Obama As the Joker - Poster in L.A. image: Fox News
As members of Congress go back to their districts to try and sell Health Care Reform (Universal Health Care) to the general public, they are being met with resistance. From Philadelphia to Texas, town hall meetings and appearances by Representatives are turning into demonstrations against the Democrats and Obama administrations plans for health care, and the tax and spend policies of the 111th Congress. In Nashville Blue Dog Democrat Jim Cooper, is struggling with the phone calls and emails urging him to vote against Universal Health Care. Blue Dog Democrats (moderates recruited by Rham Emanuel in order to win Republican districts and gain the house majority), are finding that they are stuck between a rock and a hard place, either vote like a conservative (or make good on campaign promises) or look for another job in 2011.
The situation has grown to the point where CBS News (You Tube video below) felt the need to report on the situation. The gist of the news report is that “Conservative Groups” are “partly” responsible for the massive email and phone campaigns both Republican and Democrat members of Congress – calling them “anti-reform forces”. The CBS Report fails to report that the crowd responded loudly when Specter mentioned the need to quickly “pass” the bill (original You Tube video below for comparison) Additionally, CBS also reported that it was the intent of Congress and the President to get this bill passed before the August recess, in order to avoid the public outcry that would ensure.
First, there is a problem with that thesis as the groups, The 9-12 project and Freedom Works.org are bi-partisan, attracting Republican, Moderate Democrats, Libertarians and specifically Independent (or unenrolled) voters – the biggest issue driving the general public perceptions against Democrats are the economy (taxes and specifically increased taxes due to the massive spending bills put through by this President and Congress in concert) and Socialism (Universal Health Care, government controlled industries such as banking and the auto industry). Secondly, had that bill passed in haste (see Stimulus), the political ramifications would have been damning. At the very least, those who are taking the “heat” from constituents now have the option of either voting the way the people who hired them want them to vote and keeping their jobs, or voting with their Party – which will result in a loss in 2010.
Apparently, the distaste for the present direction (socialism) that our nation is taking has reached Hollywood. KTLA is reporting that posters of President Obama depicted as the “Joker”, with the word “socialism” included are popping up around Los Angeles. The Posters are also showing up in Atlanta which left-of-center bloggers attribute to conservative groups who are against Universal Health Care.
The problem with that theory is that Cartoonish posters have been assigned to other Presidents, when public perception was shifting. Specifically, President Bush as Joker, during his last term.
It appears that the proverbial “shoe” is now on the “other foot” so to speak. Normally reserved moderates and Republican’s have taken a page from the liberal playbook – the louder you shout, the better the chance you’ll get what you want. A playbook written for Conservatives by Democrat’s on the blog Hill Buzz entitled “Why Persistence Matters When Facing Down Corporate America….” is a virtual outline of tactics employed by liberals - given to those who are otherwise – too Republican or Conservative to speak up and fight for their beliefs or a specific cause. No matter how normally reserved, regardless of party affiliation, a growing number of Americans are standing up for limited government and reminding their representatives in Congress and the Senate, as well as the man sitting in the Oval Office, that they work for the people. Regardless of the outcome, should the bill pass or no, the rift between the public’s perceptions of the Party in Power has dramatically shifted, and given history, change will come to Washington in 2010 and 2012. It was the Independent Vote that put the current administration and Congress in office, and they have clearly lost that segment of the voting public.
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