In the big leagues, September can be very cruel
As September began, the Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox were cruising to all-but-inevitable spots in the post-season. Today, after a month of some of the worst baseball by contending teams in MLB history, they are perilously close to going home early in what would be a pair of record-setting collapses.
Rick Perry can surely relate.
Gov. Rick Perry greets pitcher Mike Jackson after throwing out the first pitch in a 2001 Astros game (AP photo)
A month ago, the Texas governor was a formidable political figure. Within days of entering the GOP presidential race, he enjoyed double-digit leads in the polls, a growing campaign treasury and the enthusiastic backing of a Republican base excited to have a viable alternative to Mitt Romney.
“If (Rick) Perry can prove that he can perform on the national stage,” I wrote in late August, “the nomination is all but his and there’s nothing Romney can do about it.”
But Perry has done the opposite. In a series of debate performances, each one worse than the previous, he has performed terribly on the national stage. He has exposed himself as a man who doesn’t know much and doesn’t even know that he doesn’t know much. In fact, we haven’t seen a political crash-and-burn this spectacular since the former mayor of Wasilla, Alaska swapped reading lists with Katie Couric.
As that great political strategist Yogi Berra once observed, it ain’t over ’til it’s over. Like the Braves and Red Sox, Perry still has hope. But so far he shows no sign that his fumbling performance is anything but a permanent state of affairs. In fact, watching a smiling Romney play with Perry in the last two debates has been like watching a cat toying with a very frightened, confused mouse.
Unless that changes, the 2012 Republican standard bearer looks to be the man who created the model for ObamaCare, who believes that mankind contributes significantly to global warming, who opposes the teaching of creationism and who signed a state law banning assault weapons, noting that “these guns are not made for recreation or self-defense; they are instruments of destruction with the sole purpose of hunting down and killing people.”
As for Perry? Well, as Yogi also noted, “the future ain’t what it used to be.”
– Jay Bookman
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362 comments Add your comment
Kamchak
September 26th, 2011
3:52 pm
If the Aryan nation’s make a movie and you automatically dismiss it as nonsense because of the source are you a fool for dismissing the movie immediately without seeing it because you know the source of the movie?
If had actually done that, (automatically dismissed an Aryan nation’s movie without watching it) you would have a point.
But I haven’t, and you continue to deflect from the point — you’re going on about something you admittedly haven’t seen and relying on others to tell you what to think.
Again — too funny.
Thulsa Doom
September 26th, 2011
3:52 pm
““Stop your whining, stop complaining, take off your bedroom slippers and put on your marching shoes…. we have work to do”- Obama
“We have work to do”. Um. No. Uhhhh. Um. That would be the problem dear leader. There is no work. The clueless one lives up to his billing yet again.
Thulsa Doom
September 26th, 2011
3:53 pm
And somewhere in Chicago a community searches in vain for its lost organizer.
Adam
September 26th, 2011
3:54 pm
Thulsa: No work to do? Guess I can go home then….
Kramer
September 26th, 2011
3:54 pm
Great Adam now can you list an example of a conservative billionaire playing a victim or are you from the Bill Maher / Michael Moore school of barf up things and do not back them? Admitting your problem is the first step towards recovery son.
Kramer
September 26th, 2011
3:55 pm
Thulsa, come January of 2013 they can have him back.
Joe Mama
September 26th, 2011
3:56 pm
Doom — “We’re really just making note of how ironic it is that Moore is so critical of capitalism while at the same time making mega millions in the capitalist system by decrying capitalism.”
Except that’s not what he’s doing. Perhaps if you had seen the film, you might recognize that.
Moore often makes his films available for free online. If I can find you a free instance — so you don’t have to worry about Moore making any money off you — then will you at least *watch* it? I’ll tell you a couple of places I think you should pay special attention to, because they fly in the face of the ‘evil corporations’ meme you seem to be pushing.
“Its funny actually and good for him if he can produce garbage and get a bunch of sheeple to fork over their money to view his nonsense. He’s just like the inventor of the pet rock- a guy who can make millions peddling total crap.”
He’s publicly encouraged people to disseminate his movies through free media and has often said he doesn’t care if you pay to see them or see them for free. That directly contradicts your claim.
Kramer
September 26th, 2011
3:58 pm
Tom Middleton
September 26th, 2011
3:51 pm
Kramer
By sticking to the principles of Bushonomics, you are dooming yourselves to defeat. With your support of George W. and your full-throated obstructionism ever since his economy collapsed, you are only offering de facto more of the same.
And, dude, the American people already know better than what you’ve proven beyond doubt DOESN’T WORK. Blog away, Kramer, for yours is the party on the ropes, and calling me names is not going to get you off of them!
Holy Jesus Cristo Tom, are you that stupid?! You can not answer a question, you just keep posting Bush garbage like you actually know how I feel about Bush. Come on dude, are you that ignorant or are you just not that smart when it comes to politics? If so, jump on the Justin Beiber website and speak with his followers. You need to stop playing with the adults.
Thulsa Doom
September 26th, 2011
3:58 pm
Kammy,
There’s nothing to deflect about sport. I simply don’t go and view movies made by propogandist kooks who have no credibility whatsoever and whose only appeal is to really stupid people. And you don’t have to view an entire movie to know what its about sport. That’s what critics reviews of movies, theatre, etc are all for. The critic views the movie, lets the reader know what its all about, rates the movie or theatrical event, and lets the reader know if said production is worth his time or not. Is there something about this concept of movie or theater or book reviews that you simply cannot grasp? They’ve been doing reviews for a long, long time. What is it about this process that escapes you sir?
Adam
September 26th, 2011
3:59 pm
Really Adam? Give us all an example of a conservative doing the very thing you are stating
Come on Adam, give us an example of a conservative playing victim or even a billionaire
Great Adam now can you list an example of a conservative billionaire playing a victim or are you from the Bill Maher / Michael Moore school of barf up things and do not back them? Admitting your problem is the first step towards recovery son.
Nice try moving the goal posts. You can see from the above that you did so pretty clearly. I honored your original request, and you haven’t yet given me 10 examples of Obama playing victim in the last 2 weeks. Feel free to number them. I’ll wait.
Adam
September 26th, 2011
4:02 pm
Thulsa: I simply don’t go and view movies made by propogandist kooks who have no credibility whatsoever and whose only appeal is to really stupid people.
If you’ve never seen his movies, how in the hell do you know that he is just a propagandist kook? Because someone TOLD you that? So it’s ok to trust your sources ABOUT Michael Moore, but it’s not ok to watch Michael Moore’s movies and fact check them yourself?
kayaker 71
September 26th, 2011
4:02 pm
Oh, left out Solyndra….. the biggest cluster of the month. Yeah, but it’s only 538B…. pocket change to the big spender in the WH. Green jobs…. the savior of mankind, the great leveler. And still we do not drill in the Gulf, we do not drill in Anwar, we do not tap the millions of cubic feet of natural gas in our northern states, we do not drill off of our east and west coasts….yet we continue to pay for $3.50 gasoline which has an extremely numbing effect on our economy. Diesel is over 4.25 in many stations…. ever wonder how that effects your freight costs and the bottom line for the trucking companies? And Bozo halts drilling in the Gulf. I wonder if that man is doing this on purpose.
Kamchak
September 26th, 2011
4:02 pm
What is it about this process that escapes you sir?
Someone is telling you what to think rather than you experience it yourself. What part of that seems to be giving you the most trouble?
If that’s the way you wanna go through life, then go for it.
But expect to be mocked for not knowing what it is that you are talking about.
Tom Middleton
September 26th, 2011
4:03 pm
Kramer
Still can’t deal in facts, huh? It seems like I’ve talked to you before with another name. Are you that volunteer blogger for the Georgia Republican Party that doesn’t know what he’s talking about? What did you have to do to get that job, flunk the exam? Dude, give it up. Politics is for those who can think!
Joe Mama
September 26th, 2011
4:04 pm
Doom, I’ve read Mao’s Little Red Book, but that doesn’t make me a Communist.
I’ve read The Bible, but that doesn’t make me a Christian.
I’ve read Mein Kampf, but that doesn’t make me a Nazi.
And I’ve seen Michael Moore’s films, but that doesn’t make me anti-capitalist.
I think there’s value in knowing where others’ views and opinions come from, even from people I would consider enemies (like Nazis) or foolish and unreasonable (like Communists). That’s why I see what they have to say.
But it doesn’t make me one of them to investigate what they’re about. By the same token, it doesn’t make me a better person by *ignoring* what they’re about and just making things up to attribute to them.
HDB
September 26th, 2011
4:04 pm
Kramer
September 26th, 2011
3:48 pm
Conservatives playing the victim?? I’ve got one!!
Jesse Helms’ campaign against Harvey Gantt!! (from wikipedia:)
Helms aired a late-running television commercial that showed a white man’s hands ripping up a rejection notice from a company that gave the job to a ‘less qualified minority’; some critics claimed the ad utilized subliminal racist themes. The advert was produced by Alex Castellanos, whom Helms would employ until his company was dropped in April 1996 after running an unusually hard-hitting ad.
Victimhood displayed!!
Thulsa Doom
September 26th, 2011
4:04 pm
Except that’s not what he’s doing. Perhaps if you had seen the film, you might recognize that.- Joe Mama
According to the reviews I’ve read his movie does exactly that which is to deride and criticize the capitalist system. I don’t think there is any dispute about that Joe. And I’m certain he’s made good money off the film. And I’ve no problem with that. Good for him. I just find it ironical is all.
“He’s publicly encouraged people to disseminate his movies through free media and has often said he doesn’t care if you pay to see them or see them for free. That directly contradicts your claim.”- Joe Mama
Joe Mama,
How does that contradict my claim? Has the man not made millions on his films including the one on capitalism? The fact that he encourages people to access his movies through free media does not change the fact that he has made millions on these movies now does it?
Kramer
September 26th, 2011
4:05 pm
God Adam, you more imature then I thought. You posted what you think is fact and I asked you to back it up. I then told you once you did I would give you 10 times last week when Obama played victim. Now you want to change the rules because you are not intelligent to play by them. Now, if you can not play just say so and quit embarrasing yourself and your party. Like I said, Justin Beiber may be more your speed because politics is not.
Adam
September 26th, 2011
4:06 pm
Tom Middleton: Politics is for those who can think!
Apparently not *cough* Rick Perry *cough* Bachmann *cough/hack* Sarah Palin *COOOOOUGH*
Kramer
September 26th, 2011
4:08 pm
HDP, great job and Adam thanks you. Now, the quote from Adam was a billionaire and a live one would be nice. Go back to google son and try again. By the way, I added conservative billionaire. I will make it easy for you and it can be a liberal billionaire if you like. Play on HDP, play on!
Adam
September 26th, 2011
4:08 pm
Kramer: You’re telling me you missed the countless times the Republicans have used the term “class warfare” to defend themselves, or McConnell’s comments about the bridge between his state and Ohio? Do I really have to go and find links for you that have the quotes? Are you that out of touch with current events?
Kramer
September 26th, 2011
4:09 pm
Adam, you are still on the adult blog, cough, you need to stop, cough, before even the liberals on here, cough, ask you to leave.
kayaker 71
September 26th, 2011
4:09 pm
Interesting story about a Republican group of students at Berkley who are challenging the concept of Affirmative Action. They have been pressed by the University, under penalty of expulsion, to drop their complaints. Said that they are getting sick and tired of paying twice what Affirmative Action students are paying and it isn’t fair to them and their parents. What say libs? You are always snorting on about fairness always trumps every argument.
Tom Middleton
September 26th, 2011
4:10 pm
LOL, Adam
Adam
September 26th, 2011
4:10 pm
HDB: The advert was produced by Alex Castellanos, whom Helms would employ until his company was dropped in April 1996 after running an unusually hard-hitting ad.
1996? I thought we were talking about current events. Anyway everyone knows you’re supposed to ignore any history before 2009 when Obama took office, unless it helps your own position of course.
Joe COOL
September 26th, 2011
4:10 pm
-Republican candidates vie for Fox News chief Roger Ailes’ advice, ear-
According to Newsweek, which published a lengthy profile of Roger Ailes as part of an upcoming cover story on the Republican debates, Rick Perry, Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty have each sought out the chief of the top-rated cable network in recent months.
Before Perry announced his 2012 bid, he stopped by Ailes’ midtown Manhattan office, and told him he was worried about being able to raise money. “Money will find you if people believe in your message,” Ailes assured Perry, according to Newsweek. (Of Perry’s presidential stature, Ailes said, “If he tells people he’s gonna kick their ass, he might actually do it, which is useful for a president.”)
Romney had dinner with Ailes recently, according to Kurtz:
When Romney himself sought out Ailes for a pasta dinner, the Fox chief was struck by a sense of humor rarely displayed in public. “You ought to be looser on the air,” he said while dropping off the former Massachusetts governor at his hotel.
And three weeks after Tim Pawlenty dropped out of the race, he “showed up to ask for a gig at Fox,” only to be rebuffed by Ailes, who didn’t want to give Pawlenty, then on the verge of endorsing Romney, a job. “I’m not sure I want to sign you as a paid spokesman for Romney,” Ailes said.
For GOP contenders, a meeting with Ailes sounds like a meeting with the Godfather, replete with a shoulder-touch of approval.
Kramer
September 26th, 2011
4:11 pm
Uh Adam, that is not playing victim. Playing victim is screwing up and then blaming someone else for your mistakes. Like Obama did last week in California blaming Bush for the economy and the Republicans for the job growth. Now son, put down the laptop and go watch MTV.
Kramer
September 26th, 2011
4:13 pm
OK, it has got to be. Adam and Tom Middleton are the same person and are now having conversations with each other. Scary.
Jay
September 26th, 2011
4:15 pm
kayaker, the fact that they AREN’T paying tuition based on race and that you got the central complaint very much wrong in the first place won’t deter you at all, now will it.
Thulsa Doom
September 26th, 2011
4:16 pm
Michael Moore do loves his money.
Today, we’re getting reports that Michael Moore is suing his producers, Bob and Harvey Weinstein for profits over his movie “Fahrenheit 9/11.” This puts Michael Moore in the same category as the profit-loving greedy capitalists that he pretends to hate. If his socialism is predicated on the idea that some people don’t have enough, and others have too much, why is Michael Moore quibbling over $2.7 million? If you would have $2.7 million, wouldn’t that qualify as “too much?” Michael Moore’s current net worth is estimated at $25 million, according to celebritynetworth.com. So, apparently, $25 million still qualifies Michael Moore as one of the “have-nots.”
Tom Middleton
September 26th, 2011
4:16 pm
Kramer
And I did answer you, and if you remember, it was then that you started with the personal attacks. You know, K, that’s how I always know I won the argument – when people like you run out of intelligent things to say! LOL…
Joe Mama
September 26th, 2011
4:16 pm
Doom — “According to the reviews I’ve read his movie does exactly that which is to deride and criticize the capitalist system. I don’t think there is any dispute about that Joe. And I’m certain he’s made good money off the film. And I’ve no problem with that. Good for him. I just find it ironical is all.”
He derides and criticizes *the excesses* of the capitalist system. He speaks highly of a ‘golden age’ of capitalism in the postwar period, when business was booming and workers were *sharing* in the wealth with executives and business owners. However, he also illustrates the recent practices that corporations have engaged in *to the egregious benefit* of executives and owners and *to the detriment* of workers. It’s a rather fine point that I think a lot of observers miss — I haven’t read one critical review that even admits to the *existence* of the part of the movie where he speaks *well* of his and his family’s experience in the capitalist system.
During that part, Moore takes his dad to a construction site where a GM plant used to stand — a plant where his dad once worked. His dad *praises* GM and speaks well about his experience and treatment as one of their employees. The impression I got from that part of the film is not *critical* — it’s *complimentary* of how they ran their business and treated their employees back then. This is why I think you should see the movie for yourself, because I don’t think it contains the message you seem to think it does. I think you’re a smart enough guy that you could watch it and figure it out for yourself.
“Joe Mama, How does that contradict my claim? Has the man not made millions on his films including the one on capitalism? The fact that he encourages people to access his movies through free media does not change the fact that he has made millions on these movies now does it?”
Doesn’t mean that he’s conning a “bunch of sheeple to fork over their money to view his nonsense,: either, does it? Someone who was trying to fool people into parting with their money wouldn’t be encouraging people to get it free, now would they?
Thulsa Doom
September 26th, 2011
4:20 pm
HDB,
Jesse Helms and Harvey Gantt? And how long ago was that? And how is being concerned over losing a spot due to the color of your skin not a concern? If its a concern to blacks then why should it not be a concern to whites or Asians to not be discriminated against based on skin color? Please explain that.
Jay
September 26th, 2011
4:23 pm
No, Kramer, they’re not. I don’t tolerate that here.
And everyone, let’s refrain from letting this get too personal, OK?
Thulsa Doom
September 26th, 2011
4:25 pm
HDB,
Is this kind of discrimation cool with you. Especially against Asian students?
http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/group_hits_hits_affirmative_action_at_uw_law_school_protesters_storm_news_c/
The law school study examined admissions data for the years 2005 and 2006 after the Wisconsin Supreme Court ordered its release, the National Law Journal reports. In 2006, the law school admitted 43 percent of black applicants, 39 percent of Hispanic applicants, 18 percent of Asian applicants and 24 percent of white applicants. Forty-three percent of the rejected whites had LSAT scores and grades that were higher than the median for black admittees. “Admission officers essentially reach down into the applicant pool and pull up certain students,” the study says.
AmVet
September 26th, 2011
4:30 pm
Howdy gang.
I read about that idiotic mess that the UCal neo-cons got themselves into.
I know that UC Berkley is one helluva great school that has graduated innumerable bright minds and has received countless accolades for it’s academic excellence.
Apparently the Young Republicans there are the exception to the rule…
Adam
September 26th, 2011
4:30 pm
Kramer: Claiming “class warfare” is playing the victim card. The victim, in this case, is the billionaires and millionaires. Or at least, that is what you are led to believe. There are quite a few other cases but really, all you have to do is find a few quotes containing “class warfare” in recent news. Many of the people claiming class warfare, such as Boehner and Jim DeMint, are millionaires themselves. So they are playing that victim card more directly.
Less recently, we had an instance of a man in Norway who said it was his Christian duty to kill Muslims. He was arrested for related crimes, and Fox personalities decried this as an attack on Christians.
I could go on, but it’s real easy to see if you pay attention that the victim card is a play often used by the right wing personalities and politicians to try to win their side of an argument. Thankfully, the American people aren’t so dumb as to buy it on the “class warfare” phrase.
Soothsayer
September 26th, 2011
4:32 pm
So young, so innocent!
Joe Mama
September 26th, 2011
4:32 pm
Doom — “Today, we’re getting reports that Michael Moore is suing his producers, Bob and Harvey Weinstein for profits over his movie “Fahrenheit 9/11.” This puts Michael Moore in the same category as the profit-loving greedy capitalists that he pretends to hate.”
If the Weinsteins were contractually obligated to pay profits in a certain way and failed to do so, then should Moore allow them to retain those ill-gotten profits?
FWIW, the Weinsteins are wealthier than Moore, so I think your ‘money jingling in the wrong pockets’ construction is a bit poorly-aimed.
One more thing — Moore’s pretty generous with his money. In fact, he’s made at least one significant donation to a major critic of his. Here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sicko#Moorewatch
Thulsa Doom
September 26th, 2011
4:32 pm
Someone who was trying to fool people into parting with their money wouldn’t be encouraging people to get it free, now would they?- Joe Mama
Joe Mama,
To be honest that’s the first I’ve heard of him offering the movie for free. Regardless though I’m certain he knew that in the first months of the movie people would just go to the theatre and watch it. Not sure if it was out for free distribution during its theatre run or not. Doesn’t matter. I’ve seen one of his movies and bits and pieces of others but when the propoganda got to absurd I just had to turn it off. He tends to play pretty loose with his facts and there was an entire book written detailing his errors and half truths and flat out false statements along with a documentary detailing the same. No thanks. I will say this though. At least the man does have some humor to his films and that does go a long way.
Tom Middleton
September 26th, 2011
4:34 pm
Got it, Jay…Sorry!
kayaker 71
September 26th, 2011
4:35 pm
Bookman,
Their protest is all about race and the consequences of being a white student in an Affirmative Action University. They are having a bake sale, selling cupcakes to students price as follows: white students pay $2, asians pay $1.50, hispanics pay $1.00, blacks pay $.75 and females get a $.25 discount. If that is not about race and the consequences of being white and having to pay more, then perhaps I am missing the point. Berkeley is threatening to defund the Republican organization, dropping all school funds in their support. But, as the Repub students stated, this is all about fairness and it boils down to what each race or ethnic group has to pay for their education. Bucknell shut down a similar protest last year. 1st Amendment, anyone?
Adam
September 26th, 2011
4:36 pm
Just in case Kramer is only paying attention to THIS thread, I am going home. So I will not be answering any more of your posts. Feel free to attack away and feel good that you’re not getting any pushback.
Tom Middleton
September 26th, 2011
4:38 pm
Have a good one, Adam!
Paul
September 26th, 2011
4:39 pm
Adam
Have a nice evening.
BTW, watch out for the vortex. It appears a Harry Callahan clone has appeared.
kayaker 71
September 26th, 2011
4:44 pm
AmVet,
These students have every right to protest something that they feel is wrong. Even the school newspaper editor stated that, while he didn’t agree with their conclusions, they have every right to express them. I know Berkeley is so liberal that you would not even suspect that a Republican even existed there but they do have every right to express their views about the inequity of Affirmative Action…. like the Congressional Black Caucus, a thing that is way past it’s time.
Thulsa Doom
September 26th, 2011
4:45 pm
Joe Mama,
That donation to his critic you deemed as being “pretty generous with his money”. That donation was only 12 grand. Not impressed. I did look up his philanthropy giving and quite frankly it was not at all impressive. It did show a bunch of different little organizations but it doesn’t show any significant amounts or really any amounts. It just showed organizations that he supposedly donates to. Dick Cheney has donated 20% of his yearly earnings for years. I can’t find anything that shows what Moore donates. I don’t know if its 20% like Cheney or $1,000 like Biden the year before he ran with Obama or the 3-5k that Obama contributed the year before he ran.I suspect that he’s probably like the potus and vice potus where he’s generous with other folks money like with Solyndra but very stingy with his own. But at least with Obama he has been shamed into donating more money then the measley, pitiful amounts he used to donate.
Soothsayer
September 26th, 2011
4:46 pm
Thulsa: I read all of the “reports” including the one you posted with your post. Nowhere in any of the “reports” could I find the actual number of Black, Hispanic, Asian, or White applicants, nor could I find the actual number of Black, Hispanic, Asian, or White students actually admitted. Only “percentages” lots of percentages.
That would beg the question of whether the potential pool of Black, Hispanic, and/or Asian candidates was so small that the University had to reduce the requirements of those groups to in any way even out the numbers of those candidates.
I would be interested in seeing a post about this that shows the actual numbers instead of percentages.
Jay
September 26th, 2011
4:47 pm
Oh good lordy, “the consequences of being white ….”
Black students make up a whopping 3.4 percent of Cal-Berkeley’s student body.
Joe Mama
September 26th, 2011
4:47 pm
Doom — “To be honest that’s the first I’ve heard of him offering the movie for free. Regardless though I’m certain he knew that in the first months of the movie people would just go to the theatre and watch it. Not sure if it was out for free distribution during its theatre run or not.”
I don’t recall the specifics, but I think I read somewhere that he asked his distributors not to sue people that were making it available free online.
“No thanks.”
Shrug. I can’t make you watch it, but I really think you should — at least the part where he’s reminiscing about that ‘golden age’ of capitalism. I really think it puts the lie to people who claim he’s anti-capitalist. I think Moore is opposed to the *excesses* of capitalism, and I’ll freely admit to that. But wholly anti-capitalist? Having seen the movie, I simply don’t think that’s possible. No one who was anti-capitalist would be complimentary of a big corporation like GM.
“I will say this though. At least the man does have some humor to his films and that does go a long way.”
At his heart, Moore’s just a working-class schlub from Michigan. I don’t think that scruffy, tubby look of his is affected at all — I think that’s just the way he is.
Soothsayer
September 26th, 2011
4:49 pm
“I know Berkeley is so liberal that you would not even suspect that a Republican even existed there but they do have every right to express their views”
This may come as a shock to those living here in Georgia, but much of the rest (if not most) of the country is not dominated by “foaming-at-the-mouth” conservative Republicans like it is here.
Thulsa Doom
September 26th, 2011
4:51 pm
If you can’t win the policy debate just shout them down.
This week, right-wing think tank Center for Equal Opportunity held a press conference in Madison, Wisconsin to tout their recent findings blasting the University of Wisconsin for supposed anti-white policies. The group — dedicated to anti-”Afrocentric”, anti-multicultural, English-only, “colorblind” public policies — insisted the university was supporting “severe discrimination based on race and ethnicity” through its affirmative action policy, giving preferential treatment to African-Americans and Latinos.
Forty-five minutes into the conference, over 100 university students stormed the room chanting “power to the people” and “we’re more than our scores,” effectively shutting down the conference:
[CEO president Roger] Clegg introduced the study at an 11 a.m. news conference Tuesday at the DoubleTree hotel, 525 W. Johnson St. He was immediately peppered with questions from students and faculty members questioning the analysis.
After about 45 minutes, more than 100 students and others stormed into the room, chanting “power to the people!” and “more than our scores!” to a steady drumbeat. Clegg packed up his briefcase and left. Students took over the microphone and began to share personal stories about the value of diversity.
Joe Mama
September 26th, 2011
4:53 pm
Doom — “That donation to his critic you deemed as being “pretty generous with his money”. That donation was only 12 grand. Not impressed.”
I’ll expect to see that $12K check from you in the mail by the end of the week, then, Doom
(laughing)
Seriously, though, the guy needed help with medical bills, and Moore stepped up to help. I think that’s a class act, whether Moore gave him $12K or $12M.
Doom — “I did look up his philanthropy giving and quite frankly it was not at all impressive. It did show a bunch of different little organizations but it doesn’t show any significant amounts or really any amounts. It just showed organizations that he supposedly donates to.”
If a group doesn’t file a 990, then there probably won’t be records of amounts or anything like that. Smaller and local groups tend not to be big enough to file 990s.
Doom — “Dick Cheney has donated 20% of his yearly earnings for years.”
I don’t consider donations to PACs or political candidates/parties to be charitable, frankly. And that goes for donations to Republicans and Democrats. Wealthy political candidates aren’t charities IMO.
Soup kitchens, homeless shelters, battered women’s shelters, clothes closets, legal aid, doctors without borders — *those* are charities IMO.
Thulsa Doom
September 26th, 2011
4:53 pm
Georgia, but much of the rest (if not most) of the country is not dominated by “foaming-at-the-mouth” conservative Republicans like it is here.- Soothsayer
Sooth,
Then you shouldn’t have a problem with letting the 2 sides have a substantive policy debate as opposed to left wing students shouting down the free speech of conservative students. You don’t have a problem with free speech do you? Or are you like other liberals who love free speech- just as long as its your free speech.
kayaker 71
September 26th, 2011
4:53 pm
Soothsayer,
Berkeley has about 22K students on their main campus. When prop 209 passed stating that students could not be singled out for their ethnicity when applying to the University, the mix of hispanic, black, native american and other minorities dropped dramatically. As to how many of each group is enrolled, not sure.
Thulsa Doom
September 26th, 2011
4:59 pm
I’ll expect to see that $12K check from you in the mail by the end of the week, then, Doom – Joe Mama
Joe Mama,
Indeed. It was a classy thing to do. As for my 12k check I did in fact help raise $10,800 last year for our cancer research for kids but otherwise if someone is expecting a $12,000 check from me alone then well, uh, lets just say the proverbial snowball in hell has a better chance for now. 10 years from now maybe I will be able to stroke that check but not right now. And when I get to that point where I can afford it I would love to write $12,000 checks to charity or simply to help someone out in need. I think we all would.
Joe Mama
September 26th, 2011
5:00 pm
Doom — “Then you shouldn’t have a problem with letting the 2 sides have a substantive policy debate as opposed to left wing students shouting down the free speech of conservative students.”
A press conference isn’t a debate.
I’m not defending the actions of the disruptive students, but they didn’t disrupt a *debate.* Furthermore, free speech is not, as Rush Limbaugh says, free of consequences. You’re not entitled to a forum and you’re not entitled to be heard.
You can say what you want, but you can’t get up on stage and demand that everyone else STFU and pay attention to you while you say it. The Constitution does not and has never guaranteed any such right.
Joe Mama
September 26th, 2011
5:03 pm
Doom — “I would love to write $12,000 checks to charity or simply to help someone out in need. I think we all would.”
I give in four figures to charity each year, but I think the only way I’m ever getting to five figures in a single year is if I hit the Lotto.
Among the charities I donate to regularly are the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, the Pat Tillman Foundation, The Wounded Warrior Project and Heifer International.
Thulsa Doom
September 26th, 2011
5:12 pm
Joe mama,
A press conference is not a debate. But in a civil society you don’t go interrupting someone’s press conference because you don’t like what they say.
To me this is nothing more than leftist students who simply don’t like what someone else is saying so they try to shut them down and disrupt them from saying what they want to say. This happens frequently with conservative speakers on college campuses. If you don’t like what they say then engage them in a civil debate instead of engaging in mob tactics. If they can’t engage in civil debate or protest quietly and peacefully then they should just STFU rather than disrupt someone’s press conference with mob tactics. What was that that the potus said about civility after the Gifford shooting?
Jay
September 26th, 2011
5:13 pm
I agree, re: debate and free speech. Shutting it down should not have been allowed, and those who did so ought to be disciplined.
Joe Mama
September 26th, 2011
5:18 pm
Doom — “To me this is nothing more than leftist students who simply don’t like what someone else is saying so they try to shut them down and disrupt them from saying what they want to say. This happens frequently with conservative speakers on college campuses. If you don’t like what they say then engage them in a civil debate instead of engaging in mob tactics. If they can’t engage in civil debate or protest quietly and peacefully then they should just STFU rather than disrupt someone’s press conference with mob tactics.”
Shrug. I’m an atheist. I’ve never picketed a church or religious group in my life, but I’ve been picketed and shouted at by theists before. They’ve even sneaked in and tried to disrupt what we were doing. Should those theists have buggered off and left us alone?
“What was that that the potus said about civility after the Gifford shooting?”
It goes both ways. Again, I don’t defend or excuse what those students did — and I do think they should have found another way to express their outrage — but what you said about Constitutional rights is a non-starter. The conservatives had no right to a public forum and audience. Decorum’s one thing, and you’re right on that point. Constitutional rights are another thing, and you’re wrong on that one.
AmVet
September 26th, 2011
5:21 pm
And the confused Republicans still can’t figure out why 2% of their party is black.
TWO PERCENT.
Or why the numbers aren’t much better for Latinos, Jews, Asian-Americans and every other ethnic or racial minority.
I’m not certain that even white power, Aryan nation type groups don’t have that sort of minority representation.
Own it. You’ve worked relentless for a long time to have earned it…