Impeachment and the State Fair

[LittleClarkie]

Well, that was an interesting time I had last night at our State Fair. Amongst the various Democratic signage we had up at the Dem Booth, there were two "Impeach George Bush Now" signs.

I kept track of the responses I got in general and esp. in reaction to those signs.

9 people noticed and commented favorable.

2 people said that Doyle (our Governor) should be impeached instead. That didn't make much sense, but eh, what can you do.

1 person said the sign wasn't big enough.

2 people wanted the sign (sorry, it's part of the display)

2 wanted "impeach now" bumper stickers which we didn't have (someone might try to buy some and bring them before the end of the fair, however)

One guy yelled at my booth mate while I was in the bathroom. He wouldn't let her answer back much, and even when she managed to say something between rants, he just started the same rant over again. So why would it be unAmerican to impeach Bush, but impeaching Clinton was okay?

I'll give him credit for actually stopping though, and not throwing out a "drive by" comment and then hightailing it out of there, like the guy who said, "Heh, heh... losers" and kept walking or the woman who just shouted "Communist!" and kept going.

Always an interesting time at the State Fair booth. I look at it as a window into the current state of things.

I must say at least that the positive far outweighed the negative. Several people signed Russ Feingold's censure resolutions, others signed up to volunteer, and several more grabbed up our brochures.

I go back this Wednesday and Thursday. I'll let you guys know if I get any more interesting comments.

Anyone else do the Democratic Party booth thing at their State or County fairs? Are you in a Dem or Republican area? What kind of comments do YOU get?

[Ian David]

1. Please keep up the great work! n/t

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. The Minnesota State Fair starts on 8/23

and the state Democrats always have a HUGH!!111! booth with a lot of good stuff. I am hoping our new Senator, Amy Klobuchar -- who inexplicably voted FOR the FISA amendment -- puts in a appearance, because she's got a lotta 'splainin' to do and I want to give her a piece of my mind.

[LittleClarkie]

5. Ours is pretty sparse in comparison to the Republican booth

we only have a couple things to buy (one bumpersticker and 3 small stickers) plus a couple of things one could get if they signed up to be a Dem and paid right then and there.

The Republicans, on the other hand, had bumper stickers, bracelets that said "Support the troops," t-shirts, buttons, pins, ties and were taking a straw poll by having people put quarters in a can to make money. They also had big pictures of Bush and Cheney up.

The Republicans at our County Fair had info for all their candidates on their table. I thought that was a good idea and told them so. Seriously, we should have done that too. People asked for it.

On a side note, I tried to strike up a conversation with the Republicans at the County Fair. They asked if I liked Hillary. I said no. Meanwhile, the person I was speaking to was laughing inexplicably and looking pass me at the guy behind me. I suspect he was making faces behind my back. Over at the Libertarian booth I found a bumper sticker that said "Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton" on it and took it back to them to show them one of the reasons WHY I didn't support her, and they looked at me like I had a third eye. Another one asked in response to my "Jesus was a Liberal" button "Since when?" and "I never saw that in the Bible." I said back that he was a Liberal because he cared for the poor. We left it at that. In general they were quite cold, considering I was just trying to make pleasant conversation, which I often do at the booths of other parties. I'd have been nice to them at our booth. I don't understand being a jackass. The Libertarians were MUCH nicer, and I complimented them on their Ron Paul 2008 t shirts. MUCH easier to talk to.

[thunder rising]

3. That's about the same statistics I got

before the election. I put:

Torture
Rendition
Secret Trials
STALIN'S GOP

well painted on the back window of my Jeep. I only had one road rage incident (well that wasn't mine anyway ;-)
Some guy in Cadillac tank was spewing, ranting and acting like he was going to ram me.

I held up an official looking badge (actually it was a real Navy pass) and the moron got big eyes and fell back.
Fascists, they must believe in their own rule book y'know.

Other than that there was a lot of waves, but mostly nobody drove next to me.

[LittleClarkie]

7. I have a bunch of Democrat stickers on my car in a mostly Red area

I get a few thumbs up here and there, and those are rather precious to me. They probably get the same feeling when they my stickers as I do when I see a Kerry/Edwards sticker still on someone's car, or a bunch of anti-war stickers. I always try to flash a peace sign where they will see it.

That said, some of the Republicans seem a bit subdued, and a few are identifying more with the Libertarians.

[demnan]

4. My local peace group is having a peace booth

at the Prince William County fair this year, this weekend. First time, in a very red place, Manassas, VA - Southwest of DC by about 30 miles. I'm bringing Impeachment signs, bumperstickers and buttons to sell and give away, also peace bracelets.

If I come back and post afterward you'll know the good Confederates didn't shoot me down.

[LittleClarkie]

6. I sometimes join a peace group in the middle of a bluish city in a very red county

We mostly get thumbs up, with only a few fingers and driveby rants. Actually, in the couple of years I have done that, the ratio has gone from about 60 good/40 bad to 80 good/20 bad or even a bit better.

[L. Coyote]

8. At the daily war protest, reactions of those who drive by are visible

and the majority are positive reactions, with lots of horn honking, thumbs-up, and flashing peace signs.









http://jqjacobs.net/politics/impeach/

[LittleClarkie]

11. I have to remember to bring the digital camera next time

I make it to the Sunday peace group. Every Sunday at a T intersection from 12 - 1pm. They say Vietnam protesters used to gather at the same site.

[seriousstan]

9. How many people per hour did you have pass your booth?

[LittleClarkie]

10. I didn't count, but it was a busy Sunday afternoon at the Fair

So a decent amount.

I don't expect Wednesday and Thursday to be that busy.

[Quantess]

12. The lady who shouted "communists!"

What decade does she think this is?

Anyway, thanks for sharing your mostly positive reception.

[LittleClarkie]

13. Funny thing is I got that crap during the 2004 election too

Kerry supporter = Communist

One guy actually said that I could go to China or Cuba or some other Communist place, but if Kerry got elected he'd have no place to go. Of course this was in the middle of a bar, but something tells me he's just as crazy sober.

He started the conversation by saying that he'd be home election night having a shot for every red state that came in. I said my job was to keep him stone cold sober. Then he said something about me trying to perpetrate the largest fraud in history. (All the Republicans I knew joked with me about not voting twice, but you could tell they believed the Dems would try something dirty. They still think we were up to something and are still trying to find fraudulent votes even now.) And then the bizarre Commie stuff came out of his mouth. Thank God he left after that.

I wonder where they get this stuff. Michael Savage?

Oh, and you're welcome.

[Quantess]

14. "Communist" is such an irrelevant, outdated slur these days.

The people who still associate liberals with communism....I imagine they have been asleep since the 1950s. Well, I shouldn't be surprised that right wingers are stuck in a time warp. It's a hallmark RW trait to be slow in catching up with current reality.

Did he look like a mid-20th century relic?

[LittleClarkie]

15. I know it is. That's what made it so perplexing

He just looked like a garden variety blue collar type. I still wonder who he was listening to and swallowing hook line and sinker.

[Senator]

16. K&R