FOX News’ Glenn Beck is putting himself right in the crosshairs of the big liberal media by doing something relatively unique – teaching history to his viewers.

Recently, the Obama administration joined with the MSM in an unsuccessful effort to make Rush Limbaugh the demonized personification of what it means to be a conservative. All it did was raise Limbaugh’s ratings.  They’ve since backed off.

You would have thought Rahm Emanuel would have learned after the beating Senator Harry Reid suffered when Limbaugh raffled off the complaint letter Reid send to Limbaugh’s radio network host and netted four million dollars (two of it Limbaugh’s) in proceeds that went to the children of those who’ve died in service to the nation.

Next in line for old media ridicule is Glenn Beck. His Soupy Sales demeanor makes him, at first glance, appear to be less than a serious political commentator. His self-deprecating humor stands in stark contrast to the pomposity of Bill O’Reilly’s Factor format where Big Bill’s looking out for the folks. In contrast, Beck is dumb like a fox on FOX.

Beck avoids the tiresome FOX format (tiresome to me anyway) of dueling talking heads, as a twenty-something “Republican Strategist” debates a thirty-something “Democratic Strategist,” talking over each other. Can’t help but wonder what all these young “strategists” do between elections. Park cars, or deliver pizza?

A guest on Beck’s show has a better-than-even chance of getting to finish a sentence without being interrupted by a counterpoint.

His show last Friday afternoon featured four serious authors: Amity Shlaes (The Forgotten Man); Ronald J. Pestritto (Woodrow Wilson and the Roots of Modern Liberalism), and Jonah Goldberg (Liberal Fascism), and Robert Gellately (Lenin, Stalin, and Hitler: The Age of Social Catastrophe). Beck aimed to put current events in the context of the history of American progressivism, popularly carrying the labels fascism, socialism or communism, depending on the source and the time. (Shlaes today prefers “statism.”)

His occasionally bizarre behavior and admitted ADD makes him a high profile target for left liberal bloggers and MSM newspaper columnists. He wears his opinions and feelings on his sleeves, giving the impression of a what-you-see-is-what-you-get commentator.  It makes him appear vulnerable.  On his Good Friday show, he even inserted a brief homily.  Imagine Charlie Rose doing that.

Amidst the manic action is a smart, entertaining communicator with a one-hour prime-time television program with education on his agenda.

And that makes him a threat to some.  They’ll be coming after him.