Glenn Beck invited Sarah Palin on his Thursday broadcast to discuss the prospect of potential violence by right wing extremist groups.
Both commentators, who are two of the most visible conservative personalities on Fox News and within the G.O.P. at large, took pains to condemn any violent acts.
The segment opens with Beck, flanked by large pictures of several founding fathers painted in Shepard Fairey’s stylized “Obama Hope” motif, citing a recent gathering of the “Second Amendment Constitutional Task Force” rallying for “armed resistance” in Alaska. While saying he appreciated the protester’s “passion,” Beck describes the effort as “fringe” and intones that “violence is not the answer,” twice.
Palin repeated that line, and then discussed the distinction between assault and voting. “Leadership is not hitting somebody over the head. It’s not taking up arms at this point. That’s not leadership — that’s assault,” Palin said. “We need to make sure that the tool that we use in taking up arms, if you will, is our vote.”
The whole segment, titled “Using faith, hope and charity to bring about change,” is surreal.
