So Obama got mic checked just now in NH and handled it well. . .

[wndycty]

. . .I knew it was a matter of time before it would happen. I think he did it well he's acknowledged their concerns. It was good.

[jenmito]

1. Yup-he was looking at them, listening patiently, telling those who were chanting "OBAMA! OBAMA!"

that it's OK, and said that he heard them, that he appreciates them making their point, and now that he listened to them, they should listen to him. He handled it very well.

[glowing]

2. I was wondering when they would get him...LOL loving the mic check...

and all because Bloomberg wouldn't allow amplification as a deterrent to the cause... LOL That man has done more to bring support and attention to OWS than the original participants could have imagined. love the mic check.

[sharp_stick]

3. A little different from the days of shrubbo

and security blocking anyone "suspicious" from all "public" events.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

41. Remember "Free Speech Zones"?

:wtf:

I thought that the entire country is supposed to be a "Free Speech Zone" (according to the US Constitution)?

[sharp_stick]

44. Oh yeah I remember them

usually about a mile or two from the venue and well out of visual range of little boots limo. Just one of the many reasons I want to live long enough to piss on the grave of George W. Bush.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

47. Is that on your "bucket list"?

;-)

I'll join you as long as we can hit Cheney's grave as well (and he's probably going to be gone long before W).

[sharp_stick]

52. That it is, as is Cheney's

I've got a few on there and I plan to buy a lot of beer for the few hours prior. You and all of your friends/family are more than welcome to join me.

I'll rent a bus if I have to, I'd love to turn it into a tour.

[jenmito]

4. "Young people like the ones here today, including the ones who were just chanting at me, you're the

reason I ran for office in the first place."

[reggie the dog]

21. this is a big difference between obama and w

politeness and class, we can see who was raised properly.

[jenmito]

24. Now THIS I agree with. n/t

[reggie the dog]

26. wow, imagine that,

:)

[jenmito]

28. Yup-how 'bout that.

;)

[Cali_Democrat]

5. Details?

[wndycty]

7. He treated them respect and let them have their say. . .

. . .like I expect he would.

[Cali_Democrat]

10. Who is they? What did they say to Obama? What was going on at the time?

I'm a little confused and I have no access to a TV right now :(

Was he giving a press conference and he got interrupted or something?

[wndycty]

11. He was having a rally and occupy wall street folks tried to mic check him . . .

. . .he was prepared and handled it well.

[Cali_Democrat]

29. Thanks. n/t

[ellisonz]

45. Here's the video:

http://globalgrind.com/news/president-barack-obama-gets-mic-checked-occupy-wall-street-protesters-video

[jenmito]

6. "So a lot of folks who've been down in New York and all across the country, in the Occupy Movement,

(smattering of applause) there's a profound sense of frustration about the fact that the essence of the American Dream, which is if you work hard, if you stick to it, that you can make it, feels like that's slipping away. And that's not the way things are supposed to be. Not here. Not in America." (applause)

[tblue37]

17. But what did the mic check protesters say as he spoke?

The mic check protesters say something specific (rather than repeating in amplification what the speaker says,w hcich is what they would do if they were merely being a human mic for him). What was the content of the mic check's "speech"?

[jenmito]

22. All I could hear before the crowd drowned them out was, "Mr. President, over 4,000 people

protesters..." I know "people protesters" doesn't make sense, but that's what it sounded like. They went on for another sentence or so, but I couldn't make it out. Obama was looking at them and listening to them, though.

[coalition_unwilling]

50. The pro-Obama folk apparently turned on the Mic checkers and

drowned them out with booing. Explains why I won't be voting for Obama in 2012. The next sentence the mic checker would have said was that banksters continue to ravage the economy with impunity, if the mic checkers were reading from the literature they were handing out before the rally.

How dare Obama supporters boo American patriots (the mic checkers)?

[ellisonz]

46. Here's video and text of the note:

http://globalgrind.com/news/president-barack-obama-gets-mic-checked-occupy-wall-street-protesters-video

[The Doctor.]

8. He'll have more to say soon enough.

I expect it will be the best thing he can say.

[Hutzpa]

9. Oh snap I missed

but from what I have read from other posters on this thread, sounds like he handled
it deftly as you would expect from him.

[andyrowe]

12. I wouldn't use the word well. link to video

I found his response disheartening.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0Jmqo1yQag

[jenmito]

13. Check out my posts #4 and 6. Those quotes weren't in the clip you posted. n/t

[wndycty]

16. Tell me why his response was disheartening. . .

:kick:

[DFab420]

31. Because that's the narrative of the moment? That Obama is disheartening and disappointing in every

thing he does?

Because it's easy to post something like "I found his answer disheartening" then provide no context?

I doubt very much you'll get a better reason then those two.

[eilen]

51. I thought his reply was revealing because if he ran for these people

the 99%, and got into office and appointed the 1% and worked for the 1% goals (bullshit foreclosure relief, catfood commission, his "grand bargain", RTTT, free trade deals, no COLAs, crappy healthcare legislation, extending Bush tax cuts, record foreclosures and heaping piles of TARP, 1,2, 3 and maybe 4 wars now)-- then he really really sucks at his job or is lying.

[ProSense]

14. Obama Gets Mic Checked, Tells Protesters: ‘You’re The Reason I Ran For Office’

Obama Gets Mic Checked, Tells Protesters: ‘You’re The Reason I Ran For Office’ (Think Progress)

[wndycty]

15. I am sure he prepped for it

:kick:

[jenmito]

18. As I'm sure the Repubs. who were mic checked did, too...

and HIS statements on OWS were sure a lot more sympathetic to them than the Repubs.' comments were (which showed contempt for them). If they stay home or vote for someone other than Obama, they deserve whatever/whomever they get in office.

[wndycty]

19. ^^^TRUTH^^^

:kick:

[mcar]

20. Yes.

If the OWSers don't vote, they are not part of the solution. I applaud them for what they've accomplished but they have to participate in our democracy to really make a difference.

[Cigar11]

23. Exactly

[jenmito]

27. Exactly. n/t

[reggie the dog]

33. i agree in principle

but if the high school kids get involved with the movement they wont be old enough to vote ;)

[vaberella]

40. For sure.n/t

[reggie the dog]

25. i should hope so

i would if i were a politician, hell i may even invite them up to speak on the mic. agree to publically debate them.

you know, that whole grassroots thing

[wndycty]

32. Why should he debate them, they are not necessarily on opposing sides. . .

. . .I bet you if they had a beer summit it would be less of a debate more of dialogue.

[reggie the dog]

35. that is a great idea

if obama did a summit with occupiers, or just suddenly showed up at occupy DC and talked, without journalists there (the vids would come out on the net all on their own) talk to the people, then go to bat for them, you know, return to congress and tell them that the people in the street demand this that and such and see how many other americans want that and run with it

they would be able to propose tax hikes on the rich supported by popular demand, national health insurance, and increased spending on infrasructure etc. all supported by the public and highlighted during his "beer summit" and the the pubs blocked it all again (closer to elections this time) the public would see it and the dems would win huge in 2012 in my humble opinion. and this would be the road to peacful progressive change in the usa.

[jefferson_dem]

36. classy, dignified response by the president.

Per usual.

[tblue]

30. "got mic checked"? What does that mean??? nt

[DFab420]

34. really?? People yell out "Mic Check" which is the start of the human microphone.

So to mic check someone is to yell "MIC CHECK!" Then start speaking in quick deliberate sentences that the crowd repeats en-masse.

[treestar]

48. So how does it work at as transitive verb?

As in Obama got mic-checked?

Who did what? What deliberative sentences, and how are they directed at Obama?

[tblue]

56. I tried to look it up in Urban Dictionary.

The definition they had was rated X. I don't think it's the same thing.

[treestar]

57. LOL!

[pmorlan1]

37. Couldn't Hear

It sounded to me like the people attending the rally drowned out the protesters. I couldn't hear a word they said. That's a real shame.

[Bluenorthwest]

38. He sure handled it better than he did when GLBT and AIDS

activists interrupted him in the past, that's for sure. He did not chide them or get hot under the collar, did not tell them to take it elsewhere, and that is a vast improvement indeed.

[vaberella]

42. I disagree with you. I thought he handled the GLBT and AIDS protests well.

The only time he was really checked in relation to something and people didn't like his response was when it came to Bradley Manning. Otherwise when it came to his response on AIDS--he did stop other questions, stopped other people booing them and responded to their questions. I watched several of those videos. And he clearly stated to check his record and to see about funding to AIDS research. He went on further to say that if the economy was better he would have given more money to AIDS programs. So what you're saying is a bit off. Ditto for many of the GLBT meetings I saw him do.

[great white snark]

43. When has he told protesters to "take it elsewhere?"

Or is that your jaundiced interpretation?

[politicasista]

39. Kick

:kick: :patriot:

[savalez]

49. I heard the AP report it on the radio just now and

they said he was Booed. Is that true? I heard they mic checked him, not booed him. In fact it was the audience that briefly booed the mic-checkers and the prez asked them not to.

wtf?

[FrenchieCat]

53. The media would pee in its pants if they could turn OWS against this Prez....

As it would help the sorry lot they themselves are supporting; the 1%!

[high density]

54. It seemed pretty clear "mic checkers" were getting booed...

Obama was holding up his hand, which I think was a gesture to his crowd to let the OWS mic checkers have their say.

[craigmatic]

55. I love it when they do the mic check. Obama handled it respectfully.

You get the sense that there was no hard feelings after it.