All Populism, All the Time

Once again the Dems are in full pivot mode as they try to find a way to win back the hearts of America, and they seem to think they can do that by bashing America's institutions with populist drivel. Gabriel Malor at Ace of Spades looks at what's coming:

It's clear what the Democratic line of attack is going to be this year: all populism all the time. Wall Street, banks, corporations, and disfavored industries like health insurers, petroleum are going to get a hell of a battering while Democrats founder trying to buy votes by pretending to be the best palls of Middle America.

Yesterday's decision in Citizens United, though it was sorely needed, has been seized like a lifebuoy. The President— who must have been the worst constitutional law professor ever—has ordered his lawyers to find a way to legislate away the Supreme Court's constitutional determination that people in groups have just as much a right to political participation as individuals alone.

That's the core of Citizens United: you have a right to speech, you have a right to associate with others, and you don't give up your right to speech when you choose to associate. The Constitution does not give to Congress the power to pick favored speakers and disfavored speakers. In fact, the First Amendment specifically prohibits such anti-democratic laws.

Democrats, however, place more importance on speech bans than countering speech they don't like. The democratic (small 'd') response to speech you disagree with is more speech. For Democrats, more political speech is to be avoided. For Democrats, too much political participation is bad for democracy. For Democrats, a lone man or woman speaking up for themselves is fine, but a group speaking up for itself is "corruption."

The Democratic Congress will hold hearings on this "dangerous" ruling that restores to Americans the speech rights that they hold by virtue of birth. If you happen to be discussing Citizens United with your coworkers, do me a favor and point out to them that the purpose of these hearings will be how to shut Americans up in the name of "the public interest."

Politically incorrect speech, such as opposition to Prop 8 in California (see previous post), is coming under attack by those who would silent any form of dissent, even if it means using unconstitutional means to do it. There is no First Amendment right for Americans who refuse to go along with the liberal line.

Obama's populism will be seen for what it is - a desperate attempt by a failing politician to become relevant once again. America has pretty much stopped listening to Obama. The overexposure he had during the first 6-8 months of his term rendered him little more than an annoying noise that you just automatically tune out after awhile. Fake populism won't change that.