Protester dumps glitter on Newt Gingrich at Minneapolis event

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

http://www.twincities.com/politics/ci_18082058

Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich refused to be pinned down Tuesday as a believer in creationism or evolution as the origin of human life during a gathering of Minnesota social conservatives, where he also endured a protester's confetti shower.
...

During the book signing, a protester poured a cracker box full of glittery confetti over Gingrich and his wife, Callista, and said, "Stop the hate!" The man was shoved from the room by a Family Council member.

Although authorities couldn't immediately confirm the man's identity, he appeared to be Nick Espinosa, a prankster who has disrupted at least two other political events in Minnesota, including one last year in which he dumped a bagful of pennies in the lap of Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer. In that prank, Espinosa - who has also used the name Robert Erickson - told reporters he was trying to highlight immigration issues.

[Cid_B]

1. Good way to get shot and or ass kicked...

Going up and throwing strange substances on politicians is not the best idea. What a tool.

[Berserker]

2. you call that a politician

I call it and asshole.

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

3. +1

[Cid_B]

6. Why must they be mutually exclusive?

[LiberalLoner]

5. I agree. Not a smart thing to do, and not the right way to make your point.

I obviously don't agree with all politicians, but this is just wrong. Think about how frightened politicians must be after the shooting of Rep. Giffords. Even if Gingrich quickly realized no permanent harm was being done, there was still that moment of fear and shock. And even glitter isn't as harmless as you might assume. It can get into the eyes and scratch the cornea.

I agree with the "stop the hate" message but I don't agree with how this was done.

[Cid_B]

19. Would you blame his security if the reacted and shot Mr. Glitter?

I wouldn't...

[jefferson_dem]

4. Didn't think it could be possible... This glitter hurler proved himself to be a bigger jackass...

Than Newt even.

[Fumesucker]

8. The glitter hurler wants innocent people to starve and freeze while homeless?

That's the precise result of policies that Newt advocates and he knows it.

[jefferson_dem]

9. Who doesn't disagree with Newt on those policies?

In fact, I would wager that I've been fighting (rhetorically) against Newt's backwards policies as long as anyone else on this board.

Sorry, but I deplore these self-centered, childish, public disruptions, regardless of the message or the target.

[Fumesucker]

11. Most of my neighbors..

What does who agrees or disagrees with Newt's policies have to do with it anyway? Newt advocates those policies and they are utterly despicable, far beyond some childish throwing of glitter on someone.

[jberryhill]

12. Assaulting politicians is wrong

The next person, with a container of acid, has learned how easy it would be.

[Fumesucker]

17. Whereas knowingly advocating policies that will kill people is just politics..

I don't know where your priorities are but Newt is a far bigger jackass than this moron who threw the glitter.

[jberryhill]

25. Speaking is not a violent crime, assault is

I think Newt Gingrich is among many assholes in the world.

Perhaps you are limited by an ability to cope with them without advocating assault.

That is, in a nutshell, exactly what is wrong with all of the assholes in the world. Your problem is merely that you are not the one in charge.

[Fumesucker]

26. Where have I "advocated" anything at all?

Quotes please..

[jberryhill]

35. Other people's bodies belong to them

It is not okay, without consent, to touch them, throw things at them, or dump stuff on them.

Honestly, it is a basic enough rule for you to have learned in kindergarten.

If other people's bodies are props for your physical comedy, perhaps one day you will qualify for a job at the IMF.

[Fumesucker]

39. I asked for quotes..

I haven't edited or deleted anything since I posted that and you provided no quotes where I have advocated anything.

[jefferson_dem]

13. So...a person either celebrates assholish public disruptions or he is a fan of Newt's policies.

That's some deep logic right there. :eyes:

[Fumesucker]

16. You wrote this..

"This glitter hurler proved himself to be a bigger jackass than Newt even".

That's what I'm disagreeing with, throwing glitter is not anywhere near the same level of jackassishness than advocating policies that you know will kill innocent people.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

36. This is the same kid who managed to get the podium in front of...

.... a crowd of tea-baggers.

He punked the tea-baggers by giving an anti-immigration speech.... against European immigrants who stole North America from Native Americans. The reaction from the TBers was priceless.

The glitter might not be his best work, but the kid's got moxy.

No harm no foul.

[Berserker]

10. Thinking how wrong I was

with my statement. It really must be terrifying having confetti tossed at you. I can only imagine how many people the Harlem Globe Trotters have terrified over the years with all those buckets of confetti dumped on the crowds. Next time they are in town lets have those fuckers tasered!!!!1111!

[jberryhill]

14. That's just plain stupid

One is reasonably certain in that context that entertainers are not seeking to intentionally harm the audience. Read the back of your ticket and what you have consented to.

When a random stranger dumps an unknown substance on you, there is no such context.

This was an assault. It was a deliberate unconsented touching of a person for the purpose of causing alarm.

Maybe you think assault is acceptable political discourse. I do not.

[Berserker]

27. Good for you

I disagree and he was not touched. He sprinkled some paper big frickin deal. Your post is just plain stupid, unconsented touching give me a fucking break.

[jberryhill]

32. Learn some law

Touching with an object is touching.

Maybe if you learn something, it will keep your type out of jail some day.

[Skip Intro]

29. +1 nt

[jefferson_dem]

7. Here's a video...

More innocuous than I imagined ... but still way assholish by Nick Espinosa.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8OZsJokBB0&feature=player_embedded#at=29

[Lars39]

15. Herpes of the craft world!

hehe...Newt'll be finding that stuff for a looooong time.:D

[Canuckistanian]

18. Whatever happened to custard pies?

I miss the old days.

[Modern_Matthew]

21. Or running people out of town on a rail. nt

[Modern_Matthew]

20. Dumping glitter is assault? LOL. These types of threads never fail to entertain me. nt

[Renew Deal]

23. He's lucky he didn't get beat by the cops

or worse.

[Cid_B]

24. I'm sure you'd be thrilled...

if someone came up and blew white powder in your local dem reps face.

[zappaman]

31. +1

Newt is a dick, but don't throw shit at him.
Lame and if it happened to Kucinich, people would lose it here.

[Berserker]

33. YEAH take that

and what if someone put depleted uranium in your socks and you walked into your local dem reps office and they detected it and you touched him when you tried to shake his hand and dropped your powered soap that was in a baggie because you were on you way to the laundry mat and you were shot in the face with mace and your dog seen this and was tied to your grandmas wheel chair and went running down the street and she was screaming and then some idiot dumped a cracker box full of confetti on her and then the dog bite him.

[Cid_B]

37. Look, if you aren't even going to play...

... I don't see why you bother to expend the energy to those little fingers of yours to type that out.

[Skip Intro]

30. If someone did that to Obama this board would be hyperventilating.

[jberryhill]

34. Yes, it is

Are you laughing at your own ignorance?

[Renew Deal]

22. That's wrong.

We don't want that in politics.

[Iris]

28. I agree. n/t

[shoutinfreud]

38. FABULOUSSSS!!

[krabigirl]

40. Lol