Monday
Apr262010
Viewing America: North Carolina, Tea Parties, and the Supreme Court (Matlin)
Monday, April 26, 2010 at 6:48 
The University of North Carolina, located in Chapel Hill, is a wondrous place, an oasis of liberalism within a desert of reaction. Only here, since it is hunting season, might a visitor be treated with a juxtaposition between higher education and wild turkeys.My own hunting has been less successful. I have been here for ten days and have yet to meet or track down a Republican.
I’m pretty sure I saw one on my ride from the airport, with the clue lying in the “Impeach Obama” sticker on the driver’s truck. Beyond that, however, it seems that this is an enclave free from members of the Grand Old Party. I am told that at a faculty meeting at the university last year, the subject of diversity arose.
“We have too many white men,” said the first speaker. “This needs to be addressed.”
“I agree,” came a response, “let’s find another Republican.”
This doesn't necessary mean, however, that Chapel Hill is a bastion of liberalism. There are Democrats and then there are Southern Democrats, and the twain do not meet with any comfort. A Southern Democrat is not necessarily a Republican in other clothes, but both on historical background --- tread carefully when approaching the story of segregation and civil rights --- and in contemporary context, there are tensions on political, economic, and social issues.
This complexity is overshadowed now on the national scene by two sweeping stories. The first, the Tea Party, should not be an issue at all. This is a collection, predominantly of late middle-aged, middle-class, comfortably well-off folks don’t want to pay anything for those Americans less fortunate than them. They are able to make sufficient noise to give certain areas of the media the opportunity to blow the alleged importance of the TP out of all proportion.
At first sight, the Tea Partiers could be mistaken for supporters of Ross Perot, the businessman who ran a third-party Presidential campaign in 1992. In that time of economic distress in the 1990s, a distrust of Washington gave rise to a desire amongst a minority to support an "independent" for President and shake up the established order.
So, where are the differences? First, Perot supporters came from both sides of the political aisle. Tea Partiers are from the right-wing of the Republican Party, screaming their love for Sarah Palin when she says, “We’ll keep the guns and our religion and they can have the rest.” Second, Tea Party activists seem to be older and wealthier than Perot fans. Third, TP ideology is focused on taxes and "Big Government". Perot’s supporters had much wider issues of concern.
The second big issue is President Obama’s next Supreme Court pick. Within a day of Justice John Paul Stevens’ decision to retire, Congressional Republicans threatened a filibuster if Obama did not choose a middle-of-the-roader who accorded with Republican thinking.
Presently, the court is pro-business and leans to the right. Surely, the Court needs a "left" thinker, capable of articulating the views of ordinary Americans and who understands how court decisions affect ordinary lives. But I am even more concerned, given the Republican stance, over their fear of a differing point of view on the Court? Why is diversity suddenly a dirty word?
Reader Comments (16)
" .... and in contemporary context, there are tensions on political, economic, and social issues."
A glance at Rasmussen Reports (historically and continually producers of the most accurate poll predictions/results in American politics) might be instructive. Or any lesser national US polls.
Question, please. Is the above a 'balanced' report, or is it your 'opinion?' Thank you for a reply, and also for so much useful material about Iran.
"This is a collection, predominantly of late middle-aged, middle-class, comfortably well-off folks don’t want to pay anything for those Americans less fortunate than them." Quite funny the use of such a sweeping generalization. I guess it is no wonder congress had to force the health care bill through considering the democrats doing this probably share the same aforementioned view of the other(note they even did so when the majority of Americans did not want it.) All this article does is perpetuate the Have vs. Have not canard increasing the divide in America. Sorry pal some of us believe all should work for it and don't want to see our government creating a class of society overly dependent on it. America is the land of opportunity to be had by all if they are willing to work for it. Being an American citizen does not entitle one to impinge on the other because they failed to realize the opportunity and take advantge of it. Try reading up on Thomas Jefferson to find out what the American foundation was built on. Maybe then you will realize America became great simply because it placed the focus on the individual and not the government. By the way I am not a Tea Party groupie. I think they are a bit looney but they deserve to be heard unlike what the author obviously believes.
It's a liberal oasis in North Carolina, but it's no different from the vast majority of universities in North America and Europe. At UNC Chapel Hill and THOUSANDS of other higher ed. institutions, all wisdom lies left-of-center and all right-of-center ideas are denigrated. Institutions like the University of Notre Dame, Wycliffe Hall, Oxford and Heythrop College, UL are members of a dying breed. They are the true oases. UNC Chapel Hill is a cookie cutter university.
"Question, please. Is the above a ‘balanced’ report, or is it your ‘opinion?’ Thank you for a reply, and also for so much useful material about Iran."
Another try for an answer:
Although a member of no political party or 'movement' in the US, I do live here, every day. I honor our Constitution and its protection of individual citizens in their search for 'life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.'
Cannot agree with this post's generalized assessment of 'life in the states.' IMHO, the blanket used to cover right and left completely ignores exceptions, and there are mostly exceptions. You, as a native American, must know that our country is based upon that concept of the 'exceptionalism' of the individual, without which there can be no personal freedom.
Additionally, a connection to Chapel Hill vanished years ago, the day Tarheel students appeared on live TV, protesting an invited guest's right to speak by breaking windows, roughing up those who tried to attend, etc. UNC must not be the place it used to be. Perhaps it never was.
The post above does seem beneath EA's claim above: " .... the cutting-edge blog on US politics and foreign policy." Am reading it as 'opinion' rather than reportage. Again, thank you for your efforts to report on events in Iran. I hope to continue to consider what I read here as accurate.
Observer,
John Matlin is currently travelling in the US and, as I would not presume to speak for a correspondent, I hope you can wait a few days for his reply.
S.
Thank you, S Lucas. Carelessness on my part not to notice the author's name, apologies. Looking forward to any response. America has a 200-year-old + experiment in progress. Am ever hopeful it will survive. Again, thanks.
I was wondering when a blog called 'Enduring America' was finally going to start a thread on American politics, but I certainly hope THIS is not it! Much as my political leanings may differ from the other readers above, I too found this hard to place within the usual reporting EA offers, because it wasn't labeled with the satire banner or introduced as an opinion piece.
As for Chapel Hill itself, I've spent some time there as a faculty wife and I can assure everyone that at least the Mathmatics and Physics departments are top notch and anything BUT cookie-cutter outfits, full of extremely diverse opinions and staff .....
........... who come from all over the world! :-)
Catherine,
Mathematics cannot be corrupted by a religion or an ideology. In the Soviet era, Moscow State University had the finest mathematics department in the world. In the case of the humanities and the social sciences disciplines, however, it's open season.
I know Dave. I was being tongue-in-cheek. I thought that would have been obvious from the way I ended my post. Next time I'll include a couple of ;-) in addition to the :-).
Catherine,
Quite funny about EA's focus. In fairness to Scott I think the site shifted their focus to what the readers wanted that being articles on Iran. Frankly it was a smart move on his part for the time being. Maybe they should have created a sister site called Enduring Iran though!!! I think over time you will see the site shift its focus just not until the mess clears up in Iran.
Thx
Bill
Dave,
While I understand your position I would also caution against making sweeping generalizations against an entire University. Yes some have strong a strong liberal basis but they are also chalk full of conservatives. If they had not been we would have seen liberals sweep states some of the states in which these universities are based--but they didn't.
Thx
Bill
Observer,
Re post #4
Hear, hear. I am a registered Independent sick and tired of divisive politics. And like you I have a great respect for US constitution.
I was very disappointed with the author's remarks. I found it a sloppy and lazy depiction. His characterization of Tea Party and the political left and right were off. His remarks about UNC, however, made me chuckle reminding me of my days as student at NCSU and our basketball rivalry with UNC. No matter which team we were playing we were chanting “go to hell Carolina, go to hell Carolina, go State.” We sang that even when we played Maryland or Duke or Wake Forest or UCLA. And when we beat any team the entire town of Raleigh sang the same song. Those were the happy days indeed.
Megan,
Thank you for your support of the US Constitution and your light touch.
Your comments made me smile. They triggered an old 'ghost' here - momentarily, the strains of 'Hark the sound of Tarheel voices' wafted through the air -- from long ago, when intra-school rivalry was reserved entirely for Duke ....
May all Iranis, young and old, experience some carefree days and, above all, may their own version of freedom become reality.
"Yes some have strong a strong liberal basis but they are also chalk full of conservatives."
*****
I have only come across a few. I took a philosophy course with one of them in my undergrad years. Conservative professors are easier to find in the natural sciences, where students are not fed ersatz food.
Here's an article for you:
http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/04/a_triumph_of_civilization_at_c.html
Dave,
Sadly this is happening quite a bit especially so if the topic is Israel. The Muslim Student Association(a noted brotherhood creation) is usally front in center at these spectacles often having to be removed. Makes you wonder if these nut jobs have ever hear of free speech--oh but wait a minute they don't believe in free speech best demonstrated by the OIC's anti free speech legislation at the UN that seeks to reinstitue blasphemy laws that of course only mention Islam by name.
Gotta love these two tidbits though:
"disturbingly similar to those of the Ku Klux Klan or the Nazis." Gee nitwits would you find a KKK or Nazi supporting Israel as Tancredo does? The ones usally foisting this canard are people like CAIR who always seemt to forget their coreligionist actually colluded with Hitler in WWII and make Mein Kampf a best seller in the Middle East year after year!
Or
"'Western Civilization' is nothing but an alteration of the discourse of white supremacy." How in the world does a tough stance on immigration devolve into the spurious comment. Gee why not just offer free health care to the world, empty our treasury giving it to other states, and let the immigrants have our homes!!!! This is sadly the state of the wacky too left who are just entrapped in their self loathing. It makes you wonder if they ever bothered to consider the US became great because we empowered the individual to make his life the best he can with as little interference from the government!!! To these idiots they think we should be this big social services entity where everyone is equal. Sorry pal thay removes the competition and with that it removes any incentive to get better. These idiots should note that while we have a great disparity of wealth our poor would actually be the middle class in most of the world. It is not perfect but to date no other system of governance as done so much for its people in such a short period of time. God it make me want to smake one of these nut jobs everytime i see them.
By the way I think we read much of the same stuff because I have been on this site numerous times.
Thx
Bill
Dear All,
I am amazed that an article which was meant to demonstrate the funnier and quirky side of American politics and life should provoke so much excitement.
It encourages me to continue.
JM