ANSWER's idiocy plays into Right Wing talk radio today

[Nikki Stone 1]

Just saw a local news report on Saturday's rally. A local talk radio host was interviewed (it's a usual segment on this CBS station) and he just laughed about the rally, calling it the "Cindy Sheehan Save the Gay Whales" rally. He had watched the C-SPAN coverage of the rally and said the procession of speakers spewing on all their diffuse topics reminded him of a Saturday Night Live skit. (And many of us who saw it cringed at these speakers, even if we agreed with their general points.) He summed it all up by saying that this was not America, that none of the people at the rally was anyone he would recognize, and that the rally was pretty much laughable.

Now, RW talk radio would make fun of the rally anyway. But, had there been ONE consistent message with compelling speakers, one after another, televised, it would have been harder for the neocon media to dismiss it. Talk radio hosts would still have ignored the vast numbers of people, the fact that so many of the people were first time attendees, etc but they could not have denied that there was a singular message.

Thanks to ANSWER, the RW media can laugh at the rally and tell the general public that it didn't miss much.

ANSWER is a liability--no question.

[Newsjock]

1. And we can laugh right back at them

he just laughed about the rally, calling it the "Cindy Sheehan Save the Gay Whales" rally.

Now, now ... Jeff Gannon has already been saved!

[Nikki Stone 1]

6. And alienate most of America in the process

The majority of Americans are now anti-war. ANSWER's behavior made the anti-war position look insane. Middle class America may now rethink their position. I'd like to see the poll numbers next week.

[Just Me]

75. Bullshit. It's RW radio that is alienating most of America.

People are getting sick of the right-wing's putrid spewing of hatred and outrage every damn day. ANSWER is an asset to the interests of our people; and, personally, I thought they improved a helluva lot in organizing around a core message than last year.

[gort]

85. How many people has ANSWER killed?

Compared to Bush?

You all attack ANSWER when the target is Bush.

Stay on target. I don't give a fuck about ANSWER. I didn't go to the rally in Seattle because of ANSWER. I went because I want Bush to stop killing people.

Stop talking about ANSWER.

Keep talking about Bush's killing spree.

[Melodybe]

88. Damn straight, ANSWER makes us all look crazy.

[goclark]

64. Exactly ~ they are laughing to keep from crying

ANSWER rallied more folks to the cause than they could ever dream of -- that is what they know.

[jonnyblitz]

2. so you think they would be saying nice things otherwise if

ANSWER weren't involved. LMFAO!!!! PLEASE. :crazy: :eyes:

[Nikki Stone 1]

11. Read my post before you write your comments

I in fact said that RW radio would be making fun of the rally. But if ANSWER had been muzzled and a consistent anti-war message been put out there, RW radio would have been forced to deal, at some level, with the anti-war issue, where the American people are becoming increasingly anti-war. Because of ANSWER, they can focus on the "weirdness" of the people involved and their lack of organization and cohesiveness. They don't even HAVE to look the anti=war issue straight in the eye.

ANSWER fucked up, whether by accident or design.

[ima_sinnic]

3. whatever. they would laugh no matter who spoke.

let the little pinheads go on distorting and skewing things. you think their rantings would have been any "kinder" if a "consistent" message had been made? for every person who participated in the march on Saturday, countless others got to hear the truth when those people went home. multiply 300,000 (conservative estimate) by 10 at the least.

[Nikki Stone 1]

4. You don't get it, do you

They would laugh, dear hearts, but they'd have a lot less credibility in it if ANSWER hadn't vomited their silly guts all over what SHOULD have been a simple anti-war message.

ANSWER gave talk radio a ton of silly soundclips to be used over and over again. ANSWER diffused the message.

Don't defend them. They wasted the efforts of the hundreds of thousands of people who showed up.

[qanda]

15. Were you there?

I was there with my two children and I don't feel like my efforts were wasted. So you're not speaking for me any more than right wing radio talkshow idiots are.

[Nikki Stone 1]

21. I watched the coverage and while I appreciate the fact that you were there

(and thank you for that--I couldn't be there), the C-SPAN coverage was a public relations debacle. The ANSWER people played right into the RW radio strategy of "the looney left" by acting completely disorganized and by never staying on message. Their anti-semitism was also pretty evident at times.

I think ANSWER was an insult to everyone who attended the march.

[fasttense]

5. Let them laugh at half a million people. But we'll be laughing

soon when the repuke Congress is out.

[Nikki Stone 1]

7. Dream on, baby

If we can't stick to a simple anti-war message, how the HELL are we going to convince Americans--who are, in the end, terrified of change--that we need to change anything?

[TreasonousBastard]

29. Actually...

it seems WE stuck to an anti-war message, but ANSWER has it's own agenda, as usual. I don't doubt the slime machine will use the speeches, but they're pretty much the mix of leftwing causes and crap at any ANSWER rally, so they have a lot to choose from over the years.
Next year, the races will be local and it won't be easy to smear Congressional candidates with ANSWER nonsense, try as they might.

[txaslftist]

8. Unfortunately, at the last minute I couldn't go ...

...but I watched the coverage on C-Span (the only station covering the protests over the huzza surrounding hurricane Rita -hey, look, get a shot of that fallen tree branch!-); and I have to agree with the poster. I saw some Palestinians protesting Israel, an Israeli protesting Israel, an African protesting something in Africa; Someone else protesting about the Cuban embargo; Some other protests about racism generally; A poet talking about who the hell knows what and maybe three speakers who were actually on point about the war.

I felt like posting something here this morning that said "Palestinians hijack peace protest..."

I'm glad someone else had the courage to do it before I did, knowing what a flamefest it would turn into. The people who marched in Washington were united in their opposition to THE WAR IN IRAQ; not every other leftist cause on the planet. While I agree with a lot of those other points, that's not what the people came to Washington to hear.

I can't help but wonder if the ANSWER people thought maybe no one would show up, so they just grabbed any speaker willing to stand at a podium?

[Nikki Stone 1]

14. Thanks for getting it. The ANSWER speakers were horrific

and their behavior worked against the anti-war cause, not for it.

I usually don't go for flame fests, but I am FURIOUS. I have been against this war since the beginning--it was illegal, immoral and based on lies. And instead of getting the issue across, we now get tagged with ANSWER's vomit.

[nadinbrzezinski]

47. Many of us have noted this over the weekend

Free mumia and Cuba Libre DON'T belong there...

That said, we have had threads locked, expect this one too, and we have been told we were wrong.

Personally I think ANSWER is far more than just an inocent stalinist left wing movement... and it has all to do with dates

Founded three days after 9.11 and has posters IN HAWAII, printed in NYC on the 20th? Ok... if that does not raise flags I don't know what will

And yes the gov'ment is very capable of doing that, (coughblackpantherscough) but those who don't believe they are capable ain't paying attention

At the very least we need alternatives to answer and I think many of us are ready to work for an alternative

[librechik]

9. I knew this would happen--prepare for ANSWER'S agenda to be

pinned to us relentlessly. It may not be totally fair to try to ditch ANSWER, but our opponents do not play fair. we have to learn to compete and win against those cheaters, whithout cheating ourselves.

[Nikki Stone 1]

12. Thanks for getting it. That is exactly what will happen

It is a way of discrediting the message by discrediting the messenger. And in this case, a particularly disastrous one.

[txaslftist]

31. There is a solution: Organize marches and demonstrations

without ANSWER's participation. Demonstrations with a clear anti-Iraq-war message.

Leave the Haitians, Palestinians and Israelis to do their own stuff.

[nadinbrzezinski]

48. We were talking about it yesterday here on the GD

so that will happen, no doubt in my mind any more

[txaslftist]

82. Good. After watching C-Span I was frankly glad I missed this one.

[Supersedeas]

10. dunno about the RW screaming faces...don't listen to them...but for those

who watched first hand the parade of speakers was enough to raise an eyebrow.

while not a liability, it was easy enough to marginalize the focus of the rally because of the content of some speakers.

i though Nader did alright--he understood that he was speaking for the majority of the public that now opposes the War.

i don't believe many of the speakers understood that opposition to the war is no longer an extremist position.

[annabanana]

16. "those who watched first hand"

Were the 250 - 300,000 who already KNOW that things are screwed up. The people who weren't there, but were curious enough to tune into S-Span did not see the protest, after the first few speakers.

There was NO COVERAGE of the march. Anyone who was very very very curious and wanted to see the march had to get online and hunt down the traffic cams..

I agree with the OP. An excellent opportunity to spread the word was subverted.

[Nikki Stone 1]

26. That's right: there was no coverage of the march--just ANSWER's speakers

before the march. It was pretty hideous.

[Nikki Stone 1]

25. Yes, the anti-war position is now mainstream, but ANSWER's behavior

may chase it to the extremes again.

[qanda]

13. Can you please remind me why we care what Right Wing radio has to say?

Thank you.

[Nikki Stone 1]

18. We care when they show up on mainstream stations, like this morning

We also care because stations like KFI in Los Angeles are the TOP stations in their markets and they influence a lot of people. One of the ways they do it is with humor. People who can't stomach Limbaugh will listen to the local shows--because they are local and talk about local issues. All we need is these shows having a laugh fest over a huge anti-war march. THe message will be that if you are anti-war, you are a wacko like the ANSWER people.

ANSWER is public relations catastrophe.

[qanda]

23. Whatever!

The people who listen to rightwing radio have pretty much made up their minds anyway and if the crap the Bush administration is stuffing down this country's throat doesn't convince them that we need a change, no agenda of ANSWER is going to change their minds.

I really don't understand why you and many others, who didn't bother to show up to the rally, are going on and on about this. There have been a number of threads that discussed how this march was much bigger than ANSWER and had many military families, veterans and so many diverse others. The feeling I had at that march was like nothing I have ever experienced and you take that experience and multiply it by 500,000 and that's much bigger than any negativity you, ANSWER or any rightwing shill will be able to overcome.

[txaslftist]

27. Because C-Span didn't cover the vets, the families, the war protesters...

...they covered the wack-jobs from ANSWER. So that is the public, nationwide face of our protest. And that public face was diluted, defused and hijacked by every cause from global warming to Haitian something or other to bad poetry.

If your 300,000 marchers was supposed to reach the 300,000 who protested, mission accomplished. If it was intended to reach anyone else, mission aborted.

[qanda]

30. Again, whatever!

You keep going on and on like the majority of Americans are tuning in to C-SPAN to watch the entire rally. I can guarantee you that that did not happen. The majority of people get soundbites from their local television stations and those soundbites did not contain anything from ANSWER. Instead of focusing on all the good that happened on Saturday, you keep making it seem like it was a disaster and I am telling you that you are wrong.

[nadinbrzezinski]

51. Where do you think soudbites came at the local tv station

the body of the rally or the c-span footage? Now be honest

[qanda]

57. Actually, I've seen both

My point was that the majority of the people were not watching the rally on C-SPAN and the soundbites they would hear would come from local coverage. No coverage I have seen has contained the fringe ANSWER speakers. I've only seen Cindy, Jesse, Ralph and other mainstream speakers mixed with footage of the march.

[nadinbrzezinski]

59. Local station had cindy and jackson and ANSWER

so that is where they came from, the C-SPAN pool...

[qanda]

62. I don't understand your point

I said that I didn't see any of the fringe ANSWER speakers on any recap that I've seen. I have never argued where local stations got their feed. Although, if they were showing the march then they probably were using their own footage for at least portions of their coverage. Since I live in the Baltimore/Washington area they have had more coverage then probably most areas and I still have yet to see any of the fringe speakers covered.

[patdem]

74. Honey, if you are watching C-Span...you are smarter than 90% of

America..and will not be moved by all the different voices...get over it. ONLY the RWing and some fools who think that middle America stopped their lives and watched C-Span for 4 hours on Saturday and suddenly LOVED the war because of A.N.S.W.E.R... you sound more like freepers than freepers!

[txaslftist]

19. Millions of listeners who don't have any other source of political news.

Like it or not, that's the truth. And some of those listeners are just regular folks who may not have their minds made up. Hearing some PLO guy bitching about Israel's occupation of Palestine really doesn't help us get out of Iraq, and it doesn't do anything for Joe (undecided) truck driver who can only consistently get am radio, except confirm his suspicion that everyone on the left is a wacky America hater.

And because 100,000+ people went to a protest to protest the war and their efforts were hijacked, distorted and defused by a bunch of opportunists who wanted to get out an entirely different message.

[Nikki Stone 1]

22. Exactly

There are lots of talk radio listeners who are on the fence. And there are Democrats who listen to local talk radio because that's all there is in some places. (That's why we have to keep Air America afloat).

[OneBlueSky]

17. diluting the message ALWAYS . . .

dilutes the message . . . QED . . .

[MadHound]

20. Oh please friend, realize that no matter who was doing the rally

The RW spin machine would come out with the same BS, making us look bad. If ANSWER wasn't there, they would have been spinning on about UP&J. If the Dems had organized this, they would have Swift-Boated them. It simply doesn't matter to the RW spin machine, all they do is plug 'n play work.

And quite frankly I think that you are overemphasizing the effect that ANSWER had. Listening to the local and national reports, both today and yesterday, I hear very little about ANSWER's involvement, and the only message that the MSM is taking away from this is the anti-war one, so calm your hysteria down a few notches, your overblown worst fears are not coming true.

This is the same sort of thing that happened in the Vietnam protests, and gee, they stopped a war. Unless you are willing to organize and do the logistics for the next anti-war rally in DC, knock off the overblown hyperbole and realize that ANSWER is doing a great deal of good with these protests, and that your worst fears are not coming true.

[Nikki Stone 1]

24. Did you see the C-SPAN coverage?

No one is mentioning ANSWER, but they will be repeating their speeches ad nauseam, telling America that this is the anti-war left.

Get a listen to those speeches if you can. The underlying anti-semitism is enough to turn a lot of people off.

[txaslftist]

28. Yes, and the exchanging of black Palestinian head-scarves made

me cringe, too.

If you want an effective message, perhaps a Palestinian speaker who looks like Saddam Hussein wearing a PLO associated headscarf is not the way to go with the American people. Just my opinion.

I could sense the crowd walking away from these nuts and getting fed up. The impression from C-Span was that they were going home. It was unfortunate, to say the least.

Cindy Sheehan's Crawford bunch could have done a much better job of staying on message.

[MadHound]

35. Yes, I watched some of the CSPAN coverage.

And yes, they focused a bit on ANSWER's routine on non-war related issues. However, the anti-war message did come across loud and clear on all MSM channels, and very little, if any of the reporting covered non-war topics.

Yes the RW idiots like Limbaugh, O-Reilly and others of their ilk will focus on the off topic subjects, but they would be doing that no matter who was sponsoring and organizing the protest, it is what they do. But in those cases, they'll be preaching to their own little choir of dittoeheads and psychopaths, and their opinions won't matter much in the reality based world.

As far as anti-semitism goes, give it a break. You can be against Israel's policies and actions, in favor of a true Palestinian state, and not be an anti-Semite. That old smear tactic is just that, old. Old, tired and already exposed for the BS that it is. Give it a rest already.

And you should also remember that during the sixties you had the same sort of actions taking place. A massive anti-war rally that was also inclusive of other issues, women's rights, gay right's, AIM, etc. etc. And while the same old rightist tactics were tried then, as they are being rolled out today, they weren't effective in any way, and the major, anti-war message got out. Give it rest and let it go unless you are prepared to roll out your own idealogically "pure" anti-war protest.

[ima_sinnic]

36. anti-semitism? or anti-Israel? (n/t)

[nadinbrzezinski]

53. Given Answer's history wiht Jewish Progrsives

(not letting them on the stage) yes antisemitism

[ima_sinnic]

60. so were there anti-semitic remarks that you heard? (nt)

[Qibing Zero]

41. Exactly. nt

[Clark2008]

32. First, I have to ask who ANSWER is and what are they

associated with that has so many people on this board thinking they're looney?

Second, so what if Palestinians (and an Israeli) were speaking out against Israel? Considering that Palestinians are Semetic, too, it's not anti-Semetic. I think part of the peace process in the Middle East resides squarely with Israeli/Palestinian relations.

That said, I didn't watch the coverage, so I don't know what was so "looney" about this group or these people.

Please enlighten me.

[NorVegan]

52. A.N.S.W.E.R. are communists

That's why people here think they're loony. Well, then I'm a loony too. They're associated with the Workers World Party.

I'm not surprised that someone who supports a party with such virulently anti-communist politicians as JFK holds these views, and I KNOW how strong anti-communism is in the United States, but these anti-A.N.S.W.E.R. posts are getting ridiculous. It seems some people here dislike this group so much, they'd love to have them removed from demonstrations. So much for free speech, something I thought was a holy thing in the United States. I recognize that the two-party system has an extremely strong position, and I understand the frustration of Democrats on the problems other progressive parties and organizations can make. An example of this is the outcry against Nader when he ran for president. And the fear of A.N.S.W.E.R. turning moderates away from the Democratic Party by showing up at the same demonstrations progressive Democrats support. But how progressive is it really to wish to silence the voices of other progressives?

And when it comes to getting ridiculed by right-wing radio I think people here are throwing stones in glass houses when they attack A.N.S.W.E.R. for this, since DU is not exactly an unfamiliar thing to right-wing pundits, and most opinions expressed here are also what many Americans would consider far left.

Regarding the support for North Korea. I don't support it, the Juche ideology has nothing to do with communism, and I think anyone who supports it is nuts. But looking at how A.N.S.W.E.R. puts it: "To demand an end to U.S. intervention, occupation and threats against Korea, Colombia, Afghanistan, Cuba, Iran, Zimbabwe, Venezuela, Syria, the Philippines, Haiti and everywhere". I do not see this as a support for Kim Jong-il, but rather a support for the Korean people against U.S. aggression. It would really be the same as implying that DU supports Saddam because it opposed going to war on Iraq. It's a political rhetorical low-blow.

Regarding speaking out against Israel. I don't see how it is anti-Semitic of even an non-Semitic person to criticize Israel. But I don't equate Israel with world Jewry. I've always seen anti-Semitism, which I despise, as hatred of and spreading lies about the Jewish people. That includes silly stories about Jewish conspiracies with no sense of reality. But to criticize the measures Israel takes against the Palestinian terrorists can not possible be anti-Semitic. Wrong and unjust maybe, but it is not anti-Semitism.
I'll admit that many communists are one-sided on this issue, but seldom anti-Semitic. But it seems that most people tend to take sides on this issue, not just communists.

[JHB]

65. ANSWER is a protest group formed as a coalition of other protest groups...

...which is, IMHO, part of its problem.

As of July, its steering committee consited of:
IFCO/Pastors for Peace
Free Palestine Alliance - U.S.
Haiti Support Network
Partnership for Civil Justice - LDEF
Nicaragua Network
Alliance for Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines
Korea Truth Commission
Muslim Student Association - National
Kensington Welfare Rights Union
Mexico Solidarity Network
Party for Socialism and Liberation (a Marxist-Leninist faction that split off from the Workers World Party)
Middle East Children's Alliance

(Note how those are groups, not individuals, in the "steering committee".)

The net effect is that they're great at the mechanics of organizing protests, but they can never focus on the message. At a protest against Bush and his war in Iraq, they can't stick to that part of their agenda, they have to bring EVERYTHING in: the Palestinians, the Philippines, etc, to the point where listeners start in with the "save the gay whales" jokes.

Noam Chomsky once observed that propaganda brilliance of the short news segements of the American media was that it squeezed the range of debate to a narrow "conventional wisdom". Any argument or analysis that differed substantially from the conventional wisdom needed time to develop its points (which you can't do splitting time with two other people in between car commercials every 10 minutes). And without the time to develop its rationales -- just trying put forward an unconventional view in a sound bite environment almost inevitably made one look crazy.

I'm sure ANSWER's organizers can quote Chomsky better than I can, but they manage to miss the point: Up there on stage at a rally, that's not the time to expound and develop points, it's time for the Rah-rah lines. It's time to explain to the world about the incompetence of the Bushites, their corruption, and how thy're steering us away from our vision of what Makes This Nation Great -- things the whole crowd can get behind, not a bunch of other goals which -- however worthy they might be -- most of the crowd isn't "here" for them.

And the media being the media, they'll home in on "the freak show" over the larger, more mundane participants 'cause that's what the camera loves.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A.N.S.W.E.R.
http://www.answercoalition.org

[npincus]

33. you are so right

[tinfoilinfor2005]

34. So that is history and we learn from it.

We must start planning for another march before the 2006 elections (so we can book planes and hotels early and double our numbers), and this time it should be hosted by someone else. Cindy, since she was the catalyst for this whole movement, would make a perfect hostess. Karl think she's a clown, so let's show them what the whole entire circus looks like!

[ima_sinnic]

37. only one more? there should be constant and continual

demonstrations, picketing, marches, sit-ins, street theater, etc. also drop-in visits with Congresspeople.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

38. Indeed. But a large D.C. gathering takes planning, and now is the

time to start. Many more people will take definite steps to attend (reservations, vacation time, etc.) after being inspired by the words and pictures of those who attended this time, but soon the memories will fade.

[ima_sinnic]

44. not everybody can come to every demo

but some will be at all.

I hate to keep bringing up the 60s, but I seem to remember that the demos were an ongoing thing, with some larger and more "major" than others. We pounded DC on a continual basis.

on edit: wish to add that someone in another thread suggested Nov. 4th 2005--the 1st anniversary of the voting debacle--as a good date for the next major one--I think that is a great idea--and voting problems can be addressed at that one as well as the war.

[Beelzebud]

39. This is why many of us have been calling for FOCUS.

Fuck Mumia
Fuck Palestine
Fuck communism/socialism
Fuck all that bullshit.

If you have an anti-war rally, why not make it an anti-war rally?

If they want to organize a Free Mumia rally, then go for it. But enough with the bait-and-switch bullshit.

[Scurrilous]

49. Palestine is bullshit....

...oh my!


How's this, fuck right-wing radio and anyone who seeks to placate them.

[nadinbrzezinski]

55. It belongs in a teach in

not an anti war demonstration... sorry

Just like the rest of them issues

[Beelzebud]

58. It has no place in a anti-war rally, that is supposed to be about Iraq.

Palestine is not bullshit.

But if you want to have a rally for Palestine, then organize one, and have it. Don't attach it onto an anit-war demonstration, and lose focus!

[freestyle]

66. Thanks for not connecting the dots.

The same mentality of theft and domination motivates those who invade and occupy Iraq and those who invade and occupy the West Bank and those will try to rebuild New Orleans without New Orleanians. Even though anti-war was the main message, other issues were not irrelevant or disconnected. The perpetrators of injustice and violence are connected by their evil. The supporters of justice and peace must also make connections to all those victimized.

[Skidmore]

40. They would have laughed at it anyway. They would laugh and scorn

anything that denigrates their boy and his agenda. The question is whether they would have laughed less if they didn't know that it could goad us purveyors of free speech.

[DS1]

42. They'd find some marginalizing issue no matter how well the

event was organized, or focused. If it wasn't gay whales, or socialist workers, they'd be going on about liberals selling water to other liberals instead of giving it away - which would be the liberal thing to do.

[iconoclastNYC]

43. You dont' need this to make fun of the rally

All you need to do is say "tens of thousands" marched...when its more like several hundred thousand.

I'm so sick of these posts knocking these groups that got hundreds of thousands of people to take direct action against the war.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

45. The problem is.......

...many folks showed up to protest the war in Iraq and ended up getting a bunch of speeches that were about everything EXCEPT Iraq.

How does that help as far as "direct action" against the war?

[iconoclastNYC]

87. So why don't you organize a protest?

These are coalitions that are putting these together. Strength in numbers. And if you dont think there is a connection between imperialism in the West Bank and imperalism in Iraq.... you are wrong.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

46. So, we should base our positions on what rightwing idiots say?

I have news for you. Opposition to the war in Iraq is only one part of what the left is about. You can boo-hoo about the "lack of focus" but that's sort of like complaining to the firemen trying to save your pets while also putting out the fire in your house.

We can do more than one thing at a time. And, let the rightists shoot their mouths off without fear.

[Binka]

54. A-Fucking-Men

The RW Karaoke Bullshit Brigade will yelp their talking points NO MATTER what the left does or doesn't do and you can take that to the bank. Just like "Mandy" by Barry Fucking Manilow will ALWAYS be a shitdustbag song these ass clowns are predictable if nothing else.

Fuck them and the twisted swastika they rode in on. There are way too many people on this thread who stink. Just sayin'.

[Chi-Town Exile]

68. I don't stink ... I bathe regularly

Do not insult people because they're criticizing ANSWER. We are just injecting a much-needed dose of reality.

We need to care what RIGHT-WING radio says about us and ANSWER just played right into their hands.

Problem is, MSM local outlets will always go to their local RW radio host moran for commentary and present it as "balanced" news.

Other problem is the people that view this swill don't have the time or the inclination to delve into these subjects like people on here do. They are busy living their lives, going to work, taking their kids to school and passing out in front of the television every night to watch "American Idol" and "Survivor." And should they turn their radios on while in the car, they get served up their daily dose of whatever right-wing hack is available in their area. To a lot of these people the only political information they are exposed to comes from the RIGHT, but they don't see it that way, it is just political talk to them.

Therefore, we on the LEFT only get brief opportunities to present our side and we need to make the most of it.

I think it has been established that for the NEXT protest we need to be more organized and spot on with our message.

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[The Magistrate]

80. May I Suggest You Both Call A Halt To This, Comrades?

It does no one any good....

[Binka]

81. Going to bed

Night

[SillyGoose]

50. I agree with you, Nikki. C-span coverage was very narrow in scope

and gave the impression that the ANSWER speeches were all that there was....no coverage whatsoever of the march itself. If the C-span coverage had been more comprehensive this wouldn't be such a big deal, but some of the stuff televised on C-span was way out there. I got up and walked away from the television when a group of 3 girls started doing some kind of karaoke routine about the Phillipines.

Although we all know what actually went on Saturday (thanks to traffic cams and blog reports), there are a lot of people who relied on the media and more than likely came away with a skewed opinion of this rally.

[Mari333]

56. I agree, I live in rural America and this is all they will hear..

[smartvoter]

61. As much as I think ANSWER's agenda worked against the unity we need,

RW radio will always attack us. When there's nothing to nail us with, they make it up. We can't worry about RW radio.

[lectrobyte]

63. As if RW Radio wouldn't have said that anyway.

[mountebank]

67. The rally itself was unprofessional and diffuse.

And easily dismissable by moderate, unpolitical citizens. I don't give a shit what RW radio had to say, I know that I muted the last two hours because it was shrill and repetitive and boring. Somebody needs to take the mic away from A.N.S.W.E.R. because they dropped the ball with the rally. Fortunately it couldn't take away from the fact that 100,000 people showed up voicing their majority opinion that the U.S. war in Iraq is wrong.

[mattclearing]

73. Knock ANSWER all you want, but no one else can organize these things.

I would love nothing more than to go to a march organized by Democratic politicians. Too bad they never bother to organize one.

Bitching about ANSWER is pointless.

Why doesn't Move On organize one of these marches?

I suspect it is either because A) They can't, or B) They don't see the point of marching, which has seemingly zero effect on the government.

ANSWER has its share of clowns, but I don't see anyone else organizing any major demonstrations.

[Nikki Stone 1]

83. Wasn't this march actually co-organized with another organization?

ANSWER is a fairly recent development from a few years ago. Marches were certainly organized before 2001! I know, I attended some of them. :)

[mattclearing]

84. Yes, United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ)

But no one else has organized a demonstration this large since the Million Mom March and the Million Man March.

[lynne]

86. I watched on CSpan -

- and had to turn it off as I couldn't stand all the screaming and neck vein-bulging over matters that had nothing to do with the war.

I think that ANSWER and their assorted agenda's kept away our Democratic leaders and any "power" Democrats that might have brought the MSM our way and given us prime-time coverage of the actual march. There was absolutely no one with real drawing power to pull the media our way.

If those undecided voters in middle America turned into C-Span and saw ANSWER, then they got bad information. ANSWER was and is a mistake to align with.

[libnnc]

89. OKAY THEN!!!

Dammit to hell on a biscuit!!!

I hate ANSWER too but we can't just sit on our asses in our easy chairs and say "Ohh, look at those nasty, nasty ANSWER freak-deaky fools ruining that nice protest. That's just horrible!"

WITH CRITICISM COMES IDEAS FOR CHANGE AND ACTION. WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO TO FIX THE SITUATION?? Will you contact the Moveon folks and urge them to do another rally? Will you contact Veterans for Peace and Code Pink to set up another rally and march? Will you do that?