the left are truly afraid today. They need reassurance from reasonable people on the right.

STU: And that's what Trump tried to do in that speech.

GLENN: Exactly right.

STU: That's what he did.

GLENN: Exactly right.

STU: That was his point in the speech, I think.

GLENN: Yes. So we need to make an effort. It is our job to reach out now to our friends, our friends who didn't vote for Donald Trump. They don't have to be on the left. They could be people who didn't vote for Donald Trump. And they're on the right. And they're constitutionalists.

You need to tell them today, "Don't worry about it. I know we had all kinds of words. I know we had all kinds of words. Let's forget about that. Let's move forward."

Listen, if he would do something like that -- which he's not -- don't dismiss their fears. Please. Learn from my mistakes from 2010.

The other thing, to the left, every time you call him Hitler, believe me, because my job -- I see my job as using history to teach. That's not what you're doing.

When I'm using it, I'm taking a historic piece and saying, "Look at this piece. This piece looks exactly like 1934." But what you're doing is you're saying, "He's Hitler." No, he's not. Only Hitler is Hitler.

But you -- when I said that about Barack Obama --

PAT: I don't believe you ever said Barack Obama is Hitler.

GLENN: No. No, I didn't. Never did. Never did.

But I did say, "These earmarks happened at that time."

PAT: Yeah.

GLENN: And this could be very Hitler-esque.

PAT: Yeah.

GLENN: This is how it started. The seeds are very important to point out. So I will listen to you on the seeds. When you say, "Glenn, look at this," I am going to say to you, "I know. I know. But I'm with you if we continue down that road. I'm not going to dismiss that warning." But don't -- I'm telling the left, do not call people sexists, racists, Hitler.

PAT: Hmm.

GLENN: Don't do it?

PAT: Too late.

GLENN: It's not too late.

PAT: But they were doing it last night. All night long.

GLENN: I know. But today, we have to have a period of forgiveness. They're scared. And we also have to have -- please, I am the guy out of everybody in the country, I'm the guy who knows these things because I've learned them firsthand. You won't get anyone on our side to listen to you if you do what you did to George W. Bush or what we did to Barack Obama. It will only get worse, which will cause the right to push the pendulum even further and dismiss you and say, "You're a bunch of kooks anyway. I'm not listening to you."

Please, please, the left has a --

PAT: And they feel justified because that's what they did to the right in 2008.

GLENN: Correct. And we felt justified. We felt justified.

PAT: Uh-huh.

GLENN: They will feel justified too. We must be better. They -- we have to listen to them. Please. Listen to them.

Anybody who is on the left, don't be angry. Please don't be angry. It won't get you anywhere.

I will fight by your side. I hope I have gained some credibility with people on any side, that I am a constitutionalist. And I will stand next to any man who stands for the Constitution. I will stand by your right for religion, for speech, political, abhorrent speech, I will stand by your side. But I will tell you this: I understand your fear. But as a guy who has learned firsthand, you're going to survive, to the right, don't punish. Please, don't punish.

2020 is going to look very, very different than 2016. If we are lucky, Donald Trump will be the president of all of our dreams. We have a chance to change things. But if we engage in vindictiveness and anger on any side, our children lose.

Let's be better people, please.

Featured Image: US President Barack Obama waves as he arrives on the South Lawn of the White House March 6, 2009 in Washington, DC. Obama was returning after making remarks at the Columbus (Ohio) Police Graduation Exercise earlier in the day. (Photo by Ron Sachs-Pool/Getty Images)

Critical theory destroys truth and justice

Editor's note: This article was originally published on TheBlaze.com.

Critical theory once stood out as the absurd progressive notion that it is. Now, its maxims are becoming an integral part of ordinary political discourse. The more you repeat a lie, the more you will believe it, and this is the very dangerous place in which we find ourselves today.

Take this critical theory maxim as an example: If we desire justice, we must sometimes champion what may appear superficially as injustice. It's a necessary evil, if you will, the necessity of “controlled injustice.”

By using truth through fabrication and controlled injustice for justice, we’ll save the republic. We’ll be acting in a noble way.

This definition of justice is defined by the “oppressed,” not the “oppressor.” It is the greatest happiness for the greatest number. To achieve this justice, however, we need to endorse acts on occasion that, while seemingly unjust, serve a higher purpose. It will ensure the stability and the unity of our republic, and this may manifest in ways that seem contradictory to our values. But these are the necessary shadows to cast light on “true justice.”

And isn’t that what we are all after, anyway?

Here’s another critical theory maxim: Sometimes we find the truth through fabrication. Our pursuit of truth sometimes requires a strategic use of falsehoods. The truth is a construct that has been shaped and tailored to promote the well-being of the collective.

We sometimes need to accept and propagate lies designed by "the system” — not the old system, but the system that we’re now using to replace the old to get more justice through injustice and more truth through fabrication.

We’re engaging in a higher form of honesty. When we fabricate, it’s for the right reason. We are reaching up to the heavens fighting for a higher sort of honesty. To fortify the truth, we occasionally must weave a tapestry of lies. Each thread, essential for the greater picture, will ultimately define our understanding and ensure our unity under this infallible wisdom.

The election is coming up. Does this maxim sound familiar? Many think it is imperative that we secure our republic through election control to maintain our republic. Sometimes, we might need to take actions that by traditional standards might be questionable.

The act of securing elections requires cheating. It's not mere deception. It is a noble act of safeguarding our way of life. We're on the verge of losing this democracy, and without deception, we will lose it.

To ensure it doesn't fall into the hands of those we know will destroy it, we may have to make a few fabrications. We're fabricating stories to be able to control or secure the republic through our elections. By using truth through fabrication and controlled injustice for justice, we'll save the republic. Therefore, we'll be acting in a noble way. Stealing an election from those who wish to harm our society is truly an act of valor and an essential measure to protect our values and ensure the continuation of our just society.

If we desire justice, we must sometimes champion what may appear superficially as injustice.

I know it's a paradox of honor through dishonor. But in this context, by embracing the dishonor, we achieve the highest form of honor, ensuring the stability and the continuation of our great republic.

Let this be heard, far and wide, as a great call to patriotic action. As we advance, let each of us, citizens of this great and honorable republic, consider these principles. Not as abstract or paradoxical but as practical guides to daily life. Embrace the necessity of controlled injustice, the utility of lies, the duty to secure our electoral process, and the honor and apparent dishonor. These are not merely strategies for survival. They are prerequisites for our prosperity.

We all have to remember that justice is what our leaders define, that truth is what our party tells us. Our republic stands strong on the values of injustice for justice, honor through dishonor, and the fabrication of truths. To deviate from this path is to jeopardize the very fabric of our society. Strength through unity; unity through strength.

We've heard this nonsense for so long. But now, this nonsense is becoming an instituted reality, and we are entering perilous times. Don't be fooled by the narratives you will hear during the march to November. Never let someone convince you that the ends justify the means, that a little bit of injustice is needed to achieve a broader, collective vision of justice, that truth sometimes requires fabricated lies and narratives. If we do, justice will cease to be justice, truth will cease to be truth, and our republic will be lost.

Top 5 MOST EVIL taxes the government extorts from you

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"In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes." -Ben Franklin

The injustice of taxation has been a core issue for Americans since the very beginning of our country, and it's a problem we have yet to resolve. This belief was recently reignited in many Americans earlier this month on tax day when the numbers were crunched and it was discovered that the government was somehow owed even more hard-earned money. As Glenn recently discussed on his show, it's getting to be impossible for most Americans to afford to live comfortably, inflation is rising, and our politicians keep getting richer.

The taxpayer's burden is heavier than ever.

The government is not above some real low blows either. While taxes are a necessary evil, some taxes stretch the definition of "necessary" and emphasize the "evil." Here are the top five most despicable taxes that are designed to line the IRS coffers at your expense:

Income Tax

Joe Raedle / Staff | Getty Images

"It would be a hard government that should tax its people one-tenth part of their income." -Ben Franklin

On February 24th, 2024 we hit a very unfortunate milestone, the 101st anniversary of the 16th Amendment, which authorized federal income tax. Where does the government get the right to steal directly out of your paycheck?

Death Taxes

Dan Mullan / Staff | Getty Images

"Now my advice for those who die, Declare the pennies on your eyes" -George Harrison

Not even in death can you escape the cold pursuit of the tax collector. It's not good enough that you have to pay taxes on everything you buy and every penny you make your entire life. Now the feds want a nice slice, based on the entire value of your estate, that can be as much as 40 percent. Then the state government gets to stick their slimy fingers all over whatever remains before your family is left with the crumbs. It's practically grave-robbery.

Payroll

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

"The power to tax is the power to destroy." -John Marshall

What's that? The nice chunk of your paycheck the government nabs before you can even get it to the bank wasn't enough? What if the government taxed your employer just for paying you? In essence, you make less than what your agreed pay rate is and it costs your employer more! Absolutely abominable.

Social Security

VALERIE MACON / Contributor | Getty Images

"We don't have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven't taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much." -Ronald Reagan

Everyone knows the collapse of Social Security is imminent. It has limped along for years, only sustained by a torrent of tax dollars and the desperate actions of politicians. For decades, people have unwillingly forked over money into the system they will never see again.

FICA

Kevin Dietsch / Staff | Getty Images

"What at first was plunder assumed the softer name of revenue." -Thomas Paine

FICA is the payroll equivalent of Social Security. Your employer has to match however much you pay. It means it costs your employer even more to pay you—again, you'll NEVER see that money. At this point, are you even working for yourself, or are you just here to generate money for the government to frivolously throw away?

5 DISTURBING ways World War III will be different from previous wars

Oleg Nikishin / Stringer | Getty Images

Has World War III begun?

Over the weekend, Iran launched an unprecedented attack against Israel involving over 300 missiles and drones. This marked the first direct attack on Israel originating from Iranian territory. Fortunately, according to an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, 99 percent of missiles and drones were successfully neutralized by Israeli defense systems. Iran claimed that the operation against Israel had concluded and that no further offensive was planned, although the possibility of another attack is still present.

This has left many people, including Glenn, wondering the same thing: did we just witness the start of World War III?

Glenn recently had a World War II Air Force Veteran as a guest on his TV special, who told stories of the horrors he and his brothers-in-arms faced in the skies over war-torn Europe. This was a timely reminder of the terrors of war and a warning that our future, if it leads to another world war, is a dark one.

But, if Glenn's coverage of the Iranian attack revealed one thing, it's that World War III will look nothing like the world wars of the twentieth century. Long gone are the days of John "Lucky" Luckadoo and his "Bloody Hundredth" bravely flying their B-17s into battle. Over the weekend, we saw hundreds of autonomous drones and missiles clashing with extreme speed and precision over several different fronts (including space) simultaneously. This ain't your grandfather's war.

From EMP strikes to cyber attacks, here are FIVE ways the face of war has changed:

EMP attacks

New York Daily News Archive / Contributor | Getty Images

The entire modern world, on every level, is completely dependent on electricity. From your home refrigerator to international trade, the world would come to a grinding halt without power. And as Glenn has pointed out, it wouldn't even be that hard to pull off. All it would take is 3 strategically placed, high-altitude nuclear detonations and the entire continental U.S. would be without power for months if not years. This would cause mass panic across the country, which would be devastating enough on its own, but the chaos could be a perfect opportunity for a U.S. land invasion.

Nuclear strikes

Galerie Bilderwelt / Contributor | Getty Images

Nuclear war is nothing new. Many of us grew up during the Cold War, built fallout shelters, and learned to duck and cover. But times have changed. The Berlin Wall fell and so did the preparedness of the average American to weather a nuclear attack. As technology has advanced, more of our adversaries than ever have U.S. cities within their crosshairs, and as Glenn has pointed out, these adversaries are not exactly shy about that fact. Unfortunately, the possibility of an atomic apocalypse is as real as ever.

Immigration warfare

Nick Ut / Contributor | Getty Images

The strategy of strangling an opposing nation's economy to gain the upper hand is a wartime tactic as old as time. That's why the Border Crisis is so alarming. What better way to damage an opponent's economy than by overburdening it with millions of undocumented immigrants? As Glenn has covered, these immigrants are not making the trek unaided. There is a wide selection of organizations that facilitate this growing disaster. These organizations are receiving backing from around the globe, such as the WEF, the UN, and U.S. Democrats! Americans are already feeling the effects of the border crisis. Imagine how this tactic could be exploited in war.

Cyber shutdowns

Bill Hinton / Contributor | Getty Images

Cyber attacks will be a major tactic in future wars. We've already experienced relatively minor cyber strikes from Russia, China, and North Korea, and it is a very real possibility that one of our adversaries inflicts a larger attack with devastating consequences on the United States. In fact, the WEF has already predicted a "catastrophic" cyber attack is imminent, and Glenn suggests that it is time to start preparing ourselves. A cyber attack could be every bit as devastating as an EMP, and in a world run by computers, nothing is safe.

Biological assault

WPA Pool / Pool | Getty Images

Don't trust the "experts." That was the takeaway many of us had from the pandemic, but something less talked about is the revelation that China has manufactured viruses that are capable of spreading across the globe. We now know that the lab leak hypothesis is true and that the Wuhan lab manufactured the virus that infected the entire world. That was only ONE virus from ONE lab. Imagine what else the enemies of America might be cooking up.

The government is WAGING WAR against these 3 basic needs

NICHOLAS KAMM / Contributor | Getty Images

The government has launched a full-on assault against our basic needs, and people are starting to take notice.

As long-time followers of Glenn are probably aware, our right to food, water, and power is under siege. The government no longer cares about our general welfare. Instead, our money lines the pockets of our politicians, funds overseas wars, or goes towards some woke-ESG-climate-Great Reset bullcrap. And when they do care, it's not in a way that benefits the American people.

From cracking down on meat production to blocking affordable power, this is how the government is attacking your basic needs:

Food

Fiona Goodall / Stringer | Getty Images

Glenn had Rep. Thomas Massie on his show where he sounded the alarm about the attack on our food. The government has been waging war against our food since the thirties when Congress passed the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938. They started by setting strict limits on how many crops a farmer could grow in a season and punishing anyone who grew more—even if it was intended for personal use, not for sale on the market. This sort of autocratic behavior has continued into the modern day and has only gotten more draconian. Today, not only are you forced to buy meat that a USDA-approved facility has processed, but the elites want meat in general off the menu. Cow farts are too dangerous to the environment, so the WEF wants you to eat climate-friendly alternatives—like bugs.

Water

ALESSANDRO RAMPAZZO / Contributor | Getty Images

As Glenn discussed during a recent Glenn TV special, the government has been encroaching on our water for years. It all started when Congress passed the Clean Water Act in 1972, which gave the government the ability to regulate large bodies of water. As the name suggests, the act was primarily intended to keep large waterways clear of pollution, but over time it has allowed the feds to assume more and more control over the country's water supply. Most recently, the Biden administration attempted to expand the reach of the Clean Water Act to include even more water and was only stopped by the Supreme Court.

Electricity