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August 30, 2004

Methinks they did protest just enough

It is a sign of how committed The New York Times is to a Kerry victory that it's coverage of yesterday's anti-Bush protest was so glowing, with very little of the condescending dismissiveness the paper usually ladles out for mass demonstrations.

But the paper's most important contribution to the cause came a week ago when it reported that the GOP was hoping for violence and chaos almost as eagerly as the most fringe protesters, knowing how well those images would play for them.

The meme spread like wildfire through lefty circles and became conventional wisdom, so to speak, in time to shut down extremist impulses that might inadvertently throw the election to Bush.

And in fact chaos in the streets is probably the only way that Bush can come out of the convention ahead. Neither he nor Cheney is capable of giving a speech that will rally the country, so the GOP was counting on Kerry supporters to make their candidate look unacceptable to the mainstream. Fortunately, it looks like that won't happen. And just as fortunately, it happened without having to refrain from peaceful dissent altogether.

Posted by Daniel Radosh

Comments

Not a bad article idea; how 1968 riots played a impact on today's demonstrations. The idea that some long lasting good did actually come from them.

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