Glenn Beck’s secret 'Plan'

Over the weekend, Fox News host Glenn Back announced "a 100-year plan" to transform our political system in accordance with his small-government libertarian beliefs. The plan will feature a series of political conventions, voter registration drives, and a rally in front of the Lincoln Memorial next Aug. 28 — the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Beck says he'll spell out the larger scheme in a 2010 book called "The Plan." Is the controversial commentator trying to upend America's two-party system — or is this just an audacious scheme to sell books? (Watch Glenn Beck announce his "plan" at a rally)

Beck’s idea is intriguing, if doomed: “Beck’s strangeness aside,” says James Joyner in Outside the Beltway, his idea of “pressuring the Republican Party to get back to its small government roots,” perhaps through a “libertarian-oriented third party,” is interesting, even appealing. But it’s not widely popular. “Like it or not, the Republicans became a Big Government party in recent years because that’s what the people have demanded.”

“Glenn Beck, community organizer”

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It sounds like a scam: When small, militant bands of “crazy people” follow an “insane” leader, “we call those cults,” says Foster Kamer in Gawker. Beck’s cultish scheme sounds like “a cross between Avon and the Left Behind series” — he's “ a crook, a fraud, a shyster, and a very skilled, sophisticated con artist” whose “genius” business plan involves selling books to his gullible followers for the next 100 years.

“Glenn Beck’s scary blueprint for world domination in 2010, unveiled: ‘The Plan’”

Beck’s planning a revolution ... maybe: If the master plan does involve challenging safe incumbents from both parties, says Steve Krakauer at Mediaite, that would certainly be revolutionary. But if it’s just “about flipping Congress red in 2010,” not so much. Still, a 100-year plan? “No matter your opinion on Beck’s political beliefs, you have to admire his ability to garner attention.”

“Glenn Beck’s master (100 year) plan: Rally in August, end of two-party system”

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