David S. Meyer
I'm a professor of sociology and political science at the University of California, Irvine. I've been thinking, and writing about, protest politics for almost ever. This site offers comments on contemporary events, informed (I hope) by knowing something about history and about the academic study of social movements.
Tag Archives: michele bachmann
Suppose they held a protest, and no one saw
A little follow-up on our last item about a few Republican members of the House returning to their districts and holding public events only for paying customers, uh, constituents. In addition to raising money, the members of Congress were trying … Continue reading
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Tagged Congress, media, michele bachmann, Paul Ryan, protest, town meeting
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The debt debate: Can the Republican Party sell out the Tea Party?
Political parties have to sell out the movements that support them. First, they exploit the energy, incorporate new activists and ideas, and then find some watered down way to soften the rough edges. Parties that can’t tame the movements that … Continue reading
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Tagged debt, FreedomWorks, michele bachmann, parties, tea party, Tea Party Patriots
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The Tea Party and the Bachmann challenge
Representative Michele Bachmann (Minnesota) embraced the Tea Party enthusiastically as it first arrived, seeing it as the expression of the conservative populist sentiments she means to embody. After the Republican victories of 2010, she started the Tea Party Caucus in … Continue reading
Tax Day Protest
The cheerleaders during the American revolution led the crowds in chanting, “No Taxation without Representation.” At least the first part of that cheer has found a permanent place in American political discourse, as activists have found a way to label … Continue reading
Williams Institute 10th Anniversary
I’m honored to participate in the 10th anniversary celebration of the Williams Institute, at UCLA’s law school. The Williams Institute is an academic think tank focused on law and public policy regarding sexual orientation. And academics celebrate achievements, like good … Continue reading
A Smaller Tea Party
Thursday’s Tea Party rally drew crowds described as “sparse,” with estimates clustering around 200 people. Slate‘s David Weigel says that there were four reporters for every demonstrator, and that other journalists were poaching his interviews, trying to find someone to … Continue reading
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Tagged budget, Congress, demonstration, michele bachmann, tea party
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Strong Tea
Rep. Michele Bachmann, founder of the Tea Party Caucus in the House of Representatives, promised that she would provide classes on the Constitution for her colleagues, particularly her newest colleagues. And there are plenty of them in the next Congress. … Continue reading
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Tagged Antonin Scalia, Congress, michele bachmann, Supreme Court, tea party, Virginia Thomas
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Taking the Tea Party Indoors
It was an extremely crappy election for Democrats. The 60 seat loss (thus far) in the House is historic, but it’s not all. Democrats lost seats in the Senate and across the states. You may be able to find the … Continue reading
Billions for Civility?
Stephen Colbert proclaimed that Comedy Central’s weekend rally drew 6 billion participants. He may believe this; he is not to be believed. (In the same way, Rep. Michele Bachmann’s estimate of one million at Glenn Beck’s “Restoring Honor” rally shouldn’t … Continue reading
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Tagged Comedy Central, demonstration, Glenn Beck, michele bachmann
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