LOL @ Arianna Huffington's free bus passes

[AZhitman]

http://www.redstate.com/mattkibbe/2010/ ... troturfer/

What a bunch of buffoons.

Beautifully-worded quote:

"Big government - the most well funded special interest - cannot compete with the power of the market. It is why freedom works."

[96Qowner]

Maybe we should start calling her Kim Jung Arianna.

Honestly, I never understood busing in protesters. Does no one see the reflection of totalitarianism in that? That reminds me of paying people to vote (oh, excuse me, giving them money for a meal, uh huh, AFTER they vote - "here's your money, thanks!").

As Bob Shieffer asked, "Is that all you've got?"

[AZhitman]

Such a joke.

Here's another question: How many of those people are gainfully employed? How many should be job-hunting instead of attending a rally? How many took an unpaid day off, and will whine when they can't make rent?

[dusred]

Jon should restore sanity by committing suicide. Ms. Huffington should do the same.

[IBCoupe]

Man, you guys are useless.

[themadscientist]

Wow, that was an awesome argument. I am ready to agree with you based upon your thoughtful analysis.

I was at 9/12, and there were people stretched back from the capital to the Washington monument.





I spoke to many of them and while there were likely some buses funded by interest groups, I never talked to anybody who got there that way. Everyone I conversed with drove themselves or carpooled with friends. The left can't come to grips with the fact that the majority of Americans do not think government is the answer and they don't want what little prosperity they manage to wrench from our failing economy taken away by liberals.

[AZhitman]

Man, you guys are useless.

Actually, I'm a continual and persistent contributor to society, both locally and nationally. I'm also a husband and father, have raised 4 awesome kids (one of whom is, as you know, defending our freedoms), a long-term taxpayer (26 years woo hoo), and spend my 9-to-5 holding my government agency (as well as those agencies receiving pass-through funding) accountable to the people of Arizona.

Perhaps you were referring to someone who hasn't yet posted in the thread?

[IBCoupe]

Oh, my bad. I thought we were turning political discussion into a game of gossip and celebrity. Had I known there was deep, thoughtful, and relevant conversation going on, I woudln't have responded in that same fashion.

You see, everything prior to my post focused exclusively on bashing public figures and grand swathes of Americans who are politically active, so it was easy for me to be confused.

My mistake. Carry on.

[themadscientist]

Yeah, only the left gets to generalize the opposition, right? No need for a second standard, one will do. At least your passive aggressive tantrum was entertaining.

[IBCoupe]

You go ahead and pretend like I enjoy liberal celebrity worship/hate more than any other if it makes you feel better.

At the very least you've recognized that you were being useless.

[audtatious]

Is this one of those "argue for the sake of argument" times for you?

Just curious.

[wingFeather]

You know you're pathetic when you have to buy friends.

[themadscientist]

You go ahead and pretend like I enjoy liberal celebrity worship/hate more than any other if it makes you feel better.

At the very least you've recognized that you were being useless.

You do more to prove it by your own words that by my assertion. Your attempts at insults merely expose your lack of substantive points.
Your opinion is tainted and thus carries no weight with me except as a curiosity .

[heliochrome85]

id trust IB if needed be, my end of life care, thats how much i respect and trust his judgement. i can honestly say, you wont find a more level headed guy here. myself included.

do yourself a service and read his posts properly. you may learn something.

[AZhitman]

I'd say that about both you and he.

With that understood, his post was weak.

[Eikon]

I had a professor last semester who was discussing the proliferation of news-sources and how they are frequently biased. She was ranting about how terrible Fox news is and how even she can admit that some of the other major networks are also biased. Then she said that she now uses the internet for reliable, trustworthy news.. She then said that she relied on the Huffington Post as the best, most reliable, unbiased news-source.

I proceeded to do an involuntary face-palm...a bit on the loud side. She made a funny face and looked at me... She asked if I had a problem with Arianna Huffington.. I told her that I just had a fly land on my forehead and that she could move on with her lecture.

[heliochrome85]

the huffington post is literally cobbled together by anyone Arianna could get to blog. She has recently offered blog spots to Newt among others. Her point of view is definately left of center. i just dont expect the huffington post to have more than a single shred of credibility.

that beign said, who anymore is doing actual reporting? I mean i know who is, but which of the major networks is. It seems like Fox/MSNBC's method is to make s*** up and see what sticks.

[IBCoupe]

Is this one of those "argue for the sake of argument" times for you?

Just curious.

No; I honestly have no patience for conversations that revolve around personality. I can tolerate it and ignore it mostly when it's tangential to the issue, but when you make it the issue? That's just embarrassing.

You do more to prove it by your own words that by my assertion. Your attempts at insults merely expose your lack of substantive points.
Your opinion is tainted and thus carries no weight with me except as a curiosity

No attempt at insult was made. I called you guys "useless" because you focus discussion on a person, or a group of people who will all, without fail, die someday and thusly cease to be relevant.

This is in contrast to the wonderfully interesting conversations (no sarcasm, honest) that come up in this section. This happens around elections because elections are a time to focus on people, instead of issues. I get it. But it doesn't mean I'm not going to call you guys on it.

Look, joking around about public figures is okay. Making comments and having a small side-conversation is fine. But when you create a thread devoted to doing nothing but bash a figure - not for their ideas or their actual political speech, but instead for the means by which they make that political speech - you do nothing but waste time and energy that could be better spent by talking about things that last.

And if you ever see me do it, call me on it. Please. I try to operate under the assumption that anyone participating in political discussion is doing so in good faith, so you won't often see me do it, but if you do, stop me. I think you'd be hard pressed, however, to find me doing it on these pages.

We can talk about terrorism intelligently, so long as we don't wander down the path of mindlessly complaining about terrorists. We can talk about illegal immigration intelligently, so long as we don't waste our time griping about illegal immigrants. We can talk about welfare reform intelligently, so long as we don't spend our time decrying the evils of welfare queens. There are real issues that you guys could be talking about from this very event. But instead, y'all post things like this:

How many of those people are gainfully employed? How many should be job-hunting instead of attending a rally? How many took an unpaid day off, and will whine when they can't make rent?

And this:

Jon should restore sanity by committing suicide. Ms. Huffington should do the same.

And this:

You know you're pathetic when you have to buy friends.

That got a bit rantier than I intended, but really guys, I'm embarrassed on your behalf.

[96Qowner]

Look, joking around about public figures is okay. Making comments and having a small side-conversation is fine. But when you create a thread devoted to doing nothing but bash a figure - not for their ideas or their actual political speech, but instead for the means by which they make that political speech - you do nothing but waste time and energy that could be better spent by talking about things that last.

Hey, I can relate. I had to put up with all the juvenile "wise"cracks about Bush for 8 years. And now the President is even making those kind of cracks about Karl Rove (isn't that a tad passe?) and the US Chamber of Commerce. It's kind of like giving people a piece of your mind, ya know? Usually, your eventual memory of it is that, once more, you acted like an a**. Ah well, it seems to happen to me less often now, thank goodness.

How do you feel about busing people to political rallies like that?

[AZhitman]

There are real issues that you guys could be talking about from this very event. But instead, y'all post things like this:

How many of those people are gainfully employed? How many should be job-hunting instead of attending a rally? How many took an unpaid day off, and will whine when they can't make rent?

Those are questions which are indicative of a real issue.

The fact that you've bandied about this event as something of interest tells me that it's at least worth looking into.

[IBCoupe]

Those are questions which are indicative of a real issue.

Which issue is that? Looks more to me like an opportunity to belittle people you disagree with. How do any of those questions lead to relevant information? There are people at a rally. A bus was organized for them to get there, and they might not have gotten there themselves. How do any of those questions have any relevance to those known facts?

When you hear people bitching about the things you're asking about, then you can bring up the rally. But doing it in reverse is asinine.

How do you feel about busing people to political rallies like that?

That's a pretty worthwhile question, 96, and after I posted that, I was thinking that you actually did find a nugget of worthwhile discussion.

I don't have a problem with busing people to rallies like that. There was a time where I'd gladly lend my voice to a cause, but I was not in a financial position to get my butt down to Washington. In fact, the only time I have ever made it down to Washington for a political cause was where I had help in getting there.

[heliochrome85]

the cry of "WAR FOR OIL" isnt nearly powerful enough unless shrilled on the national mall by a college student. or cindy sheehan.

[96Qowner]

I don't have a problem with busing people to rallies like that. There was a time where I'd gladly lend my voice to a cause, but I was not in a financial position to get my butt down to Washington. In fact, the only time I have ever made it down to Washington for a political cause was where I had help in getting there.

How would you characterize the difference between those who, like yourself, are bused to a protest and those who managed to get themselves there? Couldn't a good case be made that those who managed to get themselves there were more motivated and focused? If I said "hey, free rides to Washington for everyone!" - do you suppose some people might go just for the heck of it? Hm?

I'm not the least bit impressed with people who get a free road trip to a protest, sorry. I don't trust their motivation, purpose or integrity, unless it's a purely local thing where people raise money for the trip with bake sales or something. But rich people renting a bunch of protesters they don't know? Nah, not impressed.

As the inimitable Speaker Nancy Pelosi referred to it - that's astroturf.

[heliochrome85]

I don't have a problem with busing people to rallies like that. There was a time where I'd gladly lend my voice to a cause, but I was not in a financial position to get my butt down to Washington. In fact, the only time I have ever made it down to Washington for a political cause was where I had help in getting there.

How would you characterize the difference between those who, like yourself, are bused to a protest and those who managed to get themselves there? Couldn't a good case be made that those who managed to get themselves there were more motivated and focused? If I said "hey, free rides to Washington for everyone!" - do you suppose some people might go just for the heck of it? Hm?

I'm not the least bit impressed with people who get a free road trip to a protest, sorry. I don't trust their motivation, purpose or integrity, unless it's a purely local thing where people raise money for the trip with bake sales or something. But rich people renting a bunch of protesters they don't know? Nah, not impressed.

As the inimitable Speaker Nancy Pelosi referred to it - that's astroturf.

as is your right. i just dont see your argument being developed as anything more than conspiracy theory. I for one, have the means, have the time, to go to this rally, but if someone is offering me a free trip instead of the 100 bucks it may cost me to go round trip to DC, why not? does that make me less of a legitimate protestor?

its like arguing against social security because .1% of the population may abuse it. by extension, those on social security may have compromised morals. funny how that too is a conservative rallying cry...

[IBCoupe]

How would you characterize the difference between those who, like yourself, are bused to a protest and those who managed to get themselves there? Couldn't a good case be made that those who managed to get themselves there were more motivated and focused? If I said "hey, free rides to Washington for everyone!" - do you suppose some people might go just for the heck of it?

I don't see them as any different. If those people were bused in from California, and the people that got themselves there walked three blocks from their apartments, how's the "worthiness" math add up? Requires a much bigger commitment to leave California for a week than it does to leave your apartment for an hour. Should we start surveying people?

I prefer, instead, to judge a protest by the merits of the ideas advocated, and the arguments made. Not my perception of the level of devotion to those ideas. Of course, to me, the number of protestors is also entirely irrelevant, as is their demographic make-up. One protester with a good argument beats out a million with a bad one, regardless of whether that protestor walked, flew, hitchhiked, or was hired by someone else to appear there.

"Astroturf" is irrelevant when it comes to evaluating the actual message, regardless of what Nancy Pelosi says.

[audtatious]

The only time I have an issue with it is when organizations bus in people from out of state to complain about an in-state issue. Paying someone to vote is also something I'm not comfortable with from either side.

[IBCoupe]

On the other hand, isn't paying someone to vote just cutting out the middleman? Is it any better to vote in your self interest some other way?

Both the Democratic incumbent and the Republican candidate for my Congressional district promise to bring home more money for our unique local industry. If I vote for one of them because I like my job, is that all that different?

[audtatious]

It is different than taking a bus to area X and paying people 10-bux to vote for "your guy".

[IBCoupe]

In what way?

[audtatious]

Changes the demographics based on money payouts and simply seems wrong. At what point does buying votes turn wrong in your eyes?

From a legal perspective it may be fine.