Take That, Teabaggers
This is still preliminary, but today there was a liberal rally in Washington, D.C. Without months of preparation, without support from the rich and without endless free promotion on Fox news and right wing talk radio, this hastily planned rally seems to have far outdrawn the infamous Glenn Beck hatefest of a few weeks ago. An early report, from Crooks and Liars:
As I have been saying for over a year now, I know from my extensive Vietnam War protest days what it takes to get a crowd out- often not that much, when people really care. Based on my experience, I have continually insisted that the turnout at Teabag events, given the level of financial support and free publicity that they get, demonstrates not a strong movement, but a miserable sham, shamelessly hyped by collaborators in the mainstream media.
Now we see a liberal coalition, with almost no lead time and no resources from the likes of Dick Armey and the Koch brothers, easily drawing far more people than Glenn Beck could manage. And let me remind you that, in all likelihood, the coming Stewart/Colbert affair on the mall, which is receiving some media attention due to its celebrity associations, in all likelihood will draw a significantly larger crowd.
I remember the last antiwar march in Washington, which drew something like 350,000 people, and which was virtually ignored by the press, unlike the avalanche of publicity granted to Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin and their 89,000 strong failure. I doubt that it will be any different this time around, but at least it gives us good reason to wonder if the vaunted "enthusiasm gap" that is supposedly going to sweep the Republican party into power in a month is any less of a mirage than the tea party itself.
"Without the benefit of months and months of advertising and promotion on Fox News Channel (in fact, I'm only aware of Ed Schultz on MSNBC doing any kind of TV promotion), the One Nation Working Together rally in Washington DC has gathered more supporters than Glenn Beck's much ballyhooed rally...Preliminary satellite estimates put the crowd size at 175,000 to 200,000 at about noon EST."
As I have been saying for over a year now, I know from my extensive Vietnam War protest days what it takes to get a crowd out- often not that much, when people really care. Based on my experience, I have continually insisted that the turnout at Teabag events, given the level of financial support and free publicity that they get, demonstrates not a strong movement, but a miserable sham, shamelessly hyped by collaborators in the mainstream media.
Now we see a liberal coalition, with almost no lead time and no resources from the likes of Dick Armey and the Koch brothers, easily drawing far more people than Glenn Beck could manage. And let me remind you that, in all likelihood, the coming Stewart/Colbert affair on the mall, which is receiving some media attention due to its celebrity associations, in all likelihood will draw a significantly larger crowd.
I remember the last antiwar march in Washington, which drew something like 350,000 people, and which was virtually ignored by the press, unlike the avalanche of publicity granted to Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin and their 89,000 strong failure. I doubt that it will be any different this time around, but at least it gives us good reason to wonder if the vaunted "enthusiasm gap" that is supposedly going to sweep the Republican party into power in a month is any less of a mirage than the tea party itself.
Comments
I got shit faced. Even then I was the most rational person there.