Glenn Beck: Political Geek Update

October 09, 2008

The Glenn Beck Program

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VOICE: Electoral votes, control of the Senate, popular vote count, the latest poll, control of the house, up-to-the-minute rumors and falsehoods, fancy buzzwords and more. It's a political geek election report on the Glenn Beck program.

GLENN: Yes, indeed. And we now go to our political geek, Steve Burguiere.

STU: Thank you so much, Glenn, I appreciate it. We have a little presidential electoral update today. Here's the basic -- it's not good, by the way. Can I just start with it's not --

GLENN: Got happy news after you do.

STU: If you happen to like John McCain, not good. Glenn's going to cheer you up in a minute. Basically going to have 40 states that are going to go the same way without any real likelihood of them changing. So you take 40 out of the picture, they are all going to go for Bush like they did for Bush and Kerry. You have 10 that can flip sides. The problem is all 10 of them are red states. That's a slight to major issue for the McCain campaign. As of right now --

GLENN: May I just hop in and give you the happy sunshine news? It's never over until it's over and here's the happy news.

STU: Was that the happy news?

GLENN: No. Ronald Reagan was losing to Jimmy Carter at this point.

STU: Wow.

GLENN: It didn't break until the last few days. Now, I'm not saying that John McCain is -- and my apologies to everyone who even watched Ronald Reagan on TV, let alone his family. Which actually includes John McCain. Well, he's one of his foot soldiers. Anyway, that's a different story, "My friends." It didn't break until a couple of days before the election for Ronald Reagan. In this particular case I don't think we're going to know until we know.

STU: Yeah. Especially when it's a one-on-one battle. Anything can happen.

GLENN: Oh, and for the first time in my lifetime, I can't tell you which one is a worse candidate because they're -- no, come on. Because once is Marxist and that pushes him over into the category of, what, are you kidding me? I'm to the point now where I was driving, I was listening today to the radio. I'm driving in and I'm thinking to myself, you've got to be kidding me. You know what? I get to the point where I'm like, America, you're gonna get what you deserve if people don't wake up to this. But then I thought, John McCain, do you really know what he's going to do? For the first time in my life, I don't know what either candidate is actually going to do when they get into office. Do you?

STU: God no, who knows.

GLENN: You don't know.

STU: Well, we do know -- I've got a good idea what Barack Obama would do and I'm pretty sure it's not something I want.

GLENN: But let me ask you this. Do you -- do you.

STU: Do you.

GLENN: With what's happening with the markets and what's coming in the economy, I think he's going to nationalize everything. However, can he really do these things? Can he really -- healthcare, et cetera, et cetera, you could have a filibuster, but we're damn near broke. I mean, we were called the richest country on the Earth? Really? We borrowed $2 trillion a day. Is it trillion or billion? I don't even know. Joe, what is that number that we borrow every single day?

STU: We only have $9 trillion of debt of actual.

GLENN: And it may be roll over kind of stuff.

STU: Yeah.

GLENN: I mean, you are not rich when you're like, "Hey, brother, can you spare a dime?"

STU: I'd just like to point out that I just said on the air we only have $9 trillion of debt. I actually just said that as a sentence like it was a limited point.

GLENN: It's $11,000. It's raised it to 11.

STU: And what is it, 60 in reality? But anyway.

GLENN: We're rich.

STU: We're going off of the beaten path of the geek update, Glenn.

GLENN: I was trying to give you happy news and it didn't turn out, did it?

STU: No, not at all. I'm actually more depressed than I was at the beginning.

GLENN: Stock tip, invest in companies that make rope, because you listen to this program for very long and you're going to need rope. There's going to be millions of people going, "Honey, did you see that rope? I just thought I would throw it over a beam in the garage." "Oh, no, I think, I think Billy used it after he was listening to the Glenn Beck program." "Okay. Then he has to go to the store and buy rope." Invest in rope.

STU: All right. So we have -- right now if you just take out the states that are in actually like pretty much done, you've got 252 electoral votes for Obama already, meaning he needs 20. Now, he gets Florida or Ohio and it's over.

GLENN: He's going to get Ohio.

STU: Again with current, the way it's standing right now.

GLENN: He is going to get Ohio because they have stolen the election in Ohio. Did you hear the latest in Ohio with the pizza deliveryman?

STU: No.

GLENN: This is amazing. There's two people now that are testifying against ACORN that say that one signed 15 different slips himself. Another guy said he did 80. And they were doing it because they were like, look, man, times are tough and I'm just getting -- I've got a family and I get paid by the signature. Can you just help me out? And they did it. Yeah.

STU: Isn't that happy? Well, Glenn, if you are going to have to defend 20 votes, it's going to be very difficult. But right now he trails in Florida 48-45 McCain and in Ohio trails 49-45. There's a bunch of other states. This 10 is somewhat depressing. The only one he leads in, he's tied in a couple. The only one he leads in is Indiana 49-46. So as of right now, it's not particularly good. And his pick-up states aren't good, either. So bottom line is right now, 20 electoral votes away for Obama. Every day on this segment, by the way, I will be calling two states. They are over. As I call them, I will call them with 100% accuracy.

GLENN: Really?

STU: This is the only show you are going to hear this on. I'm calling two states today, Alaska and Delaware. My official electoral vote count is now 3-3. Write it in the books.

GLENN: You know what, may I call New York or is this only --

STU: No, Glenn, I'm looking at these numbers.

GLENN: It's too early?

STU: It's too early to call in New York.

GLENN: It's close in New York and New Jersey, I bet.

THE DOCUMENTS for the 'Energy Reduction Act' Glenn TV special

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Did YOU know that Biden's Inflation Reduction Act—or, as Glenn calls it, the "Energy Reduction Act"—incentivizes coal plants to permanently close? According to our most recent poll, most of you didn't—and neither did Glenn until recently. That inspired this week's Glenn TV special in which Glenn takes a deep dive into our war on energy. Biden and the progressive Left's radical green agenda is not only shutting down our reliable energy, plunging us towards a nationwide energy crisis, but moreover, we are shutting down reliable energy AROUND THE WORLD.

But there's hope—there are things you can do NOW to stop this dangerous agenda. There are 14 states that are actively pushing for legislation that will fight against the Left's energy agenda. Moreover, on this episode, Glenn invites viewers to send Utah's House bill to their governor's desk, urging them to replicate its protections against this woke agenda.

Do your own homework

You can get all of this information AND MORE about Biden's energy agenda and what you can do about it in the EXCLUSIVE research doc from last night's Glenn TV special. Enter your email below, and the PDF will arrive directly in your inbox!

Watch the full special below (or watch on BlazeTV here):

Send THIS Utah bill to YOUR governor to protect U.S. energy

On this week's episode of Glenn TV, Glenn will dive into Biden's radical green energy agenda hidden within the Inflation Reduction Act. From shutting down coal plants to forcing fossil fuel economies to transition to green energy, the Biden administration and the radical Left are knowingly pushing us toward a devastating energy crisis.

But there is still time to fight back—YOU can fight for U.S. energy.

During the episode, Glenn will encourage his listeners to send THIS Utah House bill to your governor's desk and urge them to replicate it in your state. The bill mandates that power companies must notify the state if they intend to shut down reliable energy sources AND that they can not prevent coal-powered energy production. This might be the first SUCCESSFUL state-level pushback against Biden’s irresponsible transformation of our energy grid. Don't let it be the last. It's vitally important that you send the bill—which can be found HERE and below in the slideshow—to your governor and demand that they replicate it in your state.

Be sure to watch the latest episode of Glenn TV TONIGHT and stay tuned to get access to the EXCLUSIVE documents with the research used in the episode.

Courtesy of the Utah State Legislature

Utah House Bill H.B. 425 Page 1

Here are the 14 states fighting ESG. Is YOURS?

This week on his Wednesday night Glenn TV special, Glenn will delve into ESG and how large corporations are using YOUR money to fund woke agendas—while also compromising the return on your investment. As Glenn's audience is well aware, ESG stands for "environmental, social, and governance." It's a scoring system for businesses based on their compliance with environmental and social standards that has turned into a quasi-extortion scheme, forcing investment companies to use YOUR assets to fund progressive projects.

It is vitally important that fighting ESG becomes a central campaign item heading into the 2024 Presidential debate. 14 states have already stepped up to put measures in place to fight ESG. Did your state make the list? If not, as Glenn said, you should call your Congressional office NOW to push them to bring this legislation to the table. Though it can be discouraging to watch national politics, heroes in YOUR state are stepping up to defend your rights and freedoms through legislation that is actually getting things done.

1. Arizona

The Arizona State Board of Investment adopted anti-ESG revisions to its investment policy, specifying that only "pecuniary factors" may be considered in the investment management of its asset pools—that means they can only use your money for a return on investment, NOT to fund a woke agenda.

However, Arizona's new Democrat AG Kris Mayes recently announced the state will no longer conduct investigations into corporations over ESG matters. Here's what she said:

Corporations should be permitted to access capital markets in ways that they feel are necessary for the advancement of their investor objectives and for society, as long as they are doing so in a lawful manner. Corporations increasingly realize that investing in sustainability is both good for our country, our environment, and public health and good for their bottom lines.

If you are an Arizona resident, call your Congressional office to push back against Mayes' recent policy.

2. Idaho

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Republican Idaho state legislators have been preparing anti-ESG legislation in 2022 to push to the floor in 2023. If you are an Idaho resident, contact your Congressional office to help push this legislation forward.

3. Indiana

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On February 28th, Indiana's state House passed anti-ESG laws. The bill's author Rep. Ethan Manning said:

ESG, or so-called environmental, social and governance policies, are highly subjective measures that have real-world impacts. We need to focus our pension investments, the roughly $45 billion in assets we control, on financial factors, and leave politics and social and ideological considerations out of it.

Manning hit the nail on the head: investment firms should leave politics out of YOUR money. If you are an Indiana resident, help push this bill into law by contacting your local Congressional office.

5. Florida

Florida has been one of the original states leading the pack in passing anti-ESG laws. On the day of its announcement, Governor Ron DeSantis said:

Today’s announcement builds on my commitment to protect consumers’ investments and their ability to access financial services in the Free State of Florida. By applying arbitrary ESG financial metrics that serve no one except the companies that created them, elites are circumventing the ballot box to implement a radical ideological agenda. Through this legislation, we will protect the investments of Floridians and the ability of Floridians to participate in the economy.

DeSantis said it well: anti-ESG laws are about protecting consumers from elites who want to use YOUR money to fund their own political agendas.

4. Kansas

Glenn had Kansas state Rep Michael Murphy on his show (3/06/23) to discuss the anti-ESG legislation he is pushing in the Kansas state House. Kansas residents, give Rep. Murphy and the other GOP Reps the extra help to push this legislation forward!

6. Kentucky

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Not only does Kentucky have anti-ESG laws in place, but moreover, the state's AG Daniel Cameron launched an investigation into major banks, including Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, and Wells Fargo for "anti-trust" practices and for locking consumers out of their assets over ESG conflicts. AG Cameron said:

Kentucky’s consumer protection and antitrust laws prohibit companies from engaging in coordinated practices that block certain Kentucky businesses from accessing banking services. We joined this investigation to ensure Kentucky companies that reject the Biden Administration’s anti-fossil fuel climate agenda have the same financial freedoms as those who accept it.

It is inspiring to see states like Kentucky take such a strong stance for the consumer rights of their people!

7. Louisiana

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Louisiana liquidated ALL of its funds from BlackRock, totaling $800 million, over its ESG and anti-fossil fuel practices. Louisiana state Treasurer John Schroder said:

Your blatantly anti-fossil fuel policies would destroy Louisiana’s economy. This divestment is necessary to protect Louisiana from actions and policies that would actively seek to hamstring our fossil fuel sector. In my opinion, your support of ESG investing is inconsistent with the best economic interests and values of Louisiana. I cannot support an institution that would deny our state the benefit of one of its most robust assets.

Without anti-ESG laws, states like Louisiana, whose economy relies largely on fossil fuels, would be victim to investment funds using THEIR state money for anti-fossil fuel agendas. Sound unfair? Because it is...

If you live in a state that relies on a fossil fuel economy, it is VITAL that you push anti-ESG legislation in your state.

8. North Dakota

Harvey Meston / Staff | Getty Images

South Dakota passed anti-ESG laws, however, there is a risk that the state is pulling back its ESG protections. The North Dakota House voted down a resolution to boycott pro-ESG institutions and block financial institutions. This is especially troubling for North Dakota, which has an oil-dependent economy. If you are a North Dakota resident, it is vitally important that you push back against this regression away from ESG protections

9. Oklahoma

Oklahoma passed the Energy Discrimination Elimination Act in May 2022, and it went into effect in November. The law declares the oil-and-gas industry a vital part of the economy and that the state and companies that do business with the state should not boycott the oil and gas industry. Oklahoma State Treasurer Todd Russ subsequently sent questionnaires to national financial institutions to determine which companies are in breach of state law. Russ said:

I [...] began compiling a list of companies, banks, and other entities that act against Oklahoma’s interests because of their ESG stance. It is my responsibility to ensure Oklahomans’ tax dollars will not be used to enrich organizations that act counter to our taxpayers’ interests and our values.

Oklahoma is another example of how oil-rich states are leading the fight against ESG.

10. Texas

Texas was the first state to pass anti-ESG legislation in 2021. However, Texas lawmakers are now proposing to expand anti-ESG protections, prohibiting pension fund managers and insurance managers from making investment decisions that are detrimental or in conflict to Texas' oil and gas industry. Like Louisiana and other fossil-duel dependent economies, this expansion of anti-ESG legislation is vital. If you are a Texas resident, contact your local Congressional office NOW to help push this legislation through the floor.

11. Pennsylvania

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In 2022, the Pennsylvania state House proposed the "Liberty, Virtue, and Independence Act" against ESG. The bill stated:

The practice of discrimination against any Commonwealth inhabitants, including individuals, associations and businesses, through use of their social credit score or environmental, social or governance score is a matter of Statewide concern. Discrimination based on the scores not only threatens the rights and privileges of Commonwealth inhabitants, but menaces the institutions and foundation of our free democratic state and threatens the peace, order, health, safety and general welfare of the Commonwealth and its inhabitants.

Unfortunately, this bill has not been passed, but state Republicans are still fighting to pass anti-ESG legislation to protect the state's vital coal industry. If you live in Pennsylvania, contact your Congressional office NOW to help push this legislation through.

12. South Carolina

South Carolina has been trying to push anti-ESG protections since August 2022. One of the state lawmakers promoting this legislation, state Senator Josh Kimbrell, said, "(ESG) scores represent a great threat to free speech and free enterprise in South Carolina and across America." If you're a South Carolina resident, contact your local Congressional office to help push this legislation through.

13. Utah

Utah's state government is currently pushing anti-ESG legislation, arguing that ESG violates antitrust laws. Rep. Ken Ivory, who is one of the bill's sponsors, calls ESG the "weaponization of capitol." If you are a Utah resident, contact your Congressional office to help push this legislation through.

14. West Virginia

In late July, West Virginia became the first state to punish banks that abide to ESG standards and the first state to divest their funds from BlackRock, inspiring other states like Louisiana to follow suit. Now, they are expanding their anti-ESG protections to include pensions fund managers.

Here are the TOP 5 reasons to STOP sending aid to Ukraine NOW

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On his Wednesday episode of Glenn TV, Glenn dove into the top 5 arguments for AND against sending aid to Ukraine. Earlier this week, we covered the top five reasons to continue sending aid to Ukraine—and why they're wrong. Here are Glenn's top 5 reasons to stop sending money to Ukraine NOW.

We can't afford to continue to bankroll this war.

Inflation is already at all-time highs, and we CONTINUE to spend money we don’t have. Inflation reached a 40-year high in 2022, and, contrary to the Left's mental gymnastics trying to prove otherwise, it is not easing up. Our economy is in dire straights, and we are signing up for economic disaster by continuing to pass omnibus bills that send billions of dollars to Ukraine.

Moreover, happens if an additional conflict happens elsewhere that directly threatens the United States supply chain? Shouldn't we be focusing on boosting U.S. manufacturing independence to make us less economically dependent on foreign adversaries?

Finally, the U.S.'s military reserves are dangerously depleted. A Heritage Foundation study found that military stockpiles are being sent over to Ukraine at faster rates than the U.S. can produce. The study says that much of the supplies will not be able to be replenished for YEARS, leaving the U.S. in a critically vulnerable state. Do we want to risk our OWN national security for a perpetual war with no end goal OR end date in sight?

Defending democracy is NOT our job.

Many, including conservatives, believe that the U.S. needs to defend democracy wherever it is threatened. This is NOT our job—we are not the world's democracy police. However, defending the United States however IS our job. Isn’t this kind of rhetoric EXACTLY what has kept us in a state of perpetual war for the past 20 years? Will we ever learn? The same people who criticized the perpetual U.S. presence and funding in Afghanistan are rushing us to yet ANOTHER 20-year-long conflict. Is this really in the U.S.'s best interest?

The risk of nuclear war is real.

Is this EVER a risk that should be taken? Russia has already declared that Crimea is their homeland. If we support Ukraine as they try and take back Crimea, wouldn’t that be a direct attack on Russia? That would fall in line with Russian nuclear doctrine, greenlighting the use of nuclear weapons. Whether you agree with Russia’s claims to that land is irrelevant… THEY believe it. Should we risk giving Russia more fodder to justify the use of nuclear weapons? Is that truly in the best interest of the American people?

World War III is a very real possibility.

World War III is a MUCH more real possibility than our leaders are letting on. Examine this very real possibility: what if Russia decides that the losses they are taking from Western weapons are too great, so they decide to attack where the weapons are coming in from? Places like Poland, a NATO member, would be first on the list. That would trigger Article 5 and World War III would commence. This could be our Sarajevo moment when one retaliation catalyzes a new world war. Countries like China, who is already considering sending weapons to Russia, would be forced to choose sides. Don't forget Iran and North Korea, who are already militarily aiding Russia. Is Ukraine worth that risk?

The global supply chain is at risk.

The pandemic has already turned the supply chain upside down. This war has made things even worse. What happens if the war expands beyond Ukraine? How high are we willing to let gas and food prices to get? How long will it take for civil unrest to break out into the streets?

Glenn's Show Prep