Of Tea Parties, Astroturf, and Townhalls

I've been watching with interest the volleying between all sides as to who has the "real grassroots" in the health care fight. I do think it is funny that one side claims the other is astroturfing while at the same time ads such as this one offering $15 per hour to promote Obama's plan are making the rounds.

My sense of the townhall debacles is that they are legit. People are PISSED. I don't know why and I'm not sure many of them know precisely why. The performance of some of the elected officials has not done much to calm them down either. Taking phone calls while constitutents are speaking, admittting you have not read nor are you familiar with the details of massive reform bills, dismisisng constituents as partisan activisits, etc. has not done much to smooth over the public's understandable angst.

I'm not the first person to suggest it, but there seems to be a sentiment that the D's have just overreached. It's understandable as they've been waiting 12 years or so for a shot at having a say. But the public's repudiation of the R's, the Bush fatigue, and Obama's undeniable popularity must have convinced them that the public had embraced their entire agenda. I think the townhalls, Tea Parties, and polls cast serious doubt on that idea.