I’ve really been getting a kick out of the people who are on the street protesting a wild array of issues. Most of the protesting is done under guise of “spending,” but it really seems that uneducated white people are angry, but they are not quite sure what to protest. Some mention healthcare reform, but yet they have no idea what plans are being discussed in congress.
The “bailout” seems to be a common complaint among the protesters, which seems really strange to me considering the bailout has worked to perfection. These people have no idea how bad it could have been.
Perhaps my biggest issue with the teabaggers, is the overwhelming irony that many of them benefit from government employment and/or programs. Some of the most ardent neoconservatives I know have government jobs, benefit from government programs, or are on some form of government assistance.
Its going to be very interesting to see how this affects the political landscape in the short and long term. None of the whackjobs out on the street voted for Obama, but they do vote. The handful of moderate republicans have to be worried. Conservative democrats will definitely have problems too. It will be very interesting to see how this fear affects voting for issues like healthcare or immigration reform.
Obama might have trouble getting help from moderates, who would be rightly afraid of reprisals come election day. From a national standpoint, a more conservative shift in the Republican party will only benefit the Democrats in the long term.