Reference-only biologists and Trekkies stand aside, for one thing has recently become clear about Glenn Beck: He needs to decide whether he’s a conservative, a libertarian or plain ol’ crazy. I’m all for good political discourse, even if it’s not always constructive — otherwise I wouldn’t have this column — but you’d think the people who make it their job to sit behind a desk and expound their views would at least have some clear idea of what those views are.

During Monday night’s showdown with Katie Couric, Beck said that he might have voted for Hillary Clinton and — I’m not making this up — “John McCain would have been worse for this country than Barack Obama.” Either utterance on its own would’ve been interesting, especially given Couric’s reputation for getting public figures to say stupid things, but the two together? Hoo, boy. You’ve got the right angry at someone they thought was in their camp, the left doesn’t want him in theirs, and I find myself in the unenviable position (well, for me) of agreeing with radio host Mark Levin that “I don’t know who certain people are playing to.”

This is the same Glenn Beck, by the way, who recently accused Obama of imposing an “oligarhy” [sic] on the United States (YouTube it – it’s hilarious) and who, around this time last year, was advocating for a larger bailout, extending PATRIOT Act powers and foreign policy George Carlin once described as “bombing brown people” — while also supporting the grassroots anti-government and anti-elite movement that begat the Tea Party protests.

In other words, Beck’s either seriously confused — for which it’s difficult to blame him — or, as some have suggested, desperate for approval. Either way, it’s time Glenn Beck found his spine and got back to what he does best: making people talk about Glenn Beck.