I am worried.15,000 jubilant fans greeted Bush in Phoenix

[saracat]

and there were many Hispanics among them.Very few protesters were out.This is creepy .Combined with the altercation I had the previous day with an Hispanic factory worker who is supporting Bush because his salary went from$16 an hr. under Clinton to $22 an hr. under Bush, and his perception that Kerry wouldn't vote for equipment for the troops. I am scared. I don't like what I am starting to see.I didn't feel like this several days ago, but I'm getting creeped out. My husband says the supporters were actually bused in and weren't from AZ. Anybody know about this?

[AnnitaR]

1. Chimpy's supporters are always bused in!

Don't be worried. You can't compare the crowds Chimpy gets to the ones Kerry has been getting.

[freetobegay]

2. Take a deep breath count to 10 then laugh

I would say your husband is right. 3 months ago I would have said that we didn't have a chance at taking AZ. Now I think we have a very good chance, thats why Bush is there!

[yorgatron]

3. which factory is this that pays $22 an hour?

and how do i get a job there?

[freetobegay]

4. I don't know, I didnt say anything about factories.

[merh]

25. I'm with you - $22 an hour for factory work is great, where do we

go?

Chimpy and crew would not run the risk of attendees that hate him showing up at his rally. They control the audience and the audience is as rigged as those on the Dennis Miller show. They might have gotten alot of them from a labor company like labor finders, pay them for a days work to show up and hold signs? I wouldn't put it past them.

[Arbustosux]

28. Not in Tucson AZ

we are the home of the $10 an hour job....

[imax2268]

5. what about this...

I also heard that some Dems who had "tickets" were not allowed into the event...something like that...only heard a soundbite on the news...

[German-Lefty]

6. I heard the two Spanish TV stations in the States are run

by a republican who doesn't even speak Spanish. So they may be stuck with nothing but fox quality news.

[blondeatlast]

11. And Kerry hasn't been to central and southern Arizona yet,

just the northern areas.

Let's see what happens here in Phoenix and in the more liberal Tucson!

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

7. Please remember

that a few months back, Bush was greeted by enthusiastic crowds in Long Island. Afterwards, reporters went into the crowd to get reactions, and most couldn't speak English! Turns out they were PAID to attend the rally! Don't know if that is what has happened here, but I wouldn't be surprised.

In Springfield MO, home of John Ashcroft, there have been hundreds of protestors, and I don't believe Bush's crowds have been as big as what you report in AZ.

Also please remember that there very well could have been protestors who were shunted to 'free speech zones' in Tucson, or otherwise discouraged by the cops. Facism works by creating an illusion, and that's what you saw.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

8. Screw that crap! I'm hispanic and we're not stupid

Me, my family and our friends are all voting for Kerry because we know that Bush doesn't give two bits about us. Bush might throw a few extra pennies at workers for menial labor, but Kerry will help us pay for college so we can actually get real jobs with healthcare.

[City Lights]

9. Don't discount the impact the Native Americans will have in AZ.

They have a major election this year, so they'll be out in force. The gaming initiative brought them to the polls in 2002, which helped Janet win. When they have an initiative on the ballot, or a tribal election, things tend to work out well for the Dems.

[blondeatlast]

10. I'm suspicious of those figures (Phoenician here).

He appeared at Veteran's Memorial Coliseum, right? If that many people showed, the place would be virtually capacity.

IN contrast, I went to the JFK rally in FLAGSTAFF, on a LATE SUNDAY NIGHT, and was surrounded by easily 8,000 and I was midway in the crowd, I couldn't tell how many were behind me (bu there were easily a couple thousand).

Let me repeat--Kerry wasn't scheduled to show until 9:30, and actually arrived much closer to 11. At night. IN FLAGSTAFF. Population 53,000.

And I don't think the Dems can afford to bus people in like the Pubes do.

[Demoiselle]

16. I have nothing substantive to add to this thread..but I love that you

...call yourself a Phoenician.

[Zomby Woof]

22. but she realizes that it is a flaw

;-)

[Zomby Woof]

21. the Secret Service AND local police

Cite 10,000 as the most reliable estimate of Sunday's crowd. :-)

And the population is about 60,000 now.

[Desertrose]

24. Kerry also drew 2000 people in WINSLOW!!

WINSLOW FACTS
Population: 9,520 friendly people

Thats a hell of a percentage,isn't it!?:)

They were standing out at the train station & Kerry made them stop....


hoohooobabeee!!!

Bush is not only toast but burnt toast!

[Zomby Woof]

26. mmmmmmburnttoast

Is breakfast ready? :D

[Julien Sorel]

12. I wish people paid less attention to crowd size, and more

attention to the underlying dynamics of the election. What's important are poll numbers measuring public sentiment, economic data, and news from Iraq. The size of crowds can be manipulated quite easily, and are a tiny measure of a campaign's success. Howard Dean was able to draw large crowds, but when push came to shove, his crowds didn't translate to a winning campaign.

Personally, I'm absolutely thrilled to see Bush is campaigning here at all. Last year I thought AZ would be a solid red state; instead the stumblebum is being forced to campaign here to keep the state in the red column.

[blondeatlast]

15. Indeed, and this is what?, at least his second visit this calendar

year.

The repugs are seriously worried about us here in Arizona, as the dynamic is rapidly changing.

Bring him on!

If Kerry can draw that size of a crowd in Flagstaff, and the Kennebunkport Kowboy has to come to Phoenix to draw nearly the same, let's just say I'm pleased with our chances here!

[lukasahero]

13. Is there a link for the 15000 number?

I'm dubious of it - his numbers haven't been anywhere near that for the most part. I also heard a report from NPR's Don Gonyea (who is traveling with the campaign) in which he said that Dumya folks claimed over 12000 attendees at one rally but official city reports were more like 8000. They are LIARS so if this number comes from them, knock off a few thousand and it might be a bit more accurate.

This is being played by the administration to make it look like he is loved and adored and keep the majority of the American people in the dark regarding his real numbers (or lack thereof) in relation to Kerry's overwhelming rally numbers. Keep the public in the dark, steal the election and no one will question that Kerry lost certain "key" states because the media keeps telling them it's "so close".

[blondeatlast]

17. Link, and check out McCain's expression!

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0812bush-visit12.html

I think this may be overestimated. The VMC was remodeled several years ago, so now, to make every event to appear to have sold out they black out huge sections on either end of the arena.

Even so, getting 15,000 hard core republicans out in Phoenix isn't really too difficult. Compare that to getting 8,000 Dems in a town of 58,000 and you'll see why a visit from the Kennebunkport Kowboy doesn't worry me--and this is REAL cowboy country.

[lukasahero]

23. Thanks

Yes, McCain looks like he's eating dog doo. Interesting story I found while I was out there though - maybe not making them sign the "oath" but word is getting out that not all Amerikans are allowed to hear OUR pResident speak.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0812bush-exclude.html

"Doug Wilson, state director of the Kerry campaign, said, "I thought that a president was a president of all the people and that all had a right to listen regardless of political affiliation." "

[GalleryGod]

14. Can't Dismiss Anything out of hand. Did they have Spanish Loyalty Oaths?

Every turd rises to the surface every once in a while.

[blondeatlast]

18. I think you're joking, but I wouldn't be surprised--this from the

folks who vociferously oppose bilingual education and printing government documents in Spanish.

I have a co-worker who speaks to her mom in Spanish on the phone, and the other day a new co-worker just came unglued about it to me, "Isn't that illegal? How can she do that? Doesn't it bother you?" I of course told her "no, no, and no, it doesn't bother me--I don't listen to other's private conversations and besides, I speak Spanish fluently!"

New co-worker is a HUGE K. Kowboy fan, of course; and dumber than a box of rocks.

[WI_DEM]

19. look at the crowds Kerry has gotten

heck, Bush is the president he will get good crowds too--but so far on the whole, Kerry has beaten him time and again. It is worth remembering that George McGovern in 1972 just before losing with 38% of the vote, got great crowds and that is what kept him encouraged he wrote.

[Zomby Woof]

20. Only 15,000?

Phoenix (aka Hell) is the 6th largest city in the US. 15,000 isn't shit!

Flagstaff (aka Close To Heaven) has only 60,000 people, and we drew 10,000 for Kerry. Late Sunday night at that.

Not a goddamned thing to worry about. As Catshrink says, Phoenix is in the Valley of the Dumb.

[CatWoman]

27. Saracat -- pay no attention to the man behind the curtain

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/2004-08-09-ask-bush_x.htm