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So I went to a healthcare town hall tonite...

ska todd

Turbo Monkey
Oct 10, 2001
1,776
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I couldn't get in because it was over capacity, so I stood outside and participated in the theater of American life. Seemed like 1/3 of the county police department was out as well as 2/3 of our collection of people who like to yell a lot.

What I learned (in no particular order):
1. There are a few - not many, but some - on the right who will discuss topics civilly...but all us lefties seemed to want to do is talk to everyone in small groups
2. Apparently I hate America...
a. ...and should leave it...
b. ..."move to a a socialist country like you know Canada or Europe"
3. Old people like to yell a lot - maybe it's b/c their Medicare supplied hearing aids don't work well?
4. Old people are very adept at making signs with letters stenciled in red or blue paint/marker on white oak tag.
5. None of above 'old people' who I asked would be willing to give up their own Medicare, Soc Sec benefits, or VA benefits...yet they all emphatically said they want govt out of health care.
6. Right = real good at organizing, busing, handing out signs, wearing political slogan t-shirts, carrying LOTS of flags, starting chants, and yelling down the politicians who attempted to address the crowd or police who tried to keep the stairway clear, or anytime a local news camera was flashed in front of their faces.
7. Left = not so good at any of the above
8. Health care reform will "SURELY give us death panels"?
9. That America has "the best health care in the world"?
10. That "the only people in America who are uninsured are those who want to be"?
11. That "Obama is a <insert any of the following: socialist, communist, fascist, racist, nazi, the devil>".
12. My favorite statement was out of the mouth of a guy (who told me that he owns a small pharmaceutical supply company) answering my question to him about why he opposes reform deep down inside - wait for it, wait for it... - He "doesn't want those people (you know, 'those people', right?) mixing with 'people like us'." Apparently 'those people' are "ruining" his America and he "wants to stop it." (He also told me at least 10 times that 'Atlas Shrugged' is the "best book ever written" - he didn't reply when I asked him "better than the bible?")
13. Apparently everyone protesting health care reform doesn't want "big gov't"
14. The government can't do anything right
a. ...except for the military

-ska todd
 

stevew

resident influencer
Sep 21, 2001
40,494
9,524
6. Right = real good at organizing, busing, handing out signs, wearing political slogan t-shirts, carrying LOTS of flags, starting chants, and yelling down the politicians who attempted to address the crowd or police who tried to keep the stairway clear, or anytime a local news camera was flashed in front of their faces.
7. Left = not so good at any of the above

attend one in colorado.....evidently they were good enough to bus in union members from the front range to obama's town hall event in grand junction....not many of the locals were able to attend.

11. That "Obama is a <insert any of the following: socialist, communist, fascist, racist, nazi, the devil>".

^
they are this confused?

must be the free cable in the trailer parks.
 
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Jim Mac

MAKE ENDURO GREAT AGAIN
May 21, 2004
6,352
282
the middle east of NY
Ahhh Todd, must've been in Long Line Land, right? Just got back from that place visiting the In-laws...

We had a town Hall here outside of Albany last week - 1500 people crowded a pavilion. The moderator had to ask the anti HC groups to stop cursing and giving the congressman the "1 finger salute". As the moderator said, "Don't you people see, there are children here?! What kind of an example does this set?" She then got the same 1 finger salute. So much for dialogue!

Fear works. It worked for Chas Manson. It now works for the health care industry.

EDIT: one dude said, "You're trampling on the Constitution!" Congressman Tonko then pulled out a pocket version and read the part about providing for the general welfare, then asked the man where he exactly was doing this trampling...of course the guy could not answer!
 
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X3pilot

Texans fan - LOL
Aug 13, 2007
5,860
1
SoMD
I wish the war protester would come back. August was deadliest month in Afghanistan, we've committed 60K more troops, no clear exit strategy, no clear goal, other than to win the hearts and minds, still haven't captured Bin Laden and spending more on the war effort than ever before.

Maybe the HC protester can be sub contracted out...
 

IH8Rice

I'm Mr. Negative! I Fail!
Aug 2, 2008
24,524
494
Im over here now
Arlan Spector is doing this sort of "town hall meeting" near me and i was tempted to go with my girlfriend to enjoy our favorite past time, people watching.....especially on weed man

im sure it will be the same debacle as SkaTodd's story
 

ska todd

Turbo Monkey
Oct 10, 2001
1,776
0
attend one in colorado.....evidently they were good enough to bus in union members from the front range to obama's town hall event in grand junction....not many of the locals were able to attend.
Many of us outside questioned where these people came from, including a few of the more rational righties I chatted with. Apparently there was a busload of union people inside the auditorium; and that riled up the teabaggers. Funny, after most people had cleared away the teabaggers had their little group meeting and the guy standing on top of the truck with a megaphone was giving them dates for other Congressmens' town halls in the region.

An argument used by both sides on this issue.................
See, I have zero problem with people having political or ideological differences and would never ask someone on the right to "love it or leave it". That line almost exclusively comes from those on the far-right. The neoconservative-religious right does not own this country any more than the left does. I completely fail to understand how because someone disagrees with your political view that they should leave.

We had a town Hall here outside of Albany last week - 1500 people crowded a pavilion. The moderator had to ask the anti HC groups to stop cursing and giving the congressman the "1 finger salute". As the moderator said, "Don't you people see, there are children here?! What kind of an example does this set?" She then got the same 1 finger salute. So much for dialogue!
Yep, saw that happen first hand as well. Old guys really like to flip the bird. They also like to try to spit on a young woman from Planned Parenthood (too bad it dribbled down his shirt.) They were also the only ones there with their < teenage kids holding signs about "deathcare" and "death panels". Keep it classy GOP :thumb:

Arlan Spector is doing this sort of "town hall meeting" near me and i was tempted to go with my girlfriend to enjoy our favorite past time, people watching.....especially on weed man
Seeing the youtube vid & clips on Jon Stewart of how the last of Sen Spector's town halls went, I'm sure that next one should be even more of a circus.

Another funny sidebar, older gentleman was there with his wife who was pro-public option. The guy wasn't really saying much but when he did i wanted to high five him. A riled up anti-HC guy was grilling his wife about how Obama is a "nazi" & a "socialist" and how much he hates American and went off on some tangent about Israel...that's when the quiet husband interjects and politely but quickly schooled him with "I am from Israel", quick references to his family and the Holocaust, and then spat out some hard facts and numbers numbers about Israel's government health care. Wow. That dude ruled. Wish I had a video camera for it.

-ska todd
 

JohnE

filthy rascist
May 13, 2005
13,430
1,949
Front Range, dude...
The GoP is cutting its own throat here. How ironic if the party dies resultant form the helth care debate...

It is time for a viable third-fourth party to arise. Just to make things interesting.
 

Jim Mac

MAKE ENDURO GREAT AGAIN
May 21, 2004
6,352
282
the middle east of NY
Arlan Spector is doing this sort of "town hall meeting" near me and i was tempted to go with my girlfriend to enjoy our favorite past time, people watching.....especially on weed man

im sure it will be the same debacle as SkaTodd's story
Now THAT is SHOCKING! (that you have a GF!:D:eek::confused::weee:)
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,570
24,185
media blackout
Another funny sidebar, older gentleman was there with his wife who was pro-public option. The guy wasn't really saying much but when he did i wanted to high five him. A riled up anti-HC guy was grilling his wife about how Obama is a "nazi" & a "socialist" and how much he hates American and went off on some tangent about Israel...that's when the quiet husband interjects and politely but quickly schooled him with "I am from Israel", quick references to his family and the Holocaust, and then spat out some hard facts and numbers numbers about Israel's government health care. Wow. That dude ruled. Wish I had a video camera for it.

-ska todd
Republicans and facts are like oil and water. I just wish that the Republicans were oil so they would burn catch fire more easily.
 

ska todd

Turbo Monkey
Oct 10, 2001
1,776
0
Now that's not nice! Keep it civil, like going Obama hunting or something..didn't some rebublican governor wannabe make that claim this week?
But if he says "coon hunting" then it's viewed as racial...jeez, give the racists a break :rolleyes:

-ska todd
 

Silver

find me a tampon
Jul 20, 2002
10,840
1
Orange County, CA
But if he says "coon hunting" then it's viewed as racial...jeez, give the racists a break :rolleyes:

-ska todd
Those damn spooks have made it so that you can't even make a sambo joke without people thinking you're a racist.

And, as any white person will tell you, a black person that thinks you are a racist because you use racial epithets in every other sentence is actually a racist himself. Most blacks are, actually.
 

Jim Mac

MAKE ENDURO GREAT AGAIN
May 21, 2004
6,352
282
the middle east of NY
But if he says "coon hunting" then it's viewed as racial...jeez, give the racists a break :rolleyes:

-ska todd
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iOmeH2w9CG7tbMZBMOVvbmG3XwKAD9ABG58O0

BOISE, Idaho — An Idaho Republican gubernatorial hopeful insists he was only joking when he said he'd buy a license to hunt President Barack Obama.

Rex Rammell, a former elk rancher slated to run against incumbent C.L. "Butch" Otter in the May 2010 GOP primary, made the comment at a Republican rally Tuesday in Twin Falls where talk turned to the state's planned wolf hunt, for which hunters must purchase an $11.50 wolf tag.

When an audience member shouted a question about "Obama tags," Rammell responded, "The Obama tags? We'd buy some of those."

Rammell told The Associated Press Thursday he was just being sarcastic and sees no reason to apologize for the comment.
 

IH8Rice

I'm Mr. Negative! I Fail!
Aug 2, 2008
24,524
494
Im over here now
Seeing the youtube vid & clips on Jon Stewart of how the last of Sen Spector's town halls went, I'm sure that next one should be even more of a circus.
hmm havent seen those yet. ill check em out when i get home. it should be a good ol' time (if i didnt miss it already)
Spector even sent me a "cordial invitation"

Now THAT is SHOCKING! (that you have a GF!:D:eek::confused::weee:)
yep...and i dont have to pay her when she leaves
 

Evil Sylvain

Monkey
Feb 27, 2006
181
1
Montreal, QC, Canada
See, I have zero problem with people having political or ideological differences and would never ask someone on the right to "love it or leave it". That line almost exclusively comes from those on the far-right.
Or from the far-left if you live in Canada (and especially QC) and you tend to favor as little as possible government interferences.
 

stevew

resident influencer
Sep 21, 2001
40,494
9,524
Speaking of denied health care, My insurance company is denying me PT trips ordered by my doctor for my shoulder again. Thank you jebus that I don't have a government plan with some heartless bureaucrat denying me health care. :rolleyes::banghead:
payback for riding a scooter.

jesus doesn't roll like that.