I just stumbled across this video of the introduction of the Puerto Rico delegate to the RNC:
OK, so I am not even sure if this is a “Great Debate” or not, but it is sure to start one. I am happy to admit to being a left-moderate. But I am really astonished at the way they treat her. I mean, she is presumably there because she represents Republican ideals on the island of US citizens (admittedly non-voting ones).
Is this normal treatment of the Puerto Rico delegate, or are RNC attendees especially douche-baggy this year? I mean, why would you invite a delegate to ridicule her?
Someone please help me understand this. I really mean that sincerely. I can undersatnd that some folks might not think Puerto Rico should be a territory, or that they need to “state up,” or even that they don’t belong somehow (NOTE: I don’t share any of those ideas, but I can at least wrap my head around them). I guess the part I really struggle with is that she is one of them, and they invited her.
But really, truly- what the Hell? Does this sort of thing happen at the DNC?
Did you read the update? They were Ron Paul fans booing whatever silly thing it is Ron Paul fans are against this week. It didn’t have anything to do with the delegate from Puerto Rico.
Well, either I didn’t see the update or it wasn’t there when I posted originally. Either way, that makes more sense. I recall that when I first saw it there was the obligatory commenting along the lines of Republicans are Evil/This Website is a Liberal Tool.
I sort of expected to hear that this sort of thing goes on at all the conventions, Democrat and Republican. Nonetheless, hearing that it was just a bunch of unhappy Ron Paul supporters makes me feel a little better about the state of civility.
Yeah, still the floor factions deciding that they did not owe some basic courtesy to the person who was at the mic and proceeding with their quarrel only looks worse because it was specifically that delegate at the time. Having people try to address the meeting while arguments, debates and conflicts are being hashed out on the floor just means that nobody will listen to what the speaker’s saying anyway.
This video will be gobbled up with relish, out of the explanatory context, by the anti-statehooders here as more “evidence” that the rising tide in the US is an anglo-nationalist one that will never welcome us fully.
Tonight the First Lady of PR will help introduce Ann Romney and tomorrow the Governor will be among the speakers in the prelim card, and the reaction to them should be a better gage of the “institutional” position (which again will have jack to do with the grassroots’ opinion, either).