So Obama got heckled and his response

[gaiilonfong]

This IS why I support Obama! He is a real leader!

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/01/07/557253.aspx


Anti-abortion protestors heckle Obama Posted: Monday, January 07, 2008 7:33 PM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under: 2008, Obama
From NBC's Lee Cowan and NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan
Rochester, N.H. -- Obama was heckled from the balcony of a theater here. A group of about 10 protestors began to chant "Abortion is abomination." The audience in turn began to shout, "Obama! Obama!" And in the top balcony many started screaming at the protestors telling them to shut up.

Obama from the stage said, "Guys! Guys!" Initially he told the protestors, "I'll talk to you afterwards."

The scene escalated with angry shouts from the audience directed toward the protestors telling them to, "Shut up, go home." And one man even screamed, "Kill the babies!" An older gentleman put his head down and stuck his hands in his ears. It was unpleasant on both sides.

The police came after about five minutes and were greeted with cheers by the audience. The protestors voluntarily left chanting the entire time. When the hecklers had left, Obama joked, "Excitement is over, or maybe it's just beginning."

And he said, "Let me just say this though. Some people got organized to do that. That's part of the American tradition we are proud of. And thats hard too, standing in the midst of people who disagree with you and letting your voice be heard."

[hiaasenrocks]

1. Did he talk to them afterwards?

[wellst0nev0ter]

2. Another Kumbaya Moment Brought To You By Barack Obama

Of course they are organized. The righties are always organized, top down. He should really spend more time thinking of how to deal with these people than to admire their organization.

[Evergreen Emerald]

3. it was staged.

[gaiilonfong]

6. BWAAAAha

Who told you Taylor Marsh DLC Clinton operative?

[Cha]

12. Another disingenous post..

from guess who.

[Evergreen Emerald]

18. lighten up

you guys are so rabid, you don't even get a joke.

All day you have been accusing Clinton of "staging" the emotional event. And when someone, in jest, suggests that Obama stages it, you swarm for the kill. Complete with personal attacks.

Lighten up.

[Cha]

20. My bad...I thought you

were serious.

[DUyellow]

15. please go on

[rurallib]

4. excellent.

[silverweb]

5. Obama is 100% class.

That was just one example of democracy in action -- and Obama took advantage of the opportunity to teach the lesson.

He looked past the obvious rudeness of the protestors, acknowledged them, and thus defused their attempts to disrupt. Exactly like he defanged O'Reilly the other day.

This is the candidate I want leading our country and being our face to the world.


GObama!

[hiaasenrocks]

8. Latest Zogby/CNN poll shows he is 97% class.

[TwilightGardener]

9. LOL!

[silverweb]

17. Close enough.

And within the statistical margin for error. :D

[Cha]

13. He's pretty darn

amazing..I don't care what the hillary surrogates say.

[silverweb]

19. He is.

And I don't listen to them.

[Cha]

22. I gotta stop reading

that crap..it's disheartening.

[silverweb]

23. Yeah, I know.

I give everybody three chances.

After the third derogatory, insulting, or inane anti-Obama post indicating a pattern -- without any positive or worthwhile posts to mitigate that pattern -- they go on ignore until after all the primaries are over.

It's done wonders for my state of mind and my blood pressure. I highly recommend it.

[TwilightGardener]

7. I'm glad he didn't demonize them. He handled it well. McCain gets all

postal on protesters' asses and calls them names.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

10. They would have went to jail at a Bush rally.

[Mr_Monday]

16. Tased at a Kerry event

Don't worry Kerry, I still love you.

[TheDebbieDee]

11. "I'll talk to you afterwards."..........

That's a scene from the Clinton playbook. The Bill Clinton playbook.......

[NYCGirl]

14. Well, then,

No one should ever do that again. He holds the patent on it!

:eyes:

[TheDebbieDee]

21. I can't argue with your logic..........

[eridani]

24. "Some people got organized to do that"

Well, some people got organized to pull off Krystallnacht too. Burning down abortion clinics takes really careful planning too. The Ku Klux Klan has often been well organized. Bully for them.

Not trying to knock the offer to talk to them, which Obama handled very well, but you don't have to validate what misogynists say publicly in order to dialogue with them backstage.

Edit: I think the OP was right to see this incident as canonical. It summarized both what I like and what I dislike about Obama.