NYT: At Bush Events, Tickets Come With a Catch

[kskiska]

Want to see the president when he comes to your town? Get in line - to make phone calls for his campaign.

President Bush's campaign aides say they have hit on a novel way to recruit volunteers for his get-out-the-vote army. Anyone wanting to attend one of Mr. Bush's campaign rallies, anywhere in the country, has to get a ticket first. And anyone wanting a ticket, or a coveted spot up front, can improve his chances by putting in a few hours at a phone bank, canvassing Republican homes or putting up lawn signs.

Campaign rallies may be as old as politics itself, but in this year of earliests, firsts and most-expensive-evers, the Bush campaign has taken this most basic form of communication to a new state of the art, by pressing audiences to work as foot soldiers, before, during and immediately after Bush events.

The tactic points up a stark difference between the presidential campaigns: while Senator John Kerry is using his rallies and forums to try to reach undecided voters and to close the deal with standoffish Democrats, Mr. Bush is packing his audiences with supporters who must identify themselves as such in questionnaires and whipping them into brigades ready to blitz crucial districts to get every last voter to the polls.

Kerry aides scoff at the invitation-only audiences and what they say is the shanghai-ing of volunteers. "We don't require oaths of allegiance, and we don't take people captive," said Tom Shea, director of the Kerry campaign in Florida, after turning out close to 10,000 people for a rally in Orlando last Tuesday where, he said, 700 people signed up to help.

more…
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/28/politics/campaign/28crowd.html?hp

[RamboLiberal]

1. ROFLMAO - Less than half ticket holders in Maine showed up!

Only about 4,000 of the 9,400 people given tickets to the Bangor event showed. (Mr. Bumps insisted that undecided voters were welcome, but if there were any at the rally, they did a good job of faking their enthusiasm for Mr. Bush.)

<snip>

But in Bangor at least a dozen hecklers got in, which Mr. Bumps chalked up to the fact that it was Mr. Bush's first stop in Maine of the campaign.

<snip>

"It's like going to Disney World, only instead of the cartoon character saying you have to be this tall to ride, they have a picture of Rush Limbaugh saying you have to be this right-wing to get in," Mr. Shea said.

[MaineDem]

12. We had to turn people away at the Edwards appearance in Maine Sunday

Unfortunately.

But the hall was small and only about 2500 people were able to get in. It was a great sight but I'm sorry for those who couldn't get in.

Without a loyalty oath!

[mainer]

22. We received tickets (?!) but didn't go

I suppose we could have gone and protested, but we're not really comfortable making loud and public scenes. Besides, I couldn't have stomached listening to that man.

The point is that the GOP in Maine must have been hard up to find enough supporters just to show up, if they're sending tickets to my hubby and me, since we're registered Democrats and Kerry contributors. I suspect those 5000 people who didn't show up were GOP desperation invites -- a way to get SOME warm bodies in there.

[gatlingforme]

24. HAHAHA, Bush is an idiot. I hope Kerry points out this in one of his

debates with the chimp. he should mention the fact that these people must do this in order to see Bush at a rally.

[alcuno]

2. What a great line...

"We don't take people captive."

[krkaufman]

3. Seems perfectly natural.

Preferential treatment for Bush campaign contributors. What's the news? :)

[shanti]

4. bout time they exposed this nonsense

for what it is. frickin nazis....

[demoman123]

5. This makes sure the audience is Bush supporters & keeps out hecklers.

It's clever. Someone who wanted to heckle would have to pass out Bush literature first.

Kerry doesn't need to do this. He can handle the flak.

[AgadorSparticus]

6. HAH!! They're treating their supporters like performing circus animals.

Quick, jump through this hoop. Now that. It's a wonder they have supporters left.

We volunteer because we are inspired! Something they obviously know nothing about.

[saigon68]

10. Circus Animals ?? --Hell, they have a TRAINED CHIMPANZEE

Being led around on a leash by his master---"President Cheney"

[AgadorSparticus]

26. LOL. so true.

:)

[pinniped]

11. Any any circus animal is smarter than those stupid * worshippers.

Those stupid Kool-Aid drinkers deserve what they get.

[teryang]

13. Totalitarianism is a movement not a campaign

The analogy to circus animals is appropriate.

[The_Casual_Observer]

7. I wouldn't go to a bush event if they paid me and offered me

a big dinner. I would rather have my skin peeled off.

[pfitz59]

8. This is a great idea!

Get on the Bush* phone bank and tell folks what a loser he is! On their nickel! Plus free tickets to freeper central!

[trogdor]

23. Message From Ed Gillespie

via Atrios:


Please join us THIS Wednesday for a National Conference Call with Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele. Lt. Gov. Steele will discuss his personal experience at this year's convention and how to get more involved in the upcoming election. Team Leaders are guaranteed a spot, so there is no need to RSVP to participate in this call. Lt. Gov. Steele will answer as many questions as time permits.

DIAL-IN NUMBERS: 877-675-5901
PASSCODE: TEAM LEADER
CALL DATE: SEP-29-2004 (Wednesday)
CALL TIME: 7:00 PM EASTERN TIME

Joining the call is easy! Simply dial the call-in number above and use the pass code "Team Leader". Hope you can join us and thank you for your continued support. Please encourage your friends and family to join the call!!

Ed Gillespie
Chairman
Republican National Committee

[leftchick]

9. brigades? blitz ?... ....

where are the brownshirts?

[Supersedeas]

17. i picked up the same imagery

[LizW]

14. Somebody explain this to me, I'm dumb

What's the purpose in Bush spending all this time and truck-loads of money "campaigning"? Common sense would say that it is to bring his message to the undecideds, and that in this supposedly close race, it is to get people who are not yet on board to hear him and come over to his side.

So why does it sound like all he's doing is preaching to the choir? Why is he using his very costly personal appearances to be seen and heard only by the already-loyal?

I don't know anything about running a political campaign, but I know this -- votes win, not ego-fluffing town hall meetings packed with fawning supporters. I don't think Rove is a supernatural creature, but I do think he's a smart guy, and I wonder why he's doing it this way? If Bush's personal appearances are all theater, then what is going on behind the scenes? What is Rove really doing to get the votes?

My suspicion is that it's push-polling, voter roll purging, new-registration purging, voter intimidation, and some unknown-as-yet crap with absentee ballots. Add a to that non-stop nasty advertising and you get a campaign that is based almost entirely on dirty tricks and cheating, and hardly at all on the candidate himself. Which is really disgusting and sort of frightening when you think about it. If Bush (arguably the worst presidential candidate ever to run for re-election) can be this close in the polls thanks to dirty tricks, it says something very sad about the political process, doesn't it?

[bogey18]

15. Well said

What always scares me is the thought of all the things they are doing right now that we DON'T know about, since they have become so brazen and emboldened by the fact that they currently CONTROL EVERYTHING!

[leftchick]

18. This is a Thread Starter LizW!

excellent questions.

[Ilsa]

16. It's an incarnation of their philosophy:

We want you little people to work for us at virtually little or no pay. We want to enslave you for your own good.

Why can't they see that philosophy after having to live it?

[durablend]

20. Do they also hand out...

Job applications to Smiley Mart during these soirees?

"Now that you know how to volunteer for nothing, work FULL TIME for nothing!"

[Beetwasher]

19. I'm Sure That Conscription Makes for Some Very Happy, Enthusiastic

volunteers :eyes:

No wonder they are doing so well registering new voters...:eyes:

[Neecy]

21. yep

They should make them volunteer for active duty in Iraq to get their damn tickets.

[Zerex71]

25. If you want to sabotage the proceedings...

...sign up, waste your time on the phone calling your friends and pretending to do voter registration, then, after you've jumped all the Pavlovian hoops, show up to hear Bunnypants and heckle the crap out of them for the 0.5 seconds you'll be allowed to. The more people that do this the more national attention it will get and point up just how (as the talking heads will gladly natter on about) people are infiltrating their camp to make them look ridiculous.

Mike

[MisterP]

27. he calls this "fertilizing the grassroots": fertilizer is made up of...

BS!

[VegasWolf]

28. Yes, your own SOUL..

[struggle4progress]

29. kick

:kick: