The Washington Post this morning had a story on the front page about how President Obama may be treating some states as a no fly zone during this election year because he is so unpopular in those states. And on page two, they have a big article titled "Anger Doesn't Stop at Health Care Reform," about all the conservatives so very, very angry at Obama over everything. And on page three, they have a big article all about the tea partiers because, well, I guess the Washington Post editors were just feeling like the tea partiers hadn't gotten enough attention.
As one of the first people to start warning my fellow Democrats (back in Feb of last year) about the foul mood voters were in because of a broken economy not improving fast enough and special interests still seeming like they controlled DC, I have to make the observation that the traditional media still is not getting the story right. Yeah, no kidding, there is anger out there, but it's not all anti-Obama, it's not all based in the tea party, and there is a lot more nuance to it than the traditional media understands.
Here are some things to keep in mind about the anger thing:
1. Obama's approval rating has been hanging around 50% for a long time, not great, but given a tough economy that's not bad either. In fact, the latest approval number I saw was 53% -- exactly the same percentage of the vote he got winning a big, impressive victory in November of 2008. His numbers are not plummeting, and most voters are in fact not incredibly angry with him. Mixed feelings, some disappointment, some discouragement, and a little cynicism for sure. But outside of the hardcore Republican right, not so much anger.
2. Speaking of the hardcore Republican right, there is nothing new or dramatic about the tea partiers. The same anger, the same demographic (white Christian men, tending more rural and older than the rest of the population) was around in 1993-94 when Clinton was in office, and the same demographic was the heart of the angry backlash against civil rights and peace protesters in the 1960s. The only thing new about this is the fact that the President is a black guy with an immigrant father might gin them up a little more than usual. But these angry white males (as the media called them in the early 1990s) represent about the same sliver of the electorate as they did then, maybe 20 percent.
3. To be clear, the tea partiers aren't the only angry people in America. There are plenty of working class swing voters who aren't inclined to buy into the tea party stew of racism, nativism, and Ayn Rand style libertarianism, but are deeply troubled that the jobs situation isn't improving and that no one in government seems to be looking out for them. There are plenty of progressive activists angry at the Wall Street bankers, the health insurance companies, and the other corporate interests that are screwing them, and are angry that too many politicians seem to be in their pocket. In both cases, Obama and his fellow Democrats still have the opportunity to reach them, still have the ability to make absolutely clear whose side they are on. If Democrats show those voters that they will reject those special interests, and fight hard for average folks' interests, they can still win this election. If they show voters that they are just as angry about what's been done to regular people as the regular people, they will have a better 2010 than anyone is predicting right now.
The media loves-loves-loves this tea party story, but the tea partiers really aren't anything new, and they don't represent a very big group of voters. There is a lot of anger out there, but most of it is righteous anger that Democrats can and should tap into -- anger that Wall Street and other bad actor big companies have been allowed to destroy our economy, and that no one is taking them on for it.
Lux might have added to the above, "...or cares to." If there's one thing right-wing leaders and their minions know how to do, it's grab headlines. The tea partiers are loud, colorful, often eccentric and make good copy for the corporate media.
Lux points out this faction represents about 20 percent of the electorate, and that's exactly what I call them: 20 percenters. Which is also how I referred to those still firmly supporting Bush during the last months of his administration. I'm sure there's more than a little overlap.
Americans by majority voted against the GOP and elected a Democrat to change things.
Clinton left a balanced budget, a surplus, a great job market and the memo telling the next administration that Bin Laden was determined to attack us.
Condi Rice in hearings admitted they ignored the memo and didn't see the importance of it, then there was no WMD.
The GOP 9/11 policy for safety was their "Duct Tape and Plastic Protection Program" and their "Color Alerts".
After leaving America broke and broken why anyone listens to the GOP at all is beyond me, their failed policies are what they want to continue to get back to "business as usual" with all their corporate interests.
We had 8 years of the GOP and it didn't work out too well.
They can't run on their record during the Bush years so they do nothing but vote no, obstruct, and try to use a small group like the "tea party" only gain a few votes.
The GOP has vowed no cooperation the rest of the year and adopted an obscure never used policy of going home at 2pm and they will still collect a taxpayer salary.
We could pay off the deficit or health care if we could just take back our taxpayer dollars from the GOP for doing no work.
I'd like to add...our media is just horrible......horrible.
Not to mention the outright militias. There is a lot of cross-pollination and dual membership between these groups as well.
No doubt, the majority of those who make the effort to demonstrate or attend some sort of assemblage don't fall into that category, but I'll wager a not-insignificant number do.
Do you expect us to believe Tennessee isn't already deep red? LOL.
And attempting an "armed rebellion" only shows they don't have the sense to reason and find intelligent ways to show they government they are angry. What is violence going to prove, plus they will end up in jail. Yea...that will show them.
It's true the GOP and its FxNw and TP wings will shout down about everything Obama, but if they were united they'd be much more successful. Even with the guaranteed GOP opposition in Congress, and FxNw, Palin and Armey talking trash at every opportunity, and the TP shouting whenever possible, they are each looking after their own.
Example, if the GOP was united as a party, it would have fired Steele a long time ago so that the RNC could raise money to win elections in November. Instead, there's DeMint raising his own money, Palin refusing to cooperate with the RNC, Steele running roughshod, all the while the healthcare bill is turned into law.
The only thing united is the GOP votes so far, but that too will change (as it does before every election) for Congresspeople to vote to appeal to their constituencies.
And what's with the leftist agenda rhetoric, Obama is a centerist, way to the right of lots of folks that comment here.
Democratic politicians have managed to avoid any inclination to acknowledge or address 'regular people's anger' for all this time...I see no sign that it won't continue. People have been trying to tell the Democratic party for years that they need to speak to the mounting anger and be the party that addresses the reason for that anger. Instead they have moved further to the right in many cases totally resisted trying to bring that energy into the party. Mr. Lux is certainly more optimistic than I am that there will be a sudden turn around.
I wonder some days, just what percentage of Democratic voters the pols and the party are willing to ignore and lable 'far left' in order to maintain ties to corporate campaign finance, Republican-lite voters, and apparently the physical energy it might take to become passionate about issues that matter. They almost lost control over that finely honed passivity in the final push to HCR. Perhaps the Easter recess will take care of that.
Starting with the tax cuts during two wars and the federal protection of the predatory lenders from all 50 states who tried at the time to fix it,, and an American media that has been totally worthless to viewers for at least the last decade....... Lets hear another story about another stupid religious conservative to keep us from seeing those who are still robbing the American ppl..
http://www.consortiumnews.com/2010/033110.html
The Rethugs LIE continuously and act like Obama somehow "snick" into the White House. They do everything they can to DISCREDIT THE AMERICAN VOTERS who elected Obama.
It is sickening.
In your opinion, self-servingly stated in the form of fact, as always. I really don't understand why progressives feel that tactic works.
Tea baggers are an amazingly infantile geriatric group>>>
They find progessives to be rather infantile. Funny how that "personal opinion" thingie works, huh? Oh, and by the way, I'm afraid you have one your rock-solid "facts" wrong: Two-thirds of Tea Partiers are middle-aged (35 to 64). Only 22% are over the age of 65. DO continue impressing us all with your deeply intellectual take on things, though.
>>>of people spending money they receive from "socialist" government programs >>>
THEIR money, you mean? Lest you forget -- or never knew in the first place -- that money belongs to the people of this nation, not the government.
"That money belongs to the people of this nation, not the government". So you do believe in "socialist" entitlement programs then, right? What exactly do you people think you're protesting? Who exactly do you believe is receiving Social Security, Medicare and Unemployment that shouldn't, and who do you believe should?
Congratulations on your statistics, however, what you fail to understand is that baggers are far older than the general population. 22% are over 65, compared to 15% of the general population. A majority are over 44. The "minds" of baggers are truly fascinating! The cognitive disconnect they should feel in accepting government handouts simply doesn't exist. Amazing.
I believe it's because of the corporate tycoons' lust for the dramatic and the total lack of expecting excellence by the masses from our "fourth estate".
You are 100% correct. The media does not report, they create and star in their own stories.
Faux Noise deals in HATE 24/7 and they CREATE stories and INTERVIEWS using their Faux EMPLOYEES, like those FEWLS are in direct contact with anyone in power.
Faux uses out-of-office hacks, wannabes and neverweres as though they speak DIRECTLY to the people in power, WHICH THEY DO NOT.
I have to run errands now, but I'd be interested in any thoughts on how we, as individuals
could have an impact (for the good) on media.
I do happen to know a lot of blue collar people and many of them have this very strange mindset...That if they vote republican and side with the right that somehow they will be accepted as equals and somehow elevate themselves socially or financially to a higher level somehow....by association or something I guess, for showing how like minded they are...they will give $25 to the local party every year, too. I chide with them about how the local GOP really accepts them into that big tent and they actually think they are...Then I ask them how that local GOP annual dinner went this year, how'd they like it? Um...we didn't go...it was $250 a plate and they couldn't afford it. You mean a big GOP supporter like YOU didn't get a wink and a nod from all your like minded friends to just pay what you could because you're such big supporters and all? They didn't open a little flap on the side of the big tent?...Wow...what's up with THAT?
I'll tell you how, since you seem too dazed to see the obvious:
We use logic, reason, and discernment, that's how. These are traits apparently not availiable to either tea partiers or republicans. Try a college course in logic and see if that helps. Good luck to you sir. Hope this answers your question.