Word: coughlin
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...used to be that media skills were necessary but secondary to political seasoning. Ronald Reagan's TV-spokesman work on General Electric Theater marked him as a rising conservative star, but his political career unfolded over decades. In 1936, radio demagogue Father Charles Coughlin--the Glenn Beck of his time--founded a third party, with little success...
...know, as we all do, that stars don't end up on a reality show - even a mainstream, wholesome one like DWTS - at the height of their powers. Liddell is taking a break from fighting, Carter is trying to put some tabloid antics behind him, and Natalie Coughlin is a swimmer - most recognizable when wearing a skull-hugging cap. They're on the show because they're looking for the next step or another chance...
...between hope and fear." True enough. There was McCarthyism in the 1950s, the John Birch Society in the 1960s. But there was a difference in those times: the crazies were a faction - often a powerful faction - of the Republican Party, but they didn't run it. The neofascist Father Coughlin had a huge radio audience in the 1930s, but he didn't have the power to control and silence the elected leaders of the party that Limbaugh - who, if not the party's leader, is certainly the most powerful Republican extant - does now. Until recently, the Republican Party contained...
...really glad Beck is doing this tour. While I may not agree with him that Theodore Roosevelt destroyed our nation, I'm glad that someone with a sense of humor is leading the lunatic fringe. Joseph McCarthy didn't make fun of his weight, and Father Coughlin never wondered what the deal was with anything. Making fun of yourself implies that you know your message is imperfect. So I hope Beck, who does have the tunnel logic of an extremist, keeps going on these tours. Especially since writing material for him is so easy...
...Ryan, an influential figure in Catholic social teaching and a prominent supporter of the New Deal. As Mark Silk, professor of religion at Trinity College, has written, Ryan was not only known as "the Right Rev. New Dealer," but he was also the most effective critic of Father Charles Coughlin, the notorious right-wing, anti-Roosevelt priest. Ryan's participation in the Inauguration helped insulate Roosevelt against Coughlin's attacks and shore up the growing - and critical - voting bloc of Catholic Democrats...