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Good Question!

Do Beck and Limbaugh Believe What They Say?

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By John Hudson on October 19, 2009 10:06am
David Frum, founder of the unorthodox conservative website New Majority and permanent pincushion of the far-right, recently riffed on a question being batted around by the left: Do conservative pundits, like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh, believe privately what they say publicly? Or are they simply entertainers who'll say anything for good ratings?

For Frum, it's obvious. The pundits do believe what they're saying. But he wonders at what point, given a financial incentive, Limbaugh, Beck and the rest would crack and switch sides. Consider this "thought experiment" he provides:

Suppose an agent arrived in the offices of Limbaugh/Beck/Hannity/O'Reilly etc. with an offer. "I can guarantee you a deal that will pay you twice as much - bring you twice as much fame - and extend your career twice as long - if you'd say the exact opposite of what you are saying now." Which of them would sign?

Welcoming a week's worth of talk radio vitriol, he ventures a guess:

My nominations: O'Reilly accepts for sure. Beck likewise almost certainly says yes. Limbaugh would want to think it over, but would ultimately say no. Mark Levin: certainly not. Sean Hannity would need the offer explained a few times. Ann Coulter - that one puzzles me - but probably no. Roger Ailes? Do you even need to ask?

The Debate