I missed it on saturday or whenever it was live.

so far, it sounds like there's only lefties in the crowd...

gotta love the use of the 10 year old.

and, palin hasn't put forth anything about energy that didn't concern oil? what about the natural gas pipeline?

is there any semblance of balance in the rest of it or am I just wasting my time listening to people that sound just like a lot of you here (they're even continuing the claim that palin cut funding for special needs kids...).

Your expectations seem pretty high. Did you think that Ed was going up there to hold a Sarah Palin pep rally?

I think they probably handed out blinders at the door.

As I understood it was announced well in advance, not a closed town hall meeting and most important they paid to attend the event.

Bottom line no one was asked their political affiliation but the people in the audience for the most part expressed their anger and distrust of governor and former mayor Sarah Palin.

FTR, the Wasilla town council was bi-partisan when they created the city manager position to relieve Mayor Palin of her administrative duties after her 1st year as mayor. It is a bi-partisan commission that started investigating Gov. Palin over the trooper gate affair.

I was led to believe that I could assume a fairly balanced town hall meeting, from people on these forums.

not to mention that ed's show is supposedly where "America comes to talk."

you're right, I had expectations that were unreasonable...

Well, I enjoyed it! Listened from noon to 3 pm EDT. Sounded like a pretty loud crowd, as one would expect in Ankorage. My cousin was going to attend; he'll fill me in by phone or email this evening.
BTW: This cousin was a Republican member of the AK house and he's very leery of Palin....
Sallie

sorry, I'm not looking for enjoyable. I'm trying to figure out the facts so I can make an informed decision on how to move forward with our country.

all I'm hearing are a bunch of crazed fanatics screaming about the republicans/bush/the religious right, etc.

I'm not saying there isn't a reason to be on guard, but some of the rhetoric is so counter productive and hateful, it's really starting to concern me for the future of America.

If there's hatred it comes from the Right who seem to hate everything that doesn't agree with their myopic views.

Maybe these reasons will help you decide:

Although USA has spent trillions on advanced and stealth weapons for the last 30yrs, Banana Republics can hold off the US military with AK47s and booby traps.

Although the USA has spent trillions on spy technology and satellites that can see you taking a bath in house from outer space it can't find terrorists in 737 on 911, WMDs in Iraq or OBL in Pakistan.

The best defense is the best offense only against a weak defense. Ask Rommel, Hitler or Montgomery, Westmoreland, etc. Colin Powell is an exception. Supply lines, supply lines, supply lines.

While the USA wastes humans, time and resources in endless oversea wars the USA is left wide open. I doubt what's left of the AK NG would be able to stop Russians or Chinese from taking over AK, MX from invading AZ, or Cuba from invading FL.

The USA could have rebuilt much of USA's infrastructure, implemented UHC for all citizens, replaced fossil fuels with renewable energy for $12 billion a month instead of invading occupying Iraq.

Instead of secretly buying goods to boost the economy and hiding it in FEMA, USA could have put millions of Americans to work as temporary or permanent public servants.


Currently, McShame talks about victory in Iraq, defending Georgia and permanent tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy but despite the current tax cuts and rebates the economy has gotten worse each year. In 2004 said if re-elected, he would cut the deficit by half and recover the 2,800,000 jobs lost during his first term and McShame wants to continue economic policies.

Why were they unreasonable? As eonwe points out, IT WAS AN OPEN TOWN HALL MEETING. Why assume that Dems dominated? YOU are the one being unreasonable and partisan. You think that Republicans can't be against Palin? She screwed over Republicans and Democrats alike in her abuses of power and, especially as mayor, her budgetary bungles...

I heard Ed let the guy who thought highly of Sarah go on a good bit, but then there was the guy that took the opportunity to read the left wing view on everything (like we had never heard that) and nothing was learned...

But finally, the 10 year old and the polar bear concerns - straight out of the tear jerking lefty handbook - bet it had you nice folks reaching for the hankies didn't it?. Yeah, I felt patronized beyond what I felt like enduring at that point so I switched (can't remember where to).

I'm being unreasonable by asking whether or not I should pay attention to the rest on the basis of whether or not there will be opposing view points?

I never suggested there weren't republicans there, but I didn't hear any of them. Tritumi says there was one, but I didn't hear it. I'm going to look for another place to listen to it so I can hear that, though.

I don't understand how I'm being unreasonable and it doesn't even make sense that I'm being partisan...

and I take offense to your alluding to me being a republican...

I did not hear the guy you speak of, is there another place I could hear that portion?

what I'd like to know, though, is if there were any third party types speaking or anyone that didn't sound like a right/left wing hack?

I'm loathe to believe I actually get the truth about anything from either side at this point...

I'm quite sure nothing was learned from the Palin fan, either. But, the only ones you think makes sense are the righties, anyway.
Yeah, you'll be quite happy when they are extinct, I'm sure. To HELL with our world, and our environment. You folks are all for shitting in our own nest. Tell your grandkids how you don't give a damn if those animals are still around when they are grown.

GoU

It's actually unreasonable to expect that a town hall meeting hosted by a known
Progressive Radio Talk Show host would draw many R/W fans just like it's
unrealistic to assume any events hosted by Bill O'Reilly would draw many
Progressive fans. I do think you're being naive in expecting such a mixture
for Ed's next town hall meeting will be held in Portland this Saturday night
and I can guarantee you the crowd will be very partisan and very progressive.

There was a libertarian and an independent in the crowd during the first hour. Don't know if you got to hear it, because I suspect some had to be edited for length (and I only heard the first unedited hour so far).

Best,

-P

I heard CelticDiva!!!!!
You Rock CelticDiva!!!!

[quote name='gounion Hussein' date='Sep 15 2008, 08:44 PM' post='642737']
I'm quite sure nothing was learned from the Palin fan, either. But, the only ones you think makes sense are the righties, anyway.

The Palin "fan" wasn't so much a fan as he was (it appeared) impressed with her stick to it ness, tenacity etc in the face of the "big boys" on the Alaskan political scene. He seemed to be critical of her as well (I forget what his problem with her was), but Ed seemed genuinely interested in what the guy had to say and held him over - yeah, that was worth listening to

Yeah, you'll be quite happy when they are extinct, I'm sure. To HELL with our world, and our environment. You folks are all for shitting in our own nest. Tell your grandkids how you don't give a damn if those animals are still around when they are grown.

You are not gonna find a bigger fan of the animals than myself (and you know that) - its just that listening to a 10 year old go on about his concerns on the national stage is not where I'm going for my info - it is just too much melodrama for my taste.

Here's my point: Yeah , I figured that Ed would have a supportive crowd at the Town Hall and all of that and I figured you would have the folks standing up and reciting the lefty talking points and all that , but then the kid and the polar bears comes along and it was just tooooo ... I don't know, patronizing is the word that comes to me. Why didn't the kid talk about energy policy or the Bridge to Nowhere I'm sure that he would have clued us all into all kinds of insightful stuff... Just seemed like a staged, lefty kinda "feeling" thing that turned me off - although I'm sure most everyone herein LOVED IT.

What exactly did anyone expect to hear from lots of right wingers?
You wanted "Crossfire?"

There is no guarantee you would have heard anything adding to the information base from a right winger that you could not have heard from the left.

Do they have different facts, or just different opinions on the right?

In fact, it probably might have yielded nothing of consequence at all to have a LOT of right wingers on.
I'm sure if any had the courage to speak without group chants, they would have gotten to the front
rather quickly to give an alternate view. And probably a fair amount of courtesy.

So the onus is on the right wing attendee(s) to speak intelligently before the crowd.

Learned? What did you expect to learn from even numbers of right wingers on this?
You wanted a show that was comprised only of RW clones? OR even 50% RWingers?

They had that opportunity in an open meeting.
Are we back to the inane kind of argument applied by 2 other right wingers on this forum
(in another thread):

"Even the polar bears must be Republican because they didn't attend or speak out?"

You have to judge, not by who attended, but by who simply did not?
And how do you know that there weren't rightwingers in the crowd, who simply did not speak up?

Next we'll be counting votes of only the uninvolved people who did NOT go to the polls, right???
And we should count them as, let me guess -- Republican?

From the start I was skeptical of the format, but flipped it on anyway. I thought the guy who admired Sarah for the reasons he stated and had problems with her for reasons he stated was somewhat informative. He was the first guy that I heard speak and as I said, Ed let him run long, so I was somewhat encouraged that the forum might possible produce more of that informative kinda dialog. Well, it didn't, so yeah, I was dissappointed.

Didn't know Polar bears were republicans...

I completely agree. It wasn't me that expected it, it was something proposed to me from someone on these boards. In fact, I was attacked for questioning that expectation...

damnit, that's exactly what I'm talking about. if it was edited for 'length' I say it was edited poorly and with an agenda. I'm sure I'll be attacked for that, but hell, I didn't get to hear any of those guys and I really wanted to hear some opposing viewpoints and I don't mean republicans...

if there's any link to the unedited or to the full length edited (if it includes the indy's, etc.), I would greatly appreciate it.

It was every bit as "non-partisan" as a Rush Limbaugh meeting, or a McCain townhall - like the one where the woman said "How do we get rid of the bitch" and McCain - and everyone there - thought was hilarious.

It's more of the same, conservatives trying to hold liberals to rules they don't recognize themselves.

GoU

ignoring your obvious spite for the right, I was actually thinking more centrists would've been nice. Although, I would never not want to hear from the right, too.

This in from Jxx Rxxx, member of the Alaska House, Republican:
"I am in no way, shape or form a Democrat. I did attend the town hall meeting with Ed Schultz, because I could afford it. It wasn't free.
"There were a lot of really vehement anti-Palin people there, but I will give Schultz all the credit in the world for not letting claims go unchallenged. All-in-all, it was enjoyable and revealing on many levels.
"Would I vote for a ticket with Sarah Palin on it? No! It's one thing to screw up a sparsely-populated state, and quite another to screw up 49 more."
Funny that my cousin and I would have the same reaction, as to "enjoyable." And coming from disparate political stances....
Sallie

My opinion is that he let things go unchallenged and I have proven, at least, one major point.

Again, I don't like the woman. I could NEVER vote for someone that was anti-choice and I really can't stand the religious right, but I am ALL FOR THE TRUTH, period.

I WAS at the town hall meeting and of course it was a 99% liberal crowd, that's what Ed draws. It was great. With the insane amount of hype over SP, we were all so relieved and grateful to get to be heard by our neighbors in the Lower 48. Just because we live in Alaska doesn't mean we support McCain/Palin. The meeting was outstanding and Ed was a true professional. If you were looking for balance in this event, forget it. It was clearly one-sided and we were thrilled with it! It was right on the heels of a huge rally (for Anchorage, it was huge) demonstrating our dislike of the current AK governor. The day was a huge success all around. Yup, go ahead and slam me for sounding like a gleeful child on Christmas morning. It's tough being a leftie in a heavily Republican state.

You probably know my cousin, akmom. He tells me that the Alaskan Legislature meets for only 90 days a year. He told me, in a recent email, "we changed that so that the bastards couldn't do any more damage. 120 days was just too long."
Do you have any remembrance or when and why this was changed?
My cousin is definitely a Republican (probably the norm in Alaska), but he has real reservations about Sarah Palin.
Do you see this as an anomally, or are there other Republicans who share his view?
This is great!
So glad you checked in! Will you stick around for awhile and answer some questions?
BTW: Welcome to the board!!!!
Sallie

hey, don't get me wrong, I'm no republican.

my thread was simply a counter to the conversation I had had with some, prior to the meeting, along with my question as to whether or not it was worth finding out more about the meeting. everything I heard has been touted, and in some cases debunked, on this very site. I didn't feel like beating that dead horse.

welcome to the boards, we need some alaskan voices right now. I know you guys are gonna be the ones to dig up the dirt on this woman, so get to work and report back! ;p (I don't use smiley face icons, that's my winkie, tongue dude)