Base Depression

by digby

So, there was a demonstration for Health Care reform in the beating heart of liberalism, San Francisco, this week-end. Emails went out exhorting people to come to the Federal Building at 11:00 on Saturday morning.

Republicans, tea-baggers and their corporate sponsors are doing
everything in their power to make sure that health reform is defeated
in 2010. At this critical juncture we can’t afford to let up. We may
not have millions of dollars like they do – but we do have millions
upon millions of voices all throughout the state who are calling on
Congress as we speak to step up to the plate and finish the job they
started.

As you can imagine we’ve got limited time to make as big an impact as
humanly possible. And that’s why we’re asking for your help to make
this event as powerful as can be. So bring your friends, family
members, co-workers and everyone you know as we call on Members of
Congress to finish reform once and for all! Because we’re emphasizing
the fact that “California Needs Coverage,” bring an umbrella with you
(rain or shine) to help us make this point perfectly clear to
everybody watching.

Reader curmudgeon went and reported this back:

I went to the demonstration.

I got there at 10:58. No one was there.

3 minutes later one of the organizers showed up

3 minutes after that two more organizers showed up with two children–under 7 yrs. At 11:15 there were 7 people total, plus the two children.

I felt like all that was missing was the wreath

Now the villagers all interpret that to mean that everyone hates health care reform. But the truth is that its supporters just feel hopeless. This is not a good time to make your supporters feel hopeless. In fact “hope” is one of this president’s major selling points if I recall correctly.

Perhaps it doesn’t matter that they raised expectations and already took a triumphant victory lap declaring that they had passed the grandest, most historic social legislation since the New Deal, but it didn’t help. Perhaps they have learned the lesson from this that most of us learned in kindergarten: don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched.

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