MoveOn.Org and The Ad Reaction
A while back, I signed an online petition organized by a then-fledgling group called MoveOn.Org. The petition was in protest of abuses by the FCC. MoveOn.Org provided another outlet for me to express my frustration with the direction of the FCC, the other being the EFF. By signing this petition, I became a “member” of MoveOn, apparently. This was entertaining for me because my political views fall way outside MoveOn’s general spectrum. I’ve never donated money to any of their causes or ads, but I have signed the occasional petition for actions I believe to be legitimate and in the best interest of our country. I don’t support most of their actions, but neither will I decry their efforts as I find their passion to be inspiring. I may not agree with them all the time, but I wholeheartedly support their effort to involve the regular folks who often feel so disenfranchised. MoveOn.Org recently ran an ad that attacked General Petraeus’ report to Congress about the effectiveness of the troop surge in Iraq. They basically claimed that Petraeus was “cherry-picking” his facts to make the surge look effective when multiple reports from other sources indicated that the surge was not effective. As part of their ad they called him “General Betray Us”. Needless to say, some were not amused.
I’m going to avoid the entire discussion of the value of the ad or my personal take on MoveOn’s strategy. What interests me, and apparently some other folks (including the MoveOn staff) is the reaction to the ad. For example, there’s this great read from a magazine I generally disdain. What interested me about this writer’s report is how they juxtapose the “tougher than thou” image of many leading Republicans and Republican pundits (such as Bill O’Reilly) with their oh-so-shocked and horrified reaction. Indeed, it’s been a long time since I heard some overwrought “conservative” state that those with differing opinions should get out of the country. Luckily John McCain stepped up to the mic in New Hampshire and offered up just such a pearl of wisdom.
Then there’s the idiot logic of Bush: much like the concept that one can’t support the troops if one doesn’t support the war, MoveOn’s lack of belief in the General’s report on the war’s progress means they don’t support the troops. As reported in an article on CNN, Bush said, “I felt like the ad was an attack, not only on Gen. Petraeus, but on the U.S. military.”
This all culminated in a vote in the Senate to censure MoveOn.Org, which passed. Yep. That’s the focus of the Senate these days. They’re attacking people who are expressing their opinions, a right protected by the First Amendment, using the privately donated monies of their supporters who are generally informed of exactly where the donations will be used. So basically MoveOn.Org just represented a large population of Americans and expressed a legitimate position which they’ve backed up with facts and reports of their own, and the Senate took time out to actively attack them for this action.
Maybe the Senate hasn’t heard, but there’s a (horribly planned and executed) war on (started based on the lies of the current administration) that we should be figuring out how to win and how to stabilize the region so that the countless sacrifices of soldiers and civilians alike aren’t in vain. Maybe they ought to be listening to groups that represent their constituents, like MoveOn.Org, instead of attacking them? Maybe they should look into the reports MoveOn.Org presents and then see if there’s truth to them and if they should expect a more thorough and detailed report from General Petraeus? Maybe they should stop posturing and politicking, and start serving the public? Maybe they ought to re-read the Declaration of Independence?
Yeah, I’m dreaming again.
