There was a time when Glenn Beck was arguably the biggest conservative lightning rod in the country.

You remember. It was 2009, and Beck had just joined Fox News Channel. His 5 p.m. show was an instant ratings sensation — third highest in all of cable news in just its second month on the air — and he was making headlines with over-the-top statements, such as his memorable assertion that President Obama is “a racist” who “has a deep-seated hatred for white people.”

That one, you might recall, prompted companies like Geico, Progressive insurance, Berkshire Hathaway and Procter & Gamble to pull advertising from Beck’s program. Yet his popularity only grew. At one point in the fall of 2009, Beck had three (three!) books on the New York Times bestseller list, including a children’s picture book.

So why isn’t Beck’s recent endorsement of Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz a bigger deal?