Is Bush and Rove wanting a confrontation with the left in NYC?

[The Lone Liberal]

Let me paint a scenario for you.

Just a little over two months before the general election. The Republicans gather in NYC. Prior to that Bush and Rove stir the pot a little more to insure a large protest against them.

The NYC cops are primed, just like Chicago. The television news cameras recording the left shouting slogans, challenging the police. Young men and women being arrested, resisting arrest, the cameras recording near riot. While inside the convention Bush wearing that beatific smirk, calmly tells the nation that he will stand steady in his fight against terrorism, even in the face of liberal threats and that the choice is between someone who will stay the course or Kerry who is leading the mob.

The question is, are we going to play our role? If we do…..?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. I fear

that Bush will use any excuse to show himself to be rough and tough. He might use violence in NYC as an excuse to declare martial law and stop the election.

Are you going to the Town Hall Meeting at CUNY tomorrow night? If you do, please let us here at DU know what happens.

[havocmom]

3. and paint the left as the 'radicals'- good ol neocon transferance

they accuse others of being/doing what they are guilty of

[StClone]

2. Yes in desperation

If their choice is to have a typical convention and one that they can use to paint the Dems as anti-God, anti-American radicals like in the Wellstone Memorial they'll pick the latter. Rove feeds on these tactics.

[smirkymonkey]

4. Yes, there is something almost

Armageddon-ish about this showdown. It would be the same thing if the Democratic Convention was held in the most Bible-thumping, right-wing, fascist county in Texas. A lot of us here see this as a big F**k You by the Pukes.

I am going to a lecture tomorrow night hosted by Sam Waterston and Janeane Garafolo at CUNY's Graduate Center. The topic is "Shock and Awe" - A Town Hall Forum on the Symbolism and Strategy
of Bringing the GOP Convention to NYC - Sam Waterston, Janeane Garofalo and others - Thursday, March 25 67:00-9:00pm Free - If anybody is interested.

[greatauntoftriplets]

5. I am really afraid of what might happen in NYC that week.

n/t

[KittyWampus]

17. Manhattan Cannot Handle A Million Protestors

Half that would be an overburden.

[The Lone Liberal]

6. Rove has been salivating for a replay of the 60s.

He is noted for keeping and passing out "The Dream and The Nightmare, The Sixties' Legacy to the Underclass." He thinks he could have handled the protest better. It is not much of an intellectual leap to see Bush--Rove strategy.

[salib]

9. Come along now, let's try something more plausible

As "M" would say...

In 1996 the "family values" crowd made such a good impression, didn't they? Of course not. We are not the same as 1972 or 1996, but we cannot be "worried" about how "some" may react in protest. Remember, many of the posts today are condemning the "democrats in Congress" as being not hard enough on the testimony yesterday (911 stuff). So, which is it? I say protest! I say make them sweat! I say, "ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make thee free." And I am an atheist!

Again, oh well.

[The Lone Liberal]

11. I admit, I hate Bush so much that anything that might get him elected

is anathema to me. The same argument with Rubin, Hoffman and Seales, is going to do anything other than good street theater and alienate the great middle America.

[LibertyorDeath]

7. Typical Rove keep them off balance tactic. Will it work?... no

To may Americans see thru Dimson and his band of sociopaths

The big Corp media is pissing into the wind trying to protect this cabal of mis cretins but the tipping point has been reached and all the whoring and all of the men could'nt put dimson back together again.

Anyone got a fork...........

The next President of the USA

[G_j]

8. if only folks could be trained and prepared first

as someone who has experience in non-violence training, I know what a difference it can make even to have just some trained people in a crowd. There are techniques for de-escalating tense or violent situations. Things people can do to protect themselve's and others, etc. MLK and his fellow marchers were prepared. Non-violence is a dicipline and if the police use violence against deciplined non-violent people it makes quite an impression, as was the case with Dr. King.

[The Lone Liberal]

12. The Repugs will have agents provocateurs in the crowd.

They will want a riot on the evening news and to use in the last 60 days before election. Kerry will spend all his time during the last 60 days trying to keep his base with him, yet trying to tell the undecided that he doesn’t condone riots.

[G_j]

14. no doubt there will be

and they usually try to provoke others into doing stupid things, another thing to try to be prepared for.

[gristy]

10. The makeup of the crowd is NOT going to be "just" 20-somethings

It is going to comprise the complete spectrum of American citizens today. students, parents, grandparents, children, union workers, secretaries, etc., etc. Folks of all race, age, occupation, and economic standing. The right will for the most part fail in their attempt to mis-characterize the RNC protesters as a lawless, anti-American mob.

[SOS]

27. True

The protestors will be of every age, race and occupation.
But only the agent provocateur busting Starbucks windows will be on TV.
Just like the Seattle WTO. Of the tens of thousands at the Seatlle WTO protests, what did we see on TV? Only the violence. Nothing else.

If the NYC protetsts are peaceful and orderly, the media will grossly lowball the numbers and give no coverage.

If there is trouble, that video will be shown on CNN 20 times a day from August to November.

Rove picked NYC with visions of Chicago 1968 dancing in his head. Let's remember that Nixon won.

[Jade Fox]

13. I think they are just stupid....

They actually believe that NYers love Bush because of 9/11, you know
the war on terror and all that.....

[The Lone Liberal]

15. They know that

They know they are going into the lion's den and that is what Rove wants. Great TV on the evening news in middle-America. Who are you with, those of us in the convention hall wearing blue suits and telling you how compassionate we are, or those wild people outside wearing t-shirts that say "Fuck You." That is going to make great news for the last 60 days. That is why the convention is being held so late and in NYC.

[Sterling]

16. I don't see how hundreds of thousands

In the streets makes * look good.

[The Lone Liberal]

19. Hundreds of thousands chanting "F**K You Bush!"

on television kinda throws off the family evening dinner. It turns off those we need to defeat bush. Hundreds of thousands don't make an election, they only make good street drama.

[G_j]

21. I think the chants will be more articulate than that LOL!

quite an image you bring up, but it's not going to look like that. There will be plenty of messages about jobs, etc.
There will probably be firefighters, 9-11 and military families and a wide cross section of concerned citizens.

[The Lone Liberal]

22. You truly think you can control one hundred thousand people?

Remember the television cameras get to select who they film for the news.

[G_j]

25. never mind.....

[Florida_Geek]

18. IMHO, in front of the protesters will be the 9-11 families

and that will make Rove have nightmares.

[The Lone Liberal]

20. They better wear signs... and you need to pay the camera crews

because all that will be on the evening news are those who are spitting on the cops, lifting their t-shirts and getting their brains beat in with a night stick.

[G_j]

23. I take it you won't be there

I'm starting to get your drift. In fact I'd suggest you stay home, we need more armchair critics.

[The Lone Liberal]

24. You are correct in your assumptions.

I will be working for Kerry and the defeat of Bush. I just hope that doesn't include trying to overcome the crazies like 68. You add adverse events to Nader and you have sure defeat of the Democrats. This country cannot stand four more years of Bush. We are already in the "banana republic trap." Without change we will have passed the point of no return in four years. That means a lot of suffering for a lot of folks that are already suffering. I, think more of the little guy than I do of stroking my ego by yelling "fuck you bush."

[greatauntoftriplets]

28. "If it bleeds, it leads".

Several thousand people turned out in Chicago to demonstrate for peace last Saturday. The evening news showed the crazies getting arrested versus the peaceful marchers. I think there were either two or three arrests.

[Sparkle]

26. I'll be there flashing my boob at Michael Powell!

Take that republicans!

[Media_Lies_Daily]

29. Quite a few of the NYC police officers understand that Junior has...

...broken his promises to New York. I don't see them as being eager to instigate a fight, just like I don't see the demonstrators being anything less than peaceful and well-behaved.

[opihimoimoi]

30. Mob Control IZ Mind Control and vice versa