# Democrat thuggery, Boston style. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 13, 2010, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-thuggery-boston-style/524797 "2010-01-13T17:23:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-thuggery-boston-style/524797/121 "2010-01-14T01:33:24Z")
> [@Michael\_Ellis](#): > > Once again, shove this thread up your ass. It might get your IQ into single digits. I already explained why your suggestion would be an impossibility. You repeat it here and add inanity. All while there are a several questions you haven’t answered: [QUOTE=magellan01] **What complaint? How is it/they inane? Do you have an opinion as to what was specifically asked in the OP?** Oh, and nothing goes in MY ass. It’s one-way in the other direction. **How about yours? When you open your eyes do you see two-way traffic?** [/QUOTE] I even bolded them so your less apt to miss them this go around. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-thuggery-boston-style/524797/122 "2010-01-14T01:38:35Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > It’s clear from watching the tape that everything you posted in the thread title and in the OP is wrong. If you watched the video, and read the articles, you know that what you posted as “the facts as you knew them at the time” is bullshit. Oh really? Care to be more specific? So you don’t come off as just being full of shit? What did I write that is contrary to those facts? ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-thuggery-boston-style/524797/123 "2010-01-14T01:48:11Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > I already explained why your suggestion would be an impossibility. You repeat it here and add inanity. All while there are a several questions you haven’t answered: > > I even bolded them so your less apt to miss them this go around. For someone whose emphatic denial of having things enter their ass, you’ve sure got your head well and truly rammed deep inside it. As for your questions, they’re irrelevant since your OP demonstrated you are a mindless drooling partisan drone. You attempted to imply the entire Democratic party was a horrible corrupt awful bunch of poopyheads because of a meaningless incident in a local election. You sir, are worthless and your questions are bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-thuggery-boston-style/524797/124 "2010-01-14T01:51:59Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > No you haven’t you sickening liar. Not at all. Rationality isn’t everything there is to a person. A person can be irrational, yet still be a worthy and admirable member of society. Not you of course, you’re a fucking idiot, but plenty of people aren’t rational and still rock. Sorry liar. You made a silly thread. And now you’re too much of a coward to own up to it. Go on and hide under attack posts, we honestly don’t expect different from you. You really need help. You accuse ME of hiding under “attack posts”? That’s all you ever do. But here’s a chance to step up to the plate for once: simply explain—in detail—what makes my OP “silly”. Also, what am I “lying” about. Be specific, you know so I and others can see if your charge might have real merit or it’s just you spewing your usual mindless attacks. > [@Lobohan](#): > > This site is about fighting ignorance. And given your passion for stupidity and outfight mania for irrational bullshit, you do make an obvious target. We’ve already dealt with the “stupid” accusation and the “irrational” one. Try to keep up. What it comes down to is me holding opinions that are quite conservative and a board that skews heavily the other way. I 'm tickle that you don’t see that possibility and must repeatedly kneejerk into calling me and other conservative posters stupid, morons, etc. Also, what part of my OP demonstrates “ignorance”? Again, please be specific. ---
**Author:** ![Mithril](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mithril/32/3517_2.png) [@Mithril](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mithril)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-thuggery-boston-style/524797/125 "2010-01-14T01:53:13Z")
I have to say that I expected the video to be inconclusive about whether Meehan actually shoved the reporter. After all, anything that is posted on Drudge needs to be taken with a boulder of salt. But having watched the video a few times, Meehan definitely stiff-armed (if that’s the right phrase) the reporter. He may or may not have intended to knock the reporter down, but he did stay right in his face in a way that was reminiscent of a movie-style mafioso. Coakley had nothing to do with the altercation, but should fire the guy if he is on her staff. She has a tough enough race to run here without giving the independent voters more reason to think she’s a cold and nasty woman - one of the most common criticisms out there currently. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-thuggery-boston-style/524797/126 "2010-01-14T01:54:30Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > Also, what part of my OP demonstrates “ignorance”? Again, please be specific. All of it. ---
**Author:** ![Peanut\_Gallery](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/838e76/32.png) [@Peanut\_Gallery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanut_Gallery)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-thuggery-boston-style/524797/127 "2010-01-14T02:00:25Z")
Democrat_ic_ Thuggery? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-thuggery-boston-style/524797/128 "2010-01-14T02:09:23Z")
> [@Mithril](#): > > I have to say that I expected the video to be inconclusive about whether Meehan actually shoved the reporter. After all, anything that is posted on Drudge needs to be taken with a boulder of salt. But having watched the video a few times, Meehan definitely stiff-armed (if that’s the right phrase) the reporter. He may or may not have intended to knock the reporter down, but he did stay right in his face in a way that was reminiscent of a movie-style mafioso. > > Coakley had nothing to do with the altercation, but should fire the guy if he is on her staff. She has a tough enough race to run here without giving the independent voters more reason to think she’s a cold and nasty woman - one of the most common criticisms out there currently. Thank OG for someone posting something actually useful. ---
**Author:** ![Mithril](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mithril/32/3517_2.png) [@Mithril](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mithril)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-thuggery-boston-style/524797/129 "2010-01-14T02:16:12Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Thank OG for someone posting something actually useful. Aw, shucks. I feel like a rock star now 😃 ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-thuggery-boston-style/524797/130 "2010-01-14T02:18:06Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Thank OG for someone posting something actually useful. > [@Mithril](#): > > Aw, shucks. I feel like a rock star now 😃 Don’t let it go to your head, lowlife. 🙂 After all, this IS the Pit. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-thuggery-boston-style/524797/131 "2010-01-14T02:18:50Z")
> [@Peanut\_Gallery](#): > > Democrat_ic_ Thuggery? I know, I _know_—it’s just that it doesn’t rhyme with “rat” that way, and for some reason that’s like, \*really \*important… ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-thuggery-boston-style/524797/132 "2010-01-14T02:19:55Z")
> [@Michael\_Ellis](#): > > For someone whose emphatic denial of having things enter their ass, you’ve sure got your head well and truly rammed deep inside it. Oh, come on, you can do better than that. Especially since you repeatedly bring up things having to do with my ass and I already made the joke about having YOUR head up YOURS. And much more artfully than you do here. The judges give you a 1.3. > [@Michael\_Ellis](#): > > As for your questions, they’re irrelevant since your OP demonstrated you are a mindless drooling partisan drone. But the OP is where the primary question is. It is asked very clearly. It is short and to the point. To help you along I even offered my opinion. You do know how a debate board works, right? > [@Michael\_Ellis](#): > > You attempted to imply the entire Democratic party was a horrible corrupt awful bunch of poopyheads because of a meaningless incident in a local election. You sir, are worthless and your questions are bullshit. Now we’re getting somewhere. The problem is you have woefully poor reading comprehension. I said, nor implied, any such thing. I’ve even stated plainly that Coakley, the Dem who is most closely tied to this, should not suffer because of Meehan’s thuggish behavior. ---
**Author:** ![Mithril](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mithril/32/3517_2.png) [@Mithril](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mithril)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-thuggery-boston-style/524797/133 "2010-01-14T02:20:58Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Don’t let it go to your head, lowlife. 🙂 After all, this IS the Pit. Like a pin to a balloon, such are **samclem** ’s words to my ego. ---
**Author:** ![Driver8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Driver8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Driver8)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-thuggery-boston-style/524797/134 "2010-01-14T02:21:20Z")
Since this was originally posted in Great Debates, here is my answer: I think that if the reporter in question feels he was assaulted he should file charges against the alleged attacker. The local authorities should do the appropriate investigation. If the investigation reveals that the charges were justified then they should arrest the perpetrator and prepare a criminal case. I assume the judicial system would take it from there, with the end result ideally depending on the ability of the evidence to overcome reasonable doubt. That is what should happen to the alleged attacker, in my opinion of course. I note it is in many ways similar to your own opinion, although you have more emphasis on immediate prosecution and less on investigation. Could you elaborate on what specifically you were hoping to get out of this debate? There are many cases of assaults in local news around the country, many with far more serious injuries to the victim - what made this one stand out? Other posters have implied you have partisan motivations. You claim otherwise. All the same, the alleged attacker shares many common classifications, but you did feel that two in particular were important enough for the thread title: (1) being a Democrat and (2) being from Boston. I note that the thread was titled “Democrat thuggery, Boston style”. You have to admit that does implies that those two classifications are important to your debate. Or was it just random chance, and on any other day you would have said “White thuggery, political-aide style”? Is there a Boston or Democrat related risk of assault that you wish to debate? Or is there a more general concern regarding assaults in this country that you would like to debate? ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-thuggery-boston-style/524797/135 "2010-01-14T02:22:50Z")
> [@Michael\_Ellis](#): > > All of it. Oh, you really are just full of shit who can’t back up what he says. Feel free to ignore previous post to you. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-thuggery-boston-style/524797/136 "2010-01-14T02:27:48Z")
I personally use the word “thuggery” ever day, in most conversations. It isn’t something that I get from Democratic-leaning websites. Really. No, really. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-thuggery-boston-style/524797/137 "2010-01-14T02:34:09Z")
> [@Driver8](#): > > Since this was originally posted in Great Debates, here is my answer: > > I think that if the reporter in question feels he was assaulted he should file charges against the alleged attacker. The local authorities should do the appropriate investigation. If the investigation reveals that the charges were justified then they should arrest the perpetrator and prepare a criminal case. I assume the judicial system would take it from there, with the end result ideally depending on the ability of the evidence to overcome reasonable doubt. The REASON… it _burns_! Can’t look! Take it AWAY! ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-thuggery-boston-style/524797/138 "2010-01-14T02:40:11Z")
**Driver8** , Fist, I’d like to thank you (and **Mithril** ) for demonstrating that it indeed is possible to understand the question in the OP and answering it thoughtfully. I don’t disagree with your take on what should be done. I assume the investigation would take place with my “as the law permits”. Obviously this isn’t a run-of-the-mill assault. It is political in nature and am surprised how due to that people are willing to turn a blind eye to it. The other incident I sighted is similar. The fact the Holder aw to it that charges were dropped against that thug is as disgusting as it is amazing. There was also an incident in which a conservative assaulted a couple of months ago, with very little interest by dems that I could see. So, I do see an unfortunate tendency for those on the left to hand wave such behavior from those on their side. This thread has become a great example of that. But I was simply interested in what people thought should happen to Meehan. I should also have asked what Coakley should do regarding this. As I’ve stated, I think that Meehan’s behavior has nothing to do with her. But the incident having happened, I do think it is incumbent upon her, as **Mithril** offered, to fire him and state that such behavior is 100% unacceptable. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-thuggery-boston-style/524797/139 "2010-01-14T02:42:14Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > I personally use the word “thuggery” ever day, in most conversations. It isn’t something that I get from Democratic-leaning websites. Really. No, really. :rolleyes: Really? I don’t. But it often comes to mind when I see thuggish behavior. Weird how that works. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-thuggery-boston-style/524797/140 "2010-01-14T03:28:34Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > Really? I don’t. But it often comes to mind when I see thuggish behavior. Weird how that works. Does it often come to mind when the people you get your marching orders from use the word “thuggery”? By the way-“Democratic”, not “Democrat”. If you want to pretend that you are engaging in an honest debate, you might want to leave the juvenile buzzwords at home. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-thuggery-boston-style/524797.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-thuggery-boston-style/524797.md?page=8)