Patterico's Pontifications

9/12/2009

Washington DC Tea Party

Filed under: Government,Media Bias,Obama — DRJ @ 12:26 pm



[Guest post by DRJ]

H/T Instapundit, who also posts a photo from Mary Katharine Ham. Ham says House Democratic leaders are concerned about the protest and have emailed talking points that up to 2 million people could attend. Like Ham, I think that’s fishy. Her colleague Greg Sargent suggested the House leadership memo predicting huge turnout “could have been written in hopes that it would leak and inflate expectations for turnout, anticipating that it will fall far short.”

Like a loyal lapdog, the media jumps on board the Democratic talking points. According to Vodkapundit’s Stephen Green who is attending the protest watching the protest from his sofa at home, and getting on-the-ground reports from Stacy McCain and photos from Barbara Spinosa:

“It’s ABC (TV, radio? Not sure.) that pegged the crowd at two million, not CNN. Official estimate is 1.5 — but those numbers always sound inflated. Settle for a million and call it a damn fine day.”

***UPDATE: ABC did not report 2 million attendees. A FreedomWorks speaker misquoted ABC on the crowd’s size. END UPDATE***

Green also notes the popularity of Ron Paul:

“Stacy was back on the phone, telling me about radio host Mason Weaver’s speech — “I came here because I thought you might want to hear a black man speak without a teleprompter” — and then Ron Paul stepped onto the stage.

The crowd went so wild, I couldn’t hear Stacy anymore.

CORRECTION: It was a mere rumor of Paul then drove’em wild.”

— DRJ

99 Responses to “Washington DC Tea Party”

  1. I wish I were there.

    I do have something to get off my chest. I don’t know what happened to Charles Johnson, but he’s pathetic. I guess he just sides with whoever is in power rather than stick to any sort of principles.

    Andy (97db24)

  2. The MSM descriptions all seem to say “tens of thousands” and they completely avoid crowd shots, the same way they avoid “crowd” shots when there are only 12 protesters. Up close all crowds are the same size.

    CNN spent a lot of time covering an Obama Astroturf rally in MN, where He spoke forever and a day about the need to push onward to a crowd of supporters.

    Kevin Murphy (3c3db0)

  3. Note that Republican-ism isn’t all that popular either, but Reagan’s legacy still has the old magic. What we are seeing is the Reagan coalition turning out in opposition to the not-Reagan in the White House.

    Kevin Murphy (3c3db0)

  4. Who cares how and if the MSM games it – isn’t this just SOP and what we have come to expect? Loyal to a fault.

    Far more importantly, there is now yet more undeniable evidence that thousands upon thousands of Americans have again made their voices heard and they are not happy voices. Let the MSM do what it always does but this has gone viral and there is only so much push back the media can attempt before their allegiance to the left appears petty and desperate.

    Oh. Wait. Already there.

    Btw, LAT resisted going for the 1-2 million estimate but let the organizers be heard. Kudos.

    Organizers of the loosely knit coalition of anti-tax, small-government proponents were hoping for a crowd of 25,000 to 50,000, billing the march as the largest gathering of fiscal conservatives in the history of the nation’s capital.

    Dana (863a65)

  5. Correction: I’m on my sofa. But I’m getting on-the-ground reports from Stacy McCain and photos from Barbara Spinosa.

    [Thanks for your comment and your blogging, Stephen Green. I’ve corrected the post. — DRJ]

    Stephen Green (d4d49f)

  6. The NY Times website headline while 1 million march? “Clean Water Laws Are Neglected, at a Cost to Health”

    Kevin Murphy (3c3db0)

  7. Ron Paul [snicker].

    I guess I had better get out of here before the Paulians show up to defend him and exact a pound of flesh from me.

    JVW (d1215a)

  8. Of course, the color of the crowd must be noted. The inference does not go unnoticed. Meh.

    The overwhelmingly white crowd ranged widely in age, and has been orderly, with no arrests reported.

    Dana (863a65)

  9. Well spotted Dana. Thereby proving without a shadow of a doubt, that they are all racists, of the bitter and clinging variety.

    Gazzer (22ecdc)

  10. Wish I’d been there.

    Tea Party! Tea Party! One term and out!

    Indian Health Service, Federal Health Care for over two centuries (1803)!

    htom (412a17)

  11. From an Instapundit reader:

    The crowd surrounds the capitol and extends past the washington monument!

    Reynolds is in Quincy, IL at another Tea Party protest.

    I hear there is a tea party scheduled today in Los Angeles at the Federal Building in Westwood. 3pm.

    Kevin Murphy (3c3db0)

  12. #1 Andy

    I do have something to get off my chest. I don’t know what happened to Charles Johnson, but he’s pathetic. I guess he just sides with whoever is in power rather than stick to any sort of principles.

    I think that Charles is trying to stick to his anti-idoitarian ways. It is undeniable that there is some of that craziness adhering to the underside of the Tea Party movement. The debate is how much influence that craziness has.

    I agree, though, that it’s saddening to see him emphasize this to the exclusion of everything else.

    Pious Agnostic (b2c3ab)

  13. Actually just a few more months before he becomes lame duck, then the GOP gains the majorities in both houses to reverse the work Obama did this year.

    Ron Paul was at a local tea party in Alvin, Texas and I went to listen to him. He’s a good speaker. He knows what he believes in; never wavering in his beliefs, and we know what he believes in.

    Better than Obama who does not know what he believes in.

    lurker9876 (986387)

  14. Ron Paul has been pretty good on domestic policy for a long time. He is hopeless on foreign policy or security and is surrounded by anti-Semites. Unfortunately, that is enough for me to stay far away from him and his supporters.

    Mike K (addb13)

  15. We were there – just returned to our hotel from a long day marching and rallying. It was fantastic! Not sure of the numbers but it was a total sea of people in all directions. We cannot rely on media reports for accurate numbers. D.C. police supposedly estimated 1.2 million which sure sounds about right to me. I want to come back next year and the bet is it will be a lot bigger. They had better plan a LOT better if that is to be the case. 100 porta-potties doesn’t cut it, people.

    I think about 300 people took pics of my sign. I have no place to post it online yet. If anyone sees pics online of a poster with 8×10 photographs of Washington, Lincoln and Reagan and the words “FAMOUS RIGHT-WING EXTREMISTS” AND “I’M PROUD TO BE A RIGHT-WING EXTREMIST,” let me know. 😉

    What an amazing day!!

    Peg C. (73953d)

  16. He makes absolute sense on economics and absolutely no sense on everything else.

    Dmac (a93b13)

  17. Racists.

    JD (bb7add)

  18. MSNBC – Thousands of Teabaggers illegally block Washington streets?

    daleyrocks (718861)

  19. “Actually just a few more months before he becomes a lame duck. . . “

    How can you be a lame duck if you’re not a natural-born duck in the first place?

    Why did the Democratic National Committee need to produce two different Official Certifications of Nomination?

    Why did a US District Court Judge this week order a trial on Obama’s eligibility including a hearing on October 5 which may result in discovery,
    i.e., a demand for Obama to produce all relevant documents, including his birth certificate?

    Official Internet Data Office (d16410)

  20. Whoops! Is Soros about to throw the LiC under-the-bus?

    AD - RtR/OS! (476a7d)

  21. The NY Times website headline while 1 million march? “Clean Water Laws Are Neglected, at a Cost to Health”

    That story seems fishy to me in its use of numbers and anecdotes, perhaps Mike K. can weigh in.

    Medical professionals in the area say residents show unusually high rates of health problems. A survey of more than 100 residents conducted by a nurse hired by Mrs. Hall-Massey’s lawyer indicated that as many as 30 percent of people in this area have had their gallbladders removed, and as many as half the residents have significant tooth enamel damage, chronic stomach problems and other illnesses. That research was confirmed through interviews with residents.

    Can you spot the weasel-worded stats?

    Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (0ea407)

  22. Peg C: Create your own free blog from BLOGGER or WORDPRESS or some other place and start blogging. And once you do that, go to my blog and announce you are the owner of a self-proclaimed right wing extremist™ blog so I can add you to my list.

    John Hitchcock (3fd153)

  23. You 9-12vers are white separatists*

    *Says Slate’s Tim Noah, based on one hand-written sign he saw at the rally.

    Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (0ea407)

  24. Eh, let them eat crow. From Malkin,

    12:34pm Eastern: Police estimate 1.2 million in attendance. ABC News reporting crowd at 2 million.

    Dana (863a65)

  25. Looks like a great day. Wish I was there too.

    Gibbs may ignore them, but the elected officials won’t.

    Re Charles, I think he is scared of the extreme right just like he reacted to the nuts on the left who now run the entire Democratic Party. He will find his way eventually. He’s done some great work.

    Patricia (c95a48)

  26. At 1 to 2 million people, most of whom have jobs and are not professional demo-goers, Pelosi’s folks have got to be excreting bricks. These people will ALL vote in 2010.

    There were 50-60 Congressional seats that went Democrat in 2006-2008. We already knew that those that were in Republican-leaning districts would go back Republican the moment the Obama-driven voters (under 30 or black) dropped back to normal levels (low). Now we have another group that is driven TO the polls at the same time Obama’s folks ebb.

    For every person who marches on Washington, there’s 10 who thought about it, and will march on their polling place in 2010.

    It sucks to be a Statist today.

    Kevin Murphy (3c3db0)

  27. 27
    That link for the time lapse video is pretty damn good. Holy hell there were alot of people there.

    Mr. Pink (7841a9)

  28. Since I get the NY Slimes on Sundays, I can only guess what their story will entail:

    – it will appear on page 22 in the first section
    – headline will be variation of usual themes; “angry white crowd scares little children, carries signs with racist overtones.”

    Dmac (a93b13)

  29. I liked the time-lapse photo, too.

    DRJ (e06615)

  30. Peg C,

    Kudos to you for attending. I hope you will share what you saw and heard in the comments or at P’s tip line (patterico.tips – at – gmail.com).

    DRJ (e06615)

  31. If the pols didn’t/can’t/won’t get the message from this event,
    at the next gathering everyone should bring “farm implements“.

    AD - RtR/OS! (476a7d)

  32. On the footnote to the NY Times article, they clearly intend to downplay the march:

    A version of this article appeared in print on September 13, 2009, on page A37 of the New York edition.

    Kevin Murphy (3c3db0)

  33. Some 9/12 TEA party photos here:
    http://twitpic.com/photos/mzhemingway

    Others on a Flickr photostream:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/24683614@N08/sets/72157622348534704/

    CardioNP (b2c072)

  34. I just got a notice that my medical insurance is going up next year–the only new benefit being the mental health benefits, which Congress in the original Tarp bill mandated be equal to any other kind of coverage. Thanks, Congress!

    “I’m the government and I’m here to help.” Hate them. Hate them all.

    Patricia (c95a48)

  35. Fire department says 60,000
    WaPo says “Tens of thousands”

    And find me the link on ABC’s site that says 2 Million.

    http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/feature/2009/09/12/protest/

    JW Democrat (213e20)

  36. That story seems fishy to me in its use of numbers and anecdotes, perhaps Mike K. can weigh in.

    I read some of the story and could not get to the end. It is typical. Today, I was driving to Home Depot when I heard a local station with a program on GMO, genetically modified organisms. The ignorance was amazing. They have no idea. Most water standards are far more strict than those that have existed for a century. There is no proof that heavy metals do anything. Some legal aide became famous (Erin Brokovitch ?) but the jury that decided that case were as ignorant as the ladies on the radio today.

    Mike K (addb13)

  37. I was there, and it was fantastic. A message was definitely sent.

    And unlike leftist rallies, the signs and protesters here were quite family-friendly. None of the vulgarity and sexual innuendos that you always see with the left.

    Tom the Redhunter (b0294b)

  38. Heh, doubt Tom the Redhunter intended to indict Lovie, but he did just that re: “vulgarity and sexual innuendos.’

    John Hitchcock (3fd153)

  39. Mike K.,
    Thanks for the look, and the comment on heavy metals. (Of course, the reporter provides no documentation for the claims, although this could be easily done on the Web).

    I may write up the problems with the story on A Brief History.

    A second issue is the timing of the events. The health problems supposedly began about 10 years ago, around the time coal slurry began to be dumped in the area. But the story lists how much coal slurry was dumped only since 2004, just five years ago. How much slurry was dumped in the first five years isn’t stated, and the story doesn’t say why. If the amount dumped in the first few years was trivial, then the story falls apart.

    Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (0ea407)

  40. The circulating moonbat talking point seems to be “30,000”–I’ve seen it pop up on several sites.

    M. Scott Eiland (5ccff0)

  41. JW, your side lies, and you quote the lies to us. The only one you fool is yourself.

    Sorry, I cannot find any facts in your lying & dying “mainstream” press, but outside the US — where they do not fear Obama — there are still real newspapers.

    Kevin Murphy (3c3db0)

  42. The “30,000” comes from the organizers who thought that their website registrations were accurate — they provided 100 portapotties for the crowd. THey misunderestimated.

    Kevin Murphy (3c3db0)

  43. It was just a paltry crowd of sad hangers-on and racists that have no idea of the wonderfullness of The One:

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1213056/Up-million-march-US-Capitol-protest-Obamas-spending-tea-party-demonstration.html.

    If the link doesn’t work, just go to The Daily Mail site or hundreds of others.

    And sorry about the photo of the President with the Hitler mustache. That’s wrong, Maybe the left should have thought about that before they did the same to the former President.

    Ag80 (dfbb64)

  44. Regardless of the total in attendance, what a shame that President Obama left D.C. to speak to a pro-health care group.

    It would have been just awesome if he had stayed in town and listened to the speeches and really *heard* the voice of the people.

    Perhaps he would have understood more clearly why we are upset about what he is planning. It would have been a very “teachable moment” for our president.

    Dana (863a65)

  45. I remember reading reports, before the big “zero” was elected president, saying that while he was an academician, he steadfastly refused to listen to anyone who had views or opinions or information to counter his. There are no “teachable moments” for the big “zero” based on his history.

    John Hitchcock (3fd153)

  46. B.J Fikes and Mike, please learn to read

    “Tests show that their tap water contains arsenic, barium, lead, manganese and other chemicals at concentrations federal regulators say could contribute to cancer and damage the kidneys and nervous system.
    …When Mrs. Hall-Massey and 264 neighbors sued nine nearby coal companies, accusing them of putting dangerous waste into local water supplies, their lawyer did not have to look far for evidence. As required by state law, some of the companies had disclosed in reports to regulators that they were pumping into the ground illegal concentrations of chemicals — the same pollutants that flowed from residents’ taps.

    But state regulators never fined or punished those companies for breaking those pollution laws”

    JW Democrat (213e20)

  47. John H. #46, I think that John Lott has a story about this. Yup. Here it is:

    http://johnrlott.tripod.com/op-eds/FoxNewsObamaGuns040708.html

    And if you don’t have time, here is the relevant section:

    “In fact, I knew Obama during the mid-1990s, and his answers to IVI’s question on guns fit well with the Obama that I knew. Indeed, the first time I introduced myself to him he said “Oh, you are the gun guy.”

    I responded “Yes, I guess so.” He simply responded that “I don’t believe that people should be able to own guns.”

    When I said it might be fun to talk about the question sometime and about his support of the city of Chicago’s lawsuit against the gun makers, he simply grimaced and turned away, ending the conversation..”

    Of course, the response is:

    1. Lott must be lying.
    2. Lott is an awful gun nut, so Obama was right to say what he did.

    True, those two positions appear to be contradictory, but not in Obamaland.

    And I forgot to add “…and it was on Fox’s website…” which is usually the dismissive sneer by someone who quotes avidly from Daily Kos.

    Eric Blair (721b15)

  48. “…B.J Fikes and Mike, please learn to read…”

    No, that isn’t trollery at all, is it?

    Eric Blair (721b15)

  49. I’m proud of the large turnout at this event, but as a longtime veteran of past political protests I’d advise everyone to not declare victory just yet. It’s going to take a whole lot more than a single sizable march to have any political sway. Take a look at the effect 10 million anti-war protesters had on politicians in 2003: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_15,_2003_anti-war_protest#Effect

    My advice: don’t let up, and vote every single incumbent and party candidate out in 2010. Put your own fresh blood in Washington to represent you, not maintain the status quo. If the leading candidate in your local race is endorsed by the party, he’s been chosen to uphold the status quo, and it’s your responsibility to select someone else who’ll stand on principle with the courage to take on both the party and the establishment.

    [note: fished from spam filter — Stashiu]

    Chris (699c92)

  50. Also, why did they have to destroy all of the McDonalds and Starbucks in the D.C. area?

    Why did they have to charge the police lines and start all of that looting that left the city in a shambles?

    Why couldn’t they protest in a civil manner that would have reinforced their beliefs, rather than leave those beliefs shattered in the damage and injuries they caused?

    After the Washington police moved in with their horses and tear-gas, they wouldn’t relent.

    Instead they went on a rampage leaving hundreds of cars burning through the night as they lifted ill-gotten loot from the hundreds of store fronts, owned by innocent shopkeepers.

    I’ll never forget the hapless Washington police force trying to stop the carnage as the insane crowd of maybe 500 or so, including children, tried to mount the fences of the White House

    Who can, who will, stop this incoherent madness visited upon us?

    As the fires rage and as the blood of innocents dries on the street, can we finally agree that such protests are insanity?

    Ag80 (dfbb64)

  51. LIARS
    John Lott? Or Mary Rosh
    http://www.whoismaryrosh.com/
    “For three years, John Lott pretended to be a young woman.
    Her name was Mary Rosh.
    Mary Rosh often spoke sweetly of her days as a student of John’s, she gave a glowing Amazon.com review of his book “More Guns, Less Crime,” she criticized anyone who questioned John’s research or his conclusions, and she attacked other researchers in her ardent defense of Lott’s idea that more guns on the streets leads to less crime.”

    ABC News
    Conservative activists, who organized a march on the U.S. Capitol today in protest of the Obama administration’s health care agenda and government spending, erroneously attributed reports on the size of the crowds to ABC News.
    Matt Kibbe, president of FreedomWorks, the group that organized the event, said on stage at the rally that ABC News was reporting that 1 million to 1.5 million people were in attendance.
    At no time did ABC News, or its affiliates, report a number anywhere near as large. ABCNews.com reported an approximate figure of 60,000 to 70,000 protesters, attributed to the Washington, D.C., fire department. In its reports, ABC News Radio described the crowd as “tens of thousands.”
    http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/protest-crowd-size-estimate-falsely-attributed-abc-news/story?id=8558055

    JW Democrat (105b91)

  52. Just got back from DC and there was easily over 1 million.

    It was great being with so many patriots fighting the socialist policies of Obama.

    Got to get back to family and friends but this was one big message sent to capital Hill:

    CAN YOU HEAR US NOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    ( My Obama sign (joker face…SOCIALISM is the third picture in this article)

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1213056/Up-million-march-US-Capitol-protest-Obamas-spending-tea-party-demonstration.html

    Baxter Greene (af5030)

  53. Peg C., Tom the Redhunter, and Baxter Greene,

    Would you (at least one of you) please email the tip line as DRJ mentioned at #31 (patterico.tips@ gmail.com), your personal observations of the day, what speeches you heard, and what the overall tone of the day was, etc.

    I would really like to know your first-hand perspectives. I don’t really care about how many attended – the streets were closed, a D.C. metro policeman on duty said in all his 20 years on duty he had never seen as big of a crowd. Suffice it to say, it was an enormous turnout.

    Dana (863a65)

  54. J.W. Democrat said:

    B.J Fikes and Mike, please learn to read

    “Tests show that their tap water contains arsenic, barium, lead, manganese and other chemicals at concentrations federal regulators say could contribute to cancer and damage the kidneys and nervous system.
    …When Mrs. Hall-Massey and 264 neighbors sued nine nearby coal companies, accusing them of putting dangerous waste into local water supplies, their lawyer did not have to look far for evidence. As required by state law, some of the companies had disclosed in reports to regulators that they were pumping into the ground illegal concentrations of chemicals — the same pollutants that flowed from residents’ taps.

    But state regulators never fined or punished those companies for breaking those pollution laws”

    What? Either you’re as insane as those godless D.C. protesters or you posted in the wrong thread or you’re drinking the water that you so vehemently oppose. I’m really not sure, maybe it’s code. Help me out here.

    And you want Fikes and Mike to learn to read?

    Ag80 (dfbb64)

  55. Just got back from the 9/12 rally, and while I can’t swear to the 1.5 million number, there were people EVERYWHERE, not just the thin stretch from the Capitol to the Washington monument. I have attended some Army/Navy games over the years and this was way over 10x that amount – at least 750,000. There were people of every color there (although most were white) and the best speakers were black imo. Some of the biggest applause came from the comments of a black preacher (I didn’t notice any “white racists” not applauding him). There was also a hip hop/rap song in the middle of the day and all the white “racists” were waving flags and clapping at their lyrics. Let me repeat that – old, white protesters applauding a rap group that flowed conservative messages… that is a scene I will never forget. An old white vet said to me while the song was going on, “I like the beat but I’m going to have to only give it an 8 out of 10 since I don’t think I can dance to it” – he was using a cane to help him get around,…

    Also, most telling, is that there was NO incidence of any lawbreaking – it was the most well mannered, polite crowd I have ever been in – easily the biggest good vibe I have ever experienced. People were policing their own trash and left everything pretty clean. I have read some left blogs since I got back that trash this rally, and all I can say is they are so far off base I actually laughed at them instead of getting miffed – today was such a great day even the lefty trolls can’t ruin it.

    I’m pretty sure they can hear us now, and whether they listen or not, I have a great deal more hope about 2010 than I did yesterday. Hell, I even met people who had come from Hawaii (Hawaiians, not retired white people btw)

    the Virginian (98be32)

  56. Nay, JW is debating the article that the NY Times is running as it’s lead story: Clean Water Laws Neglected. When in fact it should read: News of the Day Neglected, Banality Run Instead. ANd JW follows his marvhing orders, no matter how pitiful.

    Kevin Murphy (3c3db0)

  57. and the best speakers were black imo.

    If a magic wand could be waved over America and 80-plus percent of the black populace instead of being loyal to leftism (or “progressivism”) and the Democrat Party, year after year, decade after decade, were modified to a truly centrist and rightist philosophy in general, the transformation of that part of this society would be startling. I imagine some really powerful positive dynamics (and sorely needed common sense) would shake and rattle the otherwise moribund, corroded foundation of far too much of black America. It would be like the awakening of someone trapped for ages in a deep, long coma.

    Mark (411533)

  58. #59 –

    I agree Mark, and I think that the Black community will address this more and more often from now on, but it will take a while for it to catch fire and remove the effects of the “keep it real” exploitation that has harmed the lowest income segment of the Black community; still, a journey of a thousand miles starts with a simple step,…

    … and I based “and the best speakers were black imo.” on crowd reaction as much as my own opinion btw…

    the Virginian (98be32)

  59. Also, I got into DC at 0745 and the CNN van was already there and gone by 0900, 2 hours before the rally started. (By “there”, I mean in front of the Capitol where the rally was going to be held. Where they went I don’t know, but the MSM and how they would spin this were a constant topic everywhere I went – I met a Canadian news team and a German one, but not one American news agency in the 8 hours I was there – not even a news chopper. A Jet Ranger circled us a couple of times in the very begining, but it didn’t look like it was from the media)

    the Virginian (98be32)

  60. China, where the government blacked out national reporting of Tyanmen (sp). US, where the media blacked out reporting of 9/12 DC.

    John Hitchcock (3fd153)

  61. Its funny to me that all the democrats label anyone that is against the policy is a white, right wing racist. The funny part is that the minorities are the racisct ones…The dounble standard is way out of wack…examples….all black churches, all black schools, all black magazines, all black tv shows..all black music awards, all black miss america, cant call an illegal immigrant an illegal immigrant, must appoint blacks and mexicans to high ranking government jobs for the “making history” move, and not because the are qualified…cant get a government job if your white, can get hand outs, cant get help….hmmmm

    jdogg (19d6c1)

  62. I’ve updated the post to clarify that ABC did not report 2 million people attended the protest. Thanks to J.W. Democrat for pointing this out.

    DRJ (b0cdd4)

  63. I hope the mere rumour of Paul drove them wild is joke. An Article linked by the History News Network (Yes I know this is a view with scepticism site) is already linking one tea party group with white supremicists.

    davod (bce08f)

  64. I was there from 9am through 2pm and spoke with 3 different capital policemen about crowd estimates just after lunch and got ranges of 1.2 and 1.6 million. The 60,000 estimate is ludicrous. I know what it takes to fill Fenway park’s roughly 35,000 seats and for anyone to suggest there were less than half a million in DC is simply absurd.

    Chris Miller (1c3a15)

  65. Anyone care to bet that JW Dhimmi will mischaracterize this, or use the fact that ABC not reporting 2,000,000 proves that his BS numbers were right?

    JD (0be158)

  66. Dana, are Paulians the same as that group, Raelians, that kill themselves to go to wherever?

    PCD (f6fa57)

  67. #59 Mark

    I imagine some really powerful positive dynamics (and sorely needed common sense) would shake and rattle the otherwise moribund, corroded foundation of far too much of black America.

    I’d like to add, that it’d do a world of good to the equally moribund and corroded foundation of the GOP. It’d be like Peanut Butter Cups: two great tastes that taste great together!

    Pious Agnostic (b2c3ab)

  68. B.J Fikes and Mike, please learn to read

    I think this is so funny. The troll posts a nonsensical comment in the wrong thread and asks us to learn how to read. Like most of these ignorant rants about science by those who don’t understand it, and never took math beyond pre-algebra, it is all about what some lawyer, who also never took math, or politician said when hoping for votes from people who also didn’t take math. Bradley and I once had a long discussion about bacteria in a similar context.

    Very little comment about the huge rally today on This Week. They were out walking around but it didn’t deserve to be covered and Sam Donaldson was his usual arrogant and dismissive self in his comments. There was discussion about how “necessary” the spending was with no differentiation between the Fed stimulus and the obscene porkulus bill. Lots of talking around the subject but no focus.

    Mike K (addb13)

  69. Speaking of reporting, the LAT does not even MENTION the march on its front page today!! AARGH!

    However, they do include a sob story of someone without insurance.

    Patricia (c95a48)

  70. The fact the media even acknowledged the Tea Party at all is marvelous This the same mainstream media that ignores completely the annual Right-to-Life March that regularly has 300-500,000 people attend each year. So if the media is actually reporting “10s of thousands” of protesters, then I will multiply by 10 and get closer to the real answer.

    CPT Tom (782a51)

  71. OK, I have to give the NYT credit for featuring the march on the first page of the Sunday edition today – but if you read the article’s contents, you’ll only learn about how the Obama administration screwed up their presentation, since the proletariat obviously is too ignorant to understand how important this legislation is. Not much mention regarding the demonstrator’s actual concerns and arguments – quel surprise.

    Dmac (a93b13)

  72. I’m grateful to the people who went to DC, I couldn’t afford it in $ or time, so you went for me. If things don’t turn around, I’ll go the next one whether I can afford it or not.

    One of the most discouraging things I have heard lately was a guy whose name I forget on Hewitt’s show last week. The guy had come from some high-level GOP planning meeting, and he said the GOP ~does not get it~. The GOP still thinks they can count on conservatives if they keep doing the same old things.

    The GOP is the only practical vehicle available, no other reasonable alternative exists, i.e. 3rd party. What can be done to wake them up? They don’t seem to understand that the people demonstrating are almost as angry at the GOP as anything else.

    jodetoad (059c35)

  73. Comment by jodetoad — 9/13/2009 @ 9:01 am

    One of their “perfumed princes” needs to be (metaphorically) knocked-off.

    Someone who is the “favored one” in a primary next year needs to be defeated by an outsider rising from the mass of tea-partiers.

    In a conversation with someone from NV, I stated that I thought that Tarkanian was a good bet to upset Reid in next year’s Senate race. His response was that the woman who heads the NV GOP Cmte was thought to be the front-runner for the GOP nomination over Tarkanian, and that there was another entrant who was polling higher than Tarkanian who had yet to enter the race.
    Perhaps a Tarkanian victory there would be a signal? At least he has state-wide name recognition due to his father, and could beat Reid in the General (but then, with Harry’s numbers, who couldn’t?).
    But, my point is, that how difficult would it be to target someone in the House/Senate GOP leadership who is running weak next year, and promote a dynamic candidate against them in the Primary to demonstrate their (and the leadership’s) disconnect with the base?
    There has to one that would be particularly vulnerable…John McCain, anyone?

    AD - RtR/OS! (212605)

  74. They don’t seem to understand that the people demonstrating are almost as angry at the GOP as anything else.

    Huh?

    “Bury Obamacare with Kennedy”

    Pelosi with a Hitler moustache…

    This was an Obama/Left Wing hate fest, not some fluent redress of grievances over health care changes. They’re convinced some sort of anthrax-like attack is headed their way.

    The media do nothing more than re-package the “controversy” of the loudest, most obnoxious voices. “Journalism” today is narrated voyuerism–nothing more. It costs too much to investigate the reality of complex issues, or to provide context, so they just let the cameras roll, do a “he said/she said” report and call that balance.

    steve (5601e8)

  75. “Bury Obamacare with Kennedy” might be in a little bit of bad taste, but I didn’t see any thing wrong with that one. It’s a political statement, not a personal one. I’m sure most people there were there to express legitimate political beliefs. Naturally the media is going to pay attention to the more flamboyant protestors & speakers just like it always does.

    BTW, even Fox was reporting “tens of thousands”, so 500,000 seems high. Based on the video I saw, more like 150,000 tops. Significant numbers yes, but not earth-shattering.

    JEA (404b1d)

  76. The media is massively under estimating the size of the tea party protests. Looking at pictures, the crowd appears to be 1M+ as estimated by USA Today’s Obama inauguration algorithm. The Mall was full as was Pennsylvania Ave. I’ve read comments that there were only 30K protesters. Complete and utter crap.

    My local paper didn’t see fit to publish any review of any of the protests. I believe that it is a contributing factor to their cratering bottom line.

    jkstewart2 (33c5b8)

  77. The media do nothing more than re-package the “controversy” of the loudest, most obnoxious voices

    …of the right, while hiding those on the left.

    The media is mostly an Obama love-fest, choosing to ignore the reality of complex issues, or to provide context, so I understand your need to generalize specific disagreements with Obama’s problematic policies so as to minimize cognitive dissonance.

    Apogee (e2dc9b)

  78. Why aren’t there software programs that can deduce crowd sizes estimates from photos? That would eliminate the bias problem.

    Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (0ea407)

  79. Provoking and fanning flames of debate and argument about the *size* of the crowd might be one of the more clever ploys of the MSM – it certainly gets the focus off the content of the protest, which is of course where the real meat is.

    Dana (863a65)

  80. Isn’t there some equation based on square feet per person or something the Park Service used to use?

    JEA (404b1d)

  81. Yes, but the answer using that formula does not fit with Teh Narrative being pushed by the MSM, Dems, and people like JEA.

    JD (3d1db9)

  82. The guy had come from some high-level GOP planning meeting, and he said the GOP ~does not get it~. The GOP still thinks they can count on conservatives if they keep doing the same old things.

    They don’t seem to understand that the people demonstrating are almost as angry at the GOP as anything else. Comment by jodetoad

    What? Are you saying that the GOP has to become more ideologically squishy, more so-called centrist, if not liberal — more full of Arnold Schwarzeneggers — in order to succeed? So a lot of the people demonstrating in DC were as mad at conservative politicians for being too rightwing as they are mad at Obama (and Congress) for being too leftwing?

    That’s a contradiction in terms, a form of cognitive dissonance.

    However, I will say that any political organization should be managed by people who are very, very aware of the gut biases of people and communities.

    For instance, I thought Bush’s supposed great guru, Karl Rove, was naive and foolish to believe that a good portion of the Latino community in America — based on the long history of the electorate in a country like Mexico — can become more centrist to conservative if the GOP starts responding in a touchy-feely (or Democrat-Lite) manner towards the issue of illegal immigration.

    I’ll also say that it is simpleminded to believe that the diversity of society — meaning the wide range of viewpoints among people — can be ignored when strategizing and theorizing. So it would be ridiculous of the GOP to think it can be uber-conservative in, say, the San Francisco Bay Area, just as it would be ridiculous of the Democrat Party to believe it can be uber-liberal in the suburban portions of Texas or many other states.

    Mark (411533)

  83. This was an Obama/Left Wing hate fest, not some fluent redress of grievances over health care changes.

    Truly indicative of someone who not only didn’t actually view the vids of the speeches, but went staight to Kos – land to get his talking points.

    Anyone catch the hilarious vid of the CNN reporter? She was there with the only intention of showing how very, very angry everyone was, but since she failed at that, went straight into attempting to discuss the Wilson flapdoodle. The crowd caught on to her act immediately, and drowned her out with shouts of “tell the truth!” Beautiful.

    Dmac (a93b13)

  84. As Dana quite correctly pointed out above, the Leftists and the MSM would rather foster a debate over the number of attendees rather than the philosophical underpinnings of the turnout.

    JD (648c77)

  85. In re: Marching orders. From that communist rag The Economist:

    There is a lot that is creepy about an American campaign event. Arriving early at Bush rallies, I would watch aggressive and chilly young Republican aides in smart suits kneeling on gymnasium floors with fistfuls of different felt tip marker pens, and large rectangles of white card. Frowning with concentration, they would then write things like “South Dakota Loves W” in deliberately babyish writing, or pick out the words “Hello Mr President” in red, white and blue lettering. The styles and slogans would be carefully varied, and the end results were impressive: a stack of signs that looked as though supporters of all ages had lovingly written them out on homely kitchen tables. Then, when the crowd arrived (all of them invited and vetted as bona fide Bush supporters) any of them who had forgotten instructions not to bring signs of their own would have them politely confiscated. Then they would be handed one of the ersatz home-made signs by one of the chilly, bossy young munchkins from campaign HQ. On television, it all looked very sweet.

    JW Democrat (fcc189)

  86. JW:

    Dude, dude, dude, I realize it’s difficult for you to read. Take a look at the snap-shot provided by the youtube vid. There’s them there people over there. Check it out, dude.

    John Hitchcock (3fd153)

  87. Once again you beclown yourself with your inane sourcing – no conservatives read the Economist anymore, their circ. is tanking, big – time. They’ve completely lost their target audience by drifting more leftward than Newsweek in many cases, and they’ve been consistently wrong in every economic prediction they’ve made in the last 20 years. Ironic, considering their name, no?

    Try harder next time.

    Dmac (a93b13)

  88. Mr Hitchcock – JW has its memes and talking points and that is all it needs. Note its continued obsession with Bush, and the “look over there” school of diverting the topic away from something it does not want to talk about.

    JD (648c77)

  89. JEA #83:

    USA Today published a visual tool to help gauge attendance for Obama’s inauguration that GatewayPundit and others used to estimate the 9/12 attendance. They say it was over 1 million.

    DRJ (b0cdd4)

  90. DRJ – Linking to rightwingNazis birther death panelists is not going to make them be objective about this 😉

    JD (648c77)

  91. Heh, the vid says it’s 1:49 long and I guess it could be right. But it took me 15 minutes to watch on my iffy zero-bar wifi connection to the AlGore invention. Surely, the dude’s connection would let the dude watch it a little faster than it takes the dude to copy/paste the dude’s screeds.

    John Hitchcock (3fd153)

  92. Quick and dirty estimate:

    PA avenue was covered from Freedom Plaza to the Capital; that is about 1 mile (WH to Capitol 1.2 miles) of people on a street 6 lanes wide or 80 ft from Googe data. A mile is 5280 ft x 80 ft at 2.5 sq feet per person (Obama’s inauguration number for the mall) gives us over 168,960 people just there at any one time. This human traffic lasted for 3 hours from the media. With the average human walking speed of 3 miles per hour, that is 168,960 people passing every a point every 33 minutes or over 3 hours being 9 x 168,960 = 1,520,640. Although, like me not all people started at Freedom Plaza. Many went directly to the Capitol for good “seats” and not all came down PA Ave. The police also asked the protesters to leave the plaza two hours early. Nor does it count the time after 12;30 when people were still arriving or the people on the sidewalks along PA Ave. So the number of 1.5 million may be low.

    amr (4e0dda)

  93. amr, your 3mph walking speed is for big-city folk. Us backwoods illiterate redneck hicks travel at 2mph. So, based on the fact anyone against the big zero is a backwoods illiterate redneck hick by definition, your estimate of 1.5mil on the roadway has to be reduced to an estimate of 1mil on the roadway.

    And everyone knows we backwoods hicks never saw a sidewalk, so we don’t know what they’re for and wouldn’t know how to use them.

    Ya know?

    John Hitchcock (3fd153)

  94. Check out my YT site for ALOT of videos and info showing 2,000,000+ in DC 9.12.2009

    HorseofPaulRevere (579f8c)

  95. I have done my own study base on a devised stationary methodology and calculation which you can find here.

    It’s backed by visual evidence (pictures and clips) all available in the same entry, plus determining the boundaries of the rally and calculation of the final tally derived from the density of the crowd at each given block. My calculus puts the figures around 130k up to 160k.

    deathbymedia (258dd4)


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