Here are photos from the event, taken by cellphone (courtesy of Megan Barth). This first one is absolutely fantastic, "Gravediggers for ObamaCare":
The location couldn't have been better for an ObamaCare protest. Newport Beach is super-affluent, and horns were blaring from cars going up and down Coast Highway.
A photographer from the Los Angeles Times showed up within the first half-hour. He was a real friendly guy - took lots of pictures and took down everyone's name. A Times reporter showed up a little later with a writing pad and started asking questions. Everything was totallly mellow. A few drive-by hecklers shouted at the group, and a passenger in a black BMW flipped the bird while heading south on PCH. We had a couple of leftists on foot stop and annoy us with personal stories of health problems, and with their ignorance of the actual legislation (read a draft of the House bill here).
The photographer told us to look for a report in the Times tomorrow (the story could run anywhere in the paper, and he hinted that we could make the front-page). Some of the local newspapers have already published their reports online.
See, the Daily Pilot, "Protesters Cite 'Chaos' If Health Plan Passes," and the Daily Voice, "Two Dozen Protest Rep. Sanchez Fundraising Breakfast at Balboa Bay Club."
This blog post at OC Weekly probably captures much leftist thinking on the tea parties, "Sanchez Navigates I've-Got-Mines to Get to Newport Beach Cash":
Junkets in Nouveau Riche generally do not draw protesters because the tony club is too far from their homes, parking is a bitch down there and attendance at jobs/bail hearings are required at that hour. But Loretta seems to bring out the loon in some people. Her otherwise routine money grab unhinged a couple dozen picketers ....It's boilerplate, but that "jobs/bail" line is a riot!
What had these fine folks peeved? Was it continuing warfare? Rising joblessness? The meltdown of Cash for Clunkers? Nope, seems the demonstrators were there to lash out about healthcare. But they were not representing the millions and millions of Americans lacking insurance coverage, being denied valid claims or experiencing rising co-pays and assorted out-of-pocket medical costs. Nope, that's what the I've-Got-Mines pooh-poohing the Sanchez visit LOVE about the current health-care system.
It takes a huge leap to entertain the notion of my retired protesters above getting busted by the boys in blue of the Newport Beach PD.
In any case, Mark Ambinder offers an excellent analysis of the partisan framing in the debates over the healthcare backlash, although there's so far been no Astroturfing in the local events I've attended.
See, "Shocked. SHOCKED. Astoturfing Exists. ... Now What?" (via Memeorandum).
3 comments:
I have already stolen that top photo, that is good.
No problem, Sarge!
"Gravediggers" - Seems someone smarter than I could come up with a good play on Shakespeare's "Hamlet" the gravedigger's scene. Something along the lines of "Alas poor Barack, I knew him well..."
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