# Glenn Beck and the Worst Book Cover Ever **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 11, 2009, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glenn-beck-and-the-worst-book-cover-ever/509635 "2009-09-11T01:34:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Krebbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@Mr.Krebbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Krebbs)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glenn-beck-and-the-worst-book-cover-ever/509635/1 "2009-09-11T01:34:47Z")
When I first saw this image, I did not believe it was real. It is. [http://www.amazon.com/Arguing-Idiots-Small-Minds-Government/dp/1416595015](http://www.amazon.com/Arguing-Idiots-Small-Minds-Government/dp/1416595015) ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glenn-beck-and-the-worst-book-cover-ever/509635/2 "2009-09-11T01:39:16Z")
Where do you even begin? And which side is he taking in the argument? And you wanna know in a nutshell what’s wrong with America? It’s not going to be published until the 22nd and it’s already #8. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glenn-beck-and-the-worst-book-cover-ever/509635/3 "2009-09-11T01:40:32Z")
I, uh. Wow. Nothing says stopping big government like a military uniform, am I right? ---
**Author:** ![Annie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glenn-beck-and-the-worst-book-cover-ever/509635/4 "2009-09-11T01:41:11Z")
He was going for the pudgy Soviet apparatchik who just had his comic book money stolen look? 'kay, guess it sells books ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glenn-beck-and-the-worst-book-cover-ever/509635/5 "2009-09-11T01:43:39Z")
Check out the “tags customers associate with this product” section. ---
**Author:** ![Annie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glenn-beck-and-the-worst-book-cover-ever/509635/6 "2009-09-11T01:47:19Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Check out the “tags customers associate with this product” section. Ah, ‘springtime for hitler’ or ‘pig vomit’, which to choose… ‘starting with himself?’ There’s one ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glenn-beck-and-the-worst-book-cover-ever/509635/7 "2009-09-11T01:54:27Z")
That is definitely a weird-looking photo: is it just me, or is he sporting some weird facial shadows and/or makeup that makes it look as though he has a black eye? (And what’s with the “Toys R Us”-style backwards R in “arguing”, anyway?) ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glenn-beck-and-the-worst-book-cover-ever/509635/8 "2009-09-11T01:57:02Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > (And what’s with the “Toys R Us”-style backwards R in “arguing”, anyway?) A [Ya](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ya_(Cyrillic)) maybe? For the “Cyrillic=Russian=Communist=Obama’s a Communist” thing? Except I can’t imagine his fans knowing what in the hell a Ya was. And it’s not pronounced remotely the same. ---
**Author:** ![Ichini\_Sanshigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/d9b06d/32.png) [@Ichini\_Sanshigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichini_Sanshigo)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glenn-beck-and-the-worst-book-cover-ever/509635/9 "2009-09-11T01:59:40Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Check out the “tags customers associate with this product” section. I especially like “how does he sleep at night” and “i weep for mrs beck”. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glenn-beck-and-the-worst-book-cover-ever/509635/10 "2009-09-11T02:05:13Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > A [Ya](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ya_(Cyrillic)) maybe? For the “Cyrillic=Russian=Communist=Obama’s a Communist” thing? > > Except I can’t imagine his fans knowing what in the hell a Ya was. And it’s not pronounced remotely the same. It’s like dear old **Smashy** calling America Amerika. It doesn’t have to make sense, only look vaguely ominous. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glenn-beck-and-the-worst-book-cover-ever/509635/11 "2009-09-11T02:11:20Z")
Check out the numbers. “idiot” (89), “keeping America stupid” (87), “maroon” (80) and so on, till you get to “keeping America informed” (25) and “true patriot” (23). But, truly, I am most deeply offended by his conceit of posturing himself in the mold of Thomas Paine. Blasphemy! - a word I almost never have occasion to use. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glenn-beck-and-the-worst-book-cover-ever/509635/12 "2009-09-11T02:12:34Z")
Is it my imagination, or does the hat not fit? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glenn-beck-and-the-worst-book-cover-ever/509635/13 "2009-09-11T02:17:06Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > And which side is he taking in the argument? I don’t think an argument with Glenn Beck has sides. Love handles, possibly, but not sides. And for the record, I think the sub title was originally the more honest “Arguing, with Idiots.” ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glenn-beck-and-the-worst-book-cover-ever/509635/14 "2009-09-11T02:18:21Z")
What? He’s got on tie and a military style suit and hat. What’s the big deal? ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glenn-beck-and-the-worst-book-cover-ever/509635/15 "2009-09-11T02:19:18Z")
I laughed out loud at this line, ostensibly justifying the book: [Quote=editorial review] Idiots can’t be identified through voting records, they can be found only by looking for people who hide behind stereotypes, embrace partisanship, and believe that bumper sticker slogans are a substitute for common sense. [/Quote] I’m at a loss as to how this does not describe the author perfectly… ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glenn-beck-and-the-worst-book-cover-ever/509635/16 "2009-09-11T02:19:18Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > What? He’s got on tie and a military style suit and hat. What’s the big deal? Oh good, someone has arranged for a demonstration. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glenn-beck-and-the-worst-book-cover-ever/509635/17 "2009-09-11T02:20:41Z")
Mostly that it seems to be a serious non sequitur. What does any of it have to do with his title or apparent thesis? My best guess: if he was wanting to evoke the Soviet Union (thus making a connection with the “idiots” of his title and their supposedly socialistic beliefs), surely he could’ve picked a less roundabout way to go about it? Not to mention the photo itself doesn’t flatter him much. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glenn-beck-and-the-worst-book-cover-ever/509635/18 "2009-09-11T02:21:45Z")
Oh my. Oh my my my. The sense of revulsion was suppressed by the jaw-dropping hilarity of this following, taken from the product description: > [@](#): > > Idiots can’t be identified through voting records, they can be found only by looking for people who hide behind stereotypes, embrace partisanship, and believe that bumper sticker slogans are a substitute for common sense. The lie… it **metas**! ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glenn-beck-and-the-worst-book-cover-ever/509635/19 "2009-09-11T02:22:02Z")
“Douglas C. Neidermeyer: killed in Vietnam by his own troops” ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glenn-beck-and-the-worst-book-cover-ever/509635/20 "2009-09-11T02:23:44Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > What? He’s got on tie and a military style suit and hat. What’s the big deal? Was Beck ever in the military? Also, looks to me like a Russian uniform. Also, the “R” in “arguing” is reversed, which is frequently done to give a sort of cod-Cyrillic effect. Not sure what the point is, exactly, but it all does come off a bit…odd. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glenn-beck-and-the-worst-book-cover-ever/509635.md?page=2)