Coulter Provokes Mixed Reaction (My encounter with her mentioned)

[Ignacio Upton]

If you want to read my account of her from last night, the thread is here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=610511&mesg_id=610511

For the record, I was the one who asked the student loans question.

Coulter provokes mixed reaction
Speaker, protestors throw comments back and forth
Scott Lieber
Posted: 3/9/06
The first disturbance came before Ann Coulter could even mutter a word.

"Racist!" one audience member screamed. "You're ugly!"

For Coulter, a right-wing bestselling author and political pundit, it was a preview for what was to come. The College Republicans pegged Coulter's visit as a speech. But before she spoke Wednesday at Goldstein Auditorium, it turned into a circus.

The audience was split about evenly between supporters and protesters. When Coulter first came onstage, half the audience sat silently while the other half gave a standing ovation.

Of course Coulter blasted Democrats and liberals. But more than anything, Coulter's visit was a study in partisan politics, not in any particular message. Quickly, her visit delved into a contest of might. Who could scream louder: the protesters or the supporters? What comment would get the most reaction: Coulter's or a jeering audience member's?

The real story was the protesters, though, as their tactics were diversely applied. Some acted silently, leaving Coulter's speech in protest. Others screamed. Others still tried discrediting her through flattery.
"How much of your success do you think is based on the fact that you're too good-looking to be a Republican?" asked David Shapiro, a sophomore television, radio and film major.
"I'm getting this from you?" Coulter responded, pointing out what she considered his slovenly appearance.

Unlike at other campus speaking events, though, Coulter rarely responded to any jeers or comments. At her Indiana University appearance, for instance, she consistently directed guards to rowdy audience members and refused to continue speaking until they were removed.

One student, who refused to give his name, consistently clapped at inappropriate times, yelled louder than Coulter and, before he was removed, began bolting out, "The Times, They Are a-Changin'" by Bob Dylan.
"Al Gore won!" someone screamed out, as a rousing applause broke out.
"No," said Coulter, in one of the few times she responded to jeers during her speech, "he didn't."

Coulter turned a few straight questions into jabs. At one point, a student asked Coulter how she can support a president who has cut student loan programs and forced SU students to pay higher interest rates."Answer the question!" came a bevy of screams from the audience.
"We've gotta get these guys down to Guantanamo!" Coulter said. "'Answer the question! Answer the question!' Well, I think you just answered it yourself - there's too many dumb people going!"

http://www.dailyorange.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticlePrinterFriendly&uStory_id=d21ceaca-0103-411b-9638-42867b6d6c47

[revree]

1. She is a total waste of cells, molecules and atoms...

Proof that even God makes mistakes.

[MadMaddie]

2. She is stupid...stupid..stupid...

She cannot answer the questions because she has no valid answers!!

Good for you and the other protesters!!:applause:

[Ignacio Upton]

4. In all honestly, i think that some of them only helped her

There was one guy using an air horn while she was speaking, and another yelled "shut the fuck up" to her while she was using her "liberal call us fascists when they try to silence us on campus" talking point. The guy who called her a bitch and flipped her off spoke right before me, so I guess Ann, desperate for a response to my student loan question, decided to continue on her "students here don't seem very smart" quip as a way to dodge my question.

[cynatnite]

3. Why any self-respecting progressive would attend...

is beyond my understanding.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

5. i wish she was not given so much importance

she is such a waste of space

[Sapere aude]

6. Other than for some kind of entertainment, why would anyone go to see her?

There is nothing to learn from her. The only thing she has going is her notoriety. As far as being a writer, any of us could come up with enough shit about conservatives to fill a book all we would need is some politically motivated company to print it and a bunch of wealthy liberals to buy them in bulk so it made the best seller list.

[Ignacio Upton]

7. After actually going to see her, I can say that you're right

You don't really have any way of asking her any good questions, since she may cut you off or come up with some stupid quip about Clinton or make fun of you for some trivial aspect. I think she's trying to be like Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert, only she's doing it miserably. She also has a pretentious tone in her voice she she's scoffing off what we say that makes her sound like Kim Cattrall on crack.

[tsuki]

8. 40K that could have been used to further education, paid to

a Republican whore.

[Ignacio Upton]

12. It's the biggest waste of money since funding the Bridge to nowhere

nt.

[Ignacio Upton]

9. Kick!

[The Gunslinger]

10. Waste of $$

Those on the left shouldn't even drop the money for a ticket. Let her play to empty venues.

Her show is all an act.

[Ignacio Upton]

11. It is an act

Unfortunately I had to go to believe what you just posted. The way she acts and bashes Democrats sounds like she's just blabbering crap out of her mouth, but in a disingenous way, unlike Sean Hannity, who gets angry every time he says "Clinton" or "Dean" or "activist judges" or "Democrat(ic) Party."

[mitchum]

13. I won't be sad when I hear about Coulter's prostate cancer

no apologies