Tag Archives: Eric Cantor

Scoring the Tea Party at the polls

Posted on August 26, 2014 by David S. Meyer

Almost from the outset, the Tea Party movement committed to an electoral strategy to get what its adherents wanted–or at least some of what they wanted.  By 2010, the movement had largely moved from the town halls and streets to … Continue reading →

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Is the Tea Party at the polls?

Posted on June 12, 2014 by David S. Meyer

A professor beat House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in Virginia’s 7th district’s Republican primary; pundits are competing to find the right metaphor (earthquake?).  The common capsule description is that Dave Bratt, a professor of Economics at Randolph-Macon College, represented the … Continue reading →

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Bloody Sunday and the uses of history

Posted on March 3, 2013 by David S. Meyer

History isn’t just telling stories about the past; for most of us, it’s about making sense of the present.  Politicians, pundits, and activists invoke their understandings of the past to try to affect the future. This Friday, March 7, marks … Continue reading →

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How movements work: David Letterman

Posted on October 18, 2011 by David S. Meyer

Social movements succeed by raising issues and giving other people the opportunity to address them.  We call this agenda setting, but it’s not just the agenda in Congress or a state legislature; it’s also what people talk about. Bill Clinton … Continue reading →

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