USA Today: Has today's political discourse come to this? - group of Dems

[Pirate Smile]

listening to Bush's SOTU. This reporter seems shocked, shocked, I say. I'm sure not.

Has today's political discourse come to this? (obviously)

NASHVILLE (USATODAY.com) — Last Tuesday night, a group of about 40 hard-core Democrats who live in this bustling country-music capital gathered in The 5 Spot, a neighborhood bar east of downtown, to watch President Bush's State of the Union speech.

-snip-
How hard-core were these Democrats?

Before Bush came on TV, the group sat watching a videotape of a Martin Luther King Day speech delivered recently in Washington by former Vice President Al Gore.

-snip-
When the Gore tape was halted for Bush's live broadcast, there was a collective groan.

And when the president was introduced to the packed House chamber, a chorus of lusty boos rang out in the saloon.

It was going to be an interesting hour.

When Bush called for a more civil tone in political discourse, listeners here shouted, "No!"

And when he mentioned "enemies of freedom," someone called out, "Like you!"

Every time the president spoke the word "freedom," a mocking chorus sang in unison, "Freee-dum"

The same was true for presidential mentions of "evil."

"Eee-vul"

more
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/columnist/benedetto/2006-02-03-2006-02-04-benedetto_x.htm

Heh heh.

[Pirate Smile]

1. The reporter even looks slightly bemused in his photo.

[MrSlayer]

2. The loyal opposition.

He says it as if it's bad to be loyal to the country and not to the President. Were there stories like this for Clinton's SOTU speeches?

[Kerrytravelers]

4. There were none because how can you boo peace and prosperity?

Democracy... kind of nice, wasn't it?

[MrSlayer]

14. Yes, it was.

I have a cat that looks almost identical to yours.

[Kerrytravelers]

20. What a cutie-patootie! He looks like such a sweet little kitty!

[Kerrytravelers]

3. Like the rethugs don't have strong opinions against Dems.

"There you have the loyal opposition. It says something about the level of political discourse in our country today. "

This, sir, is what happens when over half the country has their freedom of speech held hostage. they will express their anger one way or another. I'd like to hear what he thinks when the shoe is on the other foot... by 2008...

[Pirate Smile]

15. This is what happens when polarization is your modus operandi.

Following Rove's plan, Bush has made it clear he doesn't give a damn about anyone except for his "base". We Democrats are aware of this - obviously.

Plus, he has NO credibility. It doesn't matter what he says. Usually the opposite of what he says turns out to be true. We shouldn't take him so "literally", I guess.

Bush chose to govern and campaign by polarization and, hopefully, it will lead to his downfall.

[radio4progressives]

5. This was NASHVILLE TN??? (!)

Please, someone, tell me i read that right...

[Lars39]

7. Nashville was blue.

There's deep pockets of blue in this supposedly "red" state. And getting bluer. :)

[radio4progressives]

8. That's good to know, because damn it I want to hear progressive country

music for a change!

[jillan]

11. What - you don't like all of their new songs about Jesus?

Iraq and Roll?

Daryl Woorly?

Oh - come on!:sarcasm:

[Skip Intro]

6. "the packed House chamber" - ???

"And when the president was introduced to the packed House chamber, a chorus of lusty boos rang out in the saloon. "

Makes it sound like the president had throngs just waiting to listen to him - in contrast to the hard-core Dems in the bar. But isn't the SOTU invite only - and never, I would guess, be not-packed? In fact, its staged to be packed.

But reading that line, I got a fleeting impression that bush commanded a much larger audience than "hard core Dems." I wonder how many people read that, got that feeling, and it never passed - was just accepted - people flock to bush, and the few reamaining Dems are desparate bar flies.

Maybe its just me.

[Kagemusha]

9. They pack it so a reporter will write "the *packed* House chamber"

and lo and behold someone writes it.

Well, lazy, if nothing else.

[Cocoa]

10. one person is responsible for this state

George W. Bush.

[Neil Lisst]

12. USA Today is a sellout for the Bush administration.

What can you expect from a newspaper whose only Pulitizer Prize nomination was for "Best Investigative Paragraph?"

[JohnnyRingo]

13. Were they wearing democrat shirts?

I mean, how did he know they were democrats?
Is anyone who diagrees with GWB now labeled a democrat? I've been to Freep Repub and seen them tear him up about immigration. Would this reporter spot them as Democrats?

And I was just getting used to being called a "liberal".

On edit:
I reread the article and they may have been Dems, but I imagine that as a Republican reporter he gathered up their names to turn over to Homeland Security.

Has the majority party come to this?

[LibDemAlways]

16. Has this idiot been living under a rock?

He thinks most everyone just loves the Bush Crime Family except 40 people in a bar in Nashville who are "hard-core Democrats"?

As for the tone of their talking back to chimpy, they sound absolutely polite. Chimp deserves scorn and derision far beyond what they doled out.

[Totally Committed]

17. And, he write this like it's a BAD thing....

:thumbsup: Personally, I say IT'S ABOUT TIME!

TC

[Vickers]

18. That goddam librul media.

Iffen I didn't know better, I'd say it was almost a neocon media! :crazy:

[in_cog_ni_to]

19. They sound like a FUN crowd! The reporter seems to

not know what to think of them. Has he been hiding under a rock for the last 5 years? He must know the Democrats DETEST that illigitimate piece of crap? Right? Funny story though. I love their retorts to the idiot's speech. Sweeet. :7 Yup, this is what our political discourse has come to. What's wrong with that? The repukes started this political war. We'll finish it for them.;)