First, a word from Jon Stewart:
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
Healther Skelter | ||||
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InstaPutz:
Recent Buck Naked Politics Postings
The problem for the GOP is their shock troops are nuts, so relying on them to persuade the middle ain't gonna work.
Which, as Marc Ambinder points out, could prove to be a problem for the GOP.The American people remain anxious and confused about health care
reform. That is an underlying reality that Republican activists are so
eager to exploit. But doing so required a certain restraint -- and a
willingness to traffic in at least approximate truths -- and an ability
to make distinctions within their own ranks about which tactics were
valid and which tactics were venomous. It also required a
sophistication about the media. The base condition here is an
enthusiastic Republican base and a depressed Democratic base. A
coherent, organized effort would have recognized that the moment the
media began to take sides was the moment that the entire enterprise
could be damaged. The media, being a collection of different
megaphones, reported on the town hall meetings in one of two ways, both
damaging to Republicans. Either they credulously reported the louder,
angrier voices (inherently damaging to Republicans in this case) or
they reported on the political architecture of the town hall meetings,
which plays down the substance of the protests....
[T]he organized right lost control of its message.....Lawmakers, Republicans and Democrats, were being asked to respond to non-sequiturs (would you support a health care reform plan that grows the deficit? Health care grows the deficit right now, so it's a nonsense question, one that is easy for politicians to answer); ; they found their meetings full of engorged spleens. Unrestrained, these town hall meetings are going to turn off the type of voters Republicans most need to pressure Blue Dog Democrats -- independents who don't have red genes or blue genes. Both Fox and MSNBC televised Sen. Arlen Specter's raucous town hall meeting live. It was full of confrontation and protest. There were boos when Specter reaffirmed his president's Americanness.
Memeorandum has more blogger commentary.
[T]he organized right lost control of its message.....Lawmakers, Republicans and Democrats, were being asked to respond to non-sequiturs (would you support a health care reform plan that grows the deficit? Health care grows the deficit right now, so it's a nonsense question, one that is easy for politicians to answer); ; they found their meetings full of engorged spleens. Unrestrained, these town hall meetings are going to turn off the type of voters Republicans most need to pressure Blue Dog Democrats -- independents who don't have red genes or blue genes. Both Fox and MSNBC televised Sen. Arlen Specter's raucous town hall meeting live. It was full of confrontation and protest. There were boos when Specter reaffirmed his president's Americanness.
Memeorandum has more blogger commentary.
Recent Buck Naked Politics Postings
Eunice Kennedy Shriver Dies at 88
Public Option Might Reduce Claim Rejections
TPMtv's "The Day in 100 Seconds": "Death Panels"
Health Care Reform Lies by Palin and Other Fools of the GOP
Forty More Years in Afghanistan? Plus: The Military Compiles "Hit List" of Afghan Drug Lords with Ties to the Taliban
Wall Street Bailouts: Paulson had Conflicts of Interest? Say it Ain't So!
Deal: Obama & Big Pharma
Heathcare— Astroturf 'Populist' Uncovered on CNN
Business Columnist Refutes GOP Talking Points re: Health Care Reform
Were the Anti-Health-Care Protests Industry Staged?
Public Option Might Reduce Claim Rejections
TPMtv's "The Day in 100 Seconds": "Death Panels"
Health Care Reform Lies by Palin and Other Fools of the GOP
Forty More Years in Afghanistan? Plus: The Military Compiles "Hit List" of Afghan Drug Lords with Ties to the Taliban
Wall Street Bailouts: Paulson had Conflicts of Interest? Say it Ain't So!
Deal: Obama & Big Pharma
Heathcare— Astroturf 'Populist' Uncovered on CNN
Business Columnist Refutes GOP Talking Points re: Health Care Reform
Were the Anti-Health-Care Protests Industry Staged?
Exactamundo. The Democrats are unpopular, healthcare reform is unpopular, but people really HATE the Republicans.
Posted by: Alex | August 11, 2009 at 07:43 PM