Tag Archives: elections

Obama backburners the environmental movement

Posted on September 9, 2011 by David S. Meyer

Successful politicians exploit, buy off, and sell out the movements that animate their campaigns.  And Barack Obama has been a successful politician. Partly because of his soaring campaign rhetoric, partly because of his personal background, and partly because of his … Continue reading →

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When anger isn’t enough

Posted on August 14, 2011 by David S. Meyer

(A little long for the blog, this is cross-posted from the Washington Post.) There’s something exciting, sometimes terrifying, about people taking to the streets to get what they want. In Cairo’s Tahrir Square, they gathered to demand the ouster of … Continue reading →

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The Tea Party and the Bachmann challenge

Posted on June 30, 2011 by David S. Meyer

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 →

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The Tea Party’s electoral dilemma

Posted on June 29, 2011 by David S. Meyer

Our Constitution presents a recurring dilemma for social movements: routine elections.  Right after the Republicans won massive gains in the 2010 elections–and the Tea Party claimed a great deal of credit for those victories–conservative activists shifted their attention to the … Continue reading →

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How the courts disappoint

Posted on June 16, 2011 by David S. Meyer

American politics has provided some updates on our concerns about the courts and social movements (see: “You can’t count on the courts”).  Be sure that activists will be disappointed–and that they are extremely unlikely to give up. In Wisconsin, the … Continue reading →

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Rapturous Provocation

Posted on May 19, 2011 by David S. Meyer

People protest in opposition to something.  When those opponents promise something particularly egregious, it’s easier to convince your supporters of a real threat and the necessity of taking to the streets. That’s why social movements activate their opponents.  Every potential … Continue reading →

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Americans Protest against Austerity Budgets

Posted on February 16, 2011 by David S. Meyer

Activists in Wisconsin have commenced staging dramatic protests against newly elected governor, Scott Walker’s plans for harsh cuts in public spending.  We’re going to watch to see if such protests spread across the American states the way revolutionary movements have … Continue reading →

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Taking the Tea Party Indoors

Posted on November 4, 2010 by David S. Meyer

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 →

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Is the (Tea) Party Over?

Posted on November 2, 2010 by David S. Meyer

Mostly, yes.  On election night, before any results come in, I feel confident in saying that the influence of the Tea Party as a mass movement peaked 6-8 weeks ago, with the end of the primary season. The Tea Party … Continue reading →

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A DREAM deferred

Posted on September 22, 2010 by David S. Meyer

What do Lady Gaga, Robert Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen have in common?  They were unable to stop a minority in the Senate from filibustering a defense appropriations bill that would have led to the repeal of “Don’t ask, Don’t … Continue reading →

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