Principle Over Party: In Defense of Glenn Beck

by Justin Moldow, founder of LibertyHangout.org

Dear Glenn Beck,

As the nation continues to be covered by a cloud of disillusion and bewilderment, I want to thank you for making the difficult decision of standing on principle, instead of conforming to popular opinion. It isn’t the cool thing to do, but it is the right thing to do. This is why I am writing this piece, so that in the annals of history, it may be known that you had the courage to stand against the grain.

Though I have not followed you as closely as I used to, your commitment to our founding principles in the wake of the 2012 election was a rude awakening for me, and helped usher me down a path to libertarianism. I listened to your radio program on a daily basis, and was transformed by your message. As you called for Americans to place principle above party, and started the #DefundTheGOP initiative, I took your message to heart. Even while I was still a staunch right-wing conservative, I refused to identify as a Republican, because I wanted to be known by my principles, rather than by a political party.

The same holds true today. I am often told by my fellow libertarians that I should vote for Gary Johnson for the good of the Libertarian Party, but I refuse to place party above principles. Though his principles may match more closely with yours, myself and a number of other libertarians are feeling as betrayed by Johnson as you are by Donald Trump. I refuse to cower to public opinion, and will stand on principle instead, just as you have chosen to do.

Much like The Blaze, we have lost followers over our decision to not tow the party line. Although we have since gained an even larger audience that respects courage and principle, the precedent you set after Mitt Romney’s loss in 2012 was an imperative one.

You don’t have to answer to a political party, and you don’t even have to answer to your fans. And that is why I revere you for your choice to stand on principle, because you understand that the only one you have to answer to for your decisions is God.

The disenchantment of the presidential election has everyone in a whirlpool of emotions, and only a few have had the courage to take a step back and assess things from a rational perspective. This is why my respect for you has grown over the past few months. You could have done what was easy and gotten behind Donald Trump for the sake of defeating Hillary Clinton. But you stood firmly on your principles and refused to violate your conscience.

What best demonstrated your commitment to principle was when you dug into Ted Cruz for recently endorsing Donald Trump. While the mainstream has touted this as a testament of cowardice, I say it is a testament of theirs. They want us to all fall in line and bow down to whatever two or three authoritarians they throw our way. The real cowards are the ones who happily oblige.

Thank you for showing the world that it is possible to do the right thing in the face of adversity. Thank you for staying true to your values, and allowing yourself to be guided by your faith, rather than by politics. And thank you for choosing principle over politics.

I hope that one day the history textbooks will show that Glenn Beck was one of the few brave men able to see through the fog. The precedent you set back in 2013 has made a lasting impact on myself, and I pray that it will serve as an inspiration to millions of others as well.

Sincerely,

Justin Moldow
Founder of LibertyHangout.org

This article originally appeared here.