I’ve written about this before and I’m going to keep writing about it because it bears repeating. If Cindy Sheehan has energized the anti-war movement, if she’s “ignited a prairie fire of sentiment against the war” that’s sweeping the country, and if our Griever in Chief is the “Rosa Parks” of the opposition to the Iraq War would someone please give me a straight answer to a very simple, very straightforward question:
WHERE ARE ALL THE PROTESTERS?
It took a little digging, but I was able to discover that there are less than 200 people camping out with Mother Sheehan in Crawford with perhaps another 1,500 people in and around the town on any given day. While the number of campers is kept low due to space limitations, that 1,500 number appears to be pretty solid. And not all of those people are there for the protest. Many are connected with the so-called “Crawford Peace House” whose anti-semitic activities have been well documented elsewhere.
The other night, folk singer and legendary anti-war activist Joan Baez drew around 200 people to a free concert near the camp site. Also, this blogger took the trouble to add up names from three Guest Books which had been placed around Camp Casey and discovered 750 signatures – not from one day but from more than 2 weeks of protests.
It’s like this “mass movement” exists only on a Hollywood sound stage. When the cameras are turned off, it disappears like smoke from a fog machine wafting up into the rafters. It’s bogus. It’s a lie. It’s one gigantic photo-op staged for the benefit of the press whose seeming indifference to some of the truly kooky things Sheehan has said (not to mention the nauseating anti-semitic rants of Mother Sheehan and her supporters) is almost beyond comprehension.
Cindy Sheehan is not Rosa Parks. She’s Carrie Underwood, the completely made for TV “star” that Fox created out of whole cloth on their show American Idol. Cindy Sheehan has been manufactured. Piece by counterfeit piece, the legend of Mother Sheehan has been built from scratch. What started out as some left wing nut of a mother and her genuine grief at the loss of her son being shamelessly used by the hard, anti-war left to raise their pitiful profile has now morphed into a media event complete with PR flaks, political advisers, and media gurus who have turned her Quixote like protest into the signature image of a movement with nothing and nobody behind it.
Even the Moveon.org sponsored anti-war “Peace Vigils” last week – 1600 of them if you believe the propaganda (a number never confirmed by any news organization but used in every single account by the press reporting on that night’s activities) drew paltry numbers of people. Some blogging accounts put the number of activists at many of these protests at a dozen or less. And the estimate of 1600 protests is from the same folks who said there were 500,000 people in the streets of New York City during the main protest at the Republican Convention. Less hysterical and more professional crowd counters – the New York City police – put the number at 150,000.
This Washington Post article on the “dueling protests” in Crawford yesterday is a perfect example of how the national media has chosen to promote the anti-war uber mother:
In three weeks, Sheehan, who lost her 24-year-old son, Army Spec. Casey Sheehan, in Iraq last year, has become the face of an invigorated antiwar movement. She has drawn praise from scores of supporters as well as condemnation from conservatives who believe she is motivated by a political agenda that dishonors fallen soldiers.“Why are we allowing him to continue to kill our kids, because he’s killed so many already?” she asked. She then invited the crowd to turn toward Bush’s ranch and chant “Not one more”—not one more death—10 times so that the president might hear.
Her protest, timed to coincide with Bush’s vacation and the usual news vacuum in August, mirrors the country’s increasing fractiousness over the presence of U.S. troops in Iraq. Sheehan has said that if she fails to get a second audience with Bush before her self-imposed deadline of Wednesday, she will lead a bus tour to Washington, where she says she will set up a permanent vigil.
Is the anti-war movement “invigorated?” I’ve seen no sign of it. There’s been a lot of ink spilled saying that but where are the bodies? Where’s the passion? Where’s the organization? Where’s the “mass movement?”
WHERE ARE ALL THE PROTESTERS?
You’d never find the answer to that question in the Washington Post article. Somehow that fact got lost on the composing room floor. What does the Washington Times say?
Meanwhile, busloads of war protesters gathered several miles away at “Camp Casey,” named for Mrs. Sheehan’s 24-year-old son.A bell-ringing ceremony at the camp honored soldiers serving in Iraq. Organizers estimated the crowd at more than 2,000, but it appeared smaller.
“I know that the Camp Casey movement is going to end the war in Iraq,” Mrs. Sheehan said after folk singer Joan Baez led supporters in singing “Amazing Grace.”
The Times estimated the pro-war crowd at about 1,500. The NRO’s Eric Pfeiffer puts the number (quoting AP) at 3,000. Needless to say, the spur of the moment “Move America Forward” pro war rally organized in less than a week outdrew someone whose name, face, and cause has been plastered all over the media for more than a fortnight.
I believe it’s time to challenge the left and their allies in the media to start giving us some hard facts on the size and scope of the anti-war movement rather than relying on “impressions” and passing them off as news. Anecdotal evidence won’t do. The latest polls show that most Americans disagree with the President’s handling of the war. Hell, any conservative blogger worth their salt is criticizing the President’s handling of some aspect of the Iraq War. It’s a silly question that doesn’t mean anything. The question that really matters is how many Americans want to cut and run from Iraq – the position being advocated by Cindy Sheehan and the leftist lickspittles who are shamelessly using her grief to advance their radical agenda. And that number has remained overwhelmingly in favor of the President. By more than 2 to 1 in the latest Gallup, Rasumssen, and Washington Post poll, Americans say that we should remain in Iraq until the job is done.
That’s the number that counts. And despite a media campaign manufactured, massaged, and manipulated by professionals whose skills in creating illusions rival those of a magician or a Hollywood special effects house, the number of people who actually support Mrs. Sheehan and her increasingly violent rhetorical attacks on the President, on her opponents, on other mothers who have lost loved ones in Iraq, and on America itself is not growing into some critical mass of people that will explode like the protests of a generation ago against Viet Nam. Rather, it appears that Mother Sheehan’s support is drawn from the same tired old left, old guard, blame America firsters whose numbers continue to dwindle as old age, senility, and a dissolute lifestyle catch up with them.
UPDATE
Lori Byrd at Polipundit notices the same lack of anti-war enthusiasm:
For all the publicity Cindy Sheehan and the anti-war groups are receiving, they are not attracting large numbers of people. This says more to me than the recent public opinion polls. When the steady drumbeat from the MSM is that we are losing in Iraq, it is understandable that many would express disapproval of the way things are going there. I believe that the most passion, however, is with those who support the troops and their mission. We should take every opportunity available to express that support – even if it does not get much attention from the MSM. Through email, talk radio, and the blogs, the message will eventually get through to those serving in Iraq.
Yup.
Jay Tea at Wizbang hits the nail on the head with this post about other questions Mother Moonbat should be asking Bush:
But while she’s there, perhaps she’ll take a moment or two to bring up a couple of other matters. She might ask President Bush why he’s the “biggest terrorist in the world.” She could inquire why he “and his indecent bandits traitorously had intelligence fabricated.”
Maybe she can discuss jsut who we’re fighting in Iraq? You know, the ones who killed her son? Are they terrorists or “freedom fighters?” And does she really believe that “America has been killing people on this continent since it was started. This country is not worth dying for.”?
And while she has the “lying bastard” and “maniac’s” undivided attention, she might bring up her solution to the Middle East problem—“you get America out of Iraq and Israel out of Palestine and you’ll stop the terrorism.â€
While she’s there, maybe she could give the President the “Chief Brody Slap”...it’s what she wants anyway.
And yes Mr. Joyner, it is a nice day for a Sunday drive!
UPDATE II
Welcome LGF Readers! Thanks to Charles for the link. Here’s another Cindy Sheehan post you may enjoy on her upcoming bus tour:
UPDATE III
Little Green Footballs actually has some pictures that prove the point of this post.
I see some intelligent comments from the lizardoids about hurricane Katrina pushing Cindy off the nets followed by the Roberts confirmation starting next week.
Good point. Except this hurricane looks like it could be the worst natural disaster in American history and if, God help us, it stays on course, just about everything else will pale in comparison to what those people in New Orleans will be going through for a very long time.
If you haven’t seen the numbers, they’re talking about 100,000 people being homeless with the city itself uninhabitable for weeks. FEMA has activated its catastrophic disaster plan – the kind they’d use for a massive terrorist attack or a truly horrifying earthquake – and they’re putting people up in the Superdome. The economic hit could be as massive as 9/11.
Cindy Sheehan’s crusade should be relegated to the ash heap of history because she’s taking part in a fraud. It’s ironic, and typical of the MSM, that a natural disaster will accomplish that fact and not any well deserved disapprobation on the part of the media or the people.
8:14 am
[...] 8221; the anti war movement? Like maybe some warm bodies? You know, like human beings? WHERE ARE ALL THE PROTESTERS? I realize this is jus a tiny detail [...]
8:45 am
[...] Protesters, They’re A Changin’
To complement Rick’s comment below (and great post at Rightwing Nuthouse), I offer you this (originall [...]
8:49 am
Bush Supporters Descend on Crawford
This just in from KWTX.com (News Ten, Central Texas):
As many as 3,000 Bush supporters gathered Saturday near the President’s Central Texas ranch in a show of support for the administration and for the war in Iraq.
Rallies and vigils were held in…
5:43 pm
The leftists lie about everything and are especially go at gross inflation of rally numbers. Of course, they don’t care squat for Cindy Sheehan and actually admit it in this article http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/viewpoints/stories/081605dnedipolk.cb187fa.html by marxist Laray Polk who admits that the purpose of the Sheehan protest is to cause the USA to pull troops out of Iraq similar to the withdrawal from Vietnam.
6:01 pm
Of course, Rosa Parks was manufactured too…yet now she is such a legend that a weblog called Rightwing Nuthouse refers to her as…a legend.
6:15 pm
[...] ;t find Jane Fonda riding shotgun (so to speak) on a suicide bomber’s car. From the RightWing Nuthouse (”Where Are All The Protesters?), which f [...]
6:32 pm
Considering the ongoing infantilization of Casey Sheehan by his mom and her PR team, I’m surprised they don’t say “he was 298 months old.”
6:48 pm
“The question that really matters is how many Americans want to cut and run from Iraq – the position being advocated by Cindy Sheehan.”
That is really the crux of the argument. The Leftist’s canned response to this – which I’ve heard parroted about a dozen times in the past week – is that ‘even though there are not large physical numbers of protesters in Crawford (or anywhere else for that matter) the polls show the majority are “in agreement with her”’. Well, that is obviously a load of BS, as you pointed out, because they are talking about two different things: Bush’s handling of the war, vs. pulling troops out now. The media never hype the low percentage who want to stay and finish the job. That is no big suprise, but this White House PR team is putrid and helpless, and probably wont make the difference very stronly either.
This administration needs to recognize that this is a PR war as much anything else, and while we may be winning on the ground in Iraq, we are losing the PR battle here at home. This war is built on several undying memes that the GOP fail to address; things like “Bush said there was a link to 911” – never happened – “Liberation was a fall back reason” – not the truth – “Saddam had no links to terror” – laugable false, etc. etc. etc. The Republican Party needs to get on the same page and stop sheepishly accepting these bogus memes. Unfortunately I doubt they will learn their lesson and this dropping support will continue.
6:51 pm
Sorry, should’ve said “opposition to this war is built on several undying memes.”
7:11 pm
Straight Man:
Your comment has been deleted for being obscene…and incoherent.
Incoherence I expect from a moonbat. Obscenity, however, is not tolerated.
9:05 pm
Thanks for this post- it is thorough and damning for these lunatics.
I’ve spent a lot of time on this subject and the more you look at it, the uglier it gets.
The truth is starting to leak out, though…
Truths Behind The Propaganda
11:14 pm
“The truth is starting to leak out”
That’s actually your prostate, you should get it checked.
11:40 pm
Great post. I took a ride through Camp Casey Saturday before last and it was a small affair, pretty much evenly split between Americans and Democrats.
I was most impressed with the quality of the vehicles parked along the road outside of the camp. Them hippies don’t skimp out on their wheels: lots of Volvos, VWs, and minivans.
Not a very diverse crowd, though. I didn’t count a single member of the oppressed masses whose sons and daughters have been brainwashed into shedding their blood for Halliburton.
9:17 am
They’re of the same ilk as the anti-war protesters you see in Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse Square…only on Friday afternoons if the weather is nice.
9:31 am
Where are all the protestors?
Right Wing Nut House makes some of the same observations about the MSM and the Sheehan coverage that I did here and here. The blogosphere is flaying the chinks in the MSM armor day by day….
10:47 am
Good job, Rick. Keep the truth coming.
11:44 am
Anti-war Groundswell And Sheehan’s Handlers
So…does Cindy Sheehan speak for millions of Americans? Is she the catalyst for a massive uprising of protest that will force the evil neocon cabal to withdraw “support our troops by withdrawing” them? Rick Moran at Right Wing Nut House…
3:47 pm
Where Are All The Protesters?
Right Wing Nuthouse:
It took a little digging, but I was able to discover that there are less than 200 people camping out with Mother Sheehan in Crawford with perhaps another 1,500 people in and around the town on any given day. While the number of c…
9:43 pm
[...] ™, decides to go track it down and see just how massive it is. He manages to locate just enough to keep Michael Moore fed for a day or two. [...]
10:16 am
Channeling, for grins
Stephen Hayes is at it again:
AHMED HIKMAT SHAKIR IS A shadowy figure who provided logistical assistance to one, maybe two, of the 9/11 hijackers. Years before, he had received a phone call from the Jersey City, New Jersey, safehouse of the plotters wh…
2:39 am
Now that Baghdad Cindy is pulling up stakes in Crawford, she is heading to Maine to protest the Blue Angels at Brunswick Navy Base. And she is saying that she is glad she didn’t get to meet with President Bush after all. Well then, toots, why in the hell did you waste your time in Crawford?
One can only hope that the 60s rejects will crawl back under their rocks or stay permanently attached to the toilet paper of life and can finally be flushed back into the sewer of history where they belong.
And Cindy…I AM a WWII veteran, and will tell you that had you tried this stunt anytime in the 1940s, you would still be rotting in jail for treason.
4:12 pm
(http://political.moveon.org/cindyvigils/pics.html)
MoveOn notice turned out an average of at least 100 people (50ish in small towns in red states from 400 in big cities/blue states) at more than 1,600 vigils. Conservatively, that’s 160,000 standing around feeling awkward on a Wednesday night.
Yeah, keep that truth coming.
2:47 pm
I don’t agree with a lot of things, but Cindt Sheehan is not truthful about her son. He died because he is truly a hero and he was saving a fellow soldier when he was killed. It was his second tour of duty, so apparently he didn’t think the war in Iraq was senseless. I think he and all the other soldiers are being dishonored by such people. Why don’t those people go and live in Iraq and see how long they will live. I have family in the military ever since this country was a country. My brother gave his life in WII so that we could be free. Are all of those soldier gave their life for nothing. Until Christ comes back there will be wars and rumor of wars and I think all other people should shut and hope those terrorist don’t come over here and blow us to kingdom com.
6:21 pm
[...] From the RightWing Nuthouse (”Where Are All The Protesters?), which from this vantage point appears to be one of the sanest places on earth. The site’s sole proprietor, Rick Moran, appears to have done more real investigative reporting on CindyMania than all the hundreds of other media people assembled in Crawford for the festivities combined (HT LGF): It took a little digging, but I was able to discover that there are less than 200 people camping out with Mother Sheehan in Crawford with perhaps another 1,500 people in and around the town on any given day. While the number of campers is kept low due to space limitations, that 1,500 number appears to be pretty solid. And not all of those people are there for the protest. Many are connected with the so-called “Crawford Peace House†whose anti-semitic activities have been well documented elsewhere. [...]