Glenn Beck

In the Oct. 18 issue of The New Yorker, historian Sean Wilentz argues that the rhetoric expressed by both Glenn Beck and the Tea Party is nothing new -- and is rooted in an extremist ideology that has been around since the Cold War.

Journalist David Weigel recently attended the Tea Party convention and the Conservative Political Action Conference. Weigel, who covers the Republican Party for The Washington Independent, explains how the conservative message is shifting — and how party officials are dealing with the changes.

Vogue Magazine film critic John Powers talks about the year in media: the major events, the trending topics and the evolution of social networking.