August 4, 2009 2:35 PM

Unplugged: Are Town Hall Protests "Manufactured"?

By
Michelle Levi
Topics
Washington Unplugged


Democratic National Committee's press secretary Hari Sevugan said nationwide protests of democratic health care town hall events were "manufactured outrage " today on "Washington Unplugged."

Sevugan debated Max Pappas from Freedomworks.com on the show.

"We are very flattered at the idea that we could gin up this many people with this level of excitement. But you can't gin that up," Pappas said. "This only happens when people are really concerned."

Sevugan acknowledged that there is real concern over health care, "but what is not helping is sort of the venomous, angry yelling and screaming that we are seeing at these town halls."

"I think a lot of the events that you are seeing here are manufactured outrage," Sevugan said.

"Perception is reality," Politico's Josh Kraushaar explained in an earlier segment. "When you see images of angry and concerned constituents and protests…that is a bad image for the administration to be seeing."

Kraushaar said that regions where these protests have occurred since the weekend are actually very Democratic and polls have indicated that people there support the president's health care plan.

"The notion that there is a grassroots activism in those areas is somewhat unlikely. It suggests that you are seeing the pressure of outside groups," he said.

He also noted that at the same time, response from local Democrats is unexpectedly low.

Watch the full show above.




Add a Comment See all 57 Comments
by Bill434 August 5, 2009 3:02 PM EDT
When conservatives come together it's "astroturfing," so says Nancy Pelousy.

And if you oppose Obama's policies, you are a called a racist. A raaaacist. So say libs and the LMSM (liberal main stream media).

When liberals come together it's "community activism," and "ccmmunity organizing."

Then again, these insurance companies are part of a vast right wing conspiracy. Believe it. Either that, or Karl Rove is orchestrating it. LOL.

But... no objective verifiable proof has been given by Dick Turban and the Liberal Main Stream Media (LMSM) that people were bussed in by the insurance companies. No need to, they say it and the sheeple are supposed to believe it.

Liberals like to make accusations with no proof to back it up.

Liberals need to provide objective verifiable proof that the insurance companies are bussing people in. Need names. Need a list.

If libearals can't prove that the insurance companies are bussing people in and can't provide a list of names of insurance companies bussing people in then they need to stick a sock in it, because people are tired of the race-baiting by liberals, they are tired of standing up for what they believe in (opposing Obama's policies) and being called a racist, they are tired of going to the town hall meetings and being impugned by the LMSM. And they certainly don't like fighting for what they believe in being called "orchestrated" and "astroturfing" by a LMSM that doesn't seem to back up what they say.
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by woltommel August 5, 2009 12:38 PM EDT
JCHoulihan.

Go figure, a liberal that accepts free speech,(Everyone, everyone, has a right to protest. These are protests, because they are NOT listening sessions ) .
I am the lone voice for reason where I work and I let them celebrate in November with the caveat, tell me what you think in six months.
It didn't take six months. I didn't even have to remind them. I think many of the silent majority want their vote back.
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by JCHoulihan August 5, 2009 12:06 PM EDT
I am a registered Democrat; a writer; a graduate of a liberal northeast college. I deeply deeply resent the characterization of town hall protests as ?astroturf,? or even as "anti-reform." These people strike me as a diverse group (some whacky, some not, most sincere). Why should the protests of conservatives be any less valid than those of liberals? I have stood on many liberal protest lines (I have been ?loud and shrill?) - including protesting the treatment of Anita Hill by conservative Senators. I may now join these town halls. The town hall protests are not even necessarily ?anti-reform,? as it is now being spun. They are, however, certainly anti THIS reform and anti rushing through these monolithic bills that few have read and even less understand. These protestors are fearful, as they should be, of the unintended consequences of this type of hubristic, overly ambitious undertaking. All Americans feel tenuous about their futures and the American "dream" right now; it looks as though my fellow Democrats are recklessly -- recklessly -- adding unfathomable levels of change. And yet will not take on our own interest groups. Begin with tort reform; begin with tax changes, whereby those who have to buy their own insurance get the same break as those who get it thru their employer; begin by reigning in the costs and improving the quality of currently run government health care programs. There is another more reasonable effort put forth by a Democratic (I believe from Oregon?) and a Republican-- whose names elude me right now. Not perfect, but reasonable. The town halls that Sebelius and the rest of the Democrats are running are being shouted down because they aren't attending them in good faith: they are going to them with "talking points" and spin. They aren't interested in listening, so why should the voters. Kathleen Sebelius was condescending in the extreme. I love how my fellow liberals -- all of us therapized to death -- haven't a clue as to how to deal with anger. She couldn't manage to acknowledge or hear what was under their skin. The more you scoff at these concerns, the more fuel you add to this. Everyone, everyone, has a right to protest. These are protests, because they are NOT listening sessions on the part of our policy makers. You can?t have dialogue when you have you already made up your mind. We are back in the historic polarity that bedevils this country: Republicans have been tone deaf to what is bugging Americans; then, Democrats step in with mind-numbingly complex, overreaching solutions that alarm people. Democrats are doing nothing so much as sow the seeds of their own demise.
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by ianlou August 5, 2009 11:56 AM EDT
I wonder how much training in be obnoxious these redirected teabaggers needed?

Or did it just come naturally?
Reply to this comment
by woltommel August 5, 2009 12:28 PM EDT
We have tea parties, you do teaXXXing
by woltommel August 5, 2009 11:50 AM EDT
When the silent majority speaks, will congress listen?
The loud mouths from the left have met there match, and guess what, we're tired of listening to their c rap.
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by bfjones626 August 5, 2009 10:02 AM EDT
The scripts and memos are made available from the healthcare industry lobbyists straight to the people who are bussed in to attend these events. The strategy is to make it appears as if there are a number of people who oppose reform. Since the real numbers show that we are not getting our money's worth from the current system, the only people who are profitting want to keep the status quo. Sounds like business-as-usual from those idiots. There are no grass-roots efforts out there to save the profligate riches of a handful of people who run the industry. Why would anyone spend $1.4 million a day to stop something? Because there profits exceed even that. Of the top 30 industrial nations, we pay by far the most per capita for our healthcare and yet we are 26th out of 30 in life expectancy and 29th in infant mortality. The USA is supposed to LEAD !!! We need competition in the marketplace and no more monopolies. If we don't get single payer and eliminate the insrance industry completely, then we need another VA-like program to force these people to compete for our hard-earned dollars.
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by iowagypsy August 5, 2009 11:24 AM EDT
Gee, your description sounds like another group I've heard of--ACORN. I think they'll actually do get bused in because most of them come from a poorer, disadvantaged group that are taken advantage of and used by big money politicians, elitists, and special interest organizations pushing their personal agenda. Sad because I believe most of the members of ACORN have sincere intentions but are being USED in a huge way by the rich and wealthy who throw them bread crumbs to keep them appeased.
by jab232 August 5, 2009 8:26 AM EDT
The yellers are working from a script. It is orchestrated.

Personally, I think the large health care corporations are helping to finance the web sites which organize and script this uncivil behavior. The large health care corporations could cut the yellers off if they wanted to. The huge corporations are just desperate to keep their billion-dollar health care golden goose alive, to keep being able to cherry pick only those they want to insure and then to cancel the same people when those people get expensive illnesses.

The poor GOP. They have taken nasty to the ultimate. They now break down into the birthers and the yellers.
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by secularsurfer August 5, 2009 5:49 AM EDT
These so-called "town hall protests" are right out of the nazi brownshirt playbook. And phony as a three dollar bill. Go to any of their websites and see who is running them. They are all either ex-republican congressman now working as lobbyists for right-wing corporations (insurance and big pharma) or well known right-wing activists. What's next, crystal night?
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by iowagypsy August 5, 2009 9:07 AM EDT
I'm interested in your statement on who is running the websites. Can you refer me to where you received your facts about the people who are running these web sites. Where can I get a copy of the "Nazi Brownshirt Playbook?"
by ianlou August 5, 2009 11:47 AM EDT
"Nazi Brownshirt Playbook"
Sounds like the name of a punk band.
by Bill434 August 5, 2009 3:13 AM EDT
Yes, the town hall mettings were indeed "manufactured," or rather "orchestrated" by the insurance ccompanies.

The insurance companies not only orchestrated the town hall protests but they also orchestrated the tea party protests as well!!!

The insurance companies have their hands in every kind of protest! Those evil insurance companies stoking this stuff up!!!

Now, it wasn't FOX News that orchestrated the tea party protests, because the only thing in the past 8 years that they helped orchestrate was in helping the Bush administration in their 9/1 1inside job thing... Everybody knows that.

<sarcasm>

Run for the hills!!! Angry mobs everywhere!!! Insurance companies to blame!!! LOL.

<More Sarcasm>
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by formerdem-2009 August 4, 2009 10:58 PM EDT
LOL Kind of reminds me of Obi-wan's town halls and press conferences.
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