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The Times' Designated Man in the Street (Coulter outs Times)
NewsMax ^

Posted on 06/12/2003 9:18:20 AM PDT by Republican Red

Thursday, June 12, 2003 The Times' Designated Man in the Street

When the New York Times needs to find a man in the street to interview they never have to look very far - they have one on tap suitable for every occasion.

Thanks to a sharp-eyed Ann Coulter, one Greg Packer has been outed as the media's designated man in the street - a role Mr. Packer has played more than 100 times, Coulter discovered.

His latest assignment for the Times was to be the average man in the street in line waiting to buy Mrs. Clinton's newest work of fiction.

Wrote Coulter, author of the forthcoming blockbuster "Treason": "Another average individual eager to get Hillary's book was Greg Packer, who was the centerpiece of the New York Times' "man on the street" interview about Hillary-mania. After being first in line for an autographed book at the Fifth Avenue Barnes & Noble, Packer gushed to the Times: 'I'm a big fan of Hillary and Bill's. I want to change her mind about running for president. I want to be part of her campaign.'

"It was easy," Coulter noted "for the Times to spell Packer's name right because he is apparently the entire media's designated "man on the street" for all articles ever written. He has appeared in news stories more than 100 times as a random member of the public. Packer was quoted on his reaction to military strikes against Iraq; he was quoted at the St. Patrick's Day Parade, the Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Veterans' Day Parade. He was quoted at not one - but two - New Year's Eve celebrations at Times Square. He was quoted at the opening of a new "Star Wars" movie, at the opening of an H&M clothing store on Fifth Avenue and at the opening of the viewing stand at Ground Zero. He has been quoted at Yankees games, Mets games, Jets games - even getting tickets for the Brooklyn Cyclones. He was quoted at a Clinton fund-raiser at Alec Baldwin's house in the Hamptons and the pope's visit to Giants stadium."

If the Times and the rest of the New York media don't pay this guy, he's getting short changed.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: ccrm; conspiracy; culturewar; gregpacker; lexisnexisisgreat; media; mediabias; mediabloopers; mediascandals; nytimes; packer; presstitutes
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To: Republican Red
Priceless post.
181 posted on 06/12/2003 8:13:21 PM PDT by MamaLucci
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To: Incorrigible
He graduates from Huntington High School in 1983. Unfortunately, my husband only has the 1984 yearbook. He didn't know Greg Packer; Packer was a grade ahead.

Huntington Highway Department jobs were once, and probably still are, political patronage jobs. You were expected to donate time and money to the party in order to maintain employment.

One of the articles says Packer went to meet President Bushafter 9/11. I wonder which party he belongs to. I'm sure there are some FEC records of his campaign contributions.

182 posted on 06/12/2003 9:05:45 PM PDT by Betty Jane
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To: Incorrigible
He graduates from Huntington High School in 1983. Unfortunately, my husband only has the 1984 yearbook. He didn't know Greg Packer; Packer was a grade ahead.

Huntington Highway Department jobs were once, and probably still are, political patronage jobs. You were expected to donate time and money to the party in order to maintain employment.

One of the articles says Packer went to meet President Bushafter 9/11. I wonder which party he belongs to. I'm sure there are some FEC records of his campaign contributions.

183 posted on 06/12/2003 9:06:02 PM PDT by Betty Jane
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To: hellinahandcart
Greg Packer! We have Greg Packer!

Yep. I was first in line when Free Republic went public. Now I'm at the end of my rope.

184 posted on 06/12/2003 9:36:34 PM PDT by Greg Packer
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To: Greg Packer; dighton
Yep. I was first in line when Free Republic went public. Now I'm at the end of my rope.

Ah! a riddle...

185 posted on 06/12/2003 9:43:27 PM PDT by hellinahandcart (Never mind Phil the Barber. What does Greg Packer think?)
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To: Greg Packer
Yep. I was first in line when Free Republic went public. Now I'm at the end of my rope.

Now I'm at the end of my rope. ??? got caught doing-man-on-the-street-interviews?...such is fame...

186 posted on 06/13/2003 5:22:34 AM PDT by skinkinthegrass (Just because you're paranoid,doesn't mean they aren't out to get you. :)
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To: WL-law
"And you are totally and hopelessly clueless, I'm afraid..."

Please don't be afraid. There's really no need.

Given the rudeness of your comment, I'm truly sorry to see that it appears you are somehow associated with my alma mater. When I was at W&L, we generally tried to treat people with a little more courtesy. I hope we miss each other when I'm in Lexington this summer.
187 posted on 06/13/2003 7:33:02 AM PDT by kegler4
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To: kegler4
Coulter seems to be trying to create a scandal where there isn't one -- and it isn't even her own discovery, since this guy's been written about before.

Given the rudeness of your comment, I'm truly sorry to see that it appears you are somehow associated with my alma mater.

Well, I can see that you're easily offended -- not a good habit of mind here at FR.

What your original comment so thoroughly missed is that even though Packer has been written about before, the NY Times(!) was the party that failed to discover that Packer was not a "man on the street". The fact that others before Coulter were suspicious enough about this guy to figure out his game doesn't diminish the point that the NY Times was, once again, exposed (at a minimum) as a sloppy amateur act posing as a paper of record.

And since the OTHER phony plant quoted as "man on the street #2" is in fact a democratic operative, Coulter is well in bounds to be suspicious that the "huge crowd" is, in part, a classic dem put-up job intended to kick off Hilary's prez ambitions.

And your post indicated that you missed, to summarize, THE POINT.

188 posted on 06/13/2003 7:53:37 AM PDT by WL-law
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To: kegler4
From "The Iconoclast" web site:

And speaking of not telling the truth, the whole PR campaign for Lying History, er, Living History appears to be one lie heaped upon another -- just like the poltical careers of Hillary Clinton and her prevaricating, philandering partner in crime, Bill Clinton. For example, several reports now indicate that the first printing of Living History will be two hundred thousand, not one million, copies. And it now appears that the notorious "leaked" AP excerpt from Hilliary's "tell-all" -- which received so much advance publicity -- came directly from Hilliary and her publisher (should we be surprised?).

And what about all those eager literary fans who lined up all night to get a fresh-minted copy of Hilliary's opus fictional account of her life with Bill. Well, Ann Coulter has an interesting perspective on that much-hyped phenomenon too:

First in line for Hillary's book at Barnes & Noble at Lincoln Center on Sunday night was Charles Greinsky, who told the New York Daily News he rushed out at midnight to get one of the first books because he supported Hillary's health-care plan. A few years ago, the Associated Press identified Greinsky more fully. It turns out he is "a longtime Clinton campaigner" from Staten Island, who has been the Clintons' guest several times both at the White House and at their home in Chappaqua, N.Y.

Could Mr. Greinsky have been a Clinton plant, conveniently located at the front of the Barnes & Noble lineup for the sake of the gullible press? Heavens to Hillary, what a mean and hurtful accusation. Hilliary resorting to such a transparent P.R. fraud? Never! It must have been another nefarious 'dirty trick' perpetuated by that vast right-wing conspiracy that previously tricked Bill into committing adultery, using cigars for, er, unconventional prurient purposes, and pardoning a bevy of hard-core criminals when he left office.

189 posted on 06/13/2003 8:21:02 AM PDT by WL-law
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To: Republican Red
After I read this (and wiped the tears of laughter from my eyes), I remembered a thread about Hillary's book sales in Bakersfield.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/926091

There was another interview in it from a happy customer, a Bernice Bonillas;

Customer Bernice Bonillas said, "I'm a Hilary Clinton fan. There's been so much hype on the news I just wanted to make sure -- be sure I get one."

A quick search on Google turned up these tidbits:

Kern County Democratic Party Weblog of Democrats Fighting For Working Families Leaders: Bernice Bonillas

Democratic Party Central Committee; County of Kern; Supervisorial District 1 (5 Elected) Bernice A. Bonillas, Democratic .......... 3,347 votes 18.7%

I believe that Bakersfield is in Kern County

As I said in that thread, this could be fun....

190 posted on 06/13/2003 9:03:04 AM PDT by par4
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To: par4
Great catch -- yes, this is fun!
191 posted on 06/13/2003 9:19:20 AM PDT by WL-law
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To: WL-law
Let me say up front that I have no use for Hillary Clinton. And as I've said before, I have no doubt that her book is a boring, self-serving piece of you-know-what. I won't even read a review of it, much less the book itself.

But I am amused to no end by people such as yourself who apparently see a Hillary behind every tree. If you think that a NY Times story about a book signing is part of a vast plot to get get Hillary elected as president, then you might need serious help. Please, find something more useful to do with your life.

"For example, several reports now indicate that the first printing of Living History will be two hundred thousand, not one million, copies."

This might be true and I hope it is, but you're going to have to show me a little more than "several reports." Which reports? What evidence do they have? I'd truly like to see it. This would, of course, mean that the reports saying that her book sold 200,000 in the first days are lies, because that means there would be no books left.

If all the attention is being caused by Hillary's machinations, then why is her book still number 2 at Amazon? How did she accomplish that (oops, I fogot, she's all powerful)? Some here cite the fact that Hillary's book is already 30 percent off at Amazon as proof that it's not selling well, but then that must be even more true for the new Harry Potter book, which hasn't even come out yet and is already discounted 40 percent at Amazon. Great piece of proof there.

I think it was YOU who missed MY point -- all this paranoia over a book that will be forgotten in a few weeks is simply juvenile.
192 posted on 06/13/2003 9:29:02 AM PDT by kegler4
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To: kegler4
But I am amused to no end by people such as yourself who apparently see a Hillary behind every tree. If you think that a NY Times story about a book signing is part of a vast plot to get get Hillary elected as president, then you might need serious help. Please, find something more useful to do with your life.

Oh, I don't know about a "plot", let's just call it a plan -- because that's what it is. Which is all fine and good, but the NY Times and other media should just be honest about it.

For example, a simple google search of my own hit this as the first article.

http://www.theithacajournal.com/news/stories/20030610/localnews/452075.html

Now interestingly, the first "man on the street" at the head of the line is one Phillip Brice. (What do you want to bet he's a dem activist? Maybe another Freeper can find some info) And what does he have to say?

"I told her I got up at four o'clock this morning to be here and I hope she runs for president," said Brice, who was near the head of the line. "And if she runs, she's got our vote."

And guess who is quoted next -- yes, its "Greg Packer".

193 posted on 06/13/2003 9:39:13 AM PDT by WL-law
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To: r9etb
He has appeared in news stories more than 100 times as a random member of the public.

BTTT

194 posted on 06/13/2003 10:19:14 AM PDT by Roscoe
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To: WL-law
"Now interestingly, the first "man on the street" at the head of the line is one Phillip Brice. (What do you want to bet he's a dem activist?"

I'll bet you're right. And your point is? Who else do you think would go stand in line for a piece of crap like this book? Certainly not a disinterested citizen or a Freeper.

Bush operatives (like presidential operatives before him) pack speeches and press events with Republican activists to make the president look better. Those operatives are hoping that the average person thinks this is a random crowd where everybody just happens to adore the president. Oldest trick in the book and certainly not news.
195 posted on 06/13/2003 12:59:26 PM PDT by kegler4
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To: Howlin
Thanks to Coulter, after years of piddling around with the small stuff, Greg Packer finally gets the much coveted personal running thread on FreeRepublic ...

No way he can top that one, shy of a front row seat at Bush's second inaugeration ceremony, anyway.

196 posted on 06/13/2003 10:24:03 PM PDT by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge.)
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Holy Crap! This is just too great to imagine! Do the libs think we're this blind?!
197 posted on 06/13/2003 10:41:27 PM PDT by RandallFlagg ("There are worse things than crucifixion...There are teeth.")
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To: RandallFlagg
Yes, they do. LOL
198 posted on 06/13/2003 10:42:26 PM PDT by nopardons
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To: nopardons
This reminds me (In an off way) of an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. There's a cheeseball spaceship in a cheeseball movie flying in the black void. And below, Mike Nelson says, "They don't even TRY to hide the wires!!"
199 posted on 06/13/2003 10:45:57 PM PDT by RandallFlagg ("There are worse things than crucifixion...There are teeth.")
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To: RandallFlagg
Liberals NEVER " hide the wire "; that's what's so aggravationg about them and those who fall for their tripe.
200 posted on 06/13/2003 10:49:15 PM PDT by nopardons
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