Posted on 02/07/2008 2:44:18 PM PST by tgslTakoma
Edited on 02/08/2008 4:15:59 PM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
Video at Michelle's blog.
The sound on this video shows that the boos were much louder than the MSM's podium mikes picked up.
No wonder McCain didn't look to comfy on stage, even with his cheerleaders up in the front.
Direct link to You Tube page with video.
****EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT*****
To: Will88; tgslTakoma
The CPAC crowd was fired up during Romney’s speech until, at the end, he broke his news, and things came crashing down. Then after a panel of senators and congressmen, and a speech by Dick Armey, the McCain ballet commenced.
1. It was an exercise in professional crowd control. Shortly before his speech, McCain staffers and volunteers were escorted in and seated throughout the room while conservatives were denied entrance.
2. Those attempting to save seats for family members, etc. were told that the people they were saving the seats for would not be getting into the room and that they had to let the other “guests” have the seats
3. The McCain crew shouted and cheered boisterously at all of the appropriate points, and gave dirty looks to any who booed. Still, lots of people booed.
4. McCain’s speech was undeniably a good speech. It did not change the fact that conservatives do not trust them, but it was a good speech, so it was difficult not to applaud with some points. (How can you boo all the time when someone quotes Edmund Burke twice?)
The total crowd was the usual CPAC packed room, probably about 5,000 strong in the room. Of them, possibly 10-20% were McCain supporters, but much of the rest of the crowd were simply polite, and seeing no viable conservative hope, gave McCain a moderate level of applause.
In the past, we have left CPAC energized. Today, we left for the day feeling like we had been punched in the gut.
74 posted on 02/07/2008 9:29:33 PM CST by Huber (And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. - John 1:5)
Okay, that’s just sad. It only points out that the only way McCain could get approval was for him to bus in his supporters. The rest of the room looked pretty somber.
I don’t think there’s ever been anything like this at CPAC.
Something I’d like to know from someone (objective) who was actually there is: it sounded as if only a hundred or so were making all the noise (cheers and applause during McCain’s speech). Two questions for any one there:
1. Was it a small group making most of the noise?
2. How big was the total audience?
Or, out of the total crowd, about what % was applauding McCain?
My only question for the machine that built the production today is this:
How do you plan on choreographing conservative voters to vote for a man who has said, "Screw you *&^#ing conservatives!" so many times in the past?
The independent voters you allowed to decide our primaries, who call themselves "moderates" will cross back over the aisle now and vote for Hillary, or Obama.
There were valid reasons to reject that Trojan horse.
Damn those Free Republic Internet servers...
Apparently you go cut off in mid post. You know, where you were delineating his record. Go ahead, don't be shy. Here, I'll help you get started:
Keating Five
Shamnesty
Gang of 14
McCain/Kennedy
McCain/Lieberman
McCain/Feingold
...
just my observation... mr. whinner...
Did any of you guys get into the room when McCain was speaking? If so, can you check Will88’s questions in post #63 and see if you can answer them? I wasn’t in the room.
Excellent graphic! LMAO! Will be sorely needed now for the McLame-brain kool-aid crowd.
I don’t doubt that there were a lot of boos for McCain at CPAC.
I hope everyone got that out of their system, because NOW is the best (and only) opportunity we are going to get to influence policy in a conservative direction.
I have not been a McCain fan. I was behind Thompson, then, until today, Romney. McCan stabbed conservatives in the back on a number of of high profile issues, especially the “Gang of 14” and I don’t suggest we forget that. In fairness, however, he has been reliably conservative on a number of issues that matter to most of us, including the right to life, and the right to keep and bear arms. On balance, does that outweigh McCain-Feingold, McCain-Kennedy, opposition to the tax cuts, and all of his other transgressions? The answer to that question is irrelevant.
No matter what many of you say, he is not more liberal than Shrillary, and he is certainly not more liberal than Obama - especially on the one issue that matters most right now. Many of us marched in the streets in support of our troops, and in support of President Bush in the War on Terror. That war is ongoing, and our military does not deserve for their country to abandon them, with thousands of lives lost in vain in a mission half accomplished. They need us to get out there and make sure that we elect someone who is behind them - and we owe them that much.
We have a voice, and we have leverage. It isn’t the moderates of this party who knock on doors, put up signs, make phone calls, work the polls, and get out the vote. McCain needs us. We need to push him to choose a solidly conservative running mate, who will provide the light at the end of the tunnel, a strong conservative VP who will take the White House in 2012 or 2016.
Fighting a holding action on conservative principles is preferable to losing ground to a Hillary or Obama. In the end, the election of 2008 will prove but a battle in the war for conservative ideals. Let’s fight this one, not because winning this battle is important, but because winning the war is important.
The only other way Huckabee could seize the nomination is if conservative complaints about McCain turn into a full-scale revolt. But that doesn't appear to be happening, if McCain's reception at the Conservative Political Action Conference was any indication. Activists there seemed resigned - if not pleased - at the prospect of McCain's nomination.
It was a "Rent A Mob" of McNasty's punks that were chanting his name and applauding like Brittney Spears fans for him.
Conservatives are pi$$ed off, and McCain is not winning them over.
That would take humility and grace on his part - and he has neither.
“pro-conservative judges”
Feels Alito is too conservative and employs the man who pushed Souter’s nomination.
“and that’s not just a speech text, that’s his record.”
Indeed, his record of always working with the left against the right is incredibly clear.
And these are just for starters! I will not vote for McVain...NEVER.
Good Post, Bull.
The CPAC crowd was fired up during Romney’s speech until, at the end, he broke his news, and things came crashing down. Then after a panel of senators and congressmen, and a speech by Dick Armey, the McCain ballet commenced.
1. It was an exercise in professional crowd control. Shortly before his speech, McCain staffers and volunteers were escorted in and seated throughout the room while conservatives were denied entrance.
2. Those attempting to save seats for family members, etc. were told that the people they were saving the seats for would not be getting into the room and that they had to let the other “guests” have the seats
3. The McCain crew shouted and cheered boisterously at all of the appropriate points, and gave dirty looks to any who booed. Still, lots of people booed
4. McCain’s speech was undeniably a good speech. It did not change the fact that conservatives do not trust them, but it was a good speech, so it was difficult not to applaud with some points. (How can you boo all the time when someone quotes Edmund Burke twice?)
Tht total crowd was the usual CPAC packed room, probably about 5,000 strong in the room. Of them, possibly 10-20% were McCain supporters, but much of the rest of the crowd were simply polite, and seeing no viable conservative hope, gave McCain a moderate level of applause.
In the past, we have left CPAC energized. Today, we left for the day feeling like we had been punched in the gut.
“Headlines: Conservatives help elect First Black President.”
black is irrelevent -— leftwing is not...
Obama is the most Liberal Senator in the US Senate!
History books in 2050 will write how conservatives rebelled at a pro-amnesty RINO, let a pro-amnesty Democrat win who then passed amnesty and shifted the country to the left permanently for 50 years.
Thanks for the background. Were the CPAC organizers in on this, or did his entourage just breeze in and take over?
Seemed to me he blamed us for disagreeing with him. He never backed down off his own liberal beliefs and actions, and basically told us to expect more of the same way. Some olive branch.
Being disruptive is different from bringing to an event those that support your point of view.
Staged standing ovations at every scripted 'applause point' in these speeches is not only disruptive, but they totally disgust me. They ruin the flow, waste time, and are designed to do nothing but create a mock perception of support, while masking any thought about what is really being said. Same for planned and scripted booing.
Audiences today, especially at political 'events' are so used to this kind of crap that no real reactions artolerated.
I prefer my grandad's day, when real people gathered around, and either applauded or tossed tomatoes, as appropriate to the speakers remarks.
It is barely a melodrama, not a play; but the actors candidates tend to want us to treat it and them as grand opera & its divas.
Screw'm; I'll clap or boo as their words and actions warrent.
They're the ones begging me/us to hire them; if they don't like our opinion of their resume & efforts, it is them, not us, that need to be a bit humble and deferrential. Nobody is begging them to put themselves in front of us; if they don't like our opinion, WHICH THEY WANT TO CONTROL, they can shut up and leave; they aren't royalty, yet...though too many try to act like they are.
Well here is what we observed:
1) A lot of the RNC operatives that we have encountered over the years were hanging around
2) The CPAC staff were the ones blocking conservatives fro entering the room and seating the McCain volunteers throughout the room.
3) At every CPAC that we have attended in the past, there was ample time for questions with most of the speakers. This time there was no time for questions after any of the sessions that we attended. It appeared that they did not want to give a microphone to any possible dissentors. (Note: The YAF sessions held separately did have questions.)
4) The rapidity with which each speaker starting giving qualified endorsements to McCain was curious. No "let's wait and see" or "here are the criteria which McCain will need to meet" statements were in evidence. The list of McCain supporters lined up included Tom Coburn, George Allen, Jim DeMint, Jeff Flake, John Bolton, Dick Armey and others. This was GOP "party loyalty" behavior, not principled conservatism.
The overall effect was of a GOP convention, and not a conservative conference.
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