64 Comments

• McNamara31 | Sep 04, 2010, 10:49 AM EDT

  pflynn70..."liberal dummies who got us into this mess" Really?...That's the first time I ever heard Bush/Cheney called liberal dummies, because that's who "factually" sent us into Iraq, and then on to the brink of economic collapse. And, for the "most" part, Bush/Cheney were “chicken hawks” (one differed, one a “no show” reservist) not like yourself, or my "dem" husband, brother and father who also served this country.

• pflynn70 | Sep 03, 2010, 01:40 PM EDT

  How about close or over 500,000? Wishful thinking from liberal dummies are what got us into this mess. Enjoy the freedom vet's like myself have brought to our country and see what would happen if we let muslims completely run our country.All you have to do is look at London, the bNetherlands and see the distruction they bring. Maybe a stint in a muslim country for you and the family would open your eyes. p/s maybe you should buy you wife a "burka".

• blst4m4ev | Sep 03, 2010, 09:36 AM EDT

  Yes, if the majority supporting this cause are white men and women, then there won't be a great showing because these people are the few left in the US who actually work and support the US by paying taxes. They can't just take off work on a whim to go to DC. They would like to keep their jobs. I bet the real number who support this cause is in the millions, but they won't show that at the cause, because they need their jobs, while the illegal aliens and the people on welfare who don't pay taxes are free to come and go as they please and show their numbers at a cause they can attend because they have no jobs.

• maloney | Sep 02, 2010, 06:34 PM EDT

  Mc31...your record seems to be stuck. pall parret how many times are you going to say the same thing. Getting senile it seems. NBC said 300,000 yes NBC get over it. you lose

• hancock | Sep 02, 2010, 06:25 PM EDT

  The only person who believes CBS is Mac himself.

• McNamara31 | Sep 02, 2010, 05:26 PM EDT

  Follow up ....."CBS News commissioned the company AirPhotosLive.com to estimate the size of the rally. Using aerial pictures taken at what it deemed the height of the rally, AirPhotosLive.com said 87,000 people attended the event. The margin of error offered by AirPhotosLive.com was plus or minus 9,000 people." This reprsents .ooo2% of Americans. The only group/person saying 300,000 to 500,000 was Beck himself.

• MaryM232 | Sep 01, 2010, 11:14 AM EDT

  Not surprisingly, I see no follow up to this article. The attendance has been estimated at between 300,000 500,000 Americans, and there were black and brown US citizens in the crowd. They were happy, friendly, and decent US citizens, the same people who are representative of the US citizenry who have reached out and helped others around the world during times of crisis. They didn't leave even one scrap of paper on the ground either, unlike the mess left behind for others to clean up after the democrat Obama's lefty crowd at his inauguration. I thought democrats "cared" about the environment? What anyone who watched the coverage saw, was a large group of people who were representative of the US as a whole.

• Matoig21 | Sep 01, 2010, 11:00 AM EDT

  Well OReilly was wrong. Glenn Becks crowd was well over 300,000 thousand

• IrishAndProud | Aug 31, 2010, 11:04 PM EDT

  Of course by the same formula, you could break down any LIBERAL crowd's event in D.C. and (assuming THEIR crowd numbers are inherently bigger) think they're a majority in the USA...something no poll currently shows or has ever shown. Gallup has self-described libs at only 21% of the U.S. populace. So, with such an apparent paradox, there's a pretty natural conclusion: the great silent majority, as conservatives have been called, are simply too busy going about their lives to attend marches in D.C. to the same measure that their more idle (and hand-out supported) brethren across the aisle do. But going by any polls or trends, conservatives do indeed intend to make their presence known, in the same way they usually do: at the ballot box.

• hancock | Aug 31, 2010, 09:13 PM EDT

  I don't buy CBS estimate, and don't understand your breakdown by population. The first time I ever seen anybody do it. I guess you just hate Beck.

• McNamara31 | Aug 31, 2010, 08:28 PM EDT

  Hancock...its basic Math Population of American in 2010, (305,689,000) divided by the people who showed up on "the most beautiful day Washington has had this year" (87,000) = a mere .0002% of Americans (and D.C.tourists combined)

• hancock | Aug 31, 2010, 05:25 PM EDT

  No, because I figure you're drunk for clinging to your .0002 figure. Now will our lying eyes now be able to trump CBS news?

• maloney | Aug 31, 2010, 04:27 PM EDT

  mc-31... I'm fully aware of the ownership of Fox. It all comes down to one thing, the TRUTH. I disagree with Beck on many things. No matter how you slice it, both political parties are not to be trusted. Sad to say I'll take the greedy GOP over the lying marxist dems every day of the year. The last thing I want is the USA to become, say, any country in europe.

• McNamara31 | Aug 31, 2010, 04:09 PM EDT

  Hancock... "Mac go back to the pub?"... "you Irish?" A bit stereotypical, wouldn't you say?

• hancock | Aug 31, 2010, 03:48 PM EDT

  Mac go back to the pub. I don't rely on any news organizatuion and am certainly not obseesed with them as many of you Irish seem to be.

• McNamara31 | Aug 31, 2010, 03:32 PM EDT

  Maloney/Hancock... You can't believe who? Do you know you are relying on a News Organization owned by an Australian born owner, and with its major investor being, a Saudi Prince. This is no comment on Australians or any other group; this is just to say they have "outside", rather than "inside", interests. Say what you want about CBS, ABC and NBC but remember they were "American born" and have approached the news with that in mind. No one could have predicted years ago the leverage this News Corp. would have on the American political system and America's world view. This News Corp. knows that stirring smears, fear and bigotry, raises the ratings like a rocket, yet they have no journalistic ethics about the fall out on this country. I have no doubt their "target audience" will be out in droves this November, voting the people who truly "Broke America" back into office. But in won't work in 2012, so I see many more years of American advancement being blocked by the party of "no", fed by the News Corp of Smear.

• McNamara31 | Aug 31, 2010, 03:20 PM EDT

  Maloney/Hancock...CBS actually "hired" a firm that day to provide a count. Fox basically "asked" Glenn Beck, how many people "he thought" were there. Interviewed on Fox News, Glenn Beck said attendance for his rally was, "on the low end, 300,000 and it may be as high as 650,000." Sounds pretty much how Fox does business every day, opinions Not Facts. (87,000people =.0002% American Population)

• hancock | Aug 31, 2010, 02:42 PM EDT

  Mac this is why most people can't take you liberals seriously.

• maloney | Aug 31, 2010, 02:41 PM EDT

  mc-31...estimated 87000. CBS had these numbers b4 the rally. cbs-nbc-abc-msnbc-cnn, FOX has higher ratings than the rest put together. why? because the rest are liars. Hey progressive liberals. Is that the sound of bums puckering I hear?

• McNamara31 | Aug 31, 2010, 02:09 PM EDT

  maloney...I think someone told you some baloney. CBS News... "An estimated 87,000 people attended a rally organized by talk-radio host and Fox News commentator Glenn Beck Saturday in Washington, according to a "crowd estimate commissioned by CBS News" That's .0002% of the American population, on one of the most beautiful weekends Washington and the East Coast has had this summer.

• maloney | Aug 31, 2010, 12:37 PM EDT

  oreilly & roberts, both wrong. at least 300,000 maybe 600,000 sounds like dems/liberals crying to me.

• McNabb1966 | Aug 30, 2010, 10:37 PM EDT

  LMAO! O'Reilly and Roberts have something in common at last: wrongness!

• IrishAndProud | Aug 30, 2010, 07:38 PM EDT

  Yes, indeed...I was just coming back to correct that; thanks for the note, nonetheless.

• Mairin67 | Aug 30, 2010, 06:08 PM EDT

  Danger! Danger! Beck and Palin....Danger!!!!!

• jamieLM | Aug 30, 2010, 03:22 PM EDT

  IrishAndProud: Alveda is MLK JR.'s niece, not his daughter - to be correct.

• IrishAndProud | Aug 30, 2010, 02:47 PM EDT

  Personally, I stand with Ron Miller -- one of the many blacks who attended this in fact racially diverse gathering in Washington -- and who said [BEGIN QUOTE]: "Those naysayers who compare us to the Ku Klux Klan are despicable...by making such a ludicrous comparison, they have revealed themselves to be morally bankrupt, so they no longer warrant a hearing from Americans of good will." [END QUOTE] Oh, incidentally, MLK's daughter Alveda was there, and also addressed the crowd -- by reading her father's famous speech from that same location. Now THAT's reaching out. The race-baiting left wingers who chuck their nonsense on this post (and virtually all of whom are white, I'd guess...and some of whom are not even in the USA and maybe never have been) are NOT reaching out -- not even remotely -- nor are they even interested.

• Southernpride | Aug 30, 2010, 12:54 PM EDT

  Fatherpa: the Pope was in Hitler's youth movement. A good canidate

• hancock | Aug 30, 2010, 11:54 AM EDT

  Was it as terrifying as the 2008 vote for cool Jesus tour?

• irishfez | Aug 30, 2010, 11:40 AM EDT

  This rally, and the collectivism of these people, is really terrifying. The minute we start re-writing history, we're in deep trouble

• Fatherpat | Aug 30, 2010, 09:54 AM EDT

  "He lacks O'Reilly's ability to reach more into the mainstream." God help the US that these two bigots and rabble trousers have become the voice of the mainstream. Who's the next US idol? Somebody called Adolf?

• seanomelbourne | Aug 29, 2010, 11:49 PM EDT

  Hey! Monsoonman did Beck have a "road to Damascus moment" 15 yrs ago, I think he lost his way and entered the "land of oz". I hope he was not discussing fear and loathing with the Wizard.

• cvmichael | Aug 29, 2010, 11:13 PM EDT

  Just look at page A12 of the 29 August Washington Post- nothing but people and flags - no signs, no politics, no attacks on those who disagree ( and a few more than 40,000, without a doubt).

• McNamara31 | Aug 29, 2010, 10:09 PM EDT

  Monsoonman..Thanks for the perspective. Would like to X2 your statement "The message is to judge a person by the contents of their character rather than the color of their skin" That's a thought we can all rally around. Mc

• Monsoonman | Aug 29, 2010, 09:56 PM EDT

  McNamara good question and thank you for asking. My opinion is that he is in it for the betterment of our country, he probably has as much money as he needs, he lives a pretty low profile lifestyle. He had an epiphany 15 years ago and went through a life altering spiritual change with the help of a 12 step group. I think a lot of his detractors on this board have never actually listened to him and judge him through the prism of those that despise him.

• McNamara31 | Aug 29, 2010, 08:25 PM EDT

  Monsoonman…. Leaving our political leanings aside, what do you honestly think of Beck the man. Do you think he is in it for the betterment of America, or himself? Mc

• Monsoonman | Aug 29, 2010, 07:56 PM EDT

  Martin Luther Kings Niece was a keynote speaker, how more inclusive can you get. She is a wonderful human being who brought everyone together, like her Uncle did. The message is to judge a person by the contents of their character rather than the color of their skin...Pretty simple.

• patrick1945 | Aug 29, 2010, 07:53 PM EDT

  If and I do mean "If", Mr. O'Reily said that it was most likely in jest. Why would O'Reilly appear in personal tours with Beck if nobody was interested in seeing Beck? If O'Reily said that, boy was he wrong! Besides the ralley wasn't about Beck, it was about honoring America and Americans.

• IrishAndProud | Aug 29, 2010, 06:40 PM EDT

  So then why do people like you perpetrate and perpetuate that divide at every opportunity, adrienrain? BTW I think Patrick wrote his article a wee bit too soon, predicting the size of the crowd -- but since he'd already knighted himself with the role of judge, jury and executioner of the American conservative majority (who he's rather prejudiced against), it left him a bit vulnerable to cockily 'knowing' the crowd just couldn't be big. He just had this thing all sewn up even before it happened, you see. He just...knew. And now, well...at least egg has protein, so when it runs into your mouth (after getting all over your face) it'll not do much harm. Crow, however, has to be properly cooked first, so I hope he did that.

• adrienrain | Aug 29, 2010, 02:53 PM EDT

  Beck really did his best to twist King's words and legacy. Whatever weird fiction he might try to promulgate, Martin Luther King was a Social Justice minister who sought to unite people rather than divide them.

• hancock | Aug 29, 2010, 02:12 PM EDT

  Mac that is a stretch.

• Monsoonman | Aug 29, 2010, 01:46 PM EDT

  Is it a teachable moment for some of ye, when cbs gets caught out in the open with their slanted, low ball estimate of 87,000 when most other estimates were in the several hundreds of thousands. They even gave a specific number of 87, not 90, or 80, making it sound scientifically derived so the sheep would be impressed....I am sure cbs looks back wistfully to the days when it was just them, abc and nbc filling our heads with whatever they decided to give us....In the inimitable words of herr cronkite: and that, ladies and gentlemen is the way it is.

• Southernpride | Aug 29, 2010, 01:35 PM EDT

  300,000 by NBC News and the New York Times and 500,000 by rally organizers. Sky News concurred with rally organizers in estimating attendance at 500,000.

• McNamara31 | Aug 29, 2010, 11:07 AM EDT

  CBS News... "An estimated 87,000 people attended a rally organized by talk-radio host and Fox News commentator Glenn Beck Saturday in Washington, according to a crowd estimate commissioned by CBS News" That's .0002% of the American population, on one of the most beautiful days Washington has had this summer.

• rcrdskpr@aol.com | Aug 29, 2010, 10:52 AM EDT

  re your article: to quote my sainted irish grandmother "if wishes were horses, beggars would ride". i have heard more hate radio from the left, than the right. the left radio has called for "righties" to be hung, shot, have their families murdered, etc.

• McNamara31 | Aug 29, 2010, 10:51 AM EDT

  donal1951...Have you ever heard Beck's radio show where he even gets move divisive and dangerous with his smears? Did you hear him say, day after day in the time leading to the presidential elections to "get you guns" before "he" takes "em" away from you? Beck is a modern day political maggot who lives on the misery of others manipulating them for his own greedy gains.

• donal1951 | Aug 29, 2010, 09:27 AM EDT

  I won't try to estimate crowds. I'm always wrong. But McNamara31 comes too close for comfort to trashing American free speech rights, enshrined in the USA's Bill of Rights, part of the Constitution. Beck, whom I don't care for, had a permit for the rally and was exercising his constitutional rights.

• newcanaan | Aug 29, 2010, 09:03 AM EDT

  Patrick get out of manhatan for a day,you might learn something.

• hootntye | Aug 29, 2010, 09:01 AM EDT

  He does not have a selfish agenda,why can't this be something that brings us together, not apart, we are ordinary working people, why shouldn't we all build on KING's dream as you say. That is the trouble everyone has their own agenda it seems and can't let go of their own "unworthiness", none of us is perfect. He was very respectful of Dr. King's time and place.

• hootntye | Aug 29, 2010, 08:55 AM EDT

  Boy was he ever WRONG! And, don't classify us as ANGRY white men and women. You may say disatisfied, yes but to say the word ANGRY denotes something else again.

• Southernpride | Aug 29, 2010, 07:38 AM EDT

  300,000 by NBC News and the New York Times and 500,000 by rally organizers. Sky News concurred with rally organizers in estimating attendance at 500,000.

• Tony Barry | Aug 29, 2010, 05:18 AM EDT

  Mr. O'Dowd is wrong again...as usual, Washington DC Police Captain estimated crowdin excess of 350,000. Who would believe CBS?

• McNamara31 | Aug 28, 2010, 08:56 PM EDT

  What makes Glenn Beck think he is worthy to stand just feet away from where Martin Luther King stood and spoke for those at the bottom of the American dream? And, then just a short time later be assassinated? What are his accomplishments, other than his ability to stir the political pot and provide diversion from the real problems at hand? This country is at dangerous crossroads when a pure opportunist like Beck is given a national stage to promote his divisive rhetoric with just enough “faith and flag” to hide his true selfish agenda.

• brennan2010 | Aug 28, 2010, 07:53 PM EDT

  It's so sad to see Irish-Americans buying into the Fox News version of current affairs. Glenn Beck is an Elmer Gantry figure, and a dangerous one at that. I'm not a big fan of Obama because he hasn't taken on the vested interests in the financial and corporate sectors. A lot of ordinary working people are very angry with the political situation at the moment but to think that the right wing (including Clinton), who have overseen the destruction of pay, conditions and union rights over the past thirty years offer any alternative are sorely mistaken. I think it's time Irish Americans rediscover the works of James Connolly.

• Niall O'Dowd | Aug 28, 2010, 07:33 PM EDT

  Official estimate from company commissioned by CBS is 87,000 which is a lot closer to O'Reilly's number than Beck's 300,000

• SuperNewBlogger | Aug 28, 2010, 04:39 PM EDT

  GJPinks,
  
  When you post comments with links that can cause an issue. Due to spamming we have to approve all comments with links. Sometimes that can take a bit of time.

• GJPinks | Aug 28, 2010, 04:25 PM EDT

  http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100828/capt.fe35cc139c514e8885c1cf10a6200d8e-fe35cc139c514e8885c1cf10a6200d8e-0.jpg?x=400&y=266&q=85&sig=9sWboDumwxv_Q9ytTW4xOA--#tcot%20#teaparty%20#sgp%20#ampat

• GJPinks | Aug 28, 2010, 04:25 PM EDT

  No one can tell? The crowd goes past the WWII monument in the middle (200,000) same distance to the south. (300,000 to 350,000) Unknown amount North of the Mall because of the trees 130,000 watching on Ustream But don't worry, the got overhead pictures of the even and reportedly a company has been paid to provide an accurate count. (excluding those blocked by the trees)

• proudmick | Aug 28, 2010, 04:02 PM EDT

  Not the biggest Glenn Beck fan but the nation IS drifting extreme left. I am middle road but believe the takers are gaining too much ground. Sharpton IS a champion of the system soaking people of the country and has a built in base in the biggest project housing complex in that area. The crowd is huge at the Beck rally now and will grow bigger as people feel screwed by super rich and get sucked off of by the eternally poor. Middle class folks are sick of the crap and will look for anyone right now who offers salvation. Whether right or not the people are sick of seeing million dollar bonuses for the rich and supposedly poor people in the market on the 1st and 15th dressed to the nines in brand new cars and eternally on expensive cell phones that they shouldn't be able to afford on food stamps.

• Southernpride | Aug 28, 2010, 03:32 PM EDT

  O'Reilly is a good Catholic boy who dabbles in phone sex

• GJPinks | Aug 28, 2010, 02:17 PM EDT

  Your posts don't take a few minutes... 45 minutes later and my post still hasn't appeared. http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100828/capt.fe35cc139c514e8885c1cf10a6200d8e-fe35cc139c514e8885c1cf10a6200d8e-0.jpg?x=400&y=266&q=85&sig=9sWboDumwxv_Q9ytTW4xOA--#tcot%20#teaparty%20#sgp%20#ampat

• GJPinks | Aug 28, 2010, 01:49 PM EDT

  40,000? NOT EVEN CLOSE! does this look like 40,000? http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100828/capt.fe35cc139c514e8885c1cf10a6200d8e-fe35cc139c514e8885c1cf10a6200d8e-0.jpg?x=400&y=266&q=85&sig=9sWboDumwxv_Q9ytTW4xOA--#tcot%20#teaparty%20#sgp%20#ampat O'Rielly will have to give Glenn his time slot. There will be an "official" count because they have the photos and a company that can make a real count. The number looks like over 500,000 and the Ustream count went OVER 130,000. Please make a correction.

• Tony Barry | Aug 28, 2010, 12:55 PM EDT

  I hate to tell you this Mr. Roberts,but I think O'Reilly got it wrong on this one...but you'll probably be watching Olbermoron's comments which are more in line with yours.

• Monsoonman | Aug 28, 2010, 12:07 PM EDT

  It doesn't take rocket science oh'roberts...Next silly, leftist, inflammatory headline!

• Monsoonman | Aug 28, 2010, 11:31 AM EDT

  First the average patriot who would attend a rally such as this does not live in the immediate Washington DC area, so it would require a great deal of travel to attend. Which brings us to the second point, many patriotic american citizens who would attend something like this are employed, or business owners and can't afford the time it would take to attend. Al sharpton and co. have a built in base who live in Washington DC. All they have to do is walk a couple of blocks to attend and have plenty of time on their hands to hang out.