A Sign Read " MCCAIN = BUSH " - Why Was It Considered An Offensive Sign?

[Segami]

BUSH = 43rd President Of The United States of America

MCCAIN = 2008 Republican Presidential Nomination

QUESTION: Why is a sign that reads " MCCAIN = BUSH " considered to be " offensive " and punishable by law when in fact, they are BOTH the SAME product elected from the SAME Republican Party to which McCain has embraced Bush's Iraq and economic policies.


" A 61-year-old part-time librarian, who went to McCain’s town-hall meeting in Denver on Monday. The event was described as “open to the public,” and was held at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, which is financed in part by tax dollars.

Kreck, however, brought a hand-held sign with her that read, “McCain=Bush.”

A police officer told Kreck, “You have two choices. You can keep your sign here and receive a ticket for trespassing, or you can remove the sign and stay in line and attend this town hall meeting.” When Kreck chose Door #1, she was escorted by police off the property, and told she would be arrested if she returned.


What did she do that was considered " offensive "?


Video:

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfB4ZqgUlgw>

[Christa]

1. The truth hurts ;) nt.

[Segami]

8. That sounds just about right. I remember a time when Republicans were stumbling over

themselves just to pitch the public the idea that " they were a lot like Ronald Reagan " just to get re-elected, now we have people getting arrested for holding signs and pointing out the sad truth about McSAME.

[unpossibles]

2. apparently honesty burns Republicans like sunlight burns vampires

that's a guess.

[kentuck]

3. It shows what they really think about Bush, I suppose?

Would Obama be offended in a similar way if someone held up a sign that said, Obama = Carter or Obama=Clinton?? I doubt it.

[liberal N proud]

4. Because the it wasn't deemed appropriate propaganda by the regime.

[JBoris]

5. I am really loving this argument, it also goes well against mcsame's complaint about Obama's

"attack ad" that features him hugging bush
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6474007

[Occam Bandage]

6. When I went to see Obama's St. Paul victory speech, all signs were disallowed. All of them.

The signs you saw on television were brought in and handed out. This is pretty standard, I think. Everyone wants to control the message.

[JBoris]

7. That doesn't mean you can arrest little old ladies for holding signs n/t

[Occam Bandage]

9. I am certain that if I had attempted to bring a sign in, they would have told me

that I would have to leave it outside. I am also certain that if I insisted, they would have told me that my options were:

1. To leave it outside and go in empty-handed,
2. To leave with my sign and go somewhere else,
3. To stay here and be arrested for trespassing.

That is exactly what would happen if you tried doing the same thing in, say, a Target. That's just what happens when you take political messages onto private property that doesn't want to be associated with your political message. They ask you to leave, and if you refuse, they tell you that you can either shut up or you can be escorted out by the cops. Free speech has never meant that you can disrupt private events at will.

"Oh, but this is politics," you say. Well, politics is a show, and staged indoor rallies are sets. You can't bring your own sign any more than you could start screaming "IMPEACH NOW" during a taping of Dr. Phil. Their show; their rules.

[Segami]

11. I believe the town hall meeting was billed as " “open to the public " and NOT just to McSAME

supporters. BTW, whats McSAME so afraid of to be viewed as another Bush clone? He has a mouth to defend himself of these claims in a public forum if he wished.

[Occam Bandage]

12. So was Obama's speech. It's pretty common practice to prevent people from bringing signs.

It's also common practice to prevent people from wearing T-shirts/buttons with disruptive political messages. :shrug:

[Segami]

13. So what you are saying is that its OK for a candidate to come into town to face their public

in a staged ' town hall ' event and bill it as ' public '? So whats so offensive about saying " McCain = Bush "? Is he not advertising himself as the " StraightTalkExpress " candidate?

[Occam Bandage]

18. Yeah, I am. Do you think Obama doesn't do the same? He does. Do you think Edwards

didn't do the same? He did. Do you think Kerry didn't do the same? Sure he did. That's the way politics goes.

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21. Maybe we should ask McSAME's campaign advisers if " thats the way politics goes " so arrest anyone

who sports a sign such as " MCCAIN = BUSH ". I guess arresting folks for saying one candidate is the SAME as another other person from the SAME political party which happens to be the sitting president of the US of A has now become the NEW political doctrine and strategy of the McCain Group which you find acceptable?

[Christa]

16. Do you think

If the sign said something like: "McCain is a war hero" or McCain the next president", it would have been allowed?

[Occam Bandage]

17. Probably not. Most speeches control message very, very tightly.

[Christa]

20. I beg to differ

Candidates love home made signs praising them, we see it all the time. It gives the audience a "personal" touch.

[Segami]

19. Of course and very much welcomed to the point that that individual was given front row seats and

a lot of tight camera shots as Mccain use them as incidental backdrops. On the video, it shows some people sitting on the front row sporting t-shirts with some graphic or message printed on them. I can't make out what it is but why weren't they asked to cover up their t-shirts even if it was tame advertising of a company logo/name or product? Why allow such t-shirts prime tv exposure and yet, not allow others?

[nc4bo]

10. I think this lady did us all a great service :)

She's a walking anti-mcbush live commercial and it's getting pretty good air time too.

She's cool with me ;)

[KurtNYC]

14. Of course it is offensive! A little too "straight" for McCain's express

This would be a publicity debacle for McCain if the media wasn't part of his campaign.

Obviously the MSM's mission is in lockstep with campaign McCain's -- control McCain's image and message while distorting Obama's message. Let McCain 'score points with America' while Obama is forced to waste time and money correcting the BS they put out about him.

[Segami]

15. McCain considers the ' MCCAIN = BUSH ' sign as another form of character ' swiftboating '....lol!

I would like to hear McSAME come out and challenge these claims pinned against him as to the reasons why he thinks he DOESN'T REPRESENT another 3rd Bush term.

[MrScorpio]

22. Instead of signs, I would have went with t-shirts

With "McCain=Bush" on the front

Lot's of em, (Bring a crowd) with nifty RNC symbols on the back

First covered up with button downs, and when the time is right every shows off the shirts underneath

Talk about fun!

[Segami]

23. Sounds like a good plan and very deserving for the McCain Straight Talk Express. I believe

it would be very fitting to turn the tables back on the McCain Express and at their next town hall meeting, everyone, should on cue, show their printed ' MCCAIN = BUSH ' t-shirt underneath their button-downs. If everyone across the country caught on to this little payback, McSAME would have no choice but to hire stand-in actors to fill his small town citizens gatherings just so he can maintain control of their every move and dress attire....lol!