… and why they will never be taken seriously.
Andrew Sullivan:
Here’s a test: when you see as many posters lambasting Bush and Cheney and the GOP for getting us into this crisis in the first place, I will take these people seriously as genuine small government non-partisan conservatives and independents. In so far as they can pressure the Congress and president into taking the debt seriously in the future, good for them. In so far as they are proposing no practical solutions, and echo truly disturbing hatred of a president barely eight months in office, facing huge crises on all fronts, they are doing their own cause far more harm than good.
You see, these protesters are not against big government, or “intrusive” government, or deficit spending. All of them were perfectly fine with President Bush and his $1.5 trillion dollar tax cut, his trillion dollar wars, and his $200 billion dollar prescription drug benefit. They were all fine with, and in fact demanded, the government intrude into the personal tragedy of Terri Schiavo and interfere with her end of life decisions. They are all fine with, and in fact demand, government intrusion into the personal reproductive choices of every woman everywhere. They are all fine with, and in fact demand, that the government intrude upon all of our Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Amendment rights.
No, they are not against big intrusive government. No, they are not against deficit spending. No, they are not against government tackling healthcare reform.
They are against President Obama. Their hatred of him is the only unifying idea behind the movement. Whether it is racial, or they just don’t like a Democrat in office, I don’t care. But the idea that they have principles is nonsense, for it that were so, they would have all been out protesting President Bush for the very same transgressions they accuse President Obama of.