Minimum estimate of Saturday's crowd on the Mall: 300,000 Maximum estimate: One million people.
Meaning of the crowd: An enormous upheaval in the emotions of average Americans is coursing through the country, with a certain significance for November's elections. It will have a lasting, profound impact on America's political direction.
Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin provided an occasion to glimpse this undeniable phenomenon. Of course, the interpretations of what the phenomenon is and what its consequences will be will keep the chattering class busy for weeks, if not years.
Some on the left are trying, with increasing desperation, to use old and new media to brand this surge in public participation in politics as sinister, even though it was preceded by a surge from the left of people and energy into President Obama's campaign.
The new tools of communication and the ease of movement have unleashed a tumultuous era of politics driven by the demand that elites not attempt to speak for, or condescend to, average citizens. They will not quietly or passively be lectured to, or insulted by, the president, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg or any anchor on any network, any columnist in any paper, or any blogger on any Web site.
The people on the Mall and the millions more who watched the gathering with satisfaction rather than fear are quite simply sick of the left, and of its vast sneer toward the traditions, values and, yes, faith of the American middle class.
The American Enterprise Institute's Arthur Brooks has quite accurately described America as a 70/30 nation, with the 70 percent presently massively underrepresented in the federal government, the Manhattan-Beltway media elite and academia.
The 70 percent is appalled by the placebo economics practiced by the president and the Congress over the past two years, shocked by its profligacy with the wealth of the republic, and sickened by the looting of the next generation's opportunities.
The 70 percent did not want Obamacare, but it has been thrust upon them.
The 70 percent did not want federal judges to declare "game over" in the complex discussion of what marriage is and means.
The 70 percent want a fence on the border that works, and do not want their concern over unregulated immigration dismissed as nativisim.
The 70 percent are not ashamed of their belief in God, deeply resent being labeled bigots because they view ground zero as land that ought not to be exploited for "messaging" of any sort by any group, and are enraged by the scorn which they encounter everywhere in media except Fox News and talk radio.
The 70 percent believe that the federal government is remote and clueless, and that the Constitution's principles of enumerated and limited powers and the sovereignty of the states are vibrant, important core values to the republic.
The 70 percent think Iran is in the grip of an evil, theocratic fascism, and that Israel is our true friend and ally deserving of our full-throated support.
We are in the middle of a perilous economic passage to a new competitiveness across the globe. We are watching other countries across the globe respond to the new demands of competitiveness by shrinking the public sector and encouraging private-sector growth. But American education is crippled by bureaucracy and burdened by the inability of a political class to demand reform of the practices and pensions of the public sector. Children have been hostages of this countrywide collapse of common sense for a generation, despite wave after wave of "reform".
Two years into what had been sold as a new politics and a new approach, the 70 percent are fully aware that they have been conned, suckered, and taken to the cleaners by a hyper-ideological amalgam of leftist public intellectuals, snarling bloggers, career politicians with limited abilities who are often corrupt, and a president wholly inexperienced in the management of complex problems who is in way over his head and prisoner to slogans and schemes that make for great campus debates -- but for disaster in the real world.
The people on the Mall were saying much more than "this far and no farther." They were saying "rewind and restart." They will hold that thought and that purpose as they peacefully, but with great passion and purpose, insist on real change come Nov. 2.
Examiner Columnist Hugh Hewitt is a law professor at Chapman University Law School and a nationally syndicated radio talk show host who blogs daily at HughHewitt.com.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
7 comments:
The DC fire department estimated the size at 75,000.
The will of "the people' has not mattered to our government for a long time. They are no longer public servants, but public MASTERS. Every branch of government and all their minions live a different world than the rest of the country. They have job security, no matter what. They are the educated elite, schooled in "theory", but no actual experience. People who are elected on promises of "standing up for the common man", the "little people", "the working men and women", the "backbone of our country, the taxpayer", etc. but soon change into the "I know whats best for everyone now and don't need, or plan on listening to, any advice from the peasants who put me here" kind of politician we are all familiar with. How do you think we arrived at the place we are at right now? Because our leaders (LOL!) LISTENED to us???? They do (and get away with) the same things that they put us in PRISON for and exempt themselves from all the laws they pass. Time for some REAL change...
I hope the 70% vote in November
1:58...I hate to tell you, and is IS a pessimistic attitude, but I've been voting since 1974 and its beginning to hit me --- it doesn't matter who you vote for. They are ALL lying, cheating, STEALING, self-serving, pompous, two-faced, arrogant low-lifes. Republican or Democrat, Libertarian or Independent, they will say WHATEVER you want to hear, or whatever they THINK you want to hear, and then do as they please, most for their own self- enrichment. How many politicians in the last 50 years have went into Congress middle class and come out multi-millionaires?? A whole damn lot of them. We have had some inspirational Presidents (Reagan and Kennedy come to mind), but behind the scenes, they, too, perverted the laws, ignored our laws, degraded the authority of the people and generally did what all people in power do --- whatever they want, while making the peasants (also known as "the people") toe the line and pony up the dollars. The FACTS of their actions (not what they say) speak for themselves. FACTS. UNDENIABLE FACTS.
Imclain: I agree with you for the most part. But my post at 1:58 is born out of the conviction that if you don't vote,then you have surrendered.And I refuse to do that.
I am and have been a strong supporter of term limits. Many may enter Congress wanting to do the right thing but are ,over time, corrupted by money and the lust for power...the people's interests become secondary or forgotten altogether.It's time to limit their time in office so that they will focus on what is right and not creating a lifetime job for themselves.
I am 63 and it has never in my lifetime been as bad as it is now...mainly because, in addition to the blind ambition for money and power , the current leadership is totally convinced that thier ideas are the ONLY ideas..that the average American should only be listened to when it's election time.They( the Obama's and Pelsosi's of the world)only feign listening and continue on the path that THEY ordain...the people's wishes be damned...Heath Care is a prime example of thier arrogance and , quite frankly, their lack of real world experience.
Despite my pessimism , I'll still vote..and do my part to make the country a better place.
Now is the time to VOTE and remove Mikulski, Castle, and Kratovil.
If people don't act and vote this year, things will NEVER change.
Demand term limits and citizen legislators with real world experience that are eager to serve and return to their beloved home and not be a career politician.
4:34...I still vote, too. Its either that or vote with bullets, and enough of the population is still too comfortable and secure for THAT yet. It IS, however, an historical inevitablity. From Rome to China to Britain to America, when governments become too overbearing and powerful, and show complete disdain for the will and wishes of the people, the people kill those politicians and start over. We are, without question, headed in that direction. It doesn't change the fact that every politician in my lifetime ---EVERY ONE-- has promised one thing and did something else, while they enriched themselves and exempted themselves (either factually or by de facto design) the same laws they impose upon us. WHY do people spend FORTUNES to get these jobs?? It AIN'T so they can "change the world".....lol...and its getting worse every election cycle. The candidates traveleing arouind the Eastern Shore?? They are also liars, thieves, cheats, and general scum. Go ahead and elect them. Whomever you choose. Then watch. After the election, unless you are rich and can help in their RE-ELECTION, YOU will be another "peasant". FACT. FACT. & FACT.
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