Astroturfing

There's nothing more powerful in American politics than a grassroots uprising. The successful reforms of the Progressive Era show what can be accomplished with the active support of The People™. On the other hand, the repeated failures of pushes for universal health care in the United States show how a lack of grassroots support can kill proposals even if they--at least on paper and in opinion polls--are widely popular. Grassroots support is particularly attractive because it can work simultaneously on two entirely different levels: as a bottom-up viral spread of support that catches on between acquaintances, family members, and colleagues, and as a top-down testament in the newspapers and on television to the existence of popular support for a proposal (potentially triggering a positive feedback bandwagon effect that further widens and deepens support).

Today we stand once more on the brink of overhauling the U.S. health care system. Our primary goals as a nation are simple: attack soaring health care costs and reverse alarming growth in the number of uninsured Americans. And once more the forces of opposition are fanning the flames of fear and resentment in a bid to turn public opinion against a popular president and a (hitherto) popular idea.

The House went into recess last Friday and since then we've been hit with a barrage of stories about Congressmen (and some Senators) being confronted by rowdy anti-reform crowds. Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) was shouted down at a town hall meeting the other day by chants of "Just say no!" Patrick Murphy (D-PA) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) reportedly had similar experiences in their districts. In a joint appearance, Senator Arlen Specter and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius faced disruptions at a town hall meeting last Sunday. What's going on here? Are we witnessing a grassroots backlash against perceived federal overreaching? No. The indications are pouring in this is the polar opposite of grassroots efforts--the wolf in sheep's clothing known as astroturfing.

As the name would suggest, astroturfing refers to a sort of artificial grassroots. Here's how now-Senator Sherrod Brown describes it in his 1999 book Congress from the Inside:

During the last several years, "artificial" grassroots have sprung up; some call it "astro-turf lobbying." Created and managed by political consultants looking for business between elections, and paid for by corporations looking for broad public support for their political agenda, corporate grassroots have emerged as an increasingly major political force in Congress. During the [1993] health care debate, special interest groups played a major role in defeating the bill.

If these protests are in fact a result of astroturfing, then they are organized and funded by corporate enemies of health care reform (e.g. the insurance industry). The intent, of course, would be to feed the perception--and generate the self-fulfilling prophecy--that the political winds are blowing against H.R. 3200, the health care reform proposal. The primary targets are undoubtedly Democratic Congressmen--particularly Blue Dogs representing red-tinted districts--and the great mass of undecided or wavering voters (if passionate and committed citizens are taking the time to protest the health care bill, perhaps it is a fundamentally flawed bill that will do more harm than good, no?). Have a listen to what Rep. Doggett has to say about the mob at his town hall:



In a recent interview with ThinkProgress, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin warned his colleagues against these sorts of tactics:

DURBIN: Well I think members should be out, speaking with the public, meeting with people who are the health care professionals and talking about the current situation. I’ve done it and I’ll continue to do it. But you know, I hope my colleagues won’t fall for a sucker-punch like this. These health insurance companies and people like them are trying to load these town halls for visual impact on television. They want to show thousands of people screaming ‘socialism’ and try to overcome the public sentiment which now favors health care reform. That’s almost like flooding the switchboards on Capitol Hill. It doesn’t prove much other than the switchboards have limited capacity. So, we need to have a much more balanced approach that really allows members of Congress to hear both sides of the story, rather than being sucker-punched or side-tracked by these types of tactics.

Of course, this sort of thing isn't new. Let's take a trip down memory lane to a sorrowful place, the mention of which should make every American wince: Florida 2000. In those dark days of uncertainty and recounting, public opinion was torn, mostly along partisan lines. At some polling places where recounts were ongoing, outraged local residents attempted to storm and disrupt the process. The most famous such incident--the so-called "Brooks Brothers Riot" in honor of the "conservative business attire" worn by the rioters--took place at the Miami-Dade County polling headquarters. This mob of protesters attempted to disrupt the recount by shouting "Stop the fraud!" and "Let us in!" A moving display of the passions felt by voters genuinely worried about the integrity of the election process. Well, actually no. The entire fiasco was orchestrated by a certain Republican candidate's campaign and his party's Congressional leadership. The concerned "locals" in the mob turned out to actually be operatives of said party members. Here's a snapshot of the "protesters":




Now we're seeing the same kind of phony grassroots support being purchased by interests that want to derail the current health care reform efforts. All the examples mentioned above happened over the first weekend of the House recess. I imagine we're going to see a lot more astroturfing before the month of August is over. In a worst case scenario, these corporate capers stall any momentum health care reform has going into September (and trimming off enough Blue Dogs and conservative Senators to make passage contentious) leading to a defeat or emasculation of the legislation. Democrats trudge through 2010 demoralized, embittered, and disillusioned while Republicans emerge from the fight energized. Midterm elections have notoriously low turnouts but, as we all know, decisions are made by those who show up. While a 52-seat Republican pickup in the House, à la 1994, is unlikely, any sort of large gains could further stymie any major policy initiatives the Obama administration wants to push before his re-election campaign. I don't even want to recap the events of the Clinton administration here much less relive them.

But this nightmarish vision need not come to pass. Astroturfing can be beaten by real grassroots support. Emailing or calling Congressmen, or painstakingly working to convince your friends and neighbors, a handful at a time, of the need for real reform are the little steps anyone can make. I think in future posts we'll look at some of the misconceptions (and outright lies) spreading about H.R. 3200 and how best to fight them.

Update: Check out this new ad from the DNC:



Update to the update: According to CNN,

National Republicans turned the tables on their political counterparts Wednesday by redirecting angry telephone calls coming into their switchboard to the Democratic National Committee.

The DNC released a Web video early in the morning accusing the GOP of inciting mob activity at town hall meetings.

At the end of the video, the DNC instructs people to call the Republican National Committee to express outrage. Callers who dial the RNC's main number to voice their concern about the DNC's charges are told to press 1, which sends them to the DNC's main switchboard.

Clever and douche-y, all at once.