Town halls turning ugly

[WDCRob]

Re: Town halls turning ugly

This is what you get when you have an angry, racist, hateful minority riled up and choreographed by some combination of corporate patrons, K-street lobbyists and the official media outlet of the Republican Party.

They do what they're told and believe everything they hear. Given the difficulty many of these folks have with reality this will end very badly.

This isn't 'protest' it's thuggery.

As a columnist who regularly dishes out sharp criticism, I try not to question the motives of people with whom I don't agree. Today, I'm going to step over that line.

The recent attacks by Republican leaders and their ideological fellow-travelers on the effort to reform the health-care system have been so misleading, so disingenuous, that they could only spring from a cynical effort to gain partisan political advantage. By poisoning the political well, they've given up any pretense of being the loyal opposition. They've become political terrorists, willing to say or do anything to prevent the country from reaching a consensus on one of its most serious domestic problems.

[D-Mack]

Re: Town halls turning ugly

A First Hand View of a Raucous Town Hall Meeting

August 05, 2009 4:51 PM

ABC’s Steven Portnoy reports:

There were no lobbyist-funded buses in the parking lot of Mardela Middle and High School on Tuesday evening, and the hundreds of Eastern Maryland residents who packed the school’s auditorium loudly refuted the notion that their anger over the Democrats’ health care reform plans is “manufactured.”

“I went to school in this school,” a man named Bob told me. “I don't see anyone in this room that isn't from Mardela Springs right now.”

“We’ve been quiet too long,” said a woman named Joan.

They came to yell at their congressman, freshman Democratic Rep. Frank Kratovil, and they were surprised to hear that the “Congress in Your Corner” event to which they had been invited -- by a robocall from Kratovil himself -- was not to be a public airing of grievances, but instead an opportunity for private, one-on-one sessions with the freshman Democrat.

..

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpu...l-meeting.html

Why is the MSM shoveling their stuff into blogs?

[mesyn191]

Re: Town halls turning ugly

And the spin is that anyone who asks a tough question must be a political hack a neo nazi or a birther. I just do not think it is true.

Its not the questions that they're asking but the manner and intent with which they do so. These people aren't genuinely interested in having their questions answered, if they don't hear what they like they just shout down and boo the speaker/congressman. They are not interested in discourse, they're there to present a image to the rep./media, they're posers.

IOW I have no problem with reps/speakers being asked tough questions, nor do I believe that automatically makes the asker a neo-nazi/birther. That is your perception and not my intention if that is what you got out of what I said. I'm saying most if not all the people using these PR tactics right now are birthers, nutjobs, and yes even racists. Its faux grass roots, done by the very same people who did the Tea Parties, its the Jerry Springer version of political action.

If you like the shadenfruede you get when you watch some of these reps/congressman get shouted down, I have no problem with that, just bear in mind its all being done for the wrong reasons.

[flintlock]

Re: Town halls turning ugly

There is a difference between asking tough questions and trying to disrupt the meeting by interrupting the speaker and appearing unruly. I suppose they could go the W. route and only allow party loyalists into the town halls. Yay democracy.

Agree.

One thing I have noticed in American politics lately. There seems to be the idea that if someone is arguing a point you don't agree with, that they should be shut up. As if there is a fear that merely vocalizing a thought somehow magically makes it valid. If people are idiots so what? What is to fear by letting them open their mouths and show the world what idiots they are?

I hate the shouters too, but sometimes that's what it takes be heard.

[Munger]

Re: Town halls turning ugly

Do you know what ACORN does?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t-gIafJt0s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLOJFD6Wtnk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3BJsYJA0Os

Did you watch the video I posted. Did you see what the voter concerns were. Did you listen to the vets. Or the housewives.

What misinformation. Maybe if you opened your mind you could hear the otherside of the debate.

The people in the video are going to their representatives for answers to the questions out there. The representatives are dumbfounded that people are actually asking questions. They have no answer. The people should vote them out if they do not get the answers they agree with based upon local morals and needs. This is what America is about.

So as a proud american and a registered democrat I am happy that there is a debate. Be as cynical as you want. I believe in debate and the expressing of views as well as the need to listen to other peoples views. If it is organized so be it. If the people do not respond there will be no movement. But do not be so nieve as to think both sides are not doing the exact same thing.

There is a difference between asking tough questions and trying to disrupt the meeting by interrupting the speaker and appearing unruly. I suppose they could go the W. route and only allow party loyalists into the town halls. Yay democracy.

[mesyn191]

Re: Town halls turning ugly

Now the right adapts the same tactics and -- WHOA! -- you not supposed to do that!

Even so, do 2 wrongs make a right?

snip Obama/Dem rant

Thats nice and all but what has that got to do with what I'm talking about?

There was no major mandate here.

Majority rules is what we've got, for better or for worse, you know it doesn't have to be "major".

And I would bet given a re-run today the Big O would lose by a landslide even to that lackluster dunderhead McSame.

Things aren't nearly bad enough for that to happen yet, give it time though. Personally as bad as Obama is I'd rather have him than Palin/McCain, I'd say we got the best of the worst out of that deal, you should be happy right?

Nah, I hope these town hall meetings get even UGLIER. It's time the Pigs from the Animal Farm in DC get a clue that some pigs are NOT more equal than others.

Unfortunately yelling at them (or even throwing things at them, heck even beating them to within an inch of their lives...) won't accomplish anything, you're assuming they don't already know what they're doing is wrong and/or that they actually care. We're going to have to vote them out and replace them with people who just want to do the job the right way and not from a ideological viewpoint. I don't see that happening any time soon. Certainly not with this Jerry Springer approach to political discourse.

[we_are_toast]

Re: Town halls turning ugly

We're headed toward another world war and these fascists will lead the way. They don't yet feel free to set up camps but it's no more than an election or two away if we ignore the threat. Wait until oil is $300 a barrel, the idiots in this video will go Hitler youth on us all.

Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity - MLK.

Absolutely right! This is dangerous stuff. This isn't a discussion of ideas, this isn't peaceful demonstration, this is an unthinking mob controlled by people who do not have the best interests of our county in mind, shouting down open discussion.

We are well into the age of "unreason".

Maybe FRED needs to create a new forum, something like, significant political developments. It seems that the success of iTulip's forecasts is it's ability to anticipate a political response to economic conditions. There could be many black swan political events that might alter or support a given forecast. EJ has expressed his concern about the direction that our politics might take, well maybe now is the time to start pointing out the political changes that might lead to government responses with large economic impacts.

[mesyn191]

Re: Town halls turning ugly

Do you know what ACORN does?

What part of "I don't like them" didn't you understand?

Do 2 wrongs make a right?

Maybe if you opened your mind you could hear the otherside of the debate.

Again, there is no debate, only angry shouting and rhetoric. Its like watching Jerry Springer.

But do not be so nieve as to think both sides are not doing the exact same thing.

Just whose posts are you reading anyways? I'm not saying anything like this at all, and if you think I am that is your perception and not my intention.

[ThePythonicCow]

Re: Town halls turning ugly

uh oh. political abyss?

This thread was there a while back. I was just being too wimpy to call it straight.

Good post, doom&gloom. Thanks.

[doom&gloom]

Re: Town halls turning ugly

MLK is right -- so we got Obama...

[metalman]

Re: Town halls turning ugly

uh oh. political abyss?

[doom&gloom]

Re: Town halls turning ugly

Most of the recent town hall stuff is astroturf. No really:





If they don't get enough people on hand to do that they bus more nutjobs in to harass whoever is speaking. This is even worse than those BS "Tea parties" we saw a little while back.


If it was for the right reasons maybe I could get behind it too, but most of these people are nutjob birthers, FEMA camp/NWO "activists", and straight up racists. Case in point...


My that is a lovely video you've got there...

I am personally PROUD of the guy who is doing this organization. For years the left has run this kind of schtick on the right, with "mobs" like ACORN doing the heavy lifting for them -- even bussing in protestors. Now the right adapts the same tactics and -- WHOA! -- you not supposed to do that!

BULLSHIT.

The Obama Administration makes the kleptocracy and fiscal malfeasance of the Bush administration look like a trial run play in kindergarten. Where is the left NOW when $2 TRILLION deficits are accepted while they whined incessantly at the Bush deficits? Where is the left NOW on the war when they WHINED incessantly about it during the Bush years? Where is the left NO when bills get passed without a reading before the vote, yet they WHINED about it when the Patriot Act went thru?

I'll tell ya where they are -- nowhere. Staring in rapture at their dashboard Obama's trying to figure out how to kipe a 'clunkers' deal.

Team O is a meance to this country, and I am not saying it from a partisan view but that of a fiscal conservative. They have lost ALL SEMBLANCE of fiscal discipline and good governance. Obama himself is on tape bitchin' 'bout the way the Republicrats pushed thru legislation too fast, but now it's his show and no one should question the Democans?

BULLSHIT.

Slighly over half the voting population voted for Obama. There was no major mandate here. And I would bet given a re-run today the Big O would lose by a landslide even to that lackluster dunderhead McSame.

Nah, I hope these town hall meetings get even UGLIER. It's time the Pigs from the Animal Farm in DC get a clue that some pigs are NOT more equal than others.

[ThePythonicCow]

Re: Town halls turning ugly

... and not see what these people are like.

Yeah - as one of the group you'd likely call "these people" down here in the Bible Belt, you'd dang well better watch out for us. We're Evil! .

Even the cows down here have a mean kick and are full of you know what .

[metalman]

Re: Town halls turning ugly

I'm not really offended, just shocked how people can be taken in by this sort of thing so easily and not see what these people are like.

this post and this thread are invaluable for this reason... how many itulipers learned from this? many, i hope.

[mesyn191]

Re: Town halls turning ugly

apologize to all who are offended

I'm not really offended, just shocked how people can be taken in by this sort of thing so easily and not see what these people are like.