"Stacking the Crowd". Did no one see this USA Today COVER Story?

[Brotherjohn]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/2004-08-09-ask-bush_x.htm

It was on the front page on the web, but I think on the paper edition, too. This can only be good, especially when one makes the obvious contrast with Kerry's campaign appearances (see http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x606798).

This is a ("THE"?) mainstream press outlet making it very clear that Bush stages his campaign events to make himself look good. Oh, WE all knew that here, but it never was discussed much in the media, or among the masses. The meme that Bush is "out of touch" with regular people is gaining steam.

"Bush's 'talk show' always has appreciative audience"

"But these "Ask President Bush" campaign forums, the eighth of which was held at Northern Virginia Community College here Monday, leave little to chance."

"The national Bush campaign staff works through a local Republican office to assemble an audience of 1,000 to 2,500 people, depending on the site."

"Depending on the message Bush wants to put across, the local office also lines up some carefully chosen locals to take the stage with him and explain how Bush's policies are helping them... The people chosen to tell their stories sometimes have to be prodded to hit the right notes."

[Parche]

1. GW Bush

He has to stage everything

A true Leader like John Kerry will answer every question given to
him, and even complete his sentences.

[Brotherjohn]

2. Can you imagine the pasting Kerry would take if he answered a question...

... like this?

Reporter: "Senator Kerry, what do you think Iraqi sovereignty means since the handover and how do we resolve conflicts between Iraq and our own forces and government?"

Kerry: "Well, Iraq's sovereignty means that... it's sovereign. You... you're a... you're a... you've been given sovereignty, and you're... viewed as a sovereign entity. (laughter) And, therefore, the relationship between our government and Iraq is one between s... sovereign entities."

Yet that's just what happened the other day. Except the "sovereign" entity was Native American Tribes and the person answering the question was Bush.
http://www.majorityreportradio.com/weblog/archives/Bush%20-%20Tribal%20Sovereignty.mp3

The man gets a free pass.

[tom_paine]

5. As Free a Pass as any Brutal Dictator ever got

Hitler, Stalin, papa Doc, Idi Amin, Bush

ALL of these belong together in the same category.

[billybob537]

3. AND you can understand what he said!

It's not ahhh caose annn terra saaaah ahh I traded Sammy Sosa

[lukasahero]

4. NPR had a drive time story

on it as well. I was cheering (finally).

[nyhuskyfan]

6. In contrast to Big Dog's radio show yesterday...

I don't know how many listened (it was syndicated on Westwood One and was aired on AAR in place of Mike Malloy's show for an hour). He was his usual articulate self, handling good, probing questions from the moderator and then took around a dozen calls. I can't imagine * ever doing anything like that.

One of many things I loved about Clinton as a president -- he admitted to mistakes (not talking about Monica) and tried to rectify them. He has often said he regrets not intervening in Rwanda sooner, but he said on the air that in the aftermath he created an initiative where we funded the training of African armies that could intervene should anything like that happen again. He said that there are several African armies (Nigeria, in particular) that could be of terrific assistance in the Sudan right now, provided that we and our allies provide the funding (which * won't).

I just really enjoyed listening to the whole hour and hearing an articulate president handle some tough questions and answer them thoughtfully. It reminded me of the good old days (sigh).

[DemBones DemBones]

10. I didn't care that Clinton tried to hide his fooling around

with Monica. I think that at least part of his motivation was to avoid hurting Hillary and Chelsea, which is a good thing. And he did admit Monica was a mistake, once he had to admit it happened. He was mad at having it uncovered but who could blame him? It was all so stupid. . .

Clinton was great on The Daily Show last night, too. Did you see him?

[grytpype]

7. Glad to see this is getting mainstream coverage.

[Xipe Totec]

8. Smile For Your Emperor

"Our President's processionals are enormous moving bubbles (even when he visits alien places closer to home like the Big Apple) that shut cities, close down institutions, turn off life itself. Essentially, when the President moves abroad, like some vast turtle, he carries his shell with him."

http://www.mojones.com/news/dailymojo/2003/11/we_606_03a.html

- The whole world is George's Potemkin Village

[wolfuncle]

9. On being handled.

A political convention, campaign whistle stops, rock concert, movie, opera is there really a difference? Well there is one, the frightening thought that George W. Bush could possibly be re-elected and continue to sit with his finger on the button. We all need to act in what ever way we can, get people to look at bush and what he does not what he says.

Ive been building a series of billboards online, these could go on real billboards and will continue to expand them. I am trying to base them on real information, facts and quotes. I am looking for input, criticism, source for facts, nice sound bite style quotes, photos.

Please take a look at what I have been doing and give me some feed back, if you like it pass the link on to independents, I think for some reason Democrats will vote this year.

http://marketingtheworld.com/bush/bushbillboard.php

you can mail me at [email protected] feedback please.

Jorn

[newyawker99]

13. Hi wolfuncle!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[DemBones DemBones]

11. The media need to report how people are not being allowed

to enter a Bush* rally unless they sign a loyalty oath. That goes beyond stupid, fearful, and narrow-minded.

[Dudley_DUright]

12. This part is unintentionally hilarious

After Bush chats with those people, he asks for questions from the audience. The ones he gets are usually soft and friendly, raising suspicions that they have been arranged in advance. Campaign officials insist they have not.

"None of these is ever planted," says Scott Stanzel, a spokesman for the Bush-Cheney campaign. "Nobody knows who's going to be called on."

Um Scott, your whole audience is planted, who cares who exactly gets called on?