I’ve never been a fan of Glenn Beck. He is prone to hyperbole, has a bizarre grasp of history, and as someone whose job it is to speak four hours a day, can play fast and loose with his lips. That said, the evil that the Left ascribes to this man is itself exaggerated, and the sheer fear with which they approach him is a source of much hilarity.

For all his professional faults, I admire the story of his personal renewal. Americans love a comeback story, even when we’re not privy to see the trainwreck. It is his rise from alcoholism that informs Glenn Beck’s politics and world view. It’s no secret that he is a Mormon, and yet he does not preach Mormonism on his show. Yes, there are strong religious undertones, but what do you expect from a man who has his newfound faith to thank for his survival?

When he organized the Restoring Honor rally this past Saturday, the Left went ballistic. It happens to be the anniversary of MLK‘s speech, and to the Left, this was their day. To them, the idea that Glenn Beck would hold a rally of white people, whom they consider nothing more than racists and bigots, was so offensive it was unacceptable. The sheer vitriol the Left felt towards their fellow Americans was astounding, but not surprising. They have disdained the Right for a very long time.

I’ve never been a fan of Glenn Beck. There’s a subset of his audience that is uncritical of his words and adopts his ideas as gospel truth. This is not his fault, considering that every pundit and two-bit philosopher in the media has their fair share of sheep. But I like how his Restoring Honor rally was not about following his ideas, but a gathering of people in need of fellowship.

Of course, the Left was seen sarcastically wondering whether the “Honor” Beck wants to restore was code for such past sins as slavery, segregation and the racism that inspired those situations. The Left was seen mocking the crowd that day, as they do every day anyway. But the rally itself was not about the Left. This was not a campaign rally, to promote Beck’s anointed candidates. Even their special guest, Sarah Palin, wasn’t speaking in partisan terms.

What wasthe Honor that Beck wanted for so many to restore? Doctor Zero has a few ideas. This was a rally that aimed for a personal and spiritual restoration for the people who attended, that they may bring their experiences that day back home, to share with their loved ones and neighbors.

I’m not quite sure whether we can measure his success, but even if the low estimate of three hundred thousand people went back home and tried to start change with themselves first, and reach out to the neighbors around them, then that’s three hundred thousand minor evangelists, not for a religion but for a movement of ideas.

I have heard of this 9-12 project, which ties in closely with Glenn Beck’s show and has been adopted the various Tea Party organizations. I think this movement, one borne on ideas and values, scares the Left, because it competes with them, not in terms of policy proposals, but with values and principles. Anyone (yes, despite the use of capital-G God) can be a part of it. The Left, along with belligerent atheists, would have you believe that one is unwelcome in such a schema. They are after all, competing for your attention and world view.

So why the title, then? Am I calling Beck a paragon? A charlatan? He is a little bit of both but also completely neither, at least by definition. What he might be is the man who helps us realize what we need, as a country (and no, it’s not to buy gold).

We have been, since the Bush election, a nation hurting for healing and catharsis. The 2000 election was so acrimonious that the country has been in a contentuous state since then. The 9/11 attacks, the subsequent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the numerous politcal scandals have done little to help bring our country together. When our current president ran for office, he tried to sell that uniter schtick. I didn’t buy it, but enough people did and he is where he is now.

There is a terrible sense of buyer’s remorse, though. Moderate Republicans and Libertarians who broke for him in 2008 will unlikely vote for him today. He broke promises to his base, while enacting enough of his Leftist agenda to lull a large number of people while simultaneously inciting his enemies. The healer-in-chief never materialized, and with every issue, he stands behind his lectern, wagging his finger at us on every issue imaginable, whether it’s race relations or the Ground Zero Mosque.

Our president sold himself as a paragon and yet is nothing more than a charlatan. Now, we are faced with the temptation to find paragons wherever we can find them, when in fact the more important thing is to decentralize our hopes and aspirations over many public servants. Take this conclusion by Smitty (emphasis mine):

Here is something of a conclusion: let us be as forgiving as genuine repentance allows, but, more importantly, strive to diminish the importance of individuals in running the government, so that the negative impact of personal failings is reduced.

I’ve never been a fan of Glenn Beck, but if, in examining him, we realize that it’s time we stopped looking for paragons and instead started making paragons out of ourselves, then he’d have made a great contribution in improving politics for all of us.