Sens. Rand Paul and Ted Cruz’s defund Obamacare rally today turned out to be a giant bust, as the only people most interested in stopping Obamacare are old people who are already on Medicare.
Pat Robertson’s CBN Network touted the anticipated huge crowd size, “The start date for enrolling in the Affordable Care Act is Oct. 1. As the nation gets closer to that date, activists who want to defund Obamacare are putting more pressure on legislators. On Tuesday, they’re bringing thousands of protestors to Washington, D.C., for an event called Exempt America.”
This was a shot of the crowd that they got:
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
Sens. Rand Paul and Ted Cruz’s defund Obamacare rally today turned out to be a giant bust, as the only people most interested in stopping Obamacare are old people who are already on Medicare.
Ouch. Crowd shots were not often seen during the live stream of the event, and for good reason most of the people there appeared to be the typical older white Republican voters. The great irony of the rally was that many of the people who did attend the event were likely on Medicare. Those in attendance cheered on speaker after speaker as they railed against government run healthcare all the while knowing that they are recipients of one of the best healthcare programs in the country, which just so happens to be run by the government.
The rally itself took place on an unseasonably hot summer day, but the sparsity of the crowd was confirmation of the dying influence of the tea party. The rally itself was nothing special. Republican congressman trotted out their promises to get rid of Obamacare, while the crowd gleefully applauded as both sides appeared happy to disregard the reality that Obamacare isn’t going anywhere.
A few ambitious speakers promised to end the American war in Syria that may never start. All in all, this was a tribute to Republican delusion. Tea party organizations promise attendance in the thousands when they draw hundreds. Those who do attend hear a fantastic tale of Republican politicians promising to do things that they do not have the power to do, and everyone goes home happy because not facing reality tends to work for some people.
The tea party is dead. Obamacare is the law of the land, and if these are the people that Rand Paul and Ted Cruz are counting on to get them to the White House, they will be sorely disappointed.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
