Not Listening To Average Americans?

If you’ve seen any of the promotions on Fox News for the “Tea Parties” taking place tomorrow by the likes of Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, or Newt Gingrich then you’ve probably heard them talk about the Obama admin/Government “not listening to average Americans” or asking the question “will the Government listen?” to the protests.

I find this to be preposterous on many levels. Where was Fox News asking questions like that when people were protesting George W. Bush when Bush’s approval ratings were below 30%? They were more like to describe those protesters as “Anti-Americans” than “Average Americans.”

With Obama’s approval ratings over 60% (62% as of today) and with him winning a solid majority of the vote in the 2008 election, how can they say he is not listening to the will of the average American? It’s a ludicrous claim.

I think what they really mean to say is that he’s not listening to the “Average Right Wing Loon” And really, why should he? Why should anyone? After the last 8 years their ideas are entirely discredited. They are the past, and that’s not a past that most people want to revisit.

And make no mistake, it’s the Newt Gingrich’s who put this whole thing in motion. To pretend like it’s a “grass roots” protest is complete nonsense. This is a Republican party “protest” heavily promoted by Fox News that has nothing to do with higher taxes or with spending and everything to do with trying to make some sort of political gain so they can get their party back in power.

Consider this: The tax rates for this April 15th are the tax rates of the Bush admin., not of the Obama admin and Obama is lowering taxes for over 90% of Americans (yes, he is lowering taxes for “average Americans”) so that most of those protesting will actually have lower taxes next April 15th! It was Bush who turned Clinton’s surplus into a deficit and it was Cheney who said “Reagan proved deficits don’t matter.”

These protesters are being manipulated by the GOP political machine to protest against their own self interest. It’s truly sad. These people should realize by now that the right wing policies only help those at the very top end of the economic ladder. They are basically protesting in support of the super rich at the expense of the rest of America.

Also: According to this recent poll from Gallup, average Americans actually have a more positive view of their tax rates than at any time during the last 53 years!

Could it be anymore obvious that these protests have nothing to do with taxes or spending and everything to do with irrational hatred of President Obama by the lunatic fringe of the right wing?