A stunning admission from Scott Brown: people aren’t stupid
In the end, the animating vision behind the message Scott Brown delivered was rather simple. Here it is folks:
Mr. Brown says it frustrates him that too many politicians still believe that people will be fooled by what they’re proposing. “People aren’t stupid, and leaders should figure out they’re better informed now than ever.”
Brown respected voters, and he was repaid for that courtesy with his startling upset victory.
One of the hallmarks of the Obama administration—and especially the present Congress and its members—is their feeling that they can fool enough of the people enough of the time. Obama has so much contempt for voters that he believes he can lie over and over, be caught on tape doing so, and get away with it. Let us hope that Brown’s election is part of a tide that will prove the bankruptcy of that assumption, and will start a trend for the election of politicians who (gasp!) think the American people are fully able to distinguish rain from pee.
[ADDENDUM: Pretty funny, and closely related.]
I agree Obama & Co think they can fool the people, but the reason for this is I think Obama is simply following the same tactics that worked for him in the academic world.
After he entered politics, he still wasn’t tested or tried in the manner politicians normally are – it’s almost like his path to higher office was cleared for him.
As such, there was no need for him to even consider a different approach or style of tactics than that which worked for him in academia.
That way of doing things is all he knows.
I am beginning to think that what we have been seeing this past year is his application of the various means and tactics that worked for him to advance in an academic world being applied to the wider world outside of the ivory towers.
The problem for him is that the academic world is set up to allow those very tactics to work for those employing them, but those same tactics don’t work in the real world.
You don’t have a captive audience that has to parrot your pet political views in order to pass a course, you have a population that is vibrant, intelligent, has untold amounts of real-world experience – and can be incredibly obstinate when they don’t agree with their leadership.
You are left with an administration, confused from the top down, that can’t understand why their agenda is not successful and the rank and file are not blindly falling into lockstep with the administration.
So what are they left with?
They won’t change course, can’t admit they are wrong, and see any retreat as failure instead of good judgment – and still refuse to accept that people are not buying what they are peddling.
Therefore, in their view people must either be stupid or uninformed – and as a result you get a sense of arrogance eminating from the administration and a whole hell of a lot of speechs and talking pushing their agenda, and willing to say whatever it takes to get their agenda passed with the belief that the general public is gullible and can be fooled if they just say the right thing….
Actually last night on Beck he had three profs giving a history of the progressive movement. The really interesting part relevant here is that all three agreed that the movement was based on the notion of elitism. From Wilson up to today, progressives believe that the unwashed masses must be guided and led by the educated elite; which of course is themselves. It explains much of their totalitarian behavior, arrogance, and lack of respect for the Constitution
People aren’t stupid because they are more informed than ever….
However… people like Nyo will see a mashup of Palin mentioning God and get ‘scared’.
Good thing it’s a small percentage of people with that kind of perspective. Palin has a better approval rating than ∅bama now. Should’ve been that way during the campaign as she had more experience and the economic prescription.
Thank you for winning Scott Brown !
Sarah Palin made the same point by showing how feminists treated someone who used her freedom of choice in an unapproved way. Yes, it does get down to lack of respect. No poor black can deviate from the ACORN-approved message. No small businessman can make responsible decisions without tax incentives or subsidies. Heck, we can’t even decide what car to buy, how much toilet paper to use, or what to eat.
All the phoney words about the greatness of America will not convince unless people sense real respect.
My representative and two senators, all democrats, are certainly representative of the trend of talkng down to people. I bombard them with erudite criticisms of the healthcare bills. If and when they answer my missives they never address my points. It’s always boilerplate with poll tested words. And always the good news that they have inserted $$$$$ for Washington State into the pot. That is supposed to impress me. They are fighting for our state to get its fair share of the spoils. Meh.
When their dear leader does it, they must assume they can do it and the rubes will never notice. Well, I’ve got a news flash. There are more Scott Browns out there and any pol who thinks the voters should just STFU is in jeopardy.
The left despises the average guy as an unsophisticated rube. They try to hide it, but it leaks out often e.g. Obama, Edwards, Klein, Friedman, Michael Moore, Maher. The examples are endless.
There’s a difference between respecting people and romanticizing them. The left romanticizes “the masses” and sees themselves as leading the uneducated and wrinkled slacked to the promised land. When the masses don’t play their assigned roles, the sputtering contempt erupts. With Reagan and Palin, it’s different. Both of them, when confronted with human frailty (Reagan’s father for RR and just Alaska for SP), accept it as inherent in the human species and something which doesn’t detract from every human beings essential dignity.
PS to JJ: recent poll has Rossi over Patty-Osama is popular because he builds day care centers-Murray.
Addendum. Nice.
Yep: stop micturating down my collar and telling me it’s precipitation.
Stop telling me it’s the economy while you are taxing me to death.
It’s the old “maybe I haven’t made myself clear” message we’re now getting ad nauseam from Obama and his minions. They think that if they just explain one more or 100 more times, that we’ll see the wisdom of what they’re offering. They don’t realize, indeed, they can’t comprehend at all, that we understand perfectly the snake oil that’s on sale from Obama’s Traveling Medicine Show and because we understand it we.just.don’t.want.it.
On the other side, Scott Brown wasn’t selling any snake oil. He respected the voters, and they rewarded him accordingly. He still has to perform to the satisfaction of the people of Massachusetts, but he started out on the right foot.
Why shouldn’t he? That’s precisely what he did to get elected to the presidency. And it worked! Before that he did the same thing to get elected to the US senate and to the Illinois senate before that. Of course he had lots of help.
Hopefully, it seems that enough people have caught onto his little charade that it doesn’t seem to work anymore.
SNL has already jumped on Scott Brown and it’s funny without putting Brown down. Not at all. In fact it’s much tougher on the Dems.
http://tv.gawker.com/5460556/democratic-leaders-fantasize-about-scott-brown-in-hilarious-snl-parody?autoplay=true
Interesting and sad to compare this with SNL’s treatment of Palin.
To be fair, I’m such a diehard I’d probably have voted for the Republican candidate in the Mass. Senate race even if they nominated a panda in a clown suit.
BUT: I have been tremendously impressed by Mr. Brown’s lack of affectation. He’s genuine.
He knows who he is, and he doesn’t worry that the rest of us will find out.
Physicsguy said: “From Wilson on up to today, progressives believe that the unwashed masses must be guided and led by the educated elite; which is of course themselves.”
And don’t forget eugenics, long popular among elites for dealing with the masses.
I’m with Tim P – obviously you can talk down to 52% of the populace and they’ll vote for you. Of course, that may be because you can claim (wink, wink) you are talking down to the others.
Wish I could believe that, but I must say that I was stunned to learn from my wife, in light of all that has happened recently, that her boss came to work the day after the SOTU raving about what a brilliant speech Obama had given. Guess you can still full some of the people all of the time. The question is how many is some?
Neo, I’m waiting for a post on Obama’s friday get together with the Republicans. I had been lukewarm on Obama since he took office but I am now excited about him. His state of the union didn’t really do much for me but Friday’s meeting was an eye-opener. I think we now have a leader. Will the Republicans meet him halfway? He showed he undestands the victory of Scott Brown. It isn’t a victory for Republicans so much as the voters telling Washington they want Democrats and Repubicans to work together to get things done rather than engage in continuous partisanship. Obama showed that he understands that on Friday. I’m still waiting for the Republicans to show they understand it.
Well Martin, that’s an interesting spin on events. I could go on at length, but I think I can give the whole answer in two words for you to ponder:
“Define halfway.”
http://tammybruce.com/2010/01/barbara-walters-interview-with-scott-brown.html
Barbara Walters interviews Scott Brown.
My advice to Scott Brown….
If you want more people to hear YOUR WORDS and hear YOUR MESSAGE – find people like Barbara Walters irrelevant and Greta Van Susteren, Megyn Kelly, and anybody else on Fox News more relevant.
Martin Bebow: Others have written at length about Obama’s talk to Republicans; I have no wish to. The best quote I could find was the one at Hot Air that paraphrased him thusly: “Don’t demonize me, teabaggers.”
Martin wrote, “I think we now have a leader.”
A leader would:
1) Gather facts (history, current)
2) Assess solutions and alternative solutions and the end result of said solutions
3) Work toward implementing solution
If past history and the current situation isn’t understood or not well known – 2 & 3 become impossible.
A leader must understand the current situation and past history. Obama does not.
Martin wrote, “I’m still waiting for the Republicans to show they understand it.”
Then you’ll be waiting a long time – do you know why?
Because the sources of news you read will NEVER give you the indication that Republicans have plans and solutions and are trying to put forth amendments and ideas.
Your sources of information keep you uninformed.
One of the hallmarks of the Obama administration–and especially the present Congress and its members–is their feeling that they can fool enough of the people enough of the time.
i said that the old saw had to be updated in light of communism/progressivism/ and modern feudalism…
You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.
now becomes
You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time, you only have to fool them all once for a short time to seize power
You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, which is good enough to seize power, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time, which no one ever really tries.
[as another alternative]