GOP Debate Audience Boos U.S. Soldier in Iraq

[Seawytch]

Let's say that it was only 5 people in the crowd booing an honorably serving soldier. Not a single one of the candidates for President said a fucking word.

 

[Conservative]

Let's say that it was only 5 people in the crowd booing an honorably serving soldier. Not a single one of the candidates for President said a fucking word.

And if it had been a Democratic debate, I'm sure they'd have been all over it ;rolleyes:

 

[zzzz]

The republican party is quickly becoming a party of exclusion. They have already excluded blacks, gays, Hispanics, the poor. It does not paint a pretty picture for the future of the party. There was another country last century that allowed a exclusionary party to rise to power during hard times. Are we headed for a repeat of history but with an American flavor?

Booing soldiers is a right we have and part of what they are fighting for. It is not right in the sense that they are fighting for us but it is our right of expression. People who spit on soldiers coming from Vietnam are hollering about this incident. People who condemned those things back then are condoning this today. It all depends on your perspective of what is right and wrong.

Even though we have a right of expression, to put down people by booing them is wrong. I live by treating others as I would like to be treated. If I disagree with them or their position I will tell them but booing, spitting on people or other acts of disrespect are not in my book. We are supposed to be a civilized nation but every day we have acts of disrespect by citizens and our elected representatives. However there are a lot more good Americans out there than bad.

People often confuse those in the service with those who make the political decisions.

We don't decide to go to war. In the interest of national security we lay down our lives for the benefit of those that spit on us. I'm sorry you don't see it that way but that's reality.

As they say, I may not agree with what you say, but god damn it I'll give my life for your right to say it!

I agree with you and I was not saying that disrespecting soldiers was a proper thing to do. Its just that as American citizens we have a right to express ourselves. Of course spitting on someone is now a felony assault case because of AIDS, so that is not a right.

 

[Photonic]

The republican party is quickly becoming a party of exclusion. They have already excluded blacks, gays, Hispanics, the poor. It does not paint a pretty picture for the future of the party. There was another country last century that allowed a exclusionary party to rise to power during hard times. Are we headed for a repeat of history but with an American flavor?

Booing soldiers is a right we have and part of what they are fighting for. It is not right in the sense that they are fighting for us but it is our right of expression. People who spit on soldiers coming from Vietnam are hollering about this incident. People who condemned those things back then are condoning this today. It all depends on your perspective of what is right and wrong.

Even though we have a right of expression, to put down people by booing them is wrong. I live by treating others as I would like to be treated. If I disagree with them or their position I will tell them but booing, spitting on people or other acts of disrespect are not in my book. We are supposed to be a civilized nation but every day we have acts of disrespect by citizens and our elected representatives. However there are a lot more good Americans out there than bad.

People often confuse those in the service with those who make the political decisions.

We don't decide to go to war. In the interest of national security we lay down our lives for the benefit of those that spit on us. I'm sorry you don't see it that way but that's reality.

As they say, I may not agree with what you say, but god damn it I'll give my life for your right to say it!

I agree with you and I was not saying that disrespecting soldiers was a proper thing to do. Its just that as American citizens we have a right to express ourselves. Of course spitting on someone is now a felony assault case because of AIDS, so that is not a right.

Well, it DOES spread disease. At least they upheld the decision to not criminalize flipping off a cop.

 

[NYcarbineer]

It is a sign that Americans do not approve of gays in the military. I agree.

Nothing that goes on in a crackpot Republican primary audience is any 'sign' of what real Americans think or feel.

 

[rightwinger]

Gotta love those GOP audiences...

- Boo a combat veteran because he is gay
- Cheer for executions
- Yell approval of letting a 30 yr old without insurance die

Can't wait for the next debate to see how low they can go

 

[rightwinger]

Let's say that it was only 5 people in the crowd booing an honorably serving soldier. Not a single one of the candidates for President said a fucking word.

Even worse....did you hear Santorums reply to the question?

After all, the GOP overwhelmingly voted against repeal of DADT

 

[Rinata]

It is a sign that Americans do not approve of gays in the military. I agree.

You admit it??? Haven't you made a big enough fool of yourself over Sarah Palin?? I don't worry about gays in the military, I'm worried about idiots like YOU in the military.

 

[Rinata]

It is a sign that Americans do not approve of gays in the military. I agree.

Yea, a young American can risk his life defending this country, just as long as WE can decide who they are allowed to love.

USArmyRetired, you are a disgrace to the uniform and a traitor to this nation.

Bad laws are the worst sort of tyranny.
Edmund Burke

Oh, stop the hysterical bullshit. You're such a fucking idiot.... no one is a 'traitor' because they disagree with your moronic crap.

Twit.

You are the idiot with the hysterical crap, Gladys. Why?? Do gays in the military insult your sensibilities??

 

[Valerie]

The night Republicans booed a soldier
Ugly outbursts from GOP debate audiences threaten to make the party's image problem even worse


Once again, Republicans held a presidential debate on Thursday night. And once again, the live audience helped give the party a black eye.

...



The point has been made that it's easy to make too much of these episodes -- that only a few people seemed to be calling for the hypothetical uninsured man to die, or that the basic eye-for-an-eye concept of the death penalty is just as popular with most Americans as it was with that debate audience. Even on DADT, polling evidence suggests that most Republican voters are fine with repeal -- as is the overwhelming majority of all Americans.


But the Republican Party has an image problem, too. A poll not long ago found that just 33 percent of Americans view the party favorably -- an all-time low.


Even if they are isolated, these debate outbursts end up generating considerable attention and helping to establish (or to reinforce) a sense among non-Republican voters that the GOP has gone off the deep end.

It could be that this won't end up mattering in the end. If the economy is rotten enough, swing voters might end up voting straight ticket Republican next year no matter how extreme the GOP seems to them.


But when members of a Republican crowd at a nationally televised Republican event start booing members of the military, it's safe to say the GOP is playing with fire.

The night Republicans booed a soldier - War Room - Salon.com


See related videos at link ^^^

 

[Conservative]

remind me to check the reactions of the liberal/dem leaning posters in this thread the next time a few people at a dem rally or debate shout something stupid.

Let's see if you're as willing to lump ALL democrats into that pot, shall we?

 

[rightwinger]

remind me to check the reactions of the liberal/dem leaning posters in this thread the next time a few people at a dem rally or debate shout something stupid.

Let's see if you're as willing to lump ALL democrats into that pot, shall we?

Given the Conservative wolf pack on this board, I'm sure we will see dozens of threads if they do

In the mean time, Conservatives can answer for their own actions

 

[Valerie]

I found it disturbing that none of the candidates chastised the booers.

Would have been nice if one of the candidates stepped up and thanked the soldier for his service and apologized for asking to him to lie about who he is in order to keep his job and serve his country honorably...


Rick Santorum pretends that letting people be open about who they are is a "provision" as if they are asking to be "recognized" and given "special privileges" to "inject their social policy into the military". That is a delusional LIE. He asserts sex has "no place in the military" "both heterosexual and homosexual" and if they just "keep it to themselves" it would not be an issue...AS IF soldiers don't already have sex or talk about sex and their personal lives with each other? AS IF the The Uniform Code of Military Justice does not ALREADY apply to ALL soldiers regardless...?


Santorum reiterated that his presidency would reinstate DADT rambling on "After all the Military's job is to do one thing, and that is to defend our country...." The goofy GOP crowd went wild at that point and that is a damn shame because that soldier IS doing his job defending our country and there is NO reason he should he have to hide who he is in order to do so...

 

[Nosmo King]

Just a quick review:

The summer of 2009 town hall meetings with elected representatives and the Conservative "dialog" presented en mass.

"You lie!" shouted at the President of the United States of America during his address to Congress.

Cheers when the prospect of a hypothetically uninsured man dying as a result of lack of health coverage.

Boos in reaction to a gay man serving in the service to the United States of America during war.

"I hope he fails!"~ Rush Limbaugh on the newly elected President.

A sterling run down on the boorish nature of the contemporary American "Conservative".

Some much to be proud of!

 

[BDBoop]

Rick Santorum Owes Gay Soldier an Apology



(Washington, D.C.) – “Tonight, Rick Santorum disrespected our brave men and women in uniform, and he owes Stephen Hill, the gay soldier who asked him the question about Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repeal, an immediate apology.

“That brave gay soldier is doing something Rick Santorum has never done – put his life on the line to defend our freedoms and our way of life. It is telling that Rick Santorum is so blinded by his anti-gay bigotry that he couldn’t even bring himself to thank that gay soldier for his service.

“Stephen Hill is serving our country in Iraq, fighting a war Senator Santorum says he supports. How can Senator Santorum claim to support this war if he doesn’t support the brave men and women who are fighting it?”

» Rick Santorum Owes Gay Soldier an Apology

No he doesn't. He's just saying out loud what the vast majority of Republicans are thinking.

Yes, he does. There's no excuse, and showing your ass because all your friends are is inexcusable as well.

 

[mudwhistle]

Let's say that it was only 5 people in the crowd booing an honorably serving soldier. Not a single one of the candidates for President said a fucking word.

I can't say for sure if he is serving with honor. I don't know anything about his background.

And it wasn't up to the candidates to quiet the crowd. That is the mediator's job.

 

[mudwhistle]

Gotta love those GOP audiences...

- Boo a combat veteran because he is gay
- Cheer for executions
- Yell approval of letting a 30 yr old without insurance die

Can't wait for the next debate to see how low they can go

How do you know he was a combat vet?

I saw no awards, nor did he produce his service record.

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

It is a sign that Americans do not approve of gays in the military. I agree.

Yea, a young American can risk his life defending this country, just as long as WE can decide who they are allowed to love.

USArmyRetired, you are a disgrace to the uniform and a traitor to this nation.

Bad laws are the worst sort of tyranny.
Edmund Burke

Says who... you?

Laughable. Calm the fuck down.

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

All this from the leftist filth who cheered code pink and called our U.S. troops "baby killers"?

 

[rightwinger]

Gotta love those GOP audiences...

- Boo a combat veteran because he is gay
- Cheer for executions
- Yell approval of letting a 30 yr old without insurance die

Can't wait for the next debate to see how low they can go

How do you know he was a combat vet?

I saw no awards, nor did he produce his service record.

I thought someone serving in a combat theater was a combat veteran