picketing candidates' events

[ashling]

I brought this question up in the course of another thread, but that thread seems to have been put to be, so to speak, so I will try my own:

If a union who is on strike and, in the course of that strike, pickets a ot of venues at which political events, fundraisers, speeches, etc. had been planned, generally democratic candidates will not cross the line out on general principles. However, if such union declares that they won't picket events of one political candidate, isn't this some sort of contributiion in kind from that union to that candidate unless, they do so for all of the candidates?

How much would it be worth?

I am not asking to "pile on" any particular candidate, it is just a question. What do you think?

[Capn Sunshine]

1. I think this question belongs in GD

In the lounge one refrains from heavy politiical issues.
Buy you a drink?

[ashling]

2. I can't get an answer in GD

that's why I posted it here too. I don't think this is too heavy for the lounge ... anyway, this is where people know me

[MonkeyFunk]

3. Have you tried the Cooking and Baking forum?

[eyesroll]

4. I do not think it is a contribution-in-kind.

If anything, it is people volunteering to do something (or not do something). That's never considered a contribution (no matter how much that "something" is worth, so long as they're not being paid to do it).

[SoxFan]

5. This is piling on a certain candidate

This is the bogus "picket line" threat at the Verizon Wireless Arena, site of today's Obama rally with Oprah Winfrey.

This small union has been almost completely silent over the six years that the arena has been open. Hillary Clinton spoke there in June, and there was not a peep out of them. The husband of the longtime state dem party chair in NH has scheduled high school graduations there on many occasions, and there wasn't a peep. The NCAA held a nationally televised hockey playoff round there, and nobody said anything. Hundreds of American Hockey League and Arena Football matches, and nobody said anything. Concerts by John Mellencamp, Evanesence, and Trans-Siberian Orchestra just this month, and nobody says anything.

The DNC, Young Democrats of America, and Stonewall Democrats hold an event at the non-union hotel across the street, and nobody says anything.

The whole threatened picket is a phony stunt cooked up by Clinton backers within the state Democratic party.

[ashling]

6. No - it is absolutely not - it is a valid question

Now if I had asked: "Do you think that Oprah gave every member of the union a new car to refrain from picketing the Oprak/obamaevent?"

Yes, it comes up in the first instance - at least to me - in the context of this event, but the question applies generally. I am not familiar with the exingencies of this event. Perhaps there is a reason, as you suggest, that this situation does not meet what I, for the sake of discussion, would make a general rule.

[Critters2]

7. But they haven't picketed anything. Read the post above. nt

[ashling]

8. But that is not the question

Read the post above.

There is no "they" to my question. It is a hypothetical question.