rssTurf of a Nation
Monday, April 13, 2009 at 2:13 pm
- 7 Comments
Matthew Yglesias and Jon Henke argue over whether the anti-spending Tea Party protests are “astroturf” — fake “grassroots” — because groups like FreedomWorks and the Institute for Liberty are helping to organize them. I don’t think that’s a huge deal, as these groups have been around for a while and have always organized events like this. They’re up front about it, and anyone can read their old financial records.
The stranger aspect of the Tea Parties is how they are being aggressively promoted by America’s most successful cable news station. Media Matters has been clipping video left and right, and this one’s amusing for 1) the appearance of “color” reporter Griff Jenkins in colonial dress and 2) the insistence by Ann Coulter that these rallies are more legit than anything “George Soros” funds, as if she didn’t just see a Fox News reporter promoting them. (Video after the jump.)
Having lived in Washington for five years, I’m familiar with media coverage of protests. The day before the protests there are (occasionally) stories on what they’re about and how they might affect your travel plans. The day of, there are (occasionally) stories about what happened, especially if violence broke out. I’m really at a loss to think of another example of a news station telling people to show up to protests and promising to cover them.
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7 Comments
Comment posted April 13, 2009 @ 12:14 pm
Needless to say, Weigel is frequently at a loss. For just one of the many examples I could provide, Spanish-language media is a bit more activist than others: conducting voting drives and with TV and radio stations urging Mexican citizens to take to our streets in order to push for a change to our laws.
Comment posted April 13, 2009 @ 2:18 pm
Let me guess. The other “frequent” times you believe Weigel is at a loss is when he persists in not satisfying your obsession about President Obama's birthplace. At least you resisted using the term 'hack' this time. OCD is a treatable disease, you know.
Comment posted April 13, 2009 @ 2:41 pm
democrats started slavery.the republicans fight for everyone.the black population dont even know dems keep then down.not just them thistime WE ARE ALL IN TROUBLE
Comment posted April 18, 2009 @ 2:18 pm
Actually, the funny thing is that the Democrats and Republicans switched parties, probably more correctly realigned, in the early part of the 20th century. Many of the old time Republicans moved to the Democratic party and many of the conservative Democrats moved to the Republican party. The movement reached it zenith in the 1960's and was a big impetus for the Republican “Southern Strategy”. It is funny to read the old party platforms and see Republicans arguing for social spending and the Democrats arguing against it.
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