Posted on 03/12/2011 5:58:26 AM PST by Kaslin
“The current Republican Party, particularly the Tea Party, is fanatically involved in people’s personal lives and very fundamental Christian,” said NPR’s Ron Schiller to two undercover reporters. “I wouldn’t even call it Christian; it’s this weird evangelical kind of [movement].”
Not knowing he was being videoed, Schiller continued: “The current Republican Party is not really the Republican Party, it’s been hijacked by this group; that is, not just Islamo-phobic but really xenophobic. I mean, basically, they are, they believe in sort of white, middle-American, gun toting—I mean, it’s scary. They’re seriously racist, racist people.” (Click here for transcript and here for video.)
Schiller is being heavily criticized for these comments, as is NPR and elite liberal thinking in general. Schiller, NPR Foundation president and vice president for development (until these comments), is the Left’s latest exhibit in smearing the Tea Party movement as bigots, racists, fascists, Hitler-ites, followers of Attila the Hun, Torquemada, Genghis Khan, or whatever other handy demon.
Yet, what’s telling about Schiller’s comments is their lack of factual basis, an even greater sin from a man whose business, and erstwhile employer, is the reporting of facts. His comments are a PR problem for NPR, furthering the perception that NPR is not about unbiased reporting but primarily about opinion—a leftist opinion camouflaged as objective news.
As evidence for my perspective, I’d like to share some statistical information on the Tea Party movement. This information was widely published and is easily available to anyone, least of all a major news organization like NPR.
In March 2010, Gallup did a comprehensive survey of the Tea Party (click here). Gallup is the most respected polling firm on the planet, and not conservative. The headline Gallup chose to highlight its study speaks for itself, “Tea Partiers Are Fairly Mainstream in Their Demographics.”
That study found that 49 percent of “Tea Party identifiers” are Republicans while 43 percent are independents and 8 percent are Democrats. The majority are not Republicans.
As to Schiller’s strange “evangelical” comment, the study found that a little over a quarter of Tea Partiers describe themselves as “pro-choice” on abortion, suggesting a stronger libertarian presence than a uniform “evangelical” movement. That’s no surprise to anyone who has observed the Tea Party even casually.
The Tea Party movement was inspired by the breathtakingly reckless spending by the Obama-Pelosi-Reid Democratic leadership that took power in 2009. Its issues are far more economic/fiscal than religious/moral. There’s a more discernible Ayn Rand “Atlas Shrugged” element than a Jerry Falwell “Moral Majority” feel—and Rand was no evangelical.
Generally, Gallup’s survey indeed found that the Tea Party was “fairly mainstream” in its demographics.
At the same time as Gallup’s study, another survey was released, by Rasmussen. Particularly interesting about this survey was that it gauged public opinion—i.e., how others viewed the Tea Party. Overwhelmingly, by 62 percent to 12 percent, Rasmussen found that “Mainstream Americans” judged the Tea Party “closer to their views” than the Democratic Congress. By 68 percent to 16 percent, Americans deemed Tea Party members “better informed” than members of Congress.
This suggests, as a matter of statistical fact, that NPR’s Ron Schiller is the extremist when it comes to Tea Party views. That’s a claim I can make from data—which Schiller never offered.
This information is out there, and has been for a while. I know it because, I, too, work in a field where reporting and analysis must be based on information. Anytime I talk to someone who has been to a Tea Party rally, I ask questions. Before I form or adjust an opinion, I want to hear actual experiences. And beyond anecdotal examples, I’d like some hard data.
How could an NPR person—the pinnacle of the liberal news profession—ignore such information?
The answer is more psychological-political than logical. Many liberals despise the Tea Party movement because of its roots in opposition to Obama-Pelosi-Reid. Really, though, the Tea Party was inadvertently created by liberals—or, at least, by their reckless spending policies in Washington.
Yet, for many Obama supporters, that kind of careful analysis of opponents is jettisoned. They’d rather transmogrify their detractors into devils and gargoyles than try to understand them and perhaps even answer them.
In Ron Schiller’s take on the Tea Party, we have a member of the liberal elite constructing a reality of his own making, one that flies in the face of evidentiary experience, of thoughtful inspection.
Unfortunately, Schiller is far from alone. And isn’t it ironic that he, NPR, his former boss at NPR, Vivian Schiller (no relation), are losing—actually, resigning? They are losing to perceptions of NPR—correct perceptions of NPR’s bias, perceptions that are grounded in reality, in actual examination.
Americans are gathering facts on the folks at NPR, and they don’t like what they’re hearing.
creatures of darkness complain about the light being too bright.
Another Marxist cockroach squeaks to a hidden camera. Well done, O’Keefe!
I tote guns....
ergo I must scare them...
of course the slime in the inner cities who carry their guns on a 90° angle from plumb are to be pitied by the buttwipes at NPR...because America is a racist country and we deserve whatever they do to us....
ooohh I like that.... must steal it .
Where it is very simpatico with cultural conservatives is the belief that tax money should not be used to undermine traditional morals and that judges should interpret (and follow) the law as it is written. A judge that opposes Roe is not going to tell Arizona that it must ignore law breaking.
“They’re seriously racist, racist people.”
That’s called a “meme”, you repeat something enough times that it becomes an accepted reality.
“ accuse the other side of doing what what we ourselves are doing”
Saul Alinsky, Rules For Radicals.....
Have we ever heard the tea party discuss anything other than Obamacare, the debt, or the deficit?
At least in this case their lies came back to bite them but somehow we have to end this total and deliberate misrepresentation of the tea party.
Great description!
When “black America” gets tired of “talking race” it too will abandon the left.
Many of Schiller’s ilk came to this country because they were persecuted for their religion/race. Instead of gratitude, there is resentment. Instead of appreciation, there is disgust and hatred. One wonders if the “Schillers” of that time period were persecuted by those tired of being persecuted by the Schiller’s of that era. Just wondering. I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m getting fed up with the “victim” crap of these people who are themselves the brow-beating bullies. Also, Schiller clearly would do anything for money including selling his own people down the river. Just another Soros.
There is something really bizarre about the degree of delusion on the American left. While there are certainly nativists on the American right, and many of them are vocal in immigration-enforcement movement, the Tea Party is not at all nativist nor racist, indeed having nothing at all to do with ethnicity, religion or race. The Constitution and fiscal sanity are color blind.
Very profound, and Oh how right you are!!
Very profound, and Oh how right you are!!
This is the main reason why the “mainstream” media is tanking as they mis-characterize the Tea Party [ among other things they do not like ] & act as shills [ talk about having a fitting name ] for the very forces which oppress the people & openly espouse contempt towards the general population.
This is so well analyzed. Schiller is clearly the extremist. Thank God for the video!
The Tea party is NOT a party...... it is a CAUCUS..
Tax the rich! You're a racist! Zionists! LOL
I call it "memetic engineering" (aka "propaganda").
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