Local Fox Reporter Uncovers Imported Conservative Protesters At Town Hall
Fox’s local Houston affiliate reporter, Duarte Geraldino, reported that he talked to the participants and found that ‘some attendees admit they don’t live in the district.’ How did they get there? Geraldino noted ‘an internet campaign’ by far right activists urging their allies to attend and heckle Democratic Representatives.
28 Responses to “Local Fox Reporter Uncovers Imported Conservative Protesters At Town Hall”
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Tools.
Heh…”Rent-A-Bagger: when you can’t get enough for your own district, give us a call!”
I dunno. It’s not a real protest unless there are paper maché puppets involved.
Damn, that’s real reporting. Good for him.
I love this stupid, infantile tactic that is bound to fail. Show up in large number and act like an asshole so no one can talk. The whole point is not to engage in the debate, but to shut it down completely. How mature. That clearly shows you have the best arguments and that you can engage in an exchange of ideas respectfully.
from the same event:
During the town hall, one conservative activist turns to his fellow attendees and asks them to raise their hands if they “oppose any form of socialized or government-run health care.” Almost all the hands shot up. Rep Green quickly turned the question on the audience and asked, “How many of you have Medicare?” Nearly half the attendees raised their hands, failing to note the irony.
No comment needed there
The silliest thing about this town hall disruption stuff is, alright, so maybe if they’re lucky they get some press and make it look like there’s a LARGER number of assholes against healthcare than there already are… but do they think they’re changing the minds of anyone at the actual townhalls?
I said it earlier- it’s live-action trolling. They’re just pissing in a conversation to divert it away and bragging later about how brilliant they are while everyone who is actually there is just shaking their heads at how stupid they look.
Much outrage from the right when Ann Coulter was shouted down at speaking engagements. Not so much from them now. Oh the hippo-ocrissy.
Ann Coulter wasn’t there to listen and gather input from the audience, Wek.
FAIL.
Ann Coulter isn’t backed and organized by one of the nation’s largest lobbies either. Free speech is only legitimate if it’s got serious corporate muscle behind it.
Ann Coulter wasn’t there to listen and gather input from the audience, Wek.
Coulter, like all writers and most lecturers, has a question and answer section. She had a questioner forcibly removed for asking a hostile question. Though unlike Bush she did not keep the location a secret to all but the local party offices, have all attendees screened, and demand that they all sign loyalty oaths. So there’s that.
But the p[roblem is that right-wingers have an extraordinarily violent and dangerous streak that's compelling them to shout down and make voters unable to interact with their representatives. In many ways, it could be analogized to a forcible disruption of the democratic process by preventing people from hearing from their representatives in person. This, of course, is symptomatic fo most right wingers' hostility towards things like democracy and voting. There's a lot of resentment out there from people like Jay Tea and Frank DiSalle that citizens had the audacity to go out and vote for Obama rather than sitting back while their "betters" [for some reason their feel their track record of moral and political failure makes their judgment 'better'] to take care of these political things for them.
What we’re seeing now is an outburst of frustration that the country is taking a different direction than they spent their lives brainwashed into thinking it would take. Eventually this tantrum will die down, but, as I said, I would prefer to see some paper maché puppets.
Sharoney- I’m sure Coulter had full intentions on being an azzhole in her typical fashion. Yet she was an invited guest at UCONN and still should have had the opportunity to speak her sociopathic nonsense. Besides, did you even comprehend what I wrote? Not as though I wasn’t calling out wingnuts for their hypocrisy……Jesus Christ. Please try to pay attention.
Also, the entire “FAIL” thing has kinda run its course and is close to becoming as lame as saying “NOT” as a sarcastic response. Why don’t you pick up a thesaurus.
Con anchors and bloggers heart “movements” faker than the Brady Bunch’s lawn
When one of these Congresscritters has a pie or something else hurled at them, THEN we’ll make the Coulter comparison.
J.
Note to self: bookmark this article for the next time Oliver brings up electing or defeating a Congresscritter outside his district and/or state.
bookmark this article for the next time Oliver brings up electing or defeating a Congresscritter outside his district and/or state.
…because wanting more and better Democrats in Congress is the same as not letting a Republican Congressman meet with his constituents. Is that what you are trying to tell us?
Seriously?
How do you come up with this stuff? Doesn’t it embarrass you to post such silliness?
By the way, Oliver, nice little verbal stunt here. “Imported” implies that there was an “importer,” someone or someones who brought these non-constituents in to the event, tying in nicely with your bogus theme that there’s some grand conspiracy, some overarching evil force coordinating this whole thing. Instead, you have some web sites who urge people to attend meetings by congresscritters who are deciding on a bill that will effect each and every single one of us, and making it easy to find those meetings.
No instructions to do so, just some advice on how to behave. (Which some are ignoring.) No offers of free transportation or compensation for attending. Just information, all public already, just put together for ease of access.
There’s an old piece of advice that seems relevant here: whenever someone cries most loudly about something, look carefully to see if it’s something they are doing or have done themselves. And Oliver’s conspiracy theories seem a pretty damned good description of a lot of the anti-war movement, the pro health care reform rallies pulled together by Democrats, and the like.
J.
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/08/inside-the-tea-partiers-anti-health-care-organizing-campaign.php?ref=fpa
Oh, Jay Tea!
You cynic!
FTW.
There’s an old piece of advice that seems relevant here: whenever someone cries most loudly about something, look carefully to see if it’s something they are doing or have done themselves.
Can’t argue with you there Jay, its the best way to observe your pro-Iraq view.
When supporters of the Right go out of their district to politic: Astroturf! Imported! Manufactured Hate!!!!!
When supporters of the Left go out of their district to politic: loving tributes are written to showcase the energy and committment. Why, it’s practically your civic duty to voice your opinion on issues outside your jurisdiction, as long as your outside support is for a liberal cause.
Democrats whine when their own tactics are used against them. This is grassroots level organizing. People have a right to voice their opinion or protest even if the congressman is from another district. Are you suggesting otherwise? Jay counters you nicely Big O with the left’s Bush antics. Ginkgo biloba for your memory?
When supporters of the Right go out of their district to politic: Astroturf! Imported! Manufactured Hate!!!!!
Farris, these are townhall meetings in which elected representatives are speaking…pardon, trying to speak to their constituents. The protesters are posing as something they aren’t and trying to prevent a discussion of pending legislation.
“When supporters of the Right go out of their district to politic: Astroturf! Imported! Manufactured Hate!!!!!”
Well, it is what it is, moron. If the Teabaggers had valid ground to stand on, like Iraq war or Anti-prop 8 protesters, then maybe they’d get props. But they don’t. Their objections are meaningless. Their complaints are based on lies spewed by FOX noise and Rush Limpballs. They’re just a buncha manipulated parrots and should be treated as such.
Note to self: bookmark this article for the next time Oliver brings up electing or defeating a Congresscritter outside his district and/or state.
That would be silly.
However, you might bookmark this article for the next time Oliver shows up in a district where he doesn’t live and tries to shout down a candidate for Congress. Then you’d have something.
The whole point is not to engage in the debate, but to shut it down completely.
That’s how they roll, right? Bill-O showed them ow to do that.
Manufactured Hate!!!!!
Or as it is more commonly known, Poutrage.
So, it is not valid to protest excessive government spending?
And if Anti-Prop 8 protesters have the valid ground to protest, even those who do not live in CA, then didn’t prop-8 supporters have every bit as much valid standing to support the measure, even if outside of CA?
Or do the only people who have the “valid ground” to oppose or support an issue the ones who you agree with AgentX?
Fat dumbshit Teabagger at Greene’s townhall asked, “Whut part of the Consty-tooshun says to provide health care? Ah-hyuh!”
Uh, the preamble says, “to promote the general welfare.” So, if we can agree that the 2d Amendment guarantees shit like exploding hollow-point bullets, then maybe health care for all Americans might somehow fall under the “general welfare” umbrella, too.
Sorry, Wek, but the word “fail” fits you like two wetsuits and a dildo.
So, it is not valid to protest excessive government spending?
Not NOW, no. Maybe back before the creation of the Department of Homeland Security the largest, most complex and expensive government agency ever created, but no, not now. You’re too late.
[...] people are shills. They are lying about being constituents, LYING about being ‘non-partisan’ – and the money behind all this AstroTurf (fake [...]