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Friday, May 7, 2010

Man, there’s a lot of anger out there.



No, there is, I’ve seen it! Seriously. Makes ya want to slapahead. A stand against Big Government (read: bloated) might be considered a legit gripe, but Bill Maher over-simplifies with GOP loves whites blanket statements (starting at 6:00), while George Will is misguided in labeling civil rights supporters as creating synthetic hysteria.

Both however, ignore and dismiss the genuine angst in the country over immigration reform and enforcement, or lack thereof.

Hypocrisy isn’t limited to either party though, and often rears its ugly head with a host of issues. Yellow t-shirt guy leading off the clip says his money shouldn’t go to fund someone else’s personal legal choices. The bigger message from other Tea Party rallies though is clear: As long as the personal choices in question are ones we approve of, then the government can step in.

(To save taxpayer dollars though, wouldn’t *smaller* government proponents favor enforcement of existing immigration laws instead of creating new ones? #rhetorical)

The real fun however, comes in at 1:04. Damn. It sure ain’t about big government with her—it’s about hating, selfish, Obama-loving liberal public arts funding, NPR-lovin’ takers! (The HELL’s a taker?)

Still, from a campaign strategy POV for Dems, I wouldn’t ignore the vibe in much the same way the right ignored the hate out there for Dubbya.

Tea Party movements may be small, but there’s enough anger there to be packaged up, mislabled and sold for consumption come next election. They may even figure out to use Twitter to mobilize too.

They already know how to use YouTube.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

But there is more common sense in that woman - although I don't necessarily agree with her approach - than those that defend the bill.

Taker = those that enjoy living off the hard work and responsible decisions of others. A taker is also known for pointing fingers and calling those same responsible people hate mongers, inconsiderate, heartless individuals.

Oh and I do understand #rhetorical but I wanted to define it for other readers... : )

There are a few takers in my family... You know .. The ones that love to spend money on nice things, take big vacations, buy a latte everyday, where expensive clothes, etc. And then hate on me when I choose to stay at home, make my own dinner, and save money - but alas, I am the fool for event attempting to act responsibly. Because it will all be taken from me as government grows larger.

How is that for a gross over generalization?

Trust me ... more GOP , hate mongering, (is that a word - I doubt it) tea party baggers understand Twitter...so # that! :) They just have more important things to do with their time.

Anonymous said...

“tea party baggers understand Twitter...so # that! :) They just have more important things to do with their time. ”

Like what though, stand with 75 people at a rally? ;-p

My comment re: the use of Twitter et al. is snark-free™, actually. In that, no political group should ignore tools like that, especially when most of them are already running Facebook pages and YouTube channels. Twitter’s just another tool in the box.

Much of the strategy outlined by the GOP post-Obama election focused on his use of social media to reach out. It’s smart to hit all the media channels you can. Where the GOP could blow it though is if they don’t adopt a different message over those new-fangled airwaves,‘cuz all they seem to have is angry moms. ;-p

Ben Kunz said...

Here is what I believe: Pan out, way out, and society is a living organism. There are liberal parts of society whose function is to move it progressively ahead; there are conservative parts whose life is to brake progress and maintain tradition. They both serve important functions.

Every progress of society -- child labor laws, women's right to vote, vacation time for workers, pollution controls, equal rights for ethnicities and women, Medicare (giving that up are you protesters?) -- has been a liberal impulse.

And yet every tradition of society -- religious beliefs (don't believe in God, liberals? But wouldn't you miss Christmas?), patriotism, devotion to military and family values -- has been a conservative impulse.

They both have positive overall benefits. They act as checks and balances on each other. Inside both sections, there is no negotiation, because they are both valid and thus right.

Over time, society does progress. It is painful because it challenges the traditions and believes of older generations. There is no stopping it. The function of both left and right is to balance such progress to maintain tradition.

It's really hard to see as individual humans caught up in our inherited bias, but hey, that's life.

Anonymous said...

@BK - And both don’t want the other to exist.