Why Protesting the GOP Convention Is Not A Good Idea (Rude Pundit)

[Bhaisahab]

Excerpts:
Not that the Rude Pundit gives a shit whether you believe him or not, but he's got the cred to say this: he believes protesting the GOP convention is useless at best, and, at worst, dangerous to the cause of getting rid of George Bush.

<SNIP>

The Republicans are salivating at the prospect of all the giant puppets, idiotically dressed attention-needers, and the lefty thugs beggin' for a fight. The vast, vast majority of the tens of thousands of demonstrators will be the "average" people, silenced by four years of Bush's hegemonic control of political discourse, people who want, for chrissake, to finally show that they deserve to be heard. Goddamn, it's a beautiful thing, a giant protest, when the tides of people keep flowing as a unified whole, when everyone you meet has the same beliefs as you, when there is an instant bond. Sure, it can be goddamned hot (or cold), your feet get sore, and your voice gets hoarse, and the speakers can get repetitious, but ultimately you are there to say that you have a voice that counts, that you are part of the democracy. Fuckin A, man, it's so fuckin' beautiful.

And all it takes is one fucked up group of anarchists with a giant papier-mache George Bush with a giant papier-mache cock fucking a giant papier-mache Statue of Liberty in her giant papier-mache ass to fuck up the whole vibe. Oh, sure, it's lots of fun when you're out there and the street theatre group comes out to perform its latest play, Cheney Wants To Shock Your Dick, complete with rubber masks and a guy in the Abu Ghraib hood and rags (although, c'mon, you roll your eyes at how literal and didactic the whole production is). But then some asshole decides to burn Donald Rumsfeld in effigy or something. And you know what makes the news: not you and your kids, out there, saying they're afraid they're gonna be drafted; not your neighbor, out there because he can't find a job that has health insurance; nope, none of that. What makes the news is the papier-mache fuck puppet, the burning Rumsfeld, the Cheney mask.

Oh, how the Republicans want there to be violence, how they want the Starbuckseses near Madison Square Garden to have their windows broken, how they want flags to be incinerated in the steets. You know, you know in your heart of hearts, dear hippie-wannabes (sorry, that time's over, gang), that groups have been infiltrated or entire groups created, just so someone can light the spark that makes the explosion. And if you haven't made your Lyndie England bondage costume, complete with a prisoner on a leash, that some COINTELPRO-type has decided to do it. Or some Fox "News" exec who needs good images. And then, how deliciously will the GOP tie Kerry, who was a protester, as we all know, to these protests. See the Democrats? Do you wanna be with the fuck puppets and the flag burners or do you wanna be with the nice guys? they'd be saying.

READ FULL AT: http://rudepundit.blogspot.com/

He could be right. Everyone involved with these protests must ensure good behavior.

[scarface2004]

1. i agree

what if they had a convention and people just ignored them..then what would they do. they need a whipping boy, don t give them one.

just quietly vote their asses out of office once and for all in november. that s good enough.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

2. I can honestly see both sides of the issue here

on the one hand, people DO have the right to protest and his entire administration has been about suppressing the voice of the people (remember the "focus group" that was against the war? You me and a gazillion other people?). I also kinda want the WORLD to see that not all of us are dumb shits who support this idiot.

On the other hand, it would be kinda cool for them to be TOTALLY ignored and totally not have ANYTHING to gripe about. But seriously, I think the protests will, for the most part, be peaceful and I don't think we're going to see any huge news stories out of it.

How's THAT for wishy-washy? LOL!

[blondeatlast]

3. Hate to say it, but RP is so right. Great NY Mag article with Mailer

and son on the same subject:

http://www.newyorkmetro.com/nymetro/news/rnc/9574 /

They intend to claim ALL the protestors are SANCTIONED by the Democrats--a ridiculous lie, since some of them hate the Dems as much as the Repugs. (Can't find the link now, but was in NYT on Saturday, I believe.)

Edit: "They" being the Pukes, not Norman Mailer and son.

[DrFunkenstein]

4. This Has Been Playing Out In My Head For Weeks

Why do I feel like I'm going to get into a fight with someone I agree with?

[blondeatlast]

6. I'm still trying to find the NYT article

in which bushbots claim they will pin ALL demonstrators directly to the Dems.

It was buried in another article.

They want trouble--please deny them.

And if you will be there, go with God. I wish I could.

[A_Possum]

5. I still think Kerry needs to deliver an important warning speech

High profile, right before the convention, directed to the protestors, saying, In So Many Words, that he asks everyone to remain peaceful as they exercise their civil rights.

[Bhaisahab]

7. I think that'll just incite the anarchists even more...

... those folks are too far gone. any authority figure burns their balls.

[DoYouEverWonder]

10. Anarchists are like al Qaeda

they are mostly a figment of the GOP imagination.

[A_Possum]

13. The point is for Kerry to make clear any violence is not from his...

supporters, and that he does not condone it in any manner.

[Green Lantern]

8. We need

massive peaceful protests just in case they cook the election again, to show the world not all Americans are on board the express bus Bushwa is driving off the cliff.

We need the numbers to counter what I fear will be a "landslide" for Bushwa in BBV land.

We need the numbers to show that we are not going away quietly, nor are we intimidated by their fear tactics.

We need the numbers to wake up a press that has been on snooze patrol for three and a half years.

We need the numbers to show our strength-they will assume those who showed up were only the tip of the iceberg.

We need the numbers to embarrass the repugs-with "I lost my job under Bush" or "Outsourced by the Bushies" or "I lost my civilian job serving in Iraq".

We need the numbers to show the compassionate conservatives just what compassion is.

[Piperay]

9. I agree

registering new Democratic voters is much more constructive and will hurt the RNC more than any protests every can or will.

[baltodemvet]

11. It's the ELECTION, stupid

Of course he's right but the real point is that, instead of protesting, we need to be out in America--especially the swing states getting votes for Kerry/Edwards and democratic candidates for the House and Senate. The best protest is making the GOP convention is an exercise in futility.

[JSJ]

12. this will be a protest to show we haven't yet...

...had the right to protest revoked. A protest for the right to protest, if you will.