So I went to the weekly "Family Festival"...

[GReedDiamond]

...a block away from my house. Every Friday night, they shut down the streets in the main business part of town (which has a first-run movie theater, several nice restaurants, boutiques, galleries etc), and vendors set up booths, street food is cooked on open fire smokers, bands play on the street, and there's a big farmers market. There are also Democratic and Republican tables offering bumper stickers, buttons, lawn signs and so on. The Repug table had a big sign hung on the front which said "BECOME A REPUBLICAN -- REGISTER HERE."

I walked up to the two ladies (one a late-middle-aged white woman, the other literally looked to be a frail, 92 pound, 90+ y.o. white woman with white hair) sitting at the table, and said "Become a Republican, eh? Can you give me just one good reason why I should become a Republican?"

The younger lady started to talk about how, "in 1920, when the Menace of Communism was on the rise...," at which point I cut her off and said, "please, give me one good reason not from almost 100 years ago, but NOW..." and she said, no you don't understand, communism is still a great threat to us..," and I said "no, for example, tell me what the Republicans will do to fix the economy."

At that point, the very elderly frail woman said, "Republicans will help small business owners," and the other one said "didn't you read our Pledge to America?" I said, "Yeah, it was written by a corporate lobbyist, and continues with the same policies which got us where we are now."

I next said, "since the Republicans represent the interests of multi-millionaires, billionaires, and dominionist Christians, you two ladies must be either multi-millionaires, billionaires, and/or dominionist Christians, right?" They vehemently denied being rich (and I believed them), but the younger lady said, "yes I'm a Christian, and I believe our government should operate under the laws of the Ten Commandments." I sez, "you're aware of the separation of church and state, right? And what about Muslims, they're bad, right? And since I'm an atheist, I suppose that's the worst of all, huh?"

The younger Christian lady now starts writing something down on a sheet of paper, I believe she was writing a description of me, and she sez to the older lady, just stop talking to him, he's just trying to cause trouble. I said, "no, I'm just trying to get one good reason from either of you, why I, or anyone else, other than multi-millionaires or billionaires, should register as a Republican."

Younger lady sez: "We're not here to answer questions about anything, we don't know the answers anyway. We're just trying to register people."

I said, "good luck, good bye," and walked away.

Edited for spelling.

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. "we don't know the answers anyway"

That's the most honest thing I've heard a republican ever say.

[Mz Pip]

2. The 10 Commandments

aren't the basis for our government. Keep holy the Sabbath? Okay, do you really want to shut down Malls and ban sporting events on the Sabbath? Good luck with that.

And the ones about coveting thy neighbor's goods and thy neighbor's wife? All that coveting is sort of the foundation of our advertising and the capitalistic system.

I'd really like one of those people to explain how all of the 10 Commandments would really fit into our system of laws and government.

[GReedDiamond]

3. When I said I was an atheist...

...the younger lady also said, "show me your Ten Commandments," which I suppose was her attempt to be inclusive.

[Mz Pip]

6. The idea that atheists

somehow can't be decent, moral, caring people because they don't believe in God is just ludicrous.

[Bozita]

4. Get a video camera, a pimp costume, a barely dressed young lady, and go back there.

Andrew Breitbart swears by this formula.

And look what he did with it.

ACORN? ... Gone!

Fame? ... How's a seat at Bill Maher's table sound?

GOP prestige and money? ... Coming soon.

[GReedDiamond]

5. Not a bad idea...

...having worked on quite a few movies, I have a few good industry connections in Hollywood, especially in the Costume Department area.

I'm going to give that some thought...plus I gotta admit it would be cool just to dress like that at the "Family Festival" in general!

[madamesilverspurs]

7. During the 2008 campaign

we were surprised when two Young Republicans from the University showed up in the local Democratic office. They were dutifully wearing their McCain shirts and McCain buttons, but they were polite and really quite civil. Seems they'd been volunteering in the local GOP office and had asked some questions about one of the ballot initiatives (it was the personhood thing, giving full civil rights to fertilized human eggs). Apparently, no one wanted to discuss the matter. So, the youngsters decided to see what we had to say about it. I'm happy to say that we were able to contribute significantly to their education; both young ladies were rightly indignant about the implications of the proposed measure. They stayed and chatted for a while, then smiled and thanked us for our time, taking the appropriate brochure with them. Much as I'd like to think they came fully to their senses and ditched McCain for Obama, I am content that they learned FROM US that honest questions deserve honest answers.


-

[GReedDiamond]

8. Right you are, madamesilverspurs...

I would like to point out that the lady at the Democratic table about 80 feet away from the Repug table was present yesterday at the Whitman/Christie publicity stunt. Since I was visually descriptive with the Republican Ladies in my OP, I will describe the Democratic Lady as an attractive, middle-aged white woman, but with a more post-hippie/denim and colorful beads, casual, professional woman look, whateverTF that is.

Here's what she told me:

She went there knowing that she probably wouldn't be let in, as attendees were on a list of invitees only. She gave her name (knowing it wasn't on the list), and was told that her name wasn't on the list, but it was probably on the last-minute-updated list (which was not yet in hand), so they let her in anyway.

Once in, she witnessed the whole "heckler" incident, and, when Christie tried to act like the Repugs own the High Road, she politely raised her hand to ask a question, but was refused.

All accepted "questions" at NutMeg's PR stunt were pre-programmed, scripted and carried out.

In any case, the lady at the Democratic table was well informed, clear on policy issues, and a (literally) street level activist, so I salute her!

Edited for clarity.

[Obamanaut]

9. Good for you, telling off two burly tattooed thugs - oh, nevermind.

"...one a late-middle-aged white woman, the other literally looked to be a frail, 92 pound, 90+ y.o. white woman with white hair..."

[GReedDiamond]

10. Do you suppose that could be why they were there?

After thirty years of Republican assault on the working people of this country, illegal wars, treasury looting, corporate giveaways, financial services industries deregulation and fraud, etc, etc, I no longer have any tolerance or patience for the bullshit Republicans spew on a non-stop, continuous basis.

Perhaps by planting two "innocent," but completely ignorant, women at their voter registration drive table, including the very elderly and frail looking lady, the hope was nobody would challenge them on the policies of the Party they represent. Since the Repug officials know they have nothing but the same shit they've thrown at us for over 20 years, they can send these poor, god-fearing, defenseless, frail women out to hide behind as they continue their pillaging of the American Middle Class.

In other words, while you may find my simple questioning of these two ladies offensive, due to their physical attributes, or lack thereof, I really don't care. If they are not up to the task of providing even ONE rational public policy position in order to convince me to register to their party, then they should be prepared to take a little criticism, or perhaps they would be better off staying at home watching the 700 Club or Fox News/Glenn Beck.

And, just so you know, if they WERE a couple of burly, tattooed, 200+ pound men, I would have done the same thing, if they were sitting there representing the Repug Party and were willfully ignorant religious fanatics, as these two ladies were.

Nice try.

[Obamanaut]

12. An extreme LOL re the last part. Folks post about confronting the elderly

in checkout lines who are talking amongst themselves, or women, or old people in McDonald's over a teevee channel. Just this week a poster gleefully told us about opening a screen door - a screen door through which one can easily talk - while holding onto her barking dog's collar just so she could get a few more words at the back of a woman who was walking away. And she even mentioned in the thread that it was an African American woman. How 1960s is that, intimidation of minorities with dogs.

How tolerant all this is. How brave when the descriptions of the people assailed are given!

ETA This is not questioning as to their knowledge, but rather a confrontational interrogation "...I next said, "since the Republicans represent the interests of multi-millionaires, billionaires, and dominionist Christians, you two ladies must be either multi-millionaires, billionaires, and/or dominionist Christians, right?" They vehemently denied being rich (and I believed them), but the younger lady said, "yes I'm a Christian, and I believe our government should operate under the laws of the Ten Commandments." I sez, "you're aware of the separation of church and state, right? And what about Muslims, they're bad, right? And since I'm an atheist, I suppose that's the worst of all, huh?"

The younger Christian lady now starts writing something down on a sheet of paper, I believe she was writing a description of me, and she sez to the older lady, just stop talking to him, he's just trying to cause trouble. I said, "no, I'm just trying to get one good reason from either of you, why I, or anyone else, other than multi-millionaires or billionaires, should register as a Republican..."

Yes, I can imagine that you might indeed 'talk' with two burly guys, but I also imagine the tone would not be quite as combative.

[GReedDiamond]

13. If you read and interpret what I said to these two women...

...as "assailing" them, then you are simply wrong, and since you were not there to witness the exchange, you have no way of knowing otherwise. No voices were raised, no threats or threatening gestures were made, by me or anybody else.

Are you suggesting that I should shut up, not question these self-appointed, adult representatives of the Republican Party, simply because you, somehow, illogically equate my "confrontational interrogation" of them to 1960s era discrimination against African Americans? Is that what you're trying to suggest, that I'm a bigot of sorts, for taking offense to Republicans and their policies? I did not know disliking Republicans who spew bullshit was considered bigotry here at DU.

Yes, I can imagine that you might indeed 'talk' with two burly guys, but I also imagine the tone would not be quite as combative.

I know you know me so well as to be able to make such a statement. But since, actually, you don't know me or anything about me, I assume you are speculating out of sheer ignorance. Perhaps unlike you, I am not particularly intimidated by "burly guys." And if you think my "tone" was "combative" with these two Republican nitwits, than, you are apparently a very sensitive, thin-skinned person when it comes to political dialogue with the opposition. Good for you and your "High Road" approach! If there was a Gov. Christie Civil Discourse Humanitarian Award, you'd be in the running for it, I'm sure.

[Obamanaut]

14. Wow. One zinger after another. I loves me some internets. nt

[GReedDiamond]

15. Thanks, goodnight...nt

[SoCalDem]

11. I like our community get-togethers more

beer..food & NO politics:)