Origin of the Tea Parties & Media Biases

Though critics will probably try to write the tea parties off as partisan publicity stunts, they’re really a post-partisan expression of outrage.

In this video, Instapundit‘s Glenn Reynolds, a professor and cogent blogger, gives the real history of Wednesday’s tea parties on C-Span. Of Note: Reynold’s op-ed, “Tax Day Becomes Protest Day: How the tea parties could change American politics,” quoted above, was the Wall Street Journal‘s most-read story Wednesday. But, beyond rare outlets like the Journal and Fox News, the tea parties weren’t given much regard by the media.

Another thing: My oh my, what a difference a day makes. Wednesday night’s Anderson Cooper 360 was far more muted, and Christiane Amanpour hosted in Mr. Cooper’s stead. If I were a higher-up at CNN, I would have had some words with Mr. Cooper following his sexually graphic language and inappropriate laughter on Tuesday night’s show.

Wednesday’s discussion led by Ms. Amanpour was much more sober, with the tea parties and attendees treated respectfully. I inferred that a MESSAGE had been delivered to the CNN host and panel to dial it down.

I haven’t checked MSNBC’s programming today and doubt that NBC’s morally and ethically rudderless leadership would care what its hosts did. But it’s good to see that CNN cleaned up its act somewhat.

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Here are some snippets from Dr. Reynolds’ wildly popular WSJ op-ed, “Tax Day Becomes Protest Day: How the tea parties could change American politics“:

Today American taxpayers in more than 300 locations in all 50 states will hold rallies — dubbed “tea parties” — to protest higher taxes and out-of-control government spending. There is no political party behind these rallies, no grand right-wing conspiracy, not even a 501(c) group like MoveOn.org.

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We saw a bit of this in the 2004 and 2008 presidential campaigns, with things like Howard Dean’s use of Meetup, and Barack Obama’s use of Facebook. But this was still social-networking in support of an existing organization or campaign. The tea-party protest movement is organizing itself, on its own behalf. Some existing organizations, like Newt Gingrich’s American Solutions and FreedomWorks, have gotten involved. But they’re involved as followers and facilitators, not leaders. The leaders are appearing on their own, and reaching out to others through blogs, Facebook, chat boards and alternative media.

The protests began with bloggers in Seattle, Wash., who organized a demonstration on Feb. 16. As word of this spread, rallies in Denver and Mesa, Ariz., were quickly organized for the next day. Then came CNBC talker Rick Santelli’s Feb. 19 “rant heard round the world” in which he called for a “Chicago tea party” on July Fourth. The tea-party moniker stuck, but angry taxpayers weren’t willing to wait until July. Soon, tea-party protests were appearing in one city after another, drawing at first hundreds, and then thousands, to marches in cities from Orlando to Kansas City to Cincinnati.

As word spread, people got interested in picking a common date for nationwide protests, and decided on today, Tax Day, as the date. As I write this, various Web sites tracking tea parties are predicting anywhere between 300 and 500 protests at cities around the world. A Google Map tracking planned events, maintained at the FreedomWorks.org Web site, shows the United States covered by red circles, with new events being added every day.

The movement grew so fast that some bloggers at the Playboy Web site — apparently unaware that we’ve entered the 21st century — suggested that some secret organization must be behind all of this. But, in fact, today’s technology means you don’t need an organization, secret or otherwise, to get organized. After considerable ridicule, the claim was withdrawn, but that hasn’t stopped other media outlets from echoing it.

There’s good news and bad news in this phenomenon for establishment politicians. The good news for Republicans is that, while the Republican Party flounders in its response to the Obama presidency and its programs, millions of Americans are getting organized on their own. The bad news is that those Americans, despite their opposition to President Obama’s policies, aren’t especially friendly to the GOP. When Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele asked to speak at the Chicago tea party, his request was politely refused by the organizers: “With regards to stage time, we respectfully must inform Chairman Steele that RNC officials are welcome to participate in the rally itself, but we prefer to limit stage time to those who are not elected officials, both in Government as well as political parties. This is an opportunity for Americans to speak, and elected officials to listen, not the other way around.”

Likewise, I spoke to an organizer for the Knoxville tea party who said that no “professional politicians” were going to be allowed to speak, and he made a big point of saying that the protest wasn’t an anti-Obama protest, it was an anti-establishment protest. I’ve heard similar things from tea-party organizers in other cities, too. Though critics will probably try to write the tea parties off as partisan publicity stunts, they’re really a post-partisan expression of outrage. … (Readall.)

The term “post-partisan” is important. I don’t think that the vast majority of media had any clue that a lot of those attending the Wednesday events were disillusioned DEMOCRATS as well as many skeptical Independents.

As one of those disillusioned Democrats, I can tell you that I do not share the sentiments of many who attended the events. For example, I am in favor of a national health care plan.

But we have to be sensible. I am very worried by a highly inexperienced president — who’s never managed anything except a campaign — who’s embarked on a mad-hatter grab for everything under the Christmas tree at a time when our economy is very shaky and we have such high unemployment, which also means lower tax revenues which are needed to pay for all these grand plans.

I want some prudence. I want the underpinnings of our economy restored. I want new rules for Wall Street and banks. Then, and only then, can we take a look around at what else we can do.

That’s one reason why the “anti-establishment” tenor of these demonstrations also rings true to me.

Did you notice how the media were confused yesterday, trying to find some ideological moniker to hang on the groups? They missed the entire point of the protests.

One thing the media miss is that we feel estranged from our representatives to Congress. Have any of you called your senators’ and representatives’ offices lately? I did, to complain about Geithner’s “toxic assets” plan and the $1+ trillion it is sneakily going to cost taxpayers. When I asked the receptionist to read back what I’d said, she replied, “Is opposed to stimulus plan.” Irritated, I told her that that was NOT what I said, that I was specifically concerned about a very specific plan, and that I was a Democrat.

Ani told me that she’s received a similar brush-off when she’s called her representatives’ offices.

I am afraid that both the establishment and the media have not yet GRASPED the origins of our distress, our worry, and our anger. It is NOT all about taxes. It is NOT anti-entitlement programs. It is NOT rightwing.

But it surely is about making sure that these rescue plans first put taxpayers’ hard-earned cash in the hands of those who need it first and most: The unemployed, for example. (In my county, our unemployment rate is nearly 12%.) These days, there are very few jobs that would support a family, which makes unemployment compensation and, if possible, food stamps absolutely necessary. They also have a hard cold practical value in that unemployment and food stamps put money into the economy immediately.

I digress. But I am very concerned that these stimulus plans are mostly benefiting the big dogs and bypassing both small businesses — which are the engines that keep our economy going — and middle-class Americans. And it’s not about being unfair to small business and regular people. It’s practical. If we aid small businesses and average Americans, we will directly benefit our economy, and do it far faster. I think it’s called “common sense.”

The problem is that I can’t compress all of these feelings and points of view into a snappy saying on a rally sign. And the point I’m trying to make is that all of the people who were out on the streets yesterday also have many complex reasons for their concerns, and are far more than the ‘wingers that the biased media tried to portray them as.