Jay Rosen is reading about and hearing from all the activists gearing up to spend big money on the upcoming battle over Supreme Court nominees and doesn’t know what it is good for.
In the last election, 121 million votes were cast, and each one of those people could (in theory) be influenced by a media campaign. On the coming nomination, 100 United States Senators vote. Can they be influenced in the same way? The press is saying: yeah, they can. But it cannot be so.
It’s a good point in so far as groups on both sides pouring money into television commercials and other events should have little direct effect on the votes of 100 senators. Of course, it’s not about influencing voters but about rallying the faithful. This is going to be the Super Bowl of politics this year and what’s a big game without cheerleaders and rowdy fans to inspire their team and intimidate the opposition? The back-and-forth is merely the political version of the old “We’ve got spirit, yes we do, we’ve got spirit how ’bout you?” chant. Even though the Dems and their fanatics will – like the old AFL in the pre-merger Super Bowls – be trying to show they’re relevant, they have to feel encouraged that some Republicans have shown themselves to be easily intimidated.
Therefore the orchestrated cheering has already begun, and from the Left I hear chestnuts such as:
Here we go, Moonbats, here we go!
Babies don’t vote! Babies don’t vote!
2-4-6-8 – who’s character do we assassinate?
Filibuster! Filibuster! Don’t invoke cloture! We’ve got war, for the culture!
Ree, ree, ree, attack the nominee!
Ras, ras, ras, our thumb is in our …
Even though President Bush has suggested that we all play nice, I wouldn’t mind some New York-style hazing, ala the Daryl Strawberry era, when Chuck Schumer gets up to flap his gums. Can’t you just hear the crowd sing-songing, “Schooo-merrr! Schooo-merrr!” Or how about these cheers and chants from the Right:
Hey-hey, ho-ho, reconstructionists got to go!
Teddy, Teddy, he’s all wet!
Elections have consequences! Elections have consequences!
Give me another S! Give me another C! Give me another A! Give me another L! Give me another I! Give me another A! What’s that spell!
And could it be any sweeter when it’s all over than for the Righties to taunt the Left with “Here comes the judge! Here comes the judge!”?
Of course, the insiders refer to all of this as “activating the base,” which really means “getting the base to cough up even more money.” After all, what’s a Super Bowl without commercials?
