Glenn Beck and I couldn’t be farther apart politically.
But he makes me laugh.
The conservative voice of radio and TV is going live with a nine-city Christmas tour, including a stop Monday at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House.
Don’t look for much about politics during his appearance. “It’s a mix of stand-up comedy and inspirational speaking,” Beck said by phone from New York. “It’s hard to explain. It has a little Garrison Keillor, a little Seinfeld in it. It’s not a speech; it’s inspirational for Christmas.”
A one-time radio disc jockey, Beck has endured his share of hard times. His alcoholic mother committed suicide when he was 14. He became addicted to drugs and alcohol, and his daughter was born with cerebral palsy. Ultimately, he got clean, converted to Mormonism and remarried.
He makes no secret of his conservative tilt. Most conservatives I know are so busy bashing liberals they don’t have time to laugh. “I don’t know what is,” he said. “If you’re conservative, you have to have a stick lodged somewhere.”
Beck, whose show is on noon to 3 p.m. weekdays on KHOW 630-AM and on television on CNN, loves to laugh. He even expresses mild admiration for Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert and their band of zanies. “I think these guys are, unfortunately, the best thing we have to bring real things to people, giving us the news. Jon Stewart comes at that for comedy, for laughs.”
He’s fed up with politics, preferring to pound away at our blind spot in the Middle East. “I’m a one-issue guy. The one issue is war on Islamic extremism. We are being lied to and used by our media, by our politicians, for our money, for our ability to give them ratings, for our ability to give them power.
“Iran is the point. Debate all you want about abortion, gay marriage, whatever. You ain’t gonna make it to health care if you don’t stop militant Islam. ”
He loves mingling on tour. “I do TV, radio, write for magazines (but) this is by far my favorite. I make it a point to go out in the lobby to meet people after the show. I get such a sense of where we’re right and where we’re wrong.”
Tickets and info on his Denver appearance are available at 800-594-8499.
Around the dial
Reality, Christmas collide: Howie Mandel narrates “The Great American Christmas,” a look at the holiday through the eyes of six families and their varied celebrations of the holiday (7 p.m. today, USA) … Best Sunday football line, from Rich Eisen on NFL Network: “Of course the Saints are going to have a Hail Mary answered. They’re the Saints!” … That’s the spirit: Rick Crandall hosts “Breakfast Club” at 6 a.m. Friday from the Wellshire Inn. With carolers … Rickie Lee Jones taping “etown” for KBCO 97.3-FM at 7 p.m. on Dec. 28 at the Boulder Theater … Quotable: “There is nobody struggling with being a decent human being more than me.” Glenn Beck
Dick Kreck’s column appears Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. He may be reached at 303-954-1456 or dkreck@denverpost.com.
