Independent Voter To WIS GOPer: "After hearing you speak-I've decided to become a Democrat."

[kpete]

At a Wisconsin Town Hall, the Mood Turns Against Compromise

...............

Schultz pointed out in reply that other public employee unions, such as the police and firefighters, had restrictions on their union rights, such as the inability to strike, so that teachers, nurses, and social workers, should not think of themselves as exempt from state restrictions on their bargaining rights. "All the animals in the barnyard need to be equal," Schultz said.

Though the audience was respectful of Schultz and his Animal Farm analogy, hardly any one seemed convinced of his solution.

..........

After Schultz ended his comments, a man of about 60 approached the microphone and said, without rancor, that before he came to this meeting he considered himself an independent voter.

"After hearing you speak," he said to Schultz, "I've decided to become a Democrat."

...................

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/03/at-a-wisconsin-town-hall-the-mood-turns-against-compromise/72144/

[midnight]

1. Applause....

[StopTheNeoCons]

21. Need 1 million K&Rs on this thread!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!

Need 1 million K&Rs on this thread!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!

[tavalon]

2. You kept the best line for last as did the article.

Not that becoming a Democrat in these tepid waters is a great thing, it's still a great line.

[Old and In the Way]

9. About that tepid waters thing...

as a Democrat, I sure have to agree that our Party, at a national level, has been anything but decisive these past few years. And we could use a lot more fighters in the Party that aren't afraid to use Republican political tactics. But then you get a guy like Grayson who stands up to the Republicans and then gets beat and you have to wonder what kind of message that sends to the the Democratic leadership.

I think the national political landscape breaks down to roughly a 30-30-40 split. Democrats and Republicans at 30 and Independents around 40. It's trying to figure out that 40% and what motivates them to vote for/against each Party that makes our politics so crazy. My gut tells me that a substantial majority want a Democratic vision for this country. But the voting results don't seem to bear this out. After 8 years of Republican misrule and 2 years of Republican obstruction, I just don't get the results of 2010. Perhaps this guy is representative of the wake up call Independents are getting...if so, 2012 could be a well deserved disaster for the Republican Party. Here's hoping..

[tavalon]

14. Do you realize how much money the powers that be had to spend to get rid of Grayson

The DLC aside, most of us see that as an optimistic thing.

[Roland99]

19. A lot has to do with that damned "liberal" media, too.

If it weren't for that "liberal" media, the Terrorist Party would have never been more than a blip on the radar. Now it has the full force of major party (albeit filled with brain-dead twits that match their den mother)

[MedicalAdmin]

24. To paraphrase George Carlin...

If you consider how stupid the average person is and then you realize that half the people you meet and statistically dumber than average...


Does that explain at least some of that percentage?

[jwirr]

23. There is a difference between our tepid congressional dems and

those real Democrats in WI. They remind me very much of the old democrats I used to love: JFK, RFK, FDR, etc. They stand up for the people.

[Old and In the Way]

3. Republicans are kinda screwed whatever they do.

Pander to the base, they lose the center/left, moderates, independents. Govern as moderates and they lose the base. But I prefer that they pander to the base because their ideological agenda gets exposed and that will galvanize a lot more voters to reconsider their neutral positions on politics. The chasm between Parties is just too wide and the agenda outcomes too real for the Independent voter to choose a la carte.

[Control-Z]

4. "All the animals in the barnyard need to be equal," Schultz said.

WTFUCK??

[Dappleganger]

8. It's a reference to Animal Farm.

Here's a good synopsis (for those who haven't read or just need a memory jog): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_Farm

Schultz was referring to the phrase, "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."

[AlbertCat]

33. It's a reference to Animal Farm.

I'll bet a lot of those people didn't know that.

But even knowing about Animal Farm.... what a story to bring up for such a moment! The GOP's psychology is showing!.... again!

[Old and In the Way]

11. That's a Republican being honest about what he thinks of the people he represents..

Talk about elitist thinking...they truly believe they are the ruling class and their contempt for the voters is pretty much on par with this guys comments.

[reformist2]

31. They have no respect for anyone who chooses to work in the public sector.

Wow.

[Ikonoklast]

13. Boy did he ever fuck that up.

He got people thinking, "Did I just hear him compare us to barnyard animals? So, all of us working class dopes are just animals to him?".

What a horse's ass. His analogy was his own petard.

[Mimosa]

5. The citizen was listening and thinking. Good for him.

He understood that Rep. Rep. Schultz had contempt for all the working citizens. :)

[OneAngryDemocrat]

6. A Parable for Our Time

A Parable for Our Time

A young man with a microphone was ranting about unions to anyone who would listen, and managed to gather around him a small crowd.

When an opportunity arose to reply to all the young man had to say, an elderly gentleman of about 60 stepped up and, addressing the crowd, said, "I joined a union 30 years ago at a job earning $2 an hour. I stayed at that union job for 30 years so I wouldn't have to retire making $2 an hour."

With that said, the man handed the microphone back to the young fellow, and walked away.

As did everyone else in the crowd.

[southernyankeebelle]

7. It seems across this country dem's are swimming upstream. Republicans are trying like hell to

disinfranchise democrats. The last is in NH where they are trying to take the youth vote away. I hope the kids stand up to this nonsense.

[AsahinaKimi]

10. If they decide to become a Democrat, I can suggest a website..

to hang out in.. :D

[mmonk]

12. That's great but warn him not all Democrats are like those 14 in Wisconsin.

[Kablooie]

15. Republicans comparing themselves to Animal Farm is appropriate.

In the book the pigs ran the revolution and told the other animals that everyone was equal while they secretly grabbed up all the luxuries exclusively for themselves.

It's an appropriate analogy but Republicans are idiots to bring it up.

[Edweird]

16. I've got some bad news for you Mr. Independent-turned-Democrat.

[joeunderdog]

17. I'm a Democrat who just turned Unenrolled.

Today's Democrat in office looks like a Republican to me. I will not hand my partisanship to just anyone calling themselves a Democrat.

[AllyCat]

18. Animals in the barnyard? God these people are so out of touch and RUDE

And this is the guy the Dems got to vote with them against the Budget Repair Bill. Ugh.

[DirkGently]

20. Wisconsin has the steel in its spine that we all need now.

[Chichiri]

22. And Schultz is the "reasonable" GOPer, the one who said he'll vote no.

Imagine if guys like that 60 year old went to hear a full-on teabagger speak!

[reformist2]

30. I know, right?

[Mybrokenchains]

25. oh no he di'n't.....

You're not supposed to refer to citizens as livestock!! xDDD
hey Schultz, do you mind holding this big red flag forever? thanks.....

[Corruption Winz]

26. I've always believed that the best "recruiters" for the Democrats have been Republicans. n/t

[dwilso40641]

27. K&R n/t

[Kurovski]

28. K&R for the power of Ed.

[malaise]

29. K & R

Perfect

[Beartracks]

32. "Treated equally" = "screwed equally" to corporatists.

The problem is NOT: "It's not fair that public union workers get better health care!"
The problem IS: "Hey, how come we're getting screwed on OUR health care?"

The problem is NOT: "Government workers are overpaid!"
The problem IS: "Private sector employees are UNDERpaid!"

The problem is NOT: "Our expenses are too high, so let's cut those dinky programs that help low- and middle-income people."
The problem IS: "Our income is too low, so let's repeal those unaffordable tax cuts on the upper-class and corporations."
(Note: Only a moron would voluntarily reduce his own income and then demand that the plumber has to cut his bill in half.)


--------------------------