Posted on 04/20/2010 11:17:22 AM PDT by neverdem
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There's a new narrative taking hold in the wake of the recent Tea Party protests and the 15th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing: The Tea Partiers' intense opposition to the Obama administration has led to overheated political rhetoric, which could in turn lead to violence, perhaps as devastating as Oklahoma City.
Former President Clinton is the leading voice of this new narrative. In newspaper interviews, television appearances and a widely discussed speech Friday, Clinton said it's "legitimate" to draw "parallels to the time running up to Oklahoma City and a lot of the political discord that exists in our country today."
"Watch your words," warned ABC News, reporting that Clinton "weighed in on the angry anti-government rhetoric, ringing out from talk radio to Tea Party rallies."
The reports dovetailed with earlier media stories depicting Tea Party gatherings as angry mobs, accusing protesters of throwing racial epithets at black lawmakers and of making threats of violence. The implication was that all this could be part of a nationwide trend. "Just this month, the Southern Poverty Law Center reported that it had tracked an explosion in extremist anti-government patriot groups fueled, in large part, by anger over the economy and Barack Obama's presidency," NBC's David Gregory said on "Meet the Press" in early April. "In this highly charged political atmosphere, where you've got so much passion, so much disagreement, this takes it, of course, to a different level."
How did this story line grow? Many of the claims that extremism is on the rise in America originate in research done by the Southern Poverty Law Center, an Alabama-based group that for nearly 40 years has tracked what it says is the growing threat of intolerance in the United States. These days the SPLC is issuing new warnings of new threats. But today's warnings sound an awful lot like those of the past.
In 1989, the SPLC warned of the growing threat of skinheads, saying, "Not since the height of Klan activity during the civil rights era has there been a white supremacist group so obsessed with violence. ..."
In 1992, the SPLC warned of the growing threat of other white supremacist groups, which it claimed had grown by 27 percent from the year before.
In 1995, the SPLC warned of the growing threat of right-wing militias.
In 1998, the SPLC warned of the growing threat of Internet-based hate groups, which according to one press account had "created the biggest surge in hate in America in years."
In 1999, the SPLC warned that the growing threat of Web-based hate groups was growing even more, with a 60 percent increase from the year before.
In 2002, the SPLC warned of the growing threat of post-Sept. 11 hate groups, which it said had grown 12 percent between 2000 and 2001.
In 2004, the SPLC warned (again) of the growing threat of skinhead groups, whose numbers it said had doubled in the previous year.
In 2008, the SPLC warned of the growing threat of hate groups overall, whose number it said increased 48 percent since 2000.
And in 2010, just a few weeks ago, the SPLC warned of the growing threat of "patriot" groups, which it said increased by 244 percent in 2009.
In the world of the Southern Poverty Law Center, the threat is always growing. Ronald Reagan's policies led to a growing threat. The first Gulf War led to a growing threat. The election of Bill Clinton led to a growing threat. The Internet led to a growing threat. Sept. 11 led to a growing threat. The war in Iraq led to a growing threat. Is it any wonder that Obama's presidency has, in the SPLC's estimation, led to a growing threat?
Hate groups do exist across the political spectrum, and have for a long time. But they have nothing to do with the expressions of frustration over deficits, taxes and Obamacare that we have heard at so many Tea Party gatherings. That frustration, felt by Republicans, independents and even some Democrats, is an entirely mainstream reaction to the sharply activist course the president and congressional leadership have taken. While the level of frustration is indeed a threat, it is a political threat. Ask Democrats running in this November's elections.
It's important to distinguish between a political threat and a physical one. As Clinton might say, the hate accusers should watch their words.
Byron York, the Examiner's chief political correspondent, can be contacted at byork@washingtonexaminer.com.
Don’t wag your finger at me, dough boy.
The extremism on the rise sits in the executive, judicial and legislative branches of government where the fascist pigs in power have exercised said approach with venom and malice toward a free people. The Kenyan marxist and his filthy degenerate partners are killing America slowly but surely. If this isn’t extremism, I know not what it is.
Became:
It's an old Communist tactic to redact and recast photos.
I never thought Clinton would be good for anything but in reading the article I realized that IF the mood of the opposition is indeed parallel today to his time in office, then that proves the response has nothing to do with the color of the current president’s skin. It would indicate that the response is toward something that their respective administrations have in common: arrogant intent to destroy America. (Of course, they have Hillary in common, too.) Maybe the Tea Party will next be accused of sexism. . . .
Calling it “overheated political rhetoric” is to kind. There is no compromise anymore! The whack left has gone to far for any happy talk! The Rino’s must get the hell out of the way and let the fighting begin!
I doubt you could find 100 people in America living in true POVERTY unless you count the crazy homeless that should be in an institution being taken care of -
Most of our “poor” have all they can eat, are obese, have a car, all modern electronic gadgets, flush toilets, clean water, heating and cooling.
I did not support it or knew who did it, but there is a chasm between militant groups that target primarily government targets and those that target primarily civilian targets. In one case, civilians are collateral damage. In the other, they are the target.
The French Resistance would be fall within the former group.
The pic at the top is from Phoenix. The one from the botton is labeled as being from Portsmouth, NH.
It would be better for everyone if we just politically separated from those people,
instead of fighting over who has the power to impose whose beliefs on the other.
Agreed. They know that there are a lot of political novices in the TPM. Trying to scare them back home to yell at their TV.
I figure the hard core protesters will be called out to shock them next. Most Americans haven’t actually experience the really dangerous lefties.
“What’s behind the anti-Tea Party hate narrative?”
Fear.
Yes, you can tell by the prapaganda they start to spit out beforehand
They have just run a story on OKC to get it in the sheeps' heads that we are all terrorists, and they broadcast overtime claiming that racial comments and violence is happening that is not
Waco was psyops to terrorize us, they would love to have another one
How about we win, they leave?
Yes, they are relying on apathy, ignorance, fear, and, ironically, hopelessness.
These media elites and bullhorns of the left are all about control and appearing to have the majority thinking.
It scares them to see people recognize how many disagree with and are appalled by their tactics.
Keep up the fight! Sic semper tyrannis!
Bill Clinton is an idiot. He, more than anyone else, was responsible for inciting Waco, er, I mean OK City violence. Both actually.
Ugh! Goodness knows where that finger has....um...’traveled’. Blech!
History is also full of events where those in power were overthrown by the people. :)
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