Are the town hall protestors the mainstream view of America?
musicismylife78
Posts: 6,116
I am saying this as someone who has been a non practicing activist for about 3 years now, so I am hoping all you political junkies and activists here can provide perspective.
Those people who have been shouting down congressmen and congresswomen at town hall meetings are they representative of the majority of americans now?
Are they just a fringe group of righties pissed off, just like the left was when Bush got in? Or do you think its something bigger, and that they actually have some kind of movement going on?
I remember those teabag parties awhile back. I dont remember what was decided about them, how many there were, how many people showed up, etc...
My question is this: from my viewpoint, there seems to be alot of anger directed at Obama right now, and its based on the health care thing. Is this, as I said, just the logical right wing opposition who wanted Mccain to win, and now that Obama is shoving legislation down our throats, they are, understandably, just as we were with Bush, angry, pissed off, and want him impeached?
I personally am anti Obama. I dont support him and I dont support his policies, But I am a radical commie socialist. I mostly oppose him militaristic views on foreign policy, and his lack of action with the financial crisis, but do you think activists like me are in this group of pissed off people at the town hall meetings with the signs of Obama as Hitler? Is this a panActivist movement as it were, bridging political sides, with conservatives, and radicals like myself siding together, or is it just right wingers?
Those people who have been shouting down congressmen and congresswomen at town hall meetings are they representative of the majority of americans now?
Are they just a fringe group of righties pissed off, just like the left was when Bush got in? Or do you think its something bigger, and that they actually have some kind of movement going on?
I remember those teabag parties awhile back. I dont remember what was decided about them, how many there were, how many people showed up, etc...
My question is this: from my viewpoint, there seems to be alot of anger directed at Obama right now, and its based on the health care thing. Is this, as I said, just the logical right wing opposition who wanted Mccain to win, and now that Obama is shoving legislation down our throats, they are, understandably, just as we were with Bush, angry, pissed off, and want him impeached?
I personally am anti Obama. I dont support him and I dont support his policies, But I am a radical commie socialist. I mostly oppose him militaristic views on foreign policy, and his lack of action with the financial crisis, but do you think activists like me are in this group of pissed off people at the town hall meetings with the signs of Obama as Hitler? Is this a panActivist movement as it were, bridging political sides, with conservatives, and radicals like myself siding together, or is it just right wingers?
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Left wing, right wing. It's still the same old bird.
There needs to be a recognition across the board that all of our elected officials are equally to blame for our situation. We need the entire country up in arms, or just the opposite-- an entire country that simply says, FUCK THIS, and stops going to work altogether for a month, or more if needed.
Maybe most importantly: the rule of law needs to be respected and enforced against our elected officials. Complete disregard for the Constitution in the lawmaking process is treasonous, and should be treated as so.
+1
I wholeheartedly agree.
...are those who've helped us.
Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
at least I hope not...their blind anger and lack of solutions is scary...
my thoughts exactly. maybe if they had any idea of how to fix things instead of bitching just to hear their own voices we might be getting somewhere.
i have many "conservative" friends that are always going on and on about a host of issues. they are always so negative. i ask "do you have any better ideas?" and they are like "tax cuts" and i am like "just shut up, we already tried that..." lol...
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
Um... ok, would you like to explain how that's even possible? Isn't that like being short and tall at the same time?
a
I marched in Wash. and I agree with you. That is why I was there along with many I met There. It's was not all just about health care that inspired over a Million people to show up in Wash. It was more to show congress we are paying attention! The simple plan is to vote out congress. New web site..to try and help make it happen.....goooh.com....
Is this mainstream?
For every one person in that march there were a hundred that could not make it.
Exactly....this breed of teabaggers don't even know what the hell they are fighting for or talking about. it is quite odd to see the level of stupidity and hate being spewed.
And as long as you continue to repeat that ridiculous lie about there being over 1,000,000 people when by any credible account there were only 70,000 there, people will continue to roll their eyes at you and write you off as a fruitcake. There's no shame in only having 70,000 people. considering the whole thing was just a publicity stunt promoted by a cable news station, that's a HUGE turn out.
Lying about the number of people there is just as transparent as lying about WHY you were there...
The sooner you can just own up to a few things we all know to be true the sooner we can have an actual dialogue.
What do you want me to own up to? Were do you get your 70,000 count from? I am not a lier that is one of the reasons we need to flip that house (white house) the politicians get away with there lies daily!
Why don't you stop showing you ignorance?
babelfish cannot translate this... anyone?
Every legitimate news source said "Tens of thousands." Where do you get 1,000,000 from? Every source that said that many has been discredited.
Sorry.
My universal translator gives me "No Child Left Behind Is A Failure."
And then it blows up.
tell me you solutions, please...
and what is you're paying attention to...? if it's taxes, well, we've been paying those for a couple years now...funny how this is suddenly an issue...don't get me wrong, I'm not a big fan, but I understand they pay for services many take for granted...
I also love the "we can't pay for it" line...I wonder, how do you know...?
Congress has mistaken average Americans as ignorant. They know we put our trust in them and they took advantage of that. I am talking about corruption in the White House. I am looking for honest ethical people to run for congress. I have faith there are still ethical people in America.. JasunMark before you say it for the hundredth time ..........your never ending Bush crap.....I was against Bush also and if I had found a March when he was in the White House I would have been there...OK?
and marching through the streets with a sign that says "get your government hands of my medicare" pretty much proves them right.
Well congress is right. But it's not just Americans, the average human is pretty dim and ignorant. No biggie. As to corruption, the problem is that our culture is addicted to tabloid journalism (fox and msnbc being 2 great examples) that exists to do nothing more than dig up whatever dirt can be found about anyone and smear the hell out of them for ratings. And most ethical people aren't willing to have their private lives violated like that, so they stay out. Think of what the swift boat people did to Kerry... a man who has a purple heart for being wounded in the defense of his country! What sane person would go into a job like that, knowing that even their better traits will be twisted and abused, their name and loved ones dragged through the muck, and every mistake they've ever made held out as certain proof that they are a degenerate, evil human being? Why would anyone want to put up with that?
There were dozens of marches when Bush was in the white house... how could you have missed them all?
Yeah... think of congressional races today... to be electable, you have to:
1) be very wealthy... and have a network of rich people who will back you financially.
2) have an ego big enough to go around telling everyone how great you are and will be if elected
3) have rhinoceros-thick skin to put up with the usually baseless attacks on you and your family
4) be able to set aside your pride and to pander to groups who you don't care about, just to gain their support
I wouldn't think that there are too many ethical, quality people who fall in to that group.
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
socialism is like communism-lite..tho if someone is communist, why bother saying socialist too
inmytree - I've read the bill. It's essentially an expansion of medicaid to cover anyone not covered, instead of just the poor...but anyone can plainly see how well medicaid is doing. They are going to add another amendment to the bill that would add taxes to the pricier private health plans (the ones that are around $250 and up), making them unaffordable to everyone but the rich. It seems they are hell bent on getting us all on plans that only offer generic treatments and medicine, which is inferior to what the best private plans pay for...I don't understand the point in that one...
What they need to do is break the bill down. Vote on just one amendment at a time. All the bad amendments that they have tried to sneak in there in the hopes it would go unnoticed would never pass. The good stuff would have been passed already. And it would severely cut down on the arguing and altering of the rest of the amendments to make them acceptable to both sides. But, you know, God forbid they do anything intelligent in D.C.
And one of the biggest issues is rather simple to rectify, without suggesting tax cuts...Forget a public option...instead, open the state borders. That will drive down the cost.
sorry, I don't believe that you've read "the bill"...
I also have to apologize that I don't feel upset for "the rich"...they seemed ok with my help during Bailout time...
opening up state borders will not drive down costs because we will eventually have 1 or 2 major wal-mart like insurance companies to choose from...
I really don't understand the fear of the public option...Insurance companies offer nothing in terms of saving lives, they are only in business to make money...get profit out of health care and things will improve...
http://www.reverbnation.com/brianzilm
I think that it's one of those things that sound great in a soundbyte, but make no sense.
Knowing all of the insurance headaches and bureaucracy that doctors offices have to put up with, I can't imagine them all of a sudden accepting tens of new companies. I might be able to get a cheaper policy from a company in Arizona, but if no doctors around me will accept it, then what good is it?
And it's not as simple as it sounds... the federal government will have to force all of the individual states to undo or alter their insurance laws and regulations....... so much for conservatives being for states rights.
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
I have no reason to lie about it..
I am so not rich, but if I would not get denied due to a medical condition, I would have one of the $250 plans. You don't have to be rich. I'm not stupid enough to be choked with credit cards, the closest I come to that is a check card. My bills are minimum, the utilities and a couple luxuries (satellite tv, AOL..) I'm not rich, I'm responsible, and want the best plan available. But would not be able to afford it with a tax on it and can testify that generic isn't always best. I'm on 2 name brand medications. The generic of one I have an allergic reaction to, and the generic of the other vimply does not work as well as the name brand. The combined cost is hurting me and my dad of whom I have to rely on to help me afford it.
We don't even have just one of 2 walmart-type companies in each state, I have about 10 choices in my state, if I recall correctly. It's been like that for ages. You will never know until you try. At the very least, at first we will all get the benefit of lower costs..But I seriously doubt your over-dramatised fear would come true becauve we have laws against monopolies. One or 2 money-hungry lawyers would file suits against them, just like what happened to Microsoft.
Av to what you said about private health care and their greed, there are already amendments proposed in the bill that would easily solve that issue by making it illegal for them to decline or ditch a person who is sick/disabled, and making it illegal for them to deny treatments. These are amendments that should have been removed from the bill and passed seperately already.
The un-Godly cost of a public option is what the fear is all about.
What if they're not communist, and are just socialist. Do you know what that means? Or is there no such thing in your mind? Just communists and God-fearing, Jesus-loving capitalists?
What would you do if you didn't have a dad you could rely on to help you afford it?
But see.. ok.. yes.. public health care will cost money but it will SAVE money.. fewer people showing up at Emergency rooms with no coverage... needing emergency care instead of cheaper preventative medicine.
And besides.. it's going to cost us a bit (maybe but no necessarily), but it's the right thing to do. I'm fine with paying a bit more money if it means that all Americans have health care insurance.
Are you talking about the tax on cadillac plans? Don't give me that $250 bullshit... the added tax is on plans that cost upwards of a couple grand in premiums per year. If you're dropping $8000 on your insurance premiums per year and the extra $250 is going to break you, you're already living way outside your means. If there's a public option, you could save that $8000 and just use it to buy the name brand drugs if you don't like the generic stuff offered by the base plan.
I agree 100% with this. It is ridiculous how bills are packaged and passed today.
It's simple..supply and demand. The more supply there is, the less demand. To stay competative, suplliers must lower their cost, or they will be beat out by their competition and be driven out of business. The more competition there is, the lower that cost will go. It's just like with medicine..At first it is exclusive to the name brand company that created it. Because they are the sole provider, they can set the price at whatever they want. But after a certain amount of time, the FDA opens it up and allows other companies to produce generic forms of the same medication. There will be only one thing different between the original and the generic, for instance, with prilosec, they are trademarked as the the purple pill. You will find that the only difference between them and the generic forms is that none of the generics come in purple capsules. Once there are 3 or 4 companies offering the same medication, you notice that the price drops down, cos the generic companies want to steal business away from the name brand, so they offer it at a lower cost, which in turn forces the name brand to lower it's cost or it will lose business.
If you open the borders, it will allow us to go from having access to just, say 10 companies, to having access to hundreds. Cost of living in Florida is high, and health insurance matches that, but in states where people generally make less income, like Georgia right next door to me, the cost of health care has to be lower to match up with the kind of average income made in that state. Having access to Georgia's cheaper insurance means a great deal of Floridian's will ditch their current plans and buy one based in Georgia. Unless Florida providers lower their cost to prevent losing hoards of their customers..
Until the big companies just buy out all the little guys and, like happened with the banks and AIG and Walmart, you are left with only one or two huge companies too big to fail and with no competition whatsoever. That is why prices are so high now. If 10 companies in one state is not enough competition to drive prices down, what good is another 90? The problem is they all engage in price fixing... and they'll just take that national. You won't get insurance at Georgia's rates, the one in Georgia will raise it to Florida levels.
socialist is right between democrat and communist. Want freedoms, but also want the government to take care of you. I'm an independent, myself..I'm not keen on extremes..they don't allow for any grey area
And I am also a fan of capitalism. As are many democrats, and even some socialists. Capitalism is not specific to any party.