Community-Organizer-in-Chief Gathering "Grassroots" Health Care Parties

First, if it's being organized by the President of the United States it is by definition not a "grassroots movement." Idiots.

"Grassroots" connotes a spontaneous, local gathering of like-minded people who are usually every-day Joes rather than typical political activists. It is a bottom-up formation--"We the people believe"--rather than to the all too common top-down, "Let me tell you what you believe," favored by politicians.

So when Obama sends an email to all his Obamatons that "On June 6th, in thousands of homes across the country, we'll gather to launch our grassroots campaign for health care," he has completely missed the point. He (and, never forget, his minders) want the media to report that this is a grassroots movement because that type of thing sounds good on TV.

I suspect that part of it is penis envy for the actual spontaneity of the Tea Parties. Wouldn't it be nice if his side actually had grassroots support, he thinks? Not to mention what grassroots he had, especially on the Far Left, is trickling away as he reverses every promise he made on the campaign trail.

Second, this isn't even astroturfing. With astroturfing they actually pretend that they're not being directed by a politician or lobby. Here, there's no attempt to hide anything. Obama says its a grassroots movement, therefore--facts be damned, words be damned--it's a grassroots movement. For Obama and the media, that's enough. As somebody joked in comments yesterday (I think), "I have said it; so let it be written; so let it be done."

posted by Gabriel Malor at 08:39 PM

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