Moral Monday Momentum
2013-06-06 - by
Maybe it was the front-page photo of the white-coated female doctor, stethoscope around her neck, being arrested. Maybe it’s the growing number of protesters and arrests. Maybe it’s the broad range of people and interests involved.
Whatever the reason, the Moral Monday protests are rolling downhill, picking up speed and making an impact.
Conventional journalistic/academic wisdom is that the protests will have no impact on the Republican legislature and will turn off the public.
The first part? Duh. But the latter? Don’t believe it for a second.
The public, especially moderate, swing voters, is tuning in. They’re focusing on why people are angry – and on what the legislature is doing. They’re asking: Why are these people being arrested? What are they doing that is – Governor McCrory’s word – “unlawful”?
McCrory and the legislative Republicans may not be moved, but they’re clearly uncomfortable. No politician likes being in that situation. And they don’t know how to respond without sounding like callous bullies.
That was the lesson of civil-rights protests in the South in the 60s. It wasn’t that all Americans liked the protesters. But they sure didn’t like the bigoted cops and racist mobs.
So what does a politician say when a reporter pokes a camera in their face and asks about protests? Here (free of charge) is the right answer, always: “Even when I disagree, I respect any American’s right to protest their government.”
When you’re in power, you need to show a little class. This crowd can’t.
Tea Party protests led up to the 2010 election. What do these protests tell you about 2014?
Posted in North Carolina - Republicans
Moral Monday Momentum
2013-06-06/
Maybe it was the front-page photo of the white-coated female doctor, stethoscope around her neck, being arrested. Maybe it’s the growing number of protesters and arrests. Maybe it’s the broad range of people and interests involved.
Whatever the reason, the Moral Monday protests are rolling downhill, picking up speed and making an impact.
Conventional journalistic/academic wisdom is that the protests will have no impact on the Republican legislature and will turn off the public.
The first part? Duh. But the latter? Don’t believe it for a second.
The public, especially moderate, swing voters, is tuning in. They’re focusing on why people are angry – and on what the legislature is doing. They’re asking: Why are these people being arrested? What are they doing that is – Governor McCrory’s word – “unlawful”?
McCrory and the legislative Republicans may not be moved, but they’re clearly uncomfortable. No politician likes being in that situation. And they don’t know how to respond without sounding like callous bullies.
That was the lesson of civil-rights protests in the South in the 60s. It wasn’t that all Americans liked the protesters. But they sure didn’t like the bigoted cops and racist mobs.
So what does a politician say when a reporter pokes a camera in their face and asks about protests? Here (free of charge) is the right answer, always: “Even when I disagree, I respect any American’s right to protest their government.”
When you’re in power, you need to show a little class. This crowd can’t.
Tea Party protests led up to the 2010 election. What do these protests tell you about 2014?
Posted in North Carolina - Republicans