Astroturf

The MSM is trying to create an alternative to the organic "Tea Party" movement on the Right.

So, to great fanfare, it has unveiled "the Coffee Party"

The slogan is “Wake Up and Stand Up.” The mission statement declares that the federal government is “not the enemy of the people, but the expression of our collective will, and that we must participate in the democratic process in order to address the challenges we face as Americans.”

So, while we are on the topic of collective will, these guys gonna help derail the ram-through health care deform bill despised by the public even in blue states? Surely you jest. 

This movement has been described as a "political parasite" on the Tea Partiers and Ms. Park's background--unlike the often apolitical resume of the local Tea Party organizers--is replete with ties to Obama and the New York Times.  Note to Ms. Park. It's hard to find common ground with folks you are on the record insulting.

I've seen this sort of crap before. It's ersatz and top-down crap masquerading as home-growth activism.  It's a "Blue Moon" marketing gambit by the folks who brought you Obama, Inc.

And to the extent this has any authenticity, it's either going to be like the nattering blue hair women at the library doing their League of Women Voters gig ordering us to recycle everything and send the bills for political campaigns to the taxpayer---you know..high minded, "thoughful" advocacy of oxtrodox liberalism.  Or it's going to be the mindless millenials at Starbucks wondering what went wrong with Teh Won who hasn't calmed the oceans yet.  And wondering if they can get a federal bailout to buy Dave Matthews concert tickets.

This isn't a serious political movement. This is the Latte League.

I suggest we leave them to their NPR and their Volvos and pay them no more mind.

Five to one, baby...one in five....

No one here gets out alive...

The late Jim Morrison wrote and sang this over 40 years ago, and it seems rather poignant now that we have passed the anniversary of the Woodstock Nation and consider the divisive national health care debate.

For one thing, it does point out the limitations of salesmanship. Medicine will never fully solve the fact life is a terminal condition. It may prolong life, and improve life, but mere mortals are not "partners with God"; and only He can grant life beyond the here and now.

And the term Five to One applies clearly to the imbalance in media spending between the unions and industries looking to pass the government health care takeover, and the relatively impoverished opposition.

The lyrics of "Five to One" depict rebellion against a distant establishment :"they got the guns, but we got the numbers" which sure seems like the attitude of angry citizens screaming at smug incumbent officeholders eager to label their own constituents a mob. 

One of the major problems I think that the Obama team and the Hill Democrats have is they fundamentally don't understand the mentality of most of the 1960's protesters, who are now today the 60-somethings opposing Obamacare with fervor reminscent of that era.

Perhaps Bill Ayres wanted a "revolution"; but most Americans agreed with John Lennon that if you were carrying pictures of Chairman Mao you weren;t gonna make it.  The rebelliouness of the 1960's was largely spurred by opposition to a "mandatory government program"--to wit--the Draft. 

Sure ,some people of that era wanted communes and socialism--but a huge number--especially bikers and druggies--wanted the government to "leave them alone".

Don't send then to Vietnam. Don't bust them for pot. Don't tell them how to live their lives.

So when the military draft ended in 1973  much of the fuel of the counterculture was taken away. Free from government coercion, young people were then accused of becoming part of  a "me decade"

True, there was a huge cadre of earnest lefties who entered government as a result of the "Watergate election". But the relentless expansion of government demanded by the likes of Chris Dodd. Henry Waxman, David Obey, and Tom Daschle  was dealt a huge setback by the decisive 1980 election.

Some observers have noted that while voters under 30 in 1972 were slightly inclined towards McGovern (as he lost nationally by 21 points)   the same age cohort of voters (i.e. voters DOB 1942-1954) were inclined towards McCain as he lost to Obama by 7 points.  Clearly in the interim these voters became less entralled with "change" candidates.

I would suspect a substantial part of this has to do with the fact these Americans rebelled against statism and much as they may support "their" entitlement programs, they will never sign on to new forms of big government without profound skepticism.  Remember, they saw with their own eyes the extravagant promises and expensive failure of the Great Society. Those eyes are jaundiced now.  

If the government told you 40 years ago you had to go fight in Vietnam, you might not be too keen on having your kid told by the government what kind of health insurance he is required to have. We are taking people open to the "leave us alone" coalition.

Remember, Dennis Hopper was the prototypical hippie in "Easy Rider". He is a Republican now.

So, it appears the Obama team has started an era of divisive national unrest over a program which it cannot sell, promises to bankrupt the nation, and where there is no definition of victory. Sounds, hmmm like a quagmire.   

Back to "No one here gets out alive". I think this will end in one of only two ways. 

The Obamacare fiasco will collapse in a heap, and then next phase will be investigations into the sleazefest employed to try and sell the debacle, including a "pay to play'"scheme between Billy Drugbucks and David Axelrod.  and Axelrod's improper e-mail spamming. 

Note to Mr. Axelrod. Transactions your firm performed in northern Illinois are within this gentleman's legal jurisdiction.   Perhaps you ought to acquaint yourself with this law   .   or this law.  Some politicians around here  found out it's not good to mix business and politics. Don't worry. These laws run a lot less than a thousand pages to read. You'll have plenty of time to call white collar counsel.

The alternative will be Obama and his allies win an absolutely  Pyyrhic victory  decimating the ranks of Democratic moderates in 2010 elections and creating a huge radicalized political movement even more and more ardent to fight the socialization of American culture. Perhaps the Greater Great Society is enacted; only to rip  to shreds the nation it was meant to heal. Or maybe we become France, except with more debt.. Which might be worse.

I've had my differences with Peggy Noonan, but now she's spot on.  A prudent leader would pull the plug   and stop sinking deeper into the health care quagmire

But our President is insistent on making the worst mistakes of 1960's Democrats, accusing critics of merely being  irresolute . History lesson, folks.  No one there got out alive, either. 

Issue with the cause or effect?

Context means a lot, unless of course you're involved in politics.

Congressmen retreat home during the month of August every year, so they can campaign for re-election. When they’re not serving the interest of their campaign, they just so happen to serve in their official capacity – our representatives on the federal level.

Often times they host townhalls to ‘hear the concerns of their constituents.’ There’s recent lodges against, largely isolated events in which, senior citizens are increasingly vocal and against the proposed legislation pending many of the most powerful committees in House and Senate. The Chairs of these committees, mind you, happen to be the most scandal-ridden members of the Democratic supermajority that have earned their tenure positions by being elected in politically safe, single ideologue bound districts.

Money matters, but all too often it’s wasted. Unfortunately, I like many consultants know this from experience. On a recent project, I watched as layers of management teams and multiple consulting firms each tasked with a different aspect in the day-to-day operations of this particular project prevented field staff from achieving any meaningful successes. Our benchmarks consisted of smiling for those writing the checks. We had a client, not a cause. Money was pouring out the ears yet at every turn there were two managers for every one task. To compound the problem, the managers usually had no idea what was going on.

I’m not saying astroturf does or doesn’t work. I’m asking, even if, what’s your problem?

Cause or effect, which one is the big deal? After they're done yelling "astroturf," I'm left wondering...

Does the Democratic supermajority take issue with the organizing itself or the effectiveness of this style of petitioning? After all it was the total lack of an articulated agenda coupled with astroturf protests (some legitimate) against President Bush that led to a Democratic victory in Washington. Does the corporate mainstream media believe that citizens who raise tough objections have any less warrant to oppose a radical shift in healthcare if email blasts went out from organizations that inform like-minded citizens with what’s going on in their congressional district? Again, this is even if it’s astroturf.

This is a game of fear. Yell “astroturf” loudly and throw it on the screen with a graphic done by an intern trying to work his/her way up and you can dismiss the dissent by labeling them radical.

We’re filled with distractions, labels, and rhetoric that’s not befitting in our great society. I would only tell advocates of the healthcare system overhaul to tread lightly. By trying to convince independents that any dissent, any opposition, organic or otherwise, is “erratic,” a threatening “mob,” or even “un-American,” you risk getting caught.

Even worse these individuals gathering, not knowing that most Americans share their very legitimate frustrations, are the independents. They won’t take kindly to being labeled.

Organic is effective and that’s where the issue is. If you can’t beat them, smear them. It’s politics after all. 

Oh, it’s a sound byte. If you’re going to change something, change the narrative.

[Author's Note: I wrote this a couple of days ago, waiting to post. There's an excellent article that's shorter and better articulated in the Op-Ed section of the NYT: http://bit.ly/alinyastro by Ryan Sager.]

Let's guess how many letters to the editor from "concerned ctizens" read verbatim like this one over the next few days

Dear MoveOn member,

Right-wing mobs aren't just disrupting congressional town halls—their outlandish lies are now making their way into mainstream news coverage, too.   

We need to set the record straight. The majority of Americans support real health care reform. And no wonder, given the incredible cost of inaction.

In Connecticut alone, 100 people lose their coverage every day. And for those with insurance, yearly premiums will hit $24,480 in a few years if we don't act.

We can't let right-wing extremists ruin the biggest opportunity in a generation to get real reform. Can you send a quick letter to the editor of The New Haven Register—or another local paper—about the urgent need in Connecticut for Congress to pass health care reform with a real public option?  

Click here:

http://pol.moveon.org/lte?campaign_id=116&id=16803-9234983-y3OtbFx&t=3

Our tool makes writing a letter really simple. You can send the letter right from our website—it only takes a few minutes.

If you've never written a letter to the editor before, now is the time to send your first. The letters page is one of the most widely read—and most important—in local newspapers. Members of Congress and their staffs read it to understand how their constituents are feeling. And since members are all home in the district this month—and paying close attention to the health care debate in particular—your letter will make an even bigger impact.  

Here are some talking points specific to Connecticut you can use in your letter:

• We can't afford to wait for reform: Each day, 100 people in Connecticut lose their health care coverage. And without reform, those who still have insurance will see their yearly premiums go up by $10,134 in the next decade—to a staggering $24,480.

• Reform with a real public option is key to expanding coverage: Under current legislation, which includes a strong public health insurance option, 261,000 people in Connecticut—and 37 million Americans nationwide1—will gain coverage by 2019.

• A real public health insurance option is crucial to lowering costs: With premiums projected to hit $24,480, we need to get costs down. By spurring competition, a public plan will help bring down out-of-control costs2 for individuals, families, and small businesses.

Can you send a letter to the editor of The New Haven Register, or another local newspaper, as part of our "Real Voices for Change" campaign? Just click here to get started:  

http://pol.moveon.org/lte?campaign_id=116&id=16803-9234983-y3OtbFx&t=4

Thanks for all you do.

–Nita, Kat, Eli, Wes, and the rest of the team

I love it when these folks get the sense they aren't making any headway.  And, hello, if the single payer people need to keep Rosa DeLauro and Chris Murphy in line things are even more dire for that side than I thought.

Of course, I don't expect the dullards in the press to notice that they are getting astroturfed, big time.