Where's the Beef?

What if they gave a protest and no one came? Does that mean the maximum majority is fine with the issue? Or will the media cover the protest anyway, never mentioning the empty hall?

WMC had a story about the Nashville "bell ringing" protest against TennCare cuts. To judge by the camera, fewer than a dozen folks showed up, though some effort was taken to use tight shots to minimise the embarrassment. The story did make sure to mention the protesters in the Governor's office. I'm guessing they needed something to fill out the otherwise non-story story.

Even the protesters inside the Governor's office seem to have fizzled. They get locked in every night, when the working people leave. No one seems to care. Their story was off the news for nearly two weeks until this "bell ringing" story.

I'm pretty surprised that the socialist / compassionate Left has fumbled so badly. The press loves these kinds of stories: average people with troubles being crushed by the evil, wealthy government. Threats, conflict, pictures of emotional people.

And yet, this has been something that hasn't caught fire across the state the way the income tax protests did. You didn't have to have organisations bussing in folks (except those supporting the income tas: unions); people drove themselves. It was truly a grassroots, populist expression of the people of Tennessee.

The TennCare protests have largely been led by leftist and religious/political organisations. There's almost no spontaneous popular expression going on here. No momentum, no energy, no passion.

Could it be this isn't as popular with Tennesseans as TennCare supporters think? I'd say numbers don't lie.