Glenn Beck Calls Obama a Racist, Advertisers Pull Spots From His Show
Last month, Barack Obama involved himself in situation that should have never warranted commentary by the President of the United States. He commented that the police acted "stupidly" when they arrested Henry Louis Gates Jr. a black man and Harvard University scholar. This remark by Obama made the incident a national issue, and many question why he even involved himself in it, including Glenn Beck, a commentator on Fox News. Last month Beck called President Obama a racist and said that he is a "person with a "deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture", and now advertisers are pulling spots from his show.
About a dozen companies have withdrawn their commercials from "Glenn Beck", his show on the Fox News Channel. Following Beck's comment that he believes Obama is racist, a political group began contacting his advertisers.
Amongst those companies that have moved their adds out of Beck's time slot are Geico, Procter & Gamble, ConAgra, and Progressive. Earlier this week, ConAgra issued a statement indicating that they are "firmly committed to diversity, and we would like to prevent the potential perception that advertising during this program was an endorsement of the viewpoints shared."
The campaign against Beck was launched by ColorOfChange.com, a black political coalition. Beck's actual comments did not come as a part of his show, rather, while he was a guest commentator on the popular morning program, Fox and Friends.
The campaign has been unusually successful, given the number of advertisers that have jumped shipped. What this shows is that as cable news commentary reaches a boiling point, advertisers may become leery of being anywhere near it.
Fox says that the group's campaign has had no financial effect on the network. A spokesman for Fox News said:
“The advertisers referenced have all moved their spots from Beck to other day parts on the network, so there has been no revenue lost."
Comments
It is amazing that we live in a country where only whites can be considered racists.
No one is stopping Glenn Beck from flapping his gums. People of all color including white are making it clear through THEIR right to free speech that they don't want to support companies that advertise during the KKK hour on FOX.
beck was exercising his freedom of speech as well. i don't think obama is racist but beck has every right to say what he thinks without being penalized or punished for saying it. that's the thing about free speech everyone should be able to say what they want with out fear of reprisal. even the people we don't agree with.
Look Beck can say what he wants to say. And his listeners can comment on what he says and they did. He is a public figure and he makes his money by creating controversy.
freedom of speech means you can speak your mind with out fear of the "government" interfering. Your employer is perfectly with their rights to take offense to your freely spoken words and may exercise their freedom to kick your ass to the curb. Now you may think this is illegal but let me assure you it is perfectly within the boundaries of the law.
Beck is an idiot, he makes his bones acting the fool and creating as much controversy as possible. Gee poor Glen I guess his act went to far and while he was excercising his rights of free speech so were the listeners and by extension are the advertisers who apparently have decided that even though they advertise on FOX which, is the right wing network, Beck's words were beyond the pale. So now FOX does not lose any money but Beck becomes less profitable.
Hey Glen you might want to start saving that money now cause you may not have a JOB much longer.
Ali Gator chomp chomp chomp
Hey Gator go back in swim in the swamp with you're liberal fish.
The Bill of Rights protects individuals from the "State" not from each other. The government may not prevent Glenn Beck from saying the president is a racist nor may it prevent Bill Maher from commenting on the relative herosim between droping a laser guided bomb vs flying a plane into a building.
Should an employer take offense at the statements made by one of its employees the Bill of Rights has no bearing what so ever. The laws that govern that govern that relation ship are called Capitialism.
Freedom of speech problem has a ripple effect through our society and affects alot of our thoughts and behaviors. Most of us can hear a statement like Glenn Beck's and respond to it with whoever is near by or just in our heads and move on about our day with our own opinions. Then there is the smaller group of people in this country who is going to get their panties in a wad and make a mountain out of a mole hill. The media is part of the smaller majority. The smaller majority to me is the group of people that us true majority populous let run the country and enforce their opinions to be the word to end all for all of us. Biggest example of this behavior is the presidential election. The smallest percentage of the country votes, the majority lays back and lets it happen. We live with the smaller majority's choices and spend the rest of the time complaining about it. Town hall meetings in past weeks have finally shown Americans out doing what we all should be doing.
I hear Beck's comments and ponder the validity and keep my mind, ears and eyes open to the possibilty he may be right, but stick to my own views and knowledge that for the most part his statement is his right and I don't have to believe it. Out of all the races that were slaves or equal to slave labor in the building of this country (including European whites) the African-American community is the only one I see on a daily basis still crying about what they went through. Most African-Americans alive today know nothing of slavery on a personal experience level. The past is the past. We've recognized our mistakes as a country and have done our best to correct the past mistakes. Take your freedom and move on. I've never heard the Chinese crying for repurations or yelling the blue eyed devil is holding us down. That type of view is still alive and well in the African-American community today. I see it and hear it daily. The people of America have spoke about how they feel about that view point and African-Americans by electing an African-American president. Let us be able to speak of race and not get so uptight about it. We all have our differences and experience rasism on a regular basis at some level or another. We are not to react in rage, anger or forced opinion, we should just accept that they are the minority and peacefully move on letting them wallow in thier opinion or ignorance. We cannot run around forcing our views and beliefs on people.
I think from an advertisers perspective I would just put a disclaimer at the bottom of my ad stating we do not endorse the opinons of the current programming or just move my advertising as some did.
Of coarse there will be those of you that don't agree with what I just wrote here and that is totally cool with me. This is all just my opinion and I am truely blessed to live in a country that millions have died fighting for us to be able to do this today. Quit catering to the minority, take a stand for what is right, Get off your ass and get proactive instead. All the time wasted bitching and complaining over your fence to your neighbors about the troubles of your community and country should be used to complain to someone who is in power and represents you and your community.
Like you said, he is a right to say what he like, so does his sponsers has right to take their sponsers of the air. Freedom of sppech does not mean you can slander any one you don't like
We have the freedom speech for a reason. They would have never pulled out of his show had it not been for a defensive black man...who then retaliated on him...Glenn comes with FACTS...he has facts to prove everything he says. I love how everyone in America claims the victim status...and how the blacks are attacking the whites...after they fought for there rights...they are the racist ones. The thing about Liberals is there very ignorant...
Every right to say it, yes. Every right to say it without the slightest risk of consequences, no. In a capitalist society there are simply consequences for a media figure speaking out in a way that their advertisers do not wish to support. Those advertisers speak with their money, and those lost advertising dollars are the natural consequence of Beck being a crazy whackjob.
Except that Fox Lost no revenue, and the companies just had the commercials moved to other time slots. That actually sucks for them, they are gonna lose business doing that, the Beck program is very highly rated and the REAL listeners are in complete agreement with his comment.
The advertisers also have the right to not associate themselves with someone who makes such controversial remarks. It's not so much a punishment as it is the unwillingness by these companies to be seen on a program that says something so dubious
The KKK hour? That's awfully hateful!!!!! You dope!!!! Why can a racial issue be made toward white Americans but the media downplays racial comments made toward whites. It has to stop. If you have a view against a comment someone made....OBAMA OPENED HIMSELF UP DUE TO HIS HASTY REMARKS...the media protected him and he had a BEER to show how wonderful he was. Isn't Obama's jump to condemn this white officer a rascist move? If it were a situation with a black man (where remarks made it clear which side you were on)...it would be called "prejudical" and "discriminatory"....Glen Beck is not a Klansman...he's fed up with racial injustice on ALL sides. He had to watch as Mormons were villified and stereo-typed...BUT I SUPPOSE THAT IS ALL WELL AND GOOD BECAUSE HOLLYWOOD AND THE MEDIA DON'T BELIEVE MORMON VIEWS ARE LEGITIMATE!!!!...YOU ARE A DOPE!
Those who voted for or against Barrack Obama because of his skin color were both wrong.The govt. now owns and controls major financial institutions and two auto manufacturers. Obama has fired the ceo of Gm. He wants to control your medical choices. I didn't vote for him because I could see he was an America hating communist. He sat in the pews of the biggoted Rev. Jeremiah Wright for twenty years and yet denies sharing his views ? Sorry, Mr, Beck is right on on this one and Obummer tilted his hand during the Cambridge, Ma. police incident.
Guest 2 you must be part of that Black Racial Hate Group who are against White People. Now who are the racial pigs! you sure are one.
Sorry it isn't the people it is a black organization and appairently they scared the one's that moved thier ads to later. KKK, hmmm you sound like a racist yourself.
Beck is a racist, not Obama. Obama is half-white, you MORONS!!!!! Oh, my God... he thought a cop acted stupidly without having all the info -- and that makes him a racist? A RACIST? Are you nuts? Yes, you morons are. He was pointing out -- what appeared to be an obvious mistake. If a white guy was arrested in his house by a white cop for intruding -- don't you think you'd say, "hey, that cop was stupid to do that?" But no -- you white, scared, bigots are looking for anything to rip this country apart so you'll get it back to 1985. Well, sorry... it's not going to happen. This is a progressive country. Not stuck in old days where racist ways rule.
Glenn Beck is a bumbling moron who panders to the slightly above retarded level viewer. Plus, he has no sense of humor and yet thinks he's funny. And he's full of crap. I used to think that he was just harmless... but seeing you idiots get behind him makes me fear for my country. What? Would you rather he was in charge? So he could have a nervous breakdown every third Wednesday?
You are correct President Obama is half white.........why has he never referred to himself as bi-racial?
So, what you are you saying, Obama is our first White African-American President or our first African-American White President?
Seems that the one drop rule was in play when he was born and permeates the way you see people everyday. You look at their skin tone and complexion and say "He's Black---oh look that's another Black there..." Now President Obama has to claim he's 1/2 white to make you feel better when the truth is even in the absence of his Black/African Father--America decided he was Black long before he became President, went to Occidental College, Columbia University, or Harvard.
Don't change the rules now.
Don't call me a moron.
Hey stupid he wasn't arrested for breaking into his house he was arrested for thinking he was better than the cop and didn't need to listen to his safety precautions Obama is ripping this country apart.
What we are miss saying here is that the President of the United States should have not gotten involved with this issue. Period.
The President needs to run the country and let the local authorities do their job. This was a serious waste of tax payer money.
Do I think that the police overreacted to this professor? Yes.
Do I think that the professor overreacted by not cooperating at least a little? Yes.
Is this a matter for the President to comment on publicly? No.
Do situations like this happen every day to both black or white people? Yes.
Anytime a peace officer (black or white) feels their or someone else's safety is at risk, is going to be on the defense. And they should be because it is their job.
If the officer who confronted the professor was black and everything happened exactly as it did, there would have not been any comment from the President or other groups.
Rascists still rule this country and your post proves this. Except this time instead of the rascism coming from white people, it comes from people like you.
It doesn't matter if Barack Obama is half and half or 1/8 black and 7/8 white. The color of your skin isn't a requisite to racism. You can be white and be racist towards whites. The same applies to all peoples of all colors. You're being racist by assuming that all white people are scared and bigots. Calling this country a progressive country is like saying that the human race has a growing population. Every country in the world is a progressive country in one respect or another. No world leaders (that matter) are trying to drive their country into regression. Just because our country is tolerant and "progressive" doesn't mean that blacks or even half blacks can go around slandering others based on their skin color and get away with it. So why don't you shut your lips you tool.
You sound like a liberal sheep! Obama is not half-white...he is African American or black! He has been proclaimed the first black president. Therefore he is black and can be rascist toward whites....you can't play your race it to fit a present situation! So Obama decides when he is half white and when he isn't? First of all who raised him? Who didn't stick around? I'd have to throw his Mother (white) props for raising him while "Daddy" (sperm donor who didn't have the courage) took a hike....is this a problem in the b;ack community? Oh no, it's just the culture! Do not think that Obama can't be rascist you absoute fool! He would be villified if he were to ever mention that he is proud to be white, or he is proud of his half whiteness....DO NOT THINK ANYTHING DIFFERENT! DO NOT be worried about Geln Beck....be worried about the way black Americans are killing each other at an alarming rate...and how black illegitimacy is through the roof........
Now that is some blatant racism. It harkens back to the old days when people hadn't learned to be ashamed of their ignorance.
Why don't you and "Gator" go back to the swamp where you liberals belong.
The fact that you can tell a white person from a black person in these posts should say it all. Everyone is biased and we should drop the race issue because its not a fight! Only racists keep the issue flourishing.
I am afraid of Blacks, because they cause me so much problems, financially, socially, criminally and stress!
Animals, kinda like human Predators!
School Dropouts to the max!
Equals Criminals to the max!
Get Real ! You may have to look in the mirror
I am white .You cannot blame color of someone skin, black , white ,tan , or in between for your problems.
Mr. Beck has the right to say what ever he wants too, advertisers have the right to not support that-simple capitalism. The fact that Mr. Beck is an idiot and raving lunatic should have prompted these decisions long ago
I am whilte female 62 years old college educated . I have owned my own successful business.
I find it deplorable that Glen Beck calls the President a racist .I cannot understand that Fox would not fire him over that comment.. The Tea party nonsense creating fear and hate .This should not be promoted by TV news. I find Glenn Beck a disgusting individual with zero morals. Why would anyone believe his virtual reality of the world ? The man is deranged
When Glenn Beck chose to use his right to free speech to voice his ignorance, thses advetisers wisely chose to use theirs to distance themselves from him.
Isn't America great!
The question is why did they pull their ads from one of that time slots highest rated show? It wasn't that they agreed or disagreed with his comments but that they were pressured to do so from some pro African-American (only looking out for black intrests- thus racist) web site.
If an African American makes a reference toward whites it is acceptable (i.e. Kanye West saying that George W. Bush does not like Black People during the Katrina tv fundraiser)...But a White American cannot speak their mind if they feel RACE was an issue......That is RASCISM! Why doesn't Obama HEAL this situation with a beer at the Whitehouse?????
Hey Progessive, Hey Geico, Hey Conagra , Hey Procter an whoever. I'll be boycotting you. You wanna get involved in politics and open your mouth. Well
I'll just close my wallet to your products. This game goes bothways. You just pissed off half the country and I'll make sure they know it.
I have always purchased P&G products but I won't be any longer.Obviously, the board of this company and the others who pulled their advertising from Beck are weak and willing to bow to the left (who aren't even the ones who watch Beck on a regular basis). Shame on you.
Obama being half white, and half black must be very confusing to him!
I'm thinking he really doesn't know if he wants to be a racist or not!
I agree it is amazing that we live in a counrty where only white people are racists. Freedom of speech is going out the window. When you have a White House that has a snitch website where you can turn in your neighbors and have the government investigate you. We will be lucky to have any freedoms left if this keeps up.
Why is it that white are the racist, why is it that whites can't do anything without it being racist.. and I will agree with Glenn.. NObama is a racist..
Whites don't have a all White college, whites don't have a NAACP to protect us from people who are against us.. Blacks make a big deal about whites, well its not all that its made out to be.. People of color are prejudice towards us.. come on folks.. Inside we are all the same.. its time to get over it and move on.. and just get along.. Who Cares!!!
Hmmm seems David Duke had a group called N.O.F.E.A.R. (National Organization For European American Rights). But that wasn't you point huh? I wish my people had a Ku Klux Klan--that NAACP thing only made people notice all the lynchings, whippings, and rapes that were taken place against Blacks--but only in the North--the South was too out of control.
Fed your ignorance, you owe me a dollar.
These companies, particularly WALMART, have no problems with "associating" with million man army of illegal aliens that are in the process of conquering the U.S. When Americans criticize these companies for doing business with illegals, their CEOs claim that profit and money is all that count for them.
This case show how untruthful, duplicitous, and and deceitful they are. They do have their political agenda and they flex their $$ muscle in order to push it down our throats.
I stopped shopping in WALMART as while ago and encourage every paleo-American to do so.
Beck was completely within his first amendment rights to call Obama a racist. However Beck must be prepared to deal with the consequences or his words, in this case sponsors pulling ads from his show. This happens every day, consumers use their dollars to show support or disapproval. Didn’t the Dixie Chicks suffer for their comments regarding President Bush? So Beck lost some sponsors big deal! Let’s move on and worry about the millions of Americans who have lost their JOBS!
Anyone can be a racist regardless of skin color.
Glenn Beck has a right to his opinions. However, the US constitution does not guarantee him a television channel on which to express those opinions, though
Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes do support views like Beck's. Now if only they would hire away Lou Dobbs, they would have a full house.
The Constitution doesn't forbid you from not listening to someone's opinion, wherever and however it is expressed. Change the channel.
I'm with the person who suggested Fox hire Lou Dobbs from CNN. There was a time when I could agree with a lot of what Dobbs was saying but he has done a 180 since the election.
Obama IS a racist.
Obama is a socialist.
Obama is a LIAR.
Obama is a scumbag.
I am BLACK and Obama does NOT represent my interests!
You are not Black. I know you. How dare you?
You are not black. You are an idiot and a conservative, otherwise you would be talking so foolishly !