There's a price to be paid for the Democrats' ongoing ineptness at spinning the health care reform debate, or anything else for that matter. A new PEW poll shows a majority of Americans have no problem with the rowdy protests happening at health care rallies and talks. I suspect that's because no one has done a good job of showing Americans just how nasty people are being. And when it comes down to it, even the White House sided with the mobs against Nancy Pelosi, so why wouldn't the American public side with them too? After all, their president said it was ok.
There's a price to be paid for not being willing (White House) or able (Congress) to fight back. No one respects weakness.
Sixty-one percent of those tested in the Pew poll called the protests "appropriate" while just 34 percent said they were inappropriate. Nearly two-thirds of independents, the critical voting bloc as both parties look to the 2010 midterm elections and the 2012 presidential race, described the protests as appropriate.
In the Gallup polling, 51 percent said that "individuals making angry attacks against a health care bill and what it might do" was an example of "democracy in action" (the Republican argument) while 41 percent called it an "abuse of democracy" (the Democratic argument).
The numbers were far different when the Gallup sample was asked about the booing of members of Congress (44 percent called it democracy in action while 47 percent said it was an abuse of democracy) or the "shouting down of supporters" of the health care plan when they attempted to speak. (33 percent democracy in action/59 percent abuse of democracy).
