COngressman Tom Tancredo (Left), U.S. Senate Candidate Howard Kaloogian (R) (Center), and KSFO AM 560 Talk Show Host Melanie Morgan (Right)
Posted on 02/22/2004 11:15:39 AM PST by Impeach98
WOW!
Yesterday's rally against giving drivers' licenses to illegal aliens (as proposed by Democrat Gil Cedillo's SB1160 which Repub. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says he supports) was a H U G E success.
The rally planning had been going on for several weeks. It was set to take place Saturday, February 21st at the Burlingame Hyatt, where the California Republican Party Convention would be taking place.
Since Governor Schwarzenegger has said he thinks giving drivers' licenses to illegal aliens is a "fantastic" and "excellent idea" (after he made conservatives very happy by repealing an existing law by Gil Cedillo that Gray Davis had signed that did the same), the thinking was that Arnold would get the message when Republicans turned out to say "WE DON'T WANT IT - NEITHER DOES CALIFORNIA."
The location had to be changed a couple times because officials with the California Republican Party establishment were offended that Kaloogian has rallied Republicans to oppose Bush's amnesty/guest-worker plan and Schwarzenegger's "sell out" on the illegal alien drivers' license plan.
With Kaloogian's opponents for U.S. Senate uncomfortable with challenging either the Bush plan or the Schwarzenegger-backed plan (they will speak to vague policy but not these specific proposals for fear of alienating Bush or Schwarzengger and their establishment suppport), the rally united immigration reform advocates and Kaloogian campaign supporters.
A little after 10:00 AM people began gathering outside, right in front of the Hyatt Hotel. Kaloogian for Senate staffers and volunteers were handing out Kaloogian signs, bumper stickers and lapel stickers.
People were simultaneously streaming towards the Kaloogian for Senate table inside of the convention and were being directed to join the now-growing crowd outside.
At the same time, last minute preparations were taking place at a giant tented pavillion located next to the hotel's pool at the back of the hotel complex. A stage with blue-curtain backdrop and "Kaloogian for Senate" wall would serve as the dais. Approximately one-dozen Kaloogian volunteers were assisting in the set-up effort. People seeking out the rally location began arriving at this location too.
By 10:20 AM things were crazy!!! There was now a crowd of a few hundred people outside that was growing fast. More and more people were running up to the Kaloogian table inside the hotel to find out the rally location and at the poolside pavillion (site of the rally) supporters were being directed to join the crowd at the front of the hotel.
Melanie Morgan and Donald LaCombe of the Kaloogian campaign were now firing up the crowd with chants over a megaphone. There were a handful of reporters and cameras covering the mass of people out front who were shouting "Enough is Enough," "No License for Illegals," and "Stop Them at the Border."
Finally at 10:30 AM, with the crowd now a giant sea of people, completely fired up, we opened the front doors to the hotel and Melanie Morgan chanting "Enough is Enough" into a megaphone led the procession of people through the hotel, down one of the main corridors to the back of the hotel where the crowd would exit, walk the pathway towards the poolside pavillion and assemble for the rally.
A number of interesting things took place. First, the procession passed right by the press room and reporters were shocked to see this massive and boisterous gathering of people streaming through the hotel screaming and chanting. Also, liberal Republican Vice Chair of the CRP, Mario Rodriguez, was conducting a seminar teaching Repubs. how to reach out to Latino voters and was horrified to see the protest march... apparently he is unable to distinguish between the difference of "illegal" individuals and legal citizens of the United States.
The throng of people was so wide, two sets of double-doors had to be opened to allow the crowd to flow in. But then the final mass of people who had gathered in the lobby in front of the Kaloogian for Senate booth formed a third 'feeder' stream to the procession. There were so many people now marching towards the rally location in the back that people could not enter the rally tent fast enough... we had a human traffic jam and this 10 foot wide hallway that runs several hundred feet was now completely jam-packed with participants.
People contiued streaming into the giant tent and tried to squeeze in to allow as many people as possible in. But there were so many people that not everyone could fit... there were dozens of people flowing out the side entrance, straining to see over the heads of those inside, and an even larger group of people at the back end of the tent who could not get in because of the overflow crowd.
Melanie Morgan and Brian Sussman of KSFO AM 560 - San Francisco were the emcees and had the crowd fired up... it wasn't hard. The energy in the room was electrifying. They introduced Kaloogian who received a hero's welcome from the crowd.
Kaloogian was on fire and delivered one of the best speeches I've heard him give on the stump so far. And the crowd responded with passion and energy. The tent was rocking folks!!
Just as Kaloogian was finishing his remarks, we got word that Tancredo was arriving in the back entrance (having been picked up by one of our Kaloogian staffers at the SFO airport). So Kaloogian then transitioned into welcoming Congressman Tom Tancredo, a hero to our cause, just as the Congressman entered the facility.
Tancredo bounded up to the stage and grabbed Kaloogian's fist. They raised their hands into the air - pumping up and down. The crowd was hooting, hollering, screaming, chanting. Melanie Morgan and Brian Sussman were up there on stage still and were themselves cheering and beaming from ear to ear. It was a moment of magic and the energy was incredible.
Now during all of this time there was this steady stream of television camera crews arriving. While we had worked the media over pretty heavily to tell them about the rally, and who would be there, they had been dismissive. They weren't interested in covering a bunch of right-wing kooks complaining about immigration policies. So at the start of the rally we only had a handful of print reporters, 4 or 5 television cameras and 2 or 3 radio reporters. But by the end of the rally news organizations, learning of what was happening, had rushed over scores of additional reporters, camera crews, and microphone-carrying radio techs and reporters.
Tancredo gave a great speech. He explained that a series of events had led to him almost not making it. Delayed flights, cancelled flights, being held up on the tarmac, having to change connecting flights and airline carrier. Everything was a mess and a mass frustration (he was supposed to arrive at 9:30 AM so we could get him settled, instead he didn't make it until about 10:55 AM).
Tancredo told this story and explained that he would go through this kind of hassle every single day between now and Election Day if this would help to elect Howard Kaloogian to the U.S. Senate.
Again, the crowd exploded.
Tancredo went on to explain during his speech that he had NOT ONE immigration reform friendly member in the U.S. Senate... and that without an ally in the Senate to join him in leading the charge on the immigration issue that we could not bring about the change in our failed policies that we need.
Tancredo was funny, gracious, passionate and simple but eloquent. At the end of his speech he again urged those in attendance to go to work to get Kaloogian elected to the Senate and announced he'd be doing all he could till Election Day to propel Kaloogian to victory. Tancredo and Kaloogian raised arms again and the crowd cheered and the camera flashbulbs flashed.
Tancredo and Kaloogian webt out back for a press conference/media avail.
Over the course of the next 45 minutes, Mike Spence, Founder of "Save Our License" (the group that collected signatures to repeal the original drivers' license for illegal aliens bill, SB60), Rick Oltman of FAIR, Ron Prince - author of Prop 187 and Proponent of Save 187 all addressed the crowd.
Crowd estimates have varied. I heard one person say 600-800 but I think this was high. Maybe 500-550.
All the press reports have said several hundred people.
Realize that there were only 1400 delegates listed for the CRP convention, so maybe 1200 were actually at the Hyatt. But while Marin and Jones could generate rallies of 50-75 people, Kaloogian had a massive crowd of cheering and raucous supporters who would then linger throughout the convention for the rest of the day - wearing Kaloogian t-shirts, carrying Kaloogian signs and bumper stickers.
It was an awesome day!
I simply prefer to win elections at this point; we need to overhaul the judiciary, and a GOP supermajority in the Senate are crucial to accomplishing this.
Essentially, I am no longer willing to tolerate all this divisive BS that has sent people packing for the Constitution Party and other splinters.
Your preferred solution being, of course, a nice Stalinist purge.
Firstly, those of you promoting the current orthodoxy need to grit your teeth, hold you noses, and move yourselves to the Right.
I'm the conservative guy who worked on campaigns with less-than-perfectly conservative candidates. I'm the guy who got backstabbed by self-appointed "true conservatives"--your buddies--during those campaigns.
I've given up on trying to build coalitions of the unwilling. Your ilk routinely work to throw elections to the Democrats--and they sometimes use GOP walking-around money to do it!
Break them of this nasty habit, and they might get listened to in 10 years or so. Until then, I see no particular reason to beg for their votes. They've never delivered a damn thing, but they sure demand a lot in return for doing nothing.
Bottom line: earning 1 vote from your faction costs more than one vote elsewhere.
I've supported Republicans whose ideas were to the right of my own. I have learned, the hard way, that such support does not get reciprocated later on.
Secondly, those booing Bush, leaving to vote Constitution, or saying they'll sit out the election need to undergo the same teeth gritting and nose holding, and rejoin us.
Their decision. They've opted for irrelevancy long enough that the GOP feels its safe to ignore them. 2002 indicates that such an approach is correct.
Debates such as these *can* be constructive if we have big rules that when the brass tacks are down later this year, we will support the GOP slate.
In other words, you're saying that in the real world, here and now, these debates are largely useless.
Your side of the aisle--the hard right--has made itself largely irrelevant to the GOP by doing exactly that which you decry. I oppose wasting money, resources, and the most valuable coin of all--trust--on these folks until they actually start delivering votes reliably.
Frankly, it's going to take a few elections of just shutting up and pushing 100% for candidates you disagree with, and getting damn little in return. If your ilk hadn't squandered their political capital on various temper-tantrums, efforts to split the conservative vote and elect liberal nutballs, and generally demanding the contempt of the GOP, that wouldn't be necessary. But they did all that, and they now get to enjoy the consequences of their decisions. And you get to go along for the ride, because you choose your friends unwisely.
You really shouldn't accuse others of being a legend in their own mind, sonny boy.
So in terms of class, I am one of those who might be envied by the less fortunate.
Son, with respect to class...you have none.
. You might note with interest that I have long been striving to remove onorous government regulations regarding micromanagement of the workplace, so called diversity, and other farcical initiatives.
But your first demand is for more and more onerous government regulation and micromanagement, not less--you just prefer some forms of onerous government regulation and micromanagement to others, particularly if you can inflict it on someone other than yourself.
So, any assertion that I am some "class warrior" or somehow personally envious of the so called "wealthy" is complete horse droppings.
Scott McNealy is extremely wealthy. He hates and envies Bill Gates, who is also extremely wealthy.
It boils down to McNealy not liking to lose out, particularly to someone he believes to be an intellectual inferior.
Scott bought and paid for a political prosecution of his class enemy.
You wish to do likewise to your class enemies. Perhaps you are annoyed that people who you believe to be intellectually or socially inferior is out-competing you in the marketplace. But it comes out as class warfare rhetoric.
As for your calling me son, well, let's not go there, since I don't believe in undertaking competitions regarding degree of grey hair or baldness.
Finally, you are not my class enemy. Not only do I lack class enemies entirely, but also, you are certainly not my enemy in any way, since apparently you are an American and I presume also part of the GOP!
There we go: the entirety of truth in your post.
Uh-oh, PoohPooh goes from being TESTY to showing an unusual interest in my behind! Don't get your hopes up PoohPooh.
You'll have to take it to a bath house if you want to focus on testiculars and rumps...Pewwww Poooooooh.
Intimidating vocabulary, poohpooh....if your 27 promotions shy of and idiot.
Your philosophy: demented.
What's to debate beyond that?
Um...your ability to think a cogent thought, maybe? Don't hurt yourself.
They should because YOU don't. BTW...Iota...hmmm, fluent in Greek, too, huh?
Uh-huh.
What's your philosophy for the general election if Kaloogian does not get the nomination? Who will you vote for?
Oh, you again, poohpooh.
Well, it's not me who brings up A$$ and testiculars on a regular basis outside of calling you on it.
just describing--fairly--your lack of moral character.
YOU speaking to me about moral character is like John Kerry lecturing President Bush on Patriotism. Or a drug trafficer lecturing my mother about the evils of caffeine...Mr. testicular...BWAHAHAHAHA.
I am flamingly heterosexual, as the Fetching Mrs. Poohbah can attest.
PLEASE, quit talking to me about your sex life. I'm not interested.
Is it possible for you to make three consecutive posts to me without expressing some degree of subconscious (and sick) homosexual desire?
Like I said before, don't get your hopes up with sex talk. You should direct that last question right back at poohpooh.
What's your philosophy for the general election if Kaloogian does not get the nomination? Who will you vote for?
My philosophy is pick the right frickin' person in the nomination process IN THE FIRST PLACE, rather than listen to some Rino talk us out of it, then we have a great choice later. At the general election I always pick the best choice, and that won't be a leftist. I don't vote for leftists no matter what their political party.
Fine. You don't get your way in the primary, so...
At the general election I always pick the best choice, and that won't be a leftist. I don't vote for leftists no matter what their political party.
Then you have no claim on the GOP whatsoever, and no claim to being part of the "base." A wise GOP strategist would simply discount your vote at the outset, because you are unreliable. This means, in turn, the following:
By the political strategist's calculus, Bush has been extremely stupid, giving conservatives much of what they want even after they backstabbed him in 2000. Time will tell if the "My way or f***ing else" conservatives respond positively to Bush's outreach--or if they will remain true to form.
All of that is your option. But please do not complain about it--or about the GOP--when it happens. When you make a choice, you freely choose to accept all of the consequences of that choice. Being frozen out of the political process is the consequence of your choice. Whining about that consequence merely shows you to be less mature than my six-year-old daughter.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.