Monday, September 14, 2009

Glenn Beck's Mob Rule: Commentary from The Daily Beast

Spot-on commentary from John Avlon, writing for The Daily Beast:
Republicans are now benefiting from the tens of thousands of angry white people who descended on Washington over the weekend-but they've tapped into something ugly that they can't control.

Obama Derangement Syndrome is establishing itself as a potent political force, able to rally tens of thousands of citizens to the Washington Mall after Glenn Beck’s call. Joe Wilson’s outburst isn’t an embarrassment of incivility to these folks; it is a rallying cry for an army of useful idiots. But Republicans will soon find that they cannot contain or moderate this strain—while Democrats won’t understand what hit them.

The wave of white people that descended on Washington, D.C., this Saturday wasn’t motivated by simple racism, as some liberals might wish—at least that’s what the lady waving the Confederate flag told me. No, this was something else: a pent-up frustration at unprecedented Washington overspending and an individualistic resentment of the welfare state, all mixed with a dose of self-referential patriotism and a spicy dash of paranoia.
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3 comments:

Tulsan said...

These people could make themselves useful if they turned their attention to the war in Afghanistan. Has anyone, including President Obama, adequately articulated what the heck we are doing there? The money we could save would pay for the health plan many times over.

Oh, but that would be assuming the teabaggers are really concerned about spending.

Tulsan said...

The teabaggers ARE the GOP now.

Tulsan said...

Beck is heading for a big fat breakdown. He's not that stable, sports fans.