Reason TV: Supposed mob of racist terrorists actually concerned about government
posted at 4:05 pm on September 14, 2009 by Allahpundit
So accustomed have we become to media armchair psychoanalysis of tea partiers’ motives that it’s downright jarring to watch them for once being taken at their word. There’s almost a feeling of suspense as this rolls on: Sure, Matt Welch and Byron York and even Rod Dreher claim, either from firsthand knowledge or via trusted sources, that the rally wasn’t the freak show it’s being portrayed as, but the way this genre of right-wing-protest video typically works is to cherry-pick the most offensive signs and then pronounce the whole rally a Nuremberg by another name. When it doesn’t happen here, it’s like watching a cowboy movie that somehow doesn’t end in a shootout. Luckily, Marc Ambinder, speaking for pretty much the entire mainstream media, is around to fire his gun:
Logically, there is no way I can assess the collective motivations of 70,000 people in Washington, or the tens of thousands of people who showed up at other events across the country. And, in truth, I confess to having an inner Maureen Dowd voice — and not the snarky part of that voice — but the voice that tells me that these protests are proximately motivated by policy concerns. Ultimately, this voice tells me, they’re motivated by tremendous anxiety about the direction of history, and how it seems to be moving away from them — white, traditional, bounded — and toward something else — global, multicolored, unbounded, experimental. This is the Silent Majority, the neo-Bircherite majority, the reactionary id that resents affirmative action, ethnic integration and gays — the impulse that links government spending with help for poor black people. Direct racial animus against Barack Obama is not something that anyone ought to dismiss, as one look at racial aversion from 2008 shows.
You’ll get much the same vibe from this short piece by New Yorker bien pensant Hendrik Hertzberg. Feel free to ascribe to the mob any motive you like — racism, “nativism,” simple confusion — so long as it’s improper, illegitimate, and therefore conducive to dismissing their stated concerns about government bloat out of hand. Exit question: The most compelling part of this, I think, is the bit about how disgusted the protesters are with both parties. There’s room here for a third-party movement in 2012 a la Perot, but one which would probably guarantee a result similar to 1992 — i.e. a Democratic victory enabled by the indie candidate draining votes from the GOP. Is there anyone out there willing to risk that and go third-party anyway?
Blowback
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Decider:
No, you are stating an opinion. You have no real facts, it is just what you think, probably what you have been told.
Terrye on September 14, 2009 at 5:16 PM
No, they are not. When it comes to corruption the modern day Democratic party is in a league of its own.
Terrye on September 14, 2009 at 5:18 PM
Horseshit.
Bridge to nowhere. Transportation bill pork. Temporary and insubstantial tax cuts. Tarp. Spend our way to prosperity.
joshlbetts on September 14, 2009 at 5:20 PM
Ann:
I don’t really think the GOP is in the dumper. There are some good people there, like Pence or Palin or Ryan…but the truth is each party has been written off as lost time and again, and yet they rise again. It was not so long ago that people were saying the same things about the Democrats, and no doubt they will say them again..
Terrye on September 14, 2009 at 5:20 PM
I’m betting there won’t be a third party.
The GOP has figured it out by now. A lot of conservatives are pissed with the GOP so the GOP will change.
Out: Compassionate Conservatism
In: Classical Liberalism and true Conservatism.
jhffmn on September 14, 2009 at 5:21 PM
It would be better… but… I don’t think the current Repub “Leaders” have a clue as to what is going on.
When SEVEN of the them vote for Susstein of the guy who get to interpret Regulations for the Government? A guy who says PETS should get LAWYERS?
And the Repub “leaders” say NOTHING to condemn those votes?
They don’t get it…
Romeo13 on September 14, 2009 at 5:21 PM
Jack Abramoff
McCain-Feingold
joshlbetts on September 14, 2009 at 5:22 PM
josh:
When the Democrats took control of the House in 2006, the deficit was $168 billion. Look at it now. I am not saying that there was not too much spending, but in terms of comparison, the Republicans are not as scary. Nowhere near as scary.
Terrye on September 14, 2009 at 5:22 PM
Read about the racist history of the Democrat Party. Members of the Democrat party started the KKK, opposed the Civil Rights Act.
Andy in Agoura Hills on September 14, 2009 at 5:23 PM
But they’re scary enough for me. I’ve seen them say one thing and do another.
It’s the corrupted system. We need a third party not tied to the machine. And then BREAK the machine.
joshlbetts on September 14, 2009 at 5:24 PM
josh:
Abramoff was not just a Republican lobbyist, McCain Feingold was not just a Republican idea. But that does not change the fact that there is no comparison.
Even with TARP, there was not as much spending with Bush..not when compared to what came later. The $787 billion stimulus package was supported by only a handful of Republicans. There simply is no comparison. Obama has already asked for more money in a few months than Bush spent in his entire second term..and if health care reform and cap and trade go through, he could well end up racking up more debt in 2 years than Bush did during his entire time in office.
And there are some fiscal conservative in the House and the Senate.
Terrye on September 14, 2009 at 5:26 PM
Says who? You? Whom is racist in the Rep. Party? Name one? I can name several in the Dem. party. Byrd, Sharpton, Van Jones, etc. Many, many anti-semites, Carter, Farakhan, Jackson, etc. Please back up your claims, or STFU!
I am an Independent btw, but I take offense to those claims b/c they simply aren’t true to my knowledge.
JAM on September 14, 2009 at 5:26 PM
This message was not approved by CFnJ.
Andy in Agoura Hills on September 14, 2009 at 5:27 PM
josh:
What makes you think the third party will be any different? If you have a third party, you are simply going to hand the power to the Democrats, the progressives will win while you are complaining about Abramoff.
Terrye on September 14, 2009 at 5:28 PM
large majority > [ small majority ~ large minority ] > small minority
The classifications within the [ brackets ] are weasel-word territory. They can mean anything… and nothing. They are favored by those fond of putting forth hand-waving arguments.
ya2daup on September 14, 2009 at 5:30 PM
Hell no!
Buy Danish on September 14, 2009 at 5:31 PM
http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/downchart_gs.php?year=1950_2010&view=1&expand=&units=b&fy=fy10&chart=F1-fed&bar=1&stack=0&size=m&title=Total%20Spending&state=US&color=c&local=s
Link leads to an intersting chart, where you can see a quick representation of total Gov spending…
Change the chart so it shows from 1950 to present, and you’ll see that Government spending has pretty consistantly increased over time. The RATE of increase (except for this year), is pretty consistant no matter who was President, or who controlled the Congress…
When both parteies are consistant in Government growth, there IS NO FISCAL CON PARTY!
Romeo13 on September 14, 2009 at 5:31 PM
I’m thinking that if we want to call racism when we see it, we need to address the 98% of blacks that voted for a black man last November even though they, as a group are largely and vocally against gay marriage and against abortion…two causes their black candidate openly espoused.
Do I need to go on?
LEBA on September 14, 2009 at 5:31 PM
I think as a voter I’m going to look at character issues, mostly.
Right now, in my liberal state, Feinstein is holding firm against public option. I was for it. She annoyed me. But she is a senator from a liberal state, she’s moderate, and I personally wrote one e-mail only.
As the entire “public option” debate has unfolded, I’m less impressed. Probably, I’m a typical moderate. The devil was in the details.
So she’ll probably get my vote again. Boxer is gone. I’ll not support her any longer.
So I think all voters have to figure it out, candidate by candidate. Some may be Dems. Some may be GOP. But we have to take responsibility back.
AnninCA on September 14, 2009 at 5:31 PM
Populism drives our politics. I guess i’m not principled conservative enough to think I can change that. Or would even want to. As a Ronald Reagan Republican, GOP stands for Conservative in my mind. The ship may be off course, but it’s a damn fine ship.
mike_NC9 on September 14, 2009 at 5:33 PM
They won’t be supported (given money) by the unions or corporations and the corrupt media won’t charge access.
It’s a great start and a better alternative to the constitutional conventions.
The People will fund them and they’ll answer to us.
Small platform, no social issues, state’s rights.
joshlbetts on September 14, 2009 at 5:33 PM
Romeo:
Government grew even when Reagan was president. Part of that might have to do with the growth of population as a whole.
In 1950, the US population was 150 million, now it is more than twice that.
Terrye on September 14, 2009 at 5:34 PM
Touche’! That Martin Luther King/Obama sign was awesome -
(“He had a dream – we got a nightmare”).
Buy Danish on September 14, 2009 at 5:38 PM
I was a teacher and got disgusted by the promises made to improve the education of our children from the liberals in power and still have yet to see the promises fulfilled.
I have mentored young college grads who used their brain and talent to get out of the ghetto. I have asked them what more I can do to help more children from the ghetto get a good education and do something they can be proud of and get out of the ghetto. The response is always “You can’t go in there. You are white and rich (even though I am far from “rich”).”
Racism makes me nauseous, literally. Playing the race card makes me just as nauseous.
I am not racist because I disagree with the politics of someone whose skin color differs from mine. Telling me I am isn’t helping reduce racism in the US, it is making it worse.
truetexan on September 14, 2009 at 5:39 PM
josh:
How do you know any of that? How do you know where they will get their money? After all if we believe that McCain and Feingold is an assault on freedom of speech, then anyone can give money to any party. And believe it or not, the people fund the Democratic Party and the Republican party right now.
And if you get rid of all social issues, you will lose most of the conservatives…and who gets to decide exactly what is in that platform…and when it comes to states rights, the Republicans support that right now. When the country was first founded, as the war was being fought and shortly thereafer there was an attempt at governing strictly from the colonies, it was a failure. There was corruption then too.
Terrye on September 14, 2009 at 5:39 PM
Someone did a nice bit of work here. This post shows the contrast between left wing loonies and conservatives sincerity! The funny thing is there are probably many parents of the lefty’s in Saturdays protest. Be sure to scroll down and click the link of the aftermath. You will see what a bunch af spoiled brats leave behind.
sonnyspats1 on September 14, 2009 at 5:39 PM
You missed the point… when the rate of growth, is almost identical no matter who is in power?
Look at that chart… its amazingly consistant, and the rate of growth is accelerating, no matter who is in power…
Romeo13 on September 14, 2009 at 5:49 PM
My husband and I joked during the rally that we doubt that the two most spoken words in most rallies are “Excuse Me”! An awesome weekend – an historical day!
libertylady on September 14, 2009 at 5:50 PM
Racism truly is a cancer….but it is not a disease of any particular race or party. It is an equal opportunity killer. It is held in the hearts of individuals and it must not be tolerated, no matter where it exist. But we tend to use the term racist too much, almost like a weapon against people with whom we disagree. This is wrong. It tends to alleviate those that are truly racist. Enough.
d1carter on September 14, 2009 at 5:58 PM
The dems and repubs get their money from graft, kickbacks, pork, etc.
It’s been proven over and over again. Go to the sunlight foundation. Google kickbacks, corruption.
The new party will receive donations from individuals, it’s grass-roots and if the candidates betray us like the repubs and dems, than the only alternative is a constitutional convention.
You won’t loose conservatives or liberals by eliminating social issues. That’s what is used to divide. Nothing gets resolved. Haven’t you been paying attention? Clean up the playing field so that we can have an honest discussion.
SOME but not all republicans support state’s rights now, at least in my state, too much federal money flowing in. The fed is paying our unemployment right now.
It’s much easier to travel 100 miles to my state capital and meet my representative, then to go to the dept of education or even see my senator.
joshlbetts on September 14, 2009 at 6:01 PM
In my opinion, every GOP member that voted for TARP or Cap and Tax in the house, needs to be challenged in the primaries.
The line in the sand needs to be upheld, and they crossed it. I don’t want to hear any excuses, I just want every one of them gone.
jhffmn on September 14, 2009 at 6:02 PM
I met alot of lefty’s and dems on saturday. They were Americans.
joshlbetts on September 14, 2009 at 6:02 PM
I agree.
joshlbetts on September 14, 2009 at 6:03 PM
Hey Michelle says they just passed a bill stopping ACORN money! Allah I can’t post there give me a story!!!!
petunia on September 14, 2009 at 6:07 PM
I am not going to take the time to post the numerous emails and statements from Republicans. All you have to do is look at the Tennessee RNC to get valid examples of the cancer.
Decider on September 14, 2009 at 6:37 PM
I love the idea of starting a third party and taking it all the way to the 2012 election. Then, negotiate a conservative agenda with the Republican party, endorse the Republican candidate, and drop out of the race.
blink on September 14, 2009 at 6:45 PM
Shhhhh… don’t tell Charles Johnson that it wasn’t a solid sea of sub-human racists sporting Obama=Hitler and birther posters. That’s the line he’s pushing. Now he’s apparently convinced that the fist in the logo for this protest was stolen from a communist logo. I guess he’s saying the Tea Party protesters are all secret communists. That dude has totally lost it.
LGF used to be a good source of information… not as good as Hot Air or Michelle’s site, but still a decent read. Now I just visit there occasionally to see if he’s worked through his demons yet.
Thank God for Allah, Ed and Michelle.
SailorDave on September 14, 2009 at 6:51 PM
+million
He’s lost in his own paranoia. It was a slow decent. Powerline dropped him, very sad. BUT I’ll never forget and always be thankful that Charles opened my eyes to the media’s manipulation.
joshlbetts on September 14, 2009 at 6:57 PM
oops
descent, not decent
joshlbetts on September 14, 2009 at 6:58 PM
Rush spent a lot of time this morning on the third party issue and he is right – we will end up with a 2nd Obama term if we split the conservative vote a la Perot style.
It will be a big mistake. I’m seeing that the GOP is starting to wake up and listen. Our best chances of winning is to guide them back to the principles of small government and fiscal responsibility. America cannot afford another 4 years of Democrat rule. We can be principled and pragmatic.
atheling on September 14, 2009 at 7:02 PM
Hey, I saw the only sane Baldwin in that vid! Good for him.
jgapinoy on September 14, 2009 at 7:05 PM
I just had a crazy thought: What if Beck runs for president?
jimmy the notable on September 14, 2009 at 7:18 PM
I agree. We get a 3rd party now and Obama will be cruising into his 2nd term.
becki51758 on September 14, 2009 at 7:23 PM
1950 – 293.8 billion
2010 – 14728.8 billion
Let me see, I’m sorta rusty on my math skills but I think that’s just a bit more than double… seems like the population increased by a factor or TWO and the spending increased by a factor of FIFTY. I could be wrong… I’m open to a different interpretation… but, I’m just sayin’, it seems bit out of whack to me.
CC
CapedConservative on September 14, 2009 at 7:25 PM
you can’t dismiss reality. AnninCA on September 14, 2009 at 4:11 PM
But apparently you do on a regular basis…
Akzed on September 14, 2009 at 4:15 PM
di butler on September 14, 2009 at 7:29 PM
And she did it again later in this thread.
Del Dolemonte on September 14, 2009 at 7:40 PM
As noted elsewhere here, you are using the word “swiftboat” as a derogatory term.
Why is that?
I know you voted for the now-senior Senator from Massachusetts in 2004, care to tell us why?
The people who exposed Monsieur Kerri as a fraud were his own fellow military people who had served with him. He paid off the members of his own boat, but couldn’t buy off the others.
In fact, several of his former military colleagues who had previously endorsed him as a Senator turned against him in 2004. Because they knew that he would be relatively harmless as a junior Senator, but highly dangerous as Commander in Chief.
Once again, why did you vote for him in 2004? Just curious.
Del Dolemonte on September 14, 2009 at 7:46 PM
Come on that is run of the mill political corruption of the sort that is so common it is barely news. It doesn’t even begin to compare the ACORN.
Child Slave Prostitution. And that is the tip of the iceberg. I wonder how many meth labs and coyote dumps that ACORN has funded in our very own neighborhoods.
Dems win the corruption issue–they bring it home to my neighborhood.
petunia on September 14, 2009 at 8:07 PM
The Democrats would be dancing in the streets celebrating.
Decider on September 14, 2009 at 8:08 PM
Racist.
atheling on September 14, 2009 at 8:33 PM
Glenn Beck is far more powerful where he is… And he doesn’t need to take the pay cut… He’s doing GREAT WORK where he is at Fox News Channel – the New Main Stream Media!
Khun Joe on September 14, 2009 at 8:38 PM
Run of the mill corruption is too much corruption. I’m not going to play the “Who Is Worse” game anymore. The system is corrupt to the point where the federal government has enslaved every American to the tune of $38,468.56. Family of 4…around $160,000.
I’m done playing the game. This is deadly serious and I want my country back. Give me a third party.
I want the Federal Government the hell out of my life.
joshlbetts on September 14, 2009 at 8:39 PM
You’re being irrational. That’s when mistakes are made.
atheling on September 14, 2009 at 8:46 PM
While I am sympathetic to what you want I don’t see how a 3rd party will accomplish that. It would not stay pure very long in terms of finances. To be competitive it would need to raise large amounts of money. That money will have to come from big donors just like it does now.
chemman on September 14, 2009 at 8:48 PM
LOL..
How much corruption can you rationally accept?
joshlbetts on September 14, 2009 at 8:49 PM
If a third party ran on a platform that ALL OTHERS will not (corruption and all that it entails), it’s the platform the majority wants, a third party would be the majority.
That’s how they’ll be competitive.
Remove the perks, reduce taxes substantially, abolish the IRS, national sales tax, abolish the fed. States rights.
No social issues until the corruption is cleaned up. Then we can have honest debates.
joshlbetts on September 14, 2009 at 8:53 PM
The next person to run as fiscal conservative, committed to smaller government, preserving personal liberties, and defending our nation from “man-made disasters” (which, BTW, includes exploiting our own natural resources — green and nongreen — to supply our energy needs), gets my vote. I don’t care if this person runs as on the Republican ticket, the Democratic ticket, the Independent ticket, or the Mickey Mouse ticket. I’m interested in a LEADER who will actually LEAD this country in the direction it needs to go; the letter behind their name is meaningless.
So far there is only one person who fits the bill for me. If she runs, she has my full and committed support. If she doesn’t, well . . . I guess we’ll have to see who can meet the requirements.
NoLeftTurn on September 14, 2009 at 9:49 PM
*shrugs* I guess. If by “racism” you mean rejecting the “handout” approach in favor of the “hand up” approach. You might want to read a history book or something. For the better part of this nation’s history, blacks have supported the Republicans. Possibly because it was Republicans who blazed the trail in the civil rights arena (and not just for blacks; women, too).
NoLeftTurn on September 14, 2009 at 9:54 PM
This is a fiction made up out of whole cloth and perpetuated by those on the left to advance their own political agenda. Again, why don’t you try reading some books and talking to some people who supposedly hold these views and form an opinion independent of what Kanye West and the MSM say?
NoLeftTurn on September 14, 2009 at 10:01 PM
See, I view the “social issues” as the worst part of the corruption. When my tax dollar is funding the actual taking of human life through abortion, euthanasia, and/or embryonic stem cell research, that bothers me even more than when it goes to the scum at ACORN who help people cheat the IRS.
Any party that does not have a pro-life platform will never see my campaign donation or vote.
pannw on September 14, 2009 at 10:08 PM
And there’s the rub. You’ll never get your platform resolved at the federal level. It’s not in their interest to resolve it, only to foment. Both sides.
Gay marriage, abortion, etc.
When there is trillions of dollars at stake, your issues are of no consequence, they are used to keep the debate continuing…….and your donations flowing.
joshlbetts on September 14, 2009 at 10:33 PM
I agree. I won’t vote, it doesn’t matter, dem or repub. The outcome will be the same.
joshlbetts on September 14, 2009 at 10:35 PM
I want Roe v Wade overturned. That can only be done at the federal level. Without a pro-life president and congressmen, the chance that judges will be appointed who might do that are slim to none. I may not see a Human Life Amendment at the federal level, but George Bush didn’t repeal the Mexico City Policy. He didn’t expand federal funding for Embryonic Stem Cell lines….
It is of consequence and I will never vote for anyone who is not pro-life, not at the federal level or at any level, including dog catcher. If we can’t find a true conservative, you all can elect your fiscal conservative without my help.
pannw on September 14, 2009 at 11:04 PM
I think your views are myopic. You just better get used to the fact that women in america want the option to terminate their pregnancies. Most of them know that it’s probably wrong in most cases and–not to mention–unhealthy. But they like having that freedom to NOT have a child. The best you’ll get in america is some type of middle ground where taxpayer funds won’t fund abortions, and maybe–just maybe-they’ll do something about partial-birth abortions. But other than that, abortion’s here to stay in america. Sad, but that’s the reality.
EMR on September 15, 2009 at 3:28 AM
But getting back to the video. Awesome. Imagine if there were candidates out there who ran on a platform of lowering taxes, cutting government spending, balanced budget amendments, zero-based budgeting, TERM LIMITS for everybody, fiscal reviews for efficiency in every government agency, real tort reform…I mean, just think how ripe the electorate is right now.
EMR on September 15, 2009 at 3:31 AM
The problem is that the two party system encourages corruption.
What am I suppose to do about the problems in the Republican Party. Vote for the man who’s campaign promises make me want to puke?
darktood on September 15, 2009 at 4:30 AM
Years of voting Republican simply because they’ll do less damage than the Democrats has given us the party of John McCain, Arlen Specter, Olympia Snowe, and Kay Bailey Hutchinson. I’m through casting my vote for people who will leave this country worse off than it was before. I vote for ideals, not party affiliation. If the Republicans want my vote then they’d better start acting like Conservatives and not Democrat Lites.
Rip Ford on September 15, 2009 at 10:01 AM
Oh, well in that case, let me roll over and die. I guess I just better get with the program and support all those fiscal conservatives who don’t care if women keep on killing their unborn children, because some of them are going to do it anyway.
I think your views are horribly defeatist. I think you are the myopic one. Perhaps we simply see a different big picture. I think we are winning the battle of hearts and minds. More people self-identify as pro-life. There is a reason for it and it isn’t because we rolled over and went with pro-abortion fiscal conservatives.
But you go ahead. I’m just one little myopic voter who believes fostering a culture that values human life will go a lot further to save our country than focusing strictly on fiscal policy will.
A nation that kills its own children is a nation without hope. ~ Pope John Paul II
I’ll never vote for a pro-abortion candidate, but apparently, that’s just me. So, no worries, right?
pannw on September 15, 2009 at 10:46 AM
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