E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSIf one word summed up the past two years in American politics, it was this: anger.
Anger at the nation’s unemployment and all the foreclosures. Anger at President Obama and his health-care effort. Anger at the Tea Party.
And this anger sometimes manifested itself into over-the-top vitriolic rhetoric, especially coming from the right.
In the summer of 2009, we saw those rowdy, contentious town-hall meetings protesting the health legislation. We saw a few protestors carrying weapons and reciting Thomas Jefferson’s quote, “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”
During the campaign season, we saw a Tea Party candidate for Congress produce an advertisement with the message “gather your armies”; we heard Nevada GOP Senate candidate Sharron Angle talking about “2nd Amendment remedies”; and we saw former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) create a “target” list with bulls eyes around vulnerable Democrats who voted for the health-care bill.
And in Arizona, Republican Ben Quayle, who won his congressional contest, ran an advertisement calling Obama the worst president in U.S. history and vowing to “knock the hell” out of Congress.
Of course, not all the over-the-top rhetoric came from the right (liberal Congressman Alan Grayson, who lost his bid for re-election, described his GOP opponent as “Taliban Dan” in one TV ad), and some of it wasn’t new (there were plenty of angry protests directed at George W. Bush’s presidency, and political duels and canings are chapters in the nation's history).
But the recent accumulation of political anger -- in addition to all the attention it received -- created a potent powder keg that was ripe to explode, as it did yesterday in Arizona, when a man opened fire at Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ (D) event for constituents, killing six and wounding 14 others --including Giffords, who remains in critical condition.
"We need to do some soul searching," Pima County (AZ) Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, a Democrat, said yesterday. "It's the vitriolic rhetoric that we hear day in and day out from people in the radio business and some people in the TV business.”
Dupnik added, "People tend to pooh-pooh this business about the vitriol that inflames American public opinion by the people who make a living off of that. That may be free speech but it's not without consequences."
To be sure, it appears that the alleged shooter, Jared Lee Loughner, wasn’t a Tea Party protestor. A YouTube site that’s apparently his contains political rhetoric that’s far removed from either the political right or left. ("... I know who's listening: Government Officials, and the People. Nearly all the people, who don't know this accurate information of a new currency, aren't aware of mind control and brainwash methods. If I have my civil rights, then this message wouldn't have happen," the YouTube page says.)
And members from both political parties quickly -- and strongly -- condemned yesterday’s violence. "An attack on one who serves is an attack on all who serves,” House Speaker John Boehner said on Sunday morning. “Such acts of violence have no place in our society.”
But the tragedy in Arizona raises this question: Does the political rhetoric from both sides now begin to change, at least in the short term?
Already, House Republicans -- who gained control of the chamber last week and who are committed to rolling back some of Obama’s legislative achievements -- have suspended all legislative activity for the coming week, including their vote to repeal the health-care law.
Or does the rhetoric worsen? As the New York Times’ Matt Bai writes, “The more pressing question, though, is where this all ends — whether we will begin to re-evaluate the piercing pitch of our political debate in the wake of Saturday’s shooting, or whether we are hurtling unstoppably into a frightening period more like the late 1960s.”
Leave a Comment:
I know the feeling. Every year I say "wait until next years" to explain why my Washington Redskins stink so much. Been saying that now for about 25 years. So you keep telling yourself that 2010 was just a fluke. And when the new reoublican presdient takes office in 2013 you can tell yourself she will only be a one term president. I am proud of you. Usually lefty liberals have no sense of optimism because they walk around whining so much. Good for you. Maybe you have a chance to become a republican yet.
WHEW!!!! Can you hear thr crickets coming from the Capitol? No legislation being passed to further have govt. interference. No socialist giveaways to redistribute wealth. No self-proclaimed socialist being made a new czar. Former executives from JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs taking control in the white house. Life is good!!!!
By the way Dems , where is that movie and book dealing with the assassination of President George Bush.
Can someone find it for me? Now, now Dems, don't get your blood pressure up as high as it is already
since you lost the last election. I know you're sore. But putting blame on Palin, and others with this
speech which you use more than us , shows your frustrationbecause your agenda to suppress us with
Obamacare and other leftist policies have failed. Dems , Loughner the nut is a Dem loonie who believed in
the Communist manifesto , is one of yours. So he belongs to your lot. Dems you've disrespected the
American people and those killed and wounded in this massacre. My deepest sympathy goes out to the
relatives of these innocent people killed and wounded.
oh yeah like those Nobel Prizes are real hard to come by.....HA HA HA you are truly NO COMPETITION. You open your mouth and I continually stick my foot right down your throat. Go to the kiddie chats John b of des moines
I'd like to see that movie titled"The Assassination of President George Bush"
Now, now, isn't the word 'assassination' an inflamatory one? Used to describe the death of President
George Bush. Come on Dems and Libs, what do you say?
Sarah Palin and glen.Beck and Gover Norquist provide a background ofviolence..and cultural millue of permissiveness..Whenyousayyouwant "goverment small enoughtodrown in a bathtub" youcreate an enviroment tha tmakes violence repectable, and even necessary..And people like the arizona nut job feed off this. And Sarah being a media graduate should know better tha nanyone lese the power of words..and if she doesn't then clearly she should not be Presidentor much else..suppose thetalked to Presidnet Amadinjad of Iran that way and the next day you had nuclear weapos flying every where . North Korea is another case in point. One word word could possible provoke and unitended holocaust.
And that's what this is really about. It's about who is listening out there and what are theythinking. and their thoughts , to paraphase the Bible "are not your thoughts and ways, not your ways". so you are stuck with an impondeable position: Is the person recieving the message going to repond in a predicatble way Sarah Palin hasn't thought that through ver well. If the message canbe mistconcieved or misconstrued why put it out? Any mass communication major should under stand that basic fact..Sarah Palin doesn't
And it's no wonder that less than 25% of the public say she's qualified to be President.
You all do realize a 9 year old girl DIED, don't you? And why? Because hate filled rhetoric and violence inciting speech set off this lunatic.
FACE REALITY! IT HAPPENED! Hate filled speech caused this. It does NOT matter which side it was from. What matters is that it happened and it needs to stop.
Grow up, every single one of you!
"2010 campaign marked by angry rhetoric
If one word summed up the past two years in American politics, it was this: anger.".....
As America knows......this is due to many past and current politicians and the relentless hate-filled media.
This article is simply further proof of continuing the hatred. Even though the 2010 elections are over and now, old news..... MSNBC refuses to let the 2010 election anger die.... and become a distant memory.
the President and Congress made us angry with their decisions, simple as that.