Tea Party Protests and How Big Media Has Missed the Mark
Posted on 13. Sep, 2009 by James Devere in American Politics, Political News
Following the 9-12 Tea Party, much has been made in the press about what the protesters want, and more, it seems, about how best to marginalize their message. It was easier for the media to dismiss protesters on Tax Day when there were tens of thousands protesting spending. Now that the sheer number of protestors has grown, Big Media and Big Government are out on the airwaves taking their best shot at dismissing the protests.Their efforts are not without difficulty. The Tea Party is unique in that it has conservatives, libertarians, and independents, all of which are groups that tend to gravitate toward a more individualistic approach to politics. Traditionally, we see protests where a bunch of people show up and a leader speaks and makes the points known for the group. Here, the speakers were often speaking to the group. In this, if there were 100,000 people at the protest, there were probably 100,000 different ideas about what they were protesting. From speaking with protestors and reading signs, here are three of the major themes, along with the media’s dismissal strategy for each.
The Media’s Dismissal Strategy for Spending: This has always been the easiest point for the media and our leaders to dismiss. Virtually every time it comes up you hear: “Well, where were these people when George Bush was running up deficits?” They use the infallibility argument and question the veracity of the protests based on the fact that no one protested George Bush’s spending. The incorrect conclusion they draw is that both presidents spent too much money and no one protested Bush, therefore, the protest can’t be about spending. What follows is often subtle or not so subtle characterizations of the protestors being racially motivated.
Why Big Media and Big Government are wrong on this one: The only fact that they get right in this argument is the fact that these same people did not protest Bush. There was growing anger about the deficit and fiscal conservatives were already upset with Bush’s spending. What pushed the issue over the top were bailouts, stimulus packages, and the skyrocketing debt. The Bush debt was bad (very bad), but has anyone in the media calculated the Obama debt? It is expected to be 3-4 times worse. The media should be able to go back and look at Bush’s popularity among conservatives and independents on the issue of debt; it was not favorable. However, even if Bush overspent, it is no excuse for the current amount of spending (this was going to be a change, after all). If the guy who lived in your house before you declared bankruptcy and lost his home to foreclosure, that does not give you the right to do the same.
The racist argument is ridiculous. Racism does exist in America and you can always find that nut job that gives a bad name to all with whom he associates, but the vast majority of protestors would be shocked to find out that, by the media’s definition, they are racist. It is just not true, and is certainly not the motivator that has brought people out to protest. For proof of this argument, the pundits point out that “you do not see many African-Americans in the group.” The debate is about spending and healthcare. How does race either validate or invalidate an argument? Imagine the media covering a women’s rights rally and deciding since there were not that many homosexuals in the crowd; it must have been an anti-gay rally. Are we really going to go backwards on the race? One of the positives of the Obama presidency (I thought) would be a healing of racial wounds, but there cannot be if race is brought up to invalidate dissent in every debate.
Protester point: ACORN: Many protestors carried anti-ACORN signs. The government has no business funding a partisan group with taxpayer money. ACORN tactics are questionable legally, but certainly cross the line ethically. Americans do have a strong sense of fair play and the association with ACORN makes the Administration look like a bunch of crooks. Just stop messing around with ACORN; this is not a South American dictatorship, and these tactics are unseemly. By the way, we have a budget crisis and the ACORN spending is not justified.
The Dismissal Strategy for ACORN: On this one, the media and the Administration do not really seem to have a strategy. The plan on ACORN is to ignore the issue. In the days before Big Media, reporters from print and television would be all over a story like ACORN, from their role in the financial crisis to the appearance of election fraud, and now the strange situation at the housing offices. But today, Big Media is more inclined to ignore a story if it has the potential to hurt their guy.
Why Big Media and Big Government are wrong on this one: Americans’ sense of fair play in elections is such that the ACORN scandals have damaged or have the potential to damage confidence in the election process. The media runs the risk of ignoring a story that affects the conscience of the country, causing the plummeting confidence in the media to continue to wane. When ties between Obama and ACORN were brought up during the campaign, the media was a party to dismissing the story. As issues come out against ACORN, the impression is that the media is in the bag for the Administration. Media in this case, moves from covering the news to being a party to deception. We are losing the fourth estate.
Protester Point: Healthcare: This issue is strongly tied to the “Stop Spending Money Issue.” Many people just feel we cannot afford it right now. Additionally, this is a Big Government issue. Independents, conservatives, and libertarians who make up the Tea Party crowd prefer smaller government. There are also issues about how changes will affect patient care as a whole.
The Strategy to Dismiss Health Care Objections: The President himself, parroted by the media, has insinuated that anyone opposed to the current health care reform is for the status quo and therefore are shills for special interests. In the opinion of health care reform proponents, protestors are the unwitting victims of scare tactics.
Why Big Media and Big Government are wrong on this one: The argument that those opposed to health care reform are in favor of the status quo is wrong. Just about everyone I have spoken with, whether they have insurance or not, thinks the current system is terrible. Anybody who has had a health problem knows this. Signs at the protest often said, “No government takeover of healthcare” or “No to socialized medicine.” I did not see a single sign that said “Keep the status quo.” It is not that Americans do not want health care changes; it is that they do not trust that we are moving forward in a sensible manner. To get a feel for this, just read the House bill with over 1000 pages. It is convoluted, it is long, and it is open to broad interpretation. The entire health care debate would change if we would hit the rewind button and start over. Alternatives need to be addressed. The President and the media have stated that nobody has offered alternatives, but they have. During Obama’s most recent speech, Republicans were holding up and waving copies of an alternative plan. Dr. John Goodman, as mentioned previously on this site, has a discussion of alternative plans on his website.
It is time to scrap the bill and start over with something that, first and foremost, addresses the cost of health care. This is reform that we need, something that everyone agrees is a problem, and it needs to be addressed soon. The current bill does address costs, but it is not the central point of the plan. Bringing down cost will, by definition, allow more Americans to have healthcare. Then, with costs in line we can address those who do not have coverage.
These are just three of the areas that statements and signs from protestors point to as what might be driving the Tea Parties; they certainly are not representative of the entire movement. However, if the media were to ask honest questions and do some research, maybe as a result of the protests a true debate will ensue.
