Here's why I can't take these "tea party" protests seriously: In an op-ed in the WSJ, Glen Reynolds' first sentence declares that thousands of taxpayers are taking to the streets "to protest higher taxes and out-of-control government spending." If government spending is your pet peeve, then fine, protest the Obama administration's spending projects, but please try to offer an alternative, reasonable way to stimulate the economy.
But to protest taxes after one of the biggest tax cuts in American history? Come on. Most of the protesters at these tea bagging parties are paying lower taxes thanks to the Obama administration's stimulus package. Obama's tax cut was larger than cuts passed under Ronald Reagan or George W. Bush. This would be like anti-war protesters protesting troop withdrawals, or PETA protesting against endangered species protections. It doesn't make sense.
And to top it all off, participants like Glen Reynolds are trying to portray it as a mass uprising against the socialists of the Obama administration. But public polling paints a very different picture. Public polling shows that most Americans—71%—approve of the way Obama is handling the economy. Public polling shows more Americans are okay with the amount of taxes they are paying than any point since 1956.
The problem is, many of the people protesting today don't have any idea what they're really mad about, or if they do, they aren't conveying the message with clarity. It's like Glen Beck pouring gasoline over an "average American" to express his disgust with Obama's immigration plans—it's over-the-top and the intended symbolism only gets through to the handful of individuals who already agree with him.
It's just undirected anger, that was conspicuously absent when the Bush administration was running up deficits, bailing out Wall Street, and pouring billions into an unnecessary war.
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Comments (6)
here is why I can't take tea-bagging seriously:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thisainthell/3337166693/in/photostream/
Posted by Bob | April 15, 2009 4:19 PM
Nazism? It's like she just threw every "ism" she could think of onto a piece of poster board.
Posted by Elyas | April 15, 2009 5:52 PM
It seems like it's more of these cable-network "journalists" that are really just second-rate publicity hacks.
The interviews I heard this morning from NBC Nightly News were a bunch of people who didn't really know what they were there for - other than the fact that "Obama's a socialist" (or so they've been told).
The more people become familiar with inflammatory rhetoric, the more likely they are to accept unrealistic and extremist positions.
Posted by Wil Robinson | April 15, 2009 10:27 PM
Yeah. Glen Reynolds and other organizers are going to great lengths to portray this as a spontaneous, grass-roots (and non-partisan) movement, but Fox News has really been playing it up for months. This would probably still be just a bunch of Ron Paul supporters if they hadn't stepped in. I normally try not to get too riled up about Fox News, but they have crossed a major line with Glen Beck's theatrics. In general, they seem to have decided that they're going to make money off the right-wing, post-election anger, journalism ethics be damned.
Posted by Elyas | April 16, 2009 11:14 AM
I just want to know who the dolt was who coined the term "teabagging". I'm sure you guys know that in popular slang it refers to "dipping" one's testicles into someone's mouth . . or in the military, according to a former Navy guy I know, dipping your testicles into your CO's coffee to get even with him. To gamers, it's humiliating your dead opponent by simulating dipping your testicles into his mouth.
I know know who was in charge of vetting stuff like this, but they need to be fired.
Posted by Gwenny | April 16, 2009 2:24 PM
Yes, I can certainly understand why you would think the American people should not have tea parties. Especially when Obama has spent more money in 100 days than past presidents ever dreamed of. Oh yeah, and that $12.00 extra on paychecks is really going to matter to the average American household. You seem to be as delusional as Mr. Obama and his administration. You should take tea parties seriously. Let the California voters be an example of what Americans want and don't want.
Posted by badger | May 30, 2009 9:24 AM