Much of the left-leaning "mainstream" media thought the nationwide series of Boston Tea Party-inspired protests earlier this year was a joke. Literally.
CNN's Anderson Cooper recently apologized during a speech for joking about the tea-party protesters in a subtle but profane on-air comment.
Cooper claimed in his apology that "I don't think it's my job to disparage, or encourage" protests. Of course, the former is precisely what he did. And his network hardly covered the run-up to the tea parties on April 15, in which hundreds of thousands of Americans came out to rally against government overspending.
How can news organizations ignore that movement without revealing an agenda opposed to it?
Well, we suspect the "mainstream" media still don't get it.
This isn't a Fox News event, as Cooper and others want to make out. This isn't a fringe movement (although if it was a left-wing fringe movement, the media would be all over it). This is about real Americans who are deeply concerned about the legacy of debt Washington is leaving to our children and grandchildren, and the high taxes that have already been pushed at us to compensate for all the spending.
And not just in Washington.
California politicians, unable to control themselves and their spending, asked voters May 19 for a series of tax hikes to subsidize the bloated and wasteful ways of that state's government.
Voters responded with a resounding series of "No!" votes.
Taken together, the votes add up to one thing: a tax revolt.
If the "mainstream" media pay attention to that fact at all, they may record that the tax revolt movement began May 19 in California. But only because they chose to ignore or marginalize all the other Americans who took to the streets earlier this year as part of the tea party movement.
The movement began months ago. But the stunning -- and wonderful -- California vote gives wind and further credibility to the tax-reform movement already under way.
This is huge news that may be lost on the major media: Supporters of the California tax hikes outspent opponents by a monumental margin of 10 to 1 -- and still were routed at the ballot box.
Neither the media nor the politicians get it.
Well, some do.
"I think the message was clear from the people: Go all out and make those cuts and live within your means," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said.
That's what should have happened in the first place.
The election "may mark the end of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger as a compromising moderate willing to talk tough, but ultimately postpone the state's hardest budget decisions," writes Capitol Weekly .
A New York Times writer was content to blame "direct democracy" for the problem, and called voters' decision to limit elected officials' pay in times of financial crisis "a sort of chin-out electoral scowl."
Right. It was a childish tantrum.
Good grief.
When will they figure out Americans have had enough?
The Augusta Chronicle ©2010. All Rights Reserved.
Right, the "left leaning media" is like "somewhat moist water". Their sole agenda is to support the socialist party in power today. Period. Relaying information to the public, beyond National Enquirer style pap, no longer falls within their pay grade. The hundreds of thousands of Californians that participated in the Tea Parties were just representative of the many Californians that are tired of out of control taxes and under preforming political representatives. The fact that the hard left media acts as though they don't get it is par for the course. It also allows many voters to justify their ignorant voting record.
Blah, Blah, Blah. What happened in California had much to do with the structure of its government where Republicans are in the minority, but have extensive power to shape legislation. They placed the governor (R) and the people in that positon and the Non-Minority Media (NMM) can spin it dozens of ways. Also, the ACES states that the NMM is "leftleaning" and downplayed the attendance of the tea-party protestors, saying "hundreds of thousands" came out. Well remember the Million Man March (Afro-American Men) on the Washington Mall? No NMM ever correctly stated that over a million men were there. How do we know? Review the President's Inaugural Address and look at the number of people on the Mall. How far did they streach back? What number did the NMM report was there? Then, look at the MMM's pics and what number was reported? Point is, information is being presented with a slant. Your job is to identify the slant and place that info in a particular context, but according to this article, "They Still Don't Get It" one must first determine who the "they" actually is...
We are in a civil war with our own version of Mao leading the long march. The Democrats seek to redistribute the wealth and that's best accomplished by taxing those with money to create social programs for those who don't pay taxes and will be the ones using the programs. Taxpayers are increasingly fighting back as the scorched earth like confiscation of private wealth by the socialist troops made up of ACORN and those demanding tribute in the form of payments for the health care of the anti-capitalist Democrat soldiers leading the cultural revolution evolves.
The MMM had about 400,000 people in attendance - a generous estimate from the US Park Police. Even Professor Farouk El-Baz - counting with Justus4's agenda - only counted 878,587.
how 'bout we tie congressional income to the mean income of each state represented? i would like a national referendum on this.
*yawns*
notice how everything over your head makes you tired, fruit?
PT: Once again you make your "facts" up. "The hundreds of thousands of Californians that participated in the Tea Parties". The highest figure I can find for Cal is 106,110, by right wing Pajamasmedia. California's main problem is that laws can be made by ballot initiative. Special interests can pay folks to go around and get sigatures and place their pet projects on the ballot. Ga has much the same problems with it's "Constitutional Amendments" that are usually nothing more than special interests (tree farmers, blueberry farmers, etc) having tax cuts for themselves stuck on the ballot. They are written in deliberately vague or confusing language to trick folks into voting for them.
I'm not certain what twist you're trying to put on this TechLover, but I'm certain that it's identical to CNNs perspective.
justus needs a job writing fiction novels ... he does it so well here!
J4--how many of those 878.587 take care of their family and children? Blah, Blah, Blah get real for a change and do something for the (Afro-American Men) and help them take responsibility for their actions.
The point is 63% of registered voters voted. McCain won 48% of those votes which translates into 30% of all voters, and Obama's 52% is actually just 33% of registered voters. 67% of all registered voters didn't vote for Obama. You can expect larger and larger tea parties. You can't argue with the facts of the election given the number of registered voters, voter turnout, and voting record.
The press has the freedom to present their perspective. However, we also have the freedom to protest their perspective. The freedom of speech is not with out consequences from the people.
Obama and the Dems will have to shut down Fox news, Limbaugh, and conservative commentators on other networks to maintain his power over the ignorant masses. From the Dems here you can tell they support such a notion (oddly fascist).
justus4 why make it a race thing as you always do? Why do you hit and run? It is because you want to spout your junk and not listen to valid comments. After all we could actually break through and make sense to you and you would have nothing to talk about. The tea party is not really a republican vs democrat thing. It is a conservative vs liberal then in regard to government spending. There are people on both sides of the isle that are concerned with the insane out of control spending. There are Republican who are upset with the Republican party for their liberal spending ways. This is more than likely the single reason Obama won and now look how he is spending. Gee, all we ask is cut back and live within a budget. Do the fair tax. Why are people afraid of a good thing?
Here is what the right doesn't understand about protesting... you must sustain the protest passionately over time! Make the mainstream media report on it. Isn't one of your fundamental beliefs that nothing will be given to you? Why are you not rallying every week? You have to force mainstream media to report! Don't YOU get it Augusta Chronicle!?!
I'll believe that the "Tea Party" movement is legitimate when they push for a voting representative in the House for the citizens of Washington D.C. After all, the original tea party was about taxation without representation.
These tea parties could turn into a mini-French Revolution. Of course there will likely be a Robespierre figure to purge America of the unpatriotic. What was that called. The Reign of Man-made disasters no, no, no Reign of Terror that's it.
bdittle, the reason people do not rally once a week is simple. We are what you would call TAXPAYERS! WE WORK! WE TAKE CARE OF OUR FAMILIES! Having said that, MORE is not always better. Do not confuse the participants of the Tea Parties with the likes of Cindy Sheehan.
Time for the Rep to "Bork" Obama's SCOTUS appointee Sotomayer. It will be easy with her rabid ideology and video comments how judges make laws from the bench. I'd love another dog and pony show like the first one with Biden.
70% of all voters, did not vote for McCain.
Wrong 67% of registered voters didn't vote for Obama. Obama won 52% of 63% registered voters. Math isn't your forte eh. You are just making crap up-must be a liberal.
Bdlitte, this is why the GOP lost, they have become weak leaders that are afraid of the press.
Korn: The percentages were Obama 53%, McCain 46%(there are other candidates than Dem and Rep so there's no way the 2 parties can equal 100%). Also it was 57% of the voting AGE population(the highest since 1968). By your logic, Obama only received 30% of the votes of the VOTING AGE population, however, using the same logic, Reagan only received 27% of the vote among the VOTING AGE population.
Actually no way to truly tell voter participation as the figures run from 57-63%. I was rounding the figures and disregarding indep.(actually making a strawman argument that few of you morons noticed). I assumed the 37% of registered nonvoters would not support Obama. Dense lot. Still Pew polls indicate fewer than 20% of the U.S. is liberal. Obama was not elected to pursue a liberal agenda but promised a moderate one. What happened? Good Tech you recognize that our country is ruled by minority rule with a silent majority.
I see Obama is heading for Las Vegas for a tax payer expense party for Reid. Seems just yesteray he said this sort of thing had to stop. It caused 340 conventions to be cancelled in Vegas with major job loses. I guess it is do as I say and not as I do these days. Leadership?
Obama was smart to ruin the tourist industry in Las Vegas so he and his cronies now can get great cheap deals for their extravagant parties. Saves the taxpayer.
LTE ... The ignorant will never, GET IT, they don't have enough sense to educate themselves. Why should ,the ignorant, educate themselves? When they don't have the confidence, in their own intellect, to make decisions for themselves.
Oh good grief....Fox sent commentators to all the "tea parties."
''Real Americans" Had their tea party on Nov.4th.The 'tea baggers', had eight years to have a tea party, and did not see the need at that time, so drink your tea and shut up!!!