Any time you travel, consider meeting up with a local FR chapter and joining them in a FReep! It was lot's of fun.
Posted on 07/18/2004 5:44:52 PM PDT by kristinn
Honor Roll for the Slim-Fast Lovefest: TaxRelief, Huber, two of their young tax deductions, Exit148, staytrue, Doctor Raoul, spaceman spiff, L-Von_Mises, Trueblackman, a local lurker, tgslTakoma and kristinn.
The D.C. Chapter of Free Republic held a demonstration outside the Kerry-Edwards campaign headquarters in Washington, D.C. yesterday to thank Slim-Fast for canning Whoopi Goldberg as their spokesman and to call on the Kerry-Edwards campaign to release the videotape of the Radio City Music Hall fundraiser that cost Whoopi her job.
We began on time for once, at 1 p.m., because we received several calls from the media about this demonstration--namely CNN, NBC and Fox.
We set up a large cooler across from the entrance to the building where the Kerry campaign has its offices. Inside the cooler were dozens of chilled cans of Slim-Fast. Several six-packs were stacked in front of the cooler. A large sign was taped to the open lid of the cooler that said, "FREE SLIM-FAST except for Kerry-Edwards workers."
Next to the cooler was a case of Slim-Fast set on end with a poster of the Whoopi Goldberg "I'm a Big Loser" ad attached to it.
We had an array of signs that we held and propped up along the sidewalk. We also had a giant flip-flop, courtesy of Doctor Raoul, that we displayed.
CNN, Fox and one unknown news outlet had their camera crews there waiting for us to get started. They each took plenty of time filming the demonstration from all kinds of angles.
Workers from the Kerry campaign gathered outside the building at a distance and watched with dismay at the media's interest. One young woman was on her cell phone apparently relaying to a higher-up the situation there.
As the cameras were rolling, passersby stopped to accept the offer of free Slim-Fast and to talk with us about Whoopi and the Kerry fundraiser. Most of them were familiar with what had happened and agreed with Slim-Fast's decision to sever their ties with Whoopi.
We had a wide assortment of Slim-Fast shake flavors: Banana, Strawberries and Creme, Cappucino, Creamy Milk Chocolate and French Vanilla (for any Kerry supporters who surrendered to us). The banana and strawberry flavors were the most requested.
CNN was the only outlet that had a reporter assigned to cover us. She was a cynical old bird whose name I instantly forgot, but whose dyspepsia at having to cover a conservative protest I'll always remember.
The reporter conducted a brief interview with me on camera. Things were fine until she asked me how many people we had there. I told her, "A dozen, maybe more." She replied, "I don't think so. We'll count 'em."
After she had put me in my place, she did an interview with the Kerry campaign worker who had been on her cell phone earlier. We couldn't hear how that interview went because the reporter had taken her down the block to conduct the interview away from us.
Afterward, tgslTakoma overheard the reporter disparage us to her cameraman, "What did I tell you, as soon as we stop filming, they break it down."
This was thirty minutes into our scheduled two-hour freep. TgslTakoma informed the reporter that we had a permit for a demonstration from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. and that we would be there until 3 p.m. The reporter glared back at her.
TgslTakoma then told the reporter, "I'm not going to hold my breath waiting to see the this show up on CNN anytime soon."
The reporter replied, "What do you mean by that?"
TgslTakoma answered, "CNN will only report on what fits their leftist view of the world."
The reporter defensively replied, "We cover conservatives."
TgslTakoma laughed at that comement and said again, "I'm not gonna hold my breath. We'll see if this report shows up on the news tonight."
That ended the conversation, and shortly thereafter the CNN crew left.
The Fox cameraman stuck around for a while longer, filming us as we did various chants calling for the release of the Whoopigate tape.
The building security officer was, for the most part, much less of a bother this time around than at our 'bake sale' protest there two months ago. The only time he got testy was when tgslTakoma inadvertently stepped onto the part of the sidewalk that was building property when she was taking photographs.
Pedestrian traffic was sparse yesterday as the location is a business area. However, we still managed to give away more than thirty cans of Slim-Fast. Some were given to the "homeless" guys who crossed the street from McPherson Square park to see what we were doing. We all engaged in discussions about the presidential election with anyone who wanted to do so.
The "homeless" guys from the park enjoyed the political discussions they had with us. Even though we disagreed, we did so civilly and we all shared in the Slim-Fast love fest.
The reaction from the public was pretty evenly split. Only a few people got nasty with us.
The Kerry workers were mostly subdued in their reaction to our presence. One exception was the woman who had been interviewed by CNN. As she returned from a break, after the cameras had left, she called out to us in response to Huber's offer of free Slim-Fast to others walking by, "You guys look like you could use it."
Some of us responded, telling her how mean and insensitive her comment was.
A few minutes later, she came back out and walked over to us. She offered her apologies, saying, "You guys were right. It was mean of me. I shouldn't have said it." Huber accepted her apology and she went back inside.
We started making offers to Kerry workers as they entered and left the building. We told them that we'd give them all the Slim-Fast we had if they would bring us the fundraiser tape that was locked in Mary Beth Cahill's safe. They laughed, but no one took us up on the offer. (We tried, Mr. Mehlman - do we still get our check? ;-)
Some of the chants we did in hopes of reaching their offices somewhere on the upper floors were:
A Monty Python-esque, "Bring out your tape, bring out your tape!"
"Free the hate tape!"
"Whoopigate, hide the tape, let her take the blame!"
"Heart and soul of hate, caught on tape!"
We ended the demonstration at 3 p.m. and went off to our old favorite after-freep restaurant, Luigi's.
More photo links:
The youngest tax deduction says, "Make Whoopi PG (at lower right in photo)
Staytrue's excellent sign, "Kerry is Clueless"
Whoopi's now canned Slim-Fast ad, edited (with 'Kerry-Fonda 2004' and 'Bozos for Kerry' buttons on her shirt).
Reflections in the revolving door to Kerry campaign HQ.
Huber holding "Free the hate tape" sign, and staytrue by two of his terrific signs.
Kristinn auditioning for the Slim-Fast job.
This woman told us that she knows everybody, from the president on down.
Good job.
Who cares about being believed? It's their problem to figure it out.
Having my Morning Slim Fast Bar with my coffee, THANK GOODNESS, SLIMFAST DUMPED THE VULGAR TALKING WHOOPI.
Love the giant flip-flop and the Kerry Waffle House!
Good work, DC Freepers.
Nice touch on the SlimFast. When I heard they had dropped 150 pounds of ugly fat by firing Whoppi, I did something I have not done in many years.....
I went to the store and bought Slim Fast products....my wife loved the low-carb stuff, she is on that low carb diet.
Been boycotting Slimfast in the past because of their support for raunchy TV...but they picked up a net-new customer with me.
Good job, Freepers. You are great.
Great job!
You guys were right. It was mean of me.......
Guilt, the primary motivation overcomes all.
LOL!! No, you left before 5pm.
Great job, DC!!!!!!!!!!!! *French Vanilla Slim Fast for Kerry Campaign workers... heheheh!!!*
As usual, a great job.
Hopefully the people at Slimfast who canned Whoopi will read and enjoy this.
As usual, a great job.
Hopefully the people at Slimfast who canned Whoopi will read and enjoy this.
Any time you travel, consider meeting up with a local FR chapter and joining them in a FReep! It was lot's of fun.
ping ... don't try to access photo links from the old computer, ask me for help.
Even the Kerry workers thought that was funny. The beauty of this FReep was that everyone had such a good time, that we charmed and disarmed the lefties.
Remember, it's always easier to attract flies with SlimFast than vinegar!
The opening group shot gives a good feeling for the Freep. Proud of you all and wish I could have been there.
I had no idea Kerry now says life begins at conception...I believe you, but do you have a source so I can show it to others?
I had no idea Kerry now says life begins at conception...I believe you, but do you have a source so I can show it to others?
THANK YOU!
Yet another one for the flip-flop list I show to my dem friends.
I'm glad that I wasn't there. I would have been so hurt by her mean comments. Yeah, right.
Reminds me of when I was working a poll a few years back and some Dem poll worker came to the poll and starting ranting about missing signs and that it must have been the 'crazy gun-totin' right wingers" who did it. I walked up to him real nice and polite like and said that I was a crazy gun-totin right winger and wondered if he was accusing me.
It was funny how fast he backed down and apologized. But I still don't understand why. hehehehe
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