Shortly after the success of the Tea Parties, while away from my computer, I pondered the alacrity of so many on the left and in the MSM to smear our movement, calling it Astroturf and dismissing our concerns. I had an insight on why these protests made so many so hysterical, so I picked up a pen to scribble some notes, but ended up writing a mini-essay which I transcribe here.
Barack Obama wants his grassroots movement to define a generation. But, in the end, it may end up just defining an election. Like Jimmy Carter in 1980, President Obama in 2012 will not be able to run for re-election in the same manner he made his first bid for national office as an outsider determined to shaek up the establishment. Barely three months into office, he has come to define the Washington establishment as have none of his predecessors since George H.W. Bush.
In 2008, he ran on “change,” (a theme which captured the spirit of the times), but after four years in office, he won’t be able to run again on such an amorphous slogan. Ronald Reagan, by contrast, in election after election successful as well as unsuccessful (failed bids for the GOP nomination in 1968 and 1976), ran on the same ideas. Since he started to act on those ideas shortly after his inauguration, the Gipper could run on the same ideas in his reelection campaign as he had run on in all first successful bid for national office.
But, when the animating idea of your campaign is the amorphous call for “change,” you’re going to have to run on the changes you implemented. And big government doesn’t go over well with the American people.
Thirty years hence will we see an abundance of T-shirts and signs sporting Obama’s image at rallies protesting the policies on a future Repubilcan president as we saw such imagery of the Gipper at the Tea Parties? I doubt it. Those sporting the image or name (as I did) of Ronald Reagan did so to remind others of the ideas he promoted as an antidote to the policies of the incumbent president.
Yes, people today sport Obama’s image in their homes, on their T-shirts and cars. But, when your appeal is your ability to advance their hopes in an era where they despised the then-incumbent Administration, as memories of that Administration fade, your image will being to disappear as do most fads when they no longer fit the current zeitgest.
Barack Obama built a movement around his image and his supposed ability to transcend politics we knew them and build a new consensus, a new kind of politics. But, as he provided the same old kind of politics, his appeal begins to diminish and his potential to turn that movement into something larger decreases with each passing day. The movement built around his candidacy becomes just that, a movement built around his candidacy and not a political movement which reshapes America.
As I type those remarks out, making a few changes here and there, I realize that many who slur the Tea parties are invested in the idea of Obama as a transformational figure. They want his grassroots movement to define a generation and fear that perhaps this movement could supplant theirs.
100 Days, 100 mistakes
Obama is/was an unknown. A hyper-hyped political figure who appears at a specific time wrapped in the ultimate political cliche – “change.”
The t-shirts and idolatry disguise a vacuum where current ‘leaders’ (rhetoric) contradicts rhetoric of a mere three years ago. This point of departure essentially creates non-leader leaders. The collective unconcious reels. The emotional fringe are reacting violently and police are targetted as if they represent ‘no authority’ (w/ respect to recent shootings).
Having said that: The tea parties also represent the vacuum. Over a year ago rightwing graffitti was seen on trains in a freightyard. Can you imagine that in 2005? The tea parties are silly. Rightwing left out in cold (no pun) and confused. If my assumption is correct, non-leader leaders, then the Left could be antagonized on those grounds. The risk is that such attacks become promotion.
Meanwhile the global economic steamrolls all rhetoric; deregulation to re-regulation. Taxes, taxes, taxes. Less money for most. In this economic/psychologic vacuum is the early part of another coldwar featuring Obama and Osama (and blame Israel).
I wish the media would be a little more honest with the people. Most Americans after all still get the bulk of their information from the MSM. Obama ranks 7th out of 9 in job approval ratings at this time in their Presidency of our past 9 chief executives. Those that are Obamaphiles will continue to be dissappointed as his Presidency progresses. On the near horizon is a commercial real estate collapse, bankrupcies of GM and Chrysler, an Israeli attack on Iran, a swine flu pandemic, more details emerging of corrupt cabinet members, gays march to mark the 40th anniver of stonewall in June and demand an end to DADT and Michelles failed tomato crop. Obamateleprompter has no answers for any of these. Even the one, one woman in Florida who begged him for help months ago…..now is about to be homeless again.
Gene, do you have a link for that on him as 7 out of 9th?
When Reagan ran in 1984, the RNC ran a series of TV ads showing common people doing everyday things and proclaiming: “It’s morning in America.” They were wonderful ads and they connected. The “malaise” was over. The inflation had been whipped. The country was back at work. Cheerful, positive, consistent Grandfather Reagan had made it possible to get back to everyday life.
Reagan had delivered change we believed in and reignited the flame of hope.
The leftists grumbled about the idiot actor who just read a script and took too many naps. But poor old Mondale just couldn’t get any traction with the tired old leftist “I will deliver you from evil” boilerplate.
What will the 2012 Obama campaign theme be? Will he continue to issue stencil image posters that mask his reality and smell of Che? Will he get old Hopenchange out of the stable and ride him in the style of Buffalo Bill making a grand entrance? Will he blame everything on the Republicans he walked all over with his super majority? Will he tell the nation that he is still in the wilderness and the 40 days are not over yet?
It has only been 100 days, but the Messiah had better get some positive traction and quick if he is going to put together a second coming. What theme can he hit? “Keep hope alive, more change is coming.” “There is no turning back now!” “Tax the rich!” “Eliminate Poverty, Hunger, Fear and Disease and Live in Harmony, Peace, Security and Comfort.”
If it isn’t “morning in America” in 2012, I think Joe Biden could beat him.
Sure GPW Jim Pinkerton on fox Newswatch quoted a woman…
http://www.foxnews.com/search-results/m/22162173/hallmark-holiday.htm