Dems' Reax To Town Hall Protests Means Tide Is Turning

Jillian Bandes | August 12, 2009 9:25 AM

The insane pace at which the Obama administration is trying to effect “change,” combined with the decrepitness of the current health care system, and the volatility of the market has led to the perfect storm in terms of creating an energized populace. This energized populace, as demonstrated through the town hall protests, is phenomenal occurrence, despite the screaming headlines highlighting their violent aspects. Even Fox Business this morning headlined their segment on the town hall protests with a question, which was, essentially: “are they effective because they’re so rowdy?” The reality is that only a fraction of the protests come anywhere close to crossing the line. And the rowdiness that doesn't cross the line is a beautiful, aggressive, much-needed expression of something that’s been sorely lacking in the Republican party:

action.

GOP action is finally coming close to the action Obama spurred during the 2008 presidential election. Just this year, cap-and-trade, card check and the Gitmo release plan got shelved as the result of some tactical moves by DC communications people here in DC. Just think what can be accomplished if we’ve actually got real live people mounting an opposition.

What’s should be making headlines, aside from the point the protesters are actually trying to get across, is the opposition to our opposition. When Obama managed to create his massive grassroots machine in ‘08, the general Republican base mostly sat on their hands, or, even more unfortunately, signed on with him. This left only the GOP’s hardened political operatives to sit and cry their way to defeat. The Dems aren't doing that. They're going Gangs of New York on GOP protesters, which serves as a phenomenal study in the difference between the psychology of the two parties. The GOP won't leave their families after work or on the weekend unless there's a serious threat. Democrats merely need an urging from their local SEIU boss. Not only is it union thugs, but big Pharma, hospital groups, and our own

President to try and shoot us down.

The incredible thing is, the protesters are very, very far from being shot down. August isn’t even halfway over, and town halls are all the rage. They're as strong as ever, and politicians would be stupid not to take them into account. And that means only one thing: the tide is turning.