The American people seem more emotionally polarized today, except for the during Civil War, than at any point in history. Not that polarization suddenly appeard, but people's dispositions metamorphosized in recent years from goodwill ambassadorship to "kick ass, my way or the highway" egocentricity. This penchant for self absorption, in my opinion, offers nothing more than a total breakdown of our traditionally conservative and Christian traditions.
Pollster Scott Rassmusen recently coauthored a book which compellingly offers a glimpse into this contemporary character and how it plays out in our political world. Of course he reminds us that Mad As Hell:How the Tea Party Movement is Fundamentally Remaking our Two-Party System is a must read. Publishers offer this synopsis of the work:
The riotous tea parties and angry town hall meetings of last summer seemingly took everyone by surprise. They shouldn’t have: populist movements have always arisen in times of economic hardship and uncertainty. In Mad As Hell, pollsters Scott Rasmussen and Doug Schoen use extensive and original research to explore the mind and heart of the populist uprising that has suddenly thrown American politics into turmoil.
In the past, populist movements have taken root either on the right or on the left. Today’s populist revolt is unusually broad and has two wings: a left wing that wants universal health care and redistributive economic policies, and a right wing that wants to reduce the power of government to interfere in our lives. Both are hostile to the Washington political class, Wall Street, and the mainstream media—all of which they consider out of touch with the concerns of “real” Americans. The key difference is that left populists are effectively represented by Barack Obama and congressional Democrats who are pursuing their agenda, while right populists are chiefly represented by Fox News and Rush Limbaugh— an angrier and potentially more powerful political force.
So-called professionals in politics, business, and media have completely failed to comprehend the new populism and have dismissed it as marginal and extreme. The authors explore the broad-based nature of the new populist movement and explain how it is reshaping American politics—whether politicians and elite journalists like it or not.
The Tea Party movement is not a flash in the pan,as many have assumed. Nor is it a movement of racist rednecks and ignorant boobs, as its detractors have crudely suggested. To the contrary, it is an authentic grassroots movement of concerned American citizens demanding to be heard by an out-of-touch political establishment. Their concerns are real and their issues are legitimate, the authors maintain; moreover, the new populism is here to stay, and it has already changed our politics for the better.
In Mad As Hell, Rasmussen and Schoen have produced an authoritative guide to the new populism, featuring a combination of proprietary polling data, political analysis, results from online focus groups,and interviews with on-the-ground players. It is must-reading for anyone interested in American electoral politics for the remainder of the decade.
A NEWT REBUTTAL
Trashing Newt certainly is in vogue among bluebloods this season. All this talk about his lack of credentials as a conservative and his disparaging the Reagan administration are complete nonsense and borderline evil. They certainly confirm the immature character of those seeking to destroy Newt. Therefore, below I wanted to post articles that refute and enlighten the trash talk. These I previously posted on my Facebook.
I know I'm posting lots of stuff on Newt Gingrich. I'll get over it. But, for anyone who passionately cares about our nation and what our children may inherit from us they need to pay attention to those who may set the future direction of the country.
The Romney camp has posted a legion of distorted facts about Gingrich. One publication that appeared yesterday was Newt supposedly disparaging the Reagan years. I never heard him do this. It seemed out of character. Plus, given Romney's record for waffling I immediately looked for the full interview so as to hear Gingrich's words in their context. And, what do you know? I found it. Follow the link below.
Posted by jeffreymark at 12:41 PM in Commentary, Current Affairs, Politics, Presidential, Republican | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)