Enough with the booing of your political opponent! (weak)

The BBQ Pit
1

Virtually every Bush speech I have heard snippets of on the news includes multiple lines along the lines of, “Kerry wants to do (x)!” to which the audience boos. “Senator Kerry wants to do (y!)” and the audience boos more. “Senator Kerry will do (z)!” and even more boos. To my astonishment, the White House web site posts Bush’s speeches with the boos right in them: " AUDIENCE: Booo!"

A quick bit of nexising shows that Kerry has done something similar once, asking the audience of they liked watching the GOP convention on TV, so I’m not blaming this entirely on Bush, but it does appear that Bush has made much, much more use of this tactic.

Message to all political candidates: stop with the making booing part of your fucking stump speeches. It is completely undignified. It’s time to grow up and have some respect for Americans who might have different opinions, and enough with the making political opponents into enemies.

I have no problem with negative political attacks: Kerry, feel free to call Bush a warmonger. Bush, feel free to call Kerry a flip-flopper from France. But getting crowds to boo one’s opponent is completely juvenile. Whoever thought that booing is a good way to score political points is a fucking moron, and I wish some opinionmakers would start talking about this further degradation of political discourse. I can only pray that the booing of candidates doesn’t actually help anyone to decide how they are going to cast their vote.

What’s next, throwing pies? Oh, wait. Too late there. I guess we have to go to name calling with kiddie phrases, like “stupid-head” and “doodie-breath.” :rolleyes:

2

Oh, I don’t know. I like the booing. Because when the audience actually misses their cue to boo, it’s really obvious. Now that’s hilarious.

3

That isn’t happening much anymore, the booing seems to be scripted, and not very spontaneous. It appears that the Bush team has shills in the audience to jumpstart the booing at the appointed time.

4

Ahh, but the misspeaks like…
"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we," Bush said. “They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.”

-or-

"My opponent seems to be willing to say almost anything he thinks will benefit him politically," he said. “After standing on the stage, after the debates, I made it very plain we will not have an all-volunteer army.”

…should prompt the (insert applause here) but instead they confuse the audience incredibly. I don’t give the boos anymore credence than a bunch of 4 year olds listening to “Peter and the Wolf”. Now when you hear the wolf portrayed by Bush’s Oboe, stomp your feet and boo real loudly.

5

Well, it’s not as if Bush has given them much to cheer about…