Pledging Fealty to Lord Cheney

On what basis do you say that?

 

I thought Republicans were against political correctness.

 

They are, but it's another thing to show up at a presidential event with such a targeted hateful message. You have to admit that, don't you?

I saw three hate T-shirts yesterday and those folks were tromping around with impunity.

 

Because you set up a false dichotomy in your original post. There is a troupe of Repubs who will follow Kerry and Edwards around from now until Nov. 2 and do what they can to disrupt things and try to get the candidates to react in a way that looks uncool when the soundbite is played. Recently, some young Repubs blasted airhorns everytime Kerry tried to talk. The local constabulary took care of it after a while, but this is the Junior High kind of stuff that will be with us for the duration. A little beyond just waving flip-flops.

Dems don't like exclusionary policies regardless of who's being excluded and we don't like loyalty oaths and we think that all citizens should be able to participate in all aspects of civic life. Hence, drop by your local NM Dem office wearing your "W '04" button with a Bush-Cheney bumper sticker plastered across your forehead and you'll get a ticket to go see Kerry and Edwards. If the opposite were to occur, there'd be no way I'd get into a Bush rally. That's one of the big philosophical differences in this election.

 

No, I don't have to admit that. The President is the penultimate public figure in this country and as such can expect to have people that love him and people that can't stand him. If you can't deal with that, maybe you ought not to be President because regardless of what people may think of you, you still have to be their President too.

I'm glad people were walking around with impunity because I would greatly fear for this country if they were not. It's a thing called free speech, which is a little-known add-on to the Constitution.

And by the way, I don't seem to remeber such an outcry from the right when Clinton was President and all sorts of bumper stickers and t-shirts pushing Clinton hate were in vogue. (Neither do I remember the left saying there shouldn't be such things.) I suspect that if Clinton had tried some of the tactics B-C use, the reaction from the right would have been mighty.

 

<b>Originally posted by rimrocker

No, I don't have to admit that. The President is the penultimate public figure in this country and as such can expect to have people that love him and people that can't stand him. If you can't deal with that, maybe you ought not to be President because regardless of what people may think of you, you still have to be their President too.</b>

Who is the ultimate public figure in this country? Is it still Clinton?
I'm sure Bush knows that he has Americans who are not fans. I believe these actions are undertaken by the people charged with protecting the president regardless of who is the president. I hear he's a big fan of the Will Farrell impersonations. Isn't that dealing with it?

<b>I'm glad people were walking around with impunity because I would greatly fear for this country if they were not. It's a thing called free speech, which is a little-known add-on to the Constitution. </b>

You can still thank Bush for that. Free Speech does not also Guarantee Audience.

<b>And by the way, I don't seem to remeber such an outcry from the right when Clinton was President and all sorts of bumper stickers and t-shirts pushing Clinton hate were in vogue. (Neither do I remember the left saying there shouldn't be such things.) I suspect that if Clinton had tried some of the tactics B-C use, the reaction from the right would have been mighty.</b>

You keep trying to overlook some important differences. The secret service is not going around arresting everyone across the land who has a HATE BUSH t-shirt. They arrested these two folks for trespassing in the vicinity of the president with these HATE BUSH t-shirts. It's also a security thing in this time of threat and war-- no matter how dumb you think that is.

 

The problem these people experienced is two-fold: 1. Their t-shirt said "HATE BUSH." It wasn't just an antii-Bush t-shirt.

2. As I recall, the left the Free Speech Zone to try and be disruptive to the event.

Are you all really that interested in protecting hate-speech? How about a little civility. There are also security issues that the Secret Service is responsible for.

 

Giddy, I think we are two souls who will never quite get in synch.

 

ya think??

 

giddy the T shirt said "Love America, Hate Bush." Don't you think that sentiment is a little different than if it just said "Hate Bush"?

 

it's an interesting balance between civility and civil liberties. At some point even the Bushies should be allowed to have their pep rallies without constant protest -- yet -- we SHOULD be allowed to protest.

My impression, however, is that the Bushies do trample civil liberties with abandon. And the whole - what race? bit was offensive. So i'll side with the haters here!

Though i much prefer protests that involve the removal of clothes by pretty women.

 

This proves the thesis in my LIBERALS vs. CONSERVATIVES thread. Thank you.

I see no such problem with our souls or any human relationship we might potentially encounter (neighbors, friend, etc.) This is too bad-- coming from you not from me I want to reiterate.

I have several friends who make you look moderate, yet you make such a conclusion based on scant evidence. I would never make such a decision based on such flimsy and/or meaningless evidence.

 

Thanks for the reminder. It is a tad softer, but if I am in charge of protecting the president, it doesn't matter much.

 

Why are you still here then? People have been banned from this place for much less serious offenses....

I await your reply.

 

I certainly don't. See my reply above.

Now who is promoting this Two Americas idea: me or rimrocker?

 

I said that because I can never really figure out exactly what you're talking about... it has nothing to do with our political philosophy...