Associated Press
A cold night in Pennsylvania for Romney and his teleprompter.
Mitt Romney made a rare appearance in Pennsylvania last night, which by most accounts was well attended, but the event was not without difficulties.
Many in the crowd, though, didn't stay to hear Romney's speech. Attendees streamed out of the event even as the Republican nominee spoke – he had been delayed for more than an hour and a half at his previous stop, in Cleveland, leaving the thousands in Pennsylvania to wait for his campaign bus to arrive.
After Romney arrived, a Secret Service agent, concerned about security, prevented people from leaving the event, cordoned off by metal security barriers. Attendees complained of needing to use restrooms; one was concerned about a child who had gotten too cold.
Once Romney campaign staffers were informed, volunteers began escorting small groups of people out. Agents insisted that they not be allowed to leave en masse. More people wanted to leave than could be quickly accommodated.
The AP quoted one man as he was finally permitted to leave, "I feel like I've been let out of jail."
Now that's what a campaign wants to hear from a voter as he leaves a rally, right?
Another voter told a reporter from USA Today that his son was "on the verge of hypothermia," but Romney staffers were still reluctant to let attendees leave. A New York Times reporter heard a mom pleading with event staff to let her and her daughter leave -- "We've got to get out; my daughter is frostbitten," she said -- only to have a Romney staffer reply, "It's not cold enough for that."
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Based on the photo I thought the quote was from Romney. Something to the effect that his recent schedule has felt like some kind of punishment.
To which I was prepared to say to him "Go ahead and retire--you've earned it."
But the real story, of would-be supporters being basically detained, gives us a much better sense of why we should want him to retire.
Once ,again; The peasants have no bread to eat? Then let them eat cake./You can't pay for college? Borrow from your parents.
The "It's not cold enough for that" response is the current state of Republicanism, in microcosm: if your suffering stands in the way of what we want then it doesn't count, isn't a real problem, never happened...
I also thought that the quote was from Rmoney. He should have, in fact, been in prison, considering the amount of fraud and tax evasion schemes he has practiced and still is practicing.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/05/mitt-romney-missing-tax-returns_n_2079903.html?ref=topbar
He will still lose Pennsylvania where I'll be voting in only a few hours for President Obama.
When I was in Haiti I was part of President Aristide's security detail. One day there was supposed to be this political rally and they had about 4000 people bussed in. It was 115 degrees and there was no shade, or water. At some point they decided there weren't enough people there yet so they sent buses back for more. Aristide wouldn't come till everyone was there so the event was delayed by 3 hours. It was one of the most ridiculous political stunts I have ever seen. I am sorry to see it's evidently not an isolated phenomenon
They weren't allowed to leave for security reasons? Does that happen at football games? Airports? Protest events? My guess is Romney didn't want to have another one of those Detroit photo ops, where nobody was there to greet the messiah.
When I see a statement from the Romney campaign blaming someone for a campaign screwup, it's a safe bet they're lying.
Rats and a sinking ship?
Yup That about sums it up DAY.
When you start losing digits, then we'll talk.
The thing is, it actually wasn't cold enough here last night for frostbite. (I wasn't at the rally, but I live 15 minutes from where it was held.) Still, it's pretty damn inconsiderate for them not to let that woman and her child go.
Also, there is some controversy locally because the Romney campaign rented busses from a local bus company to bus people in, and some of the busses used had the name of the local school district on the side. This apparently isn't sitting well with the district's superintendent...
If you're at a Romney rally you've already lost your mind.
Maybe they were waiting for the Donner party floor show
I am sure the child wasn't actually getting frostbite but I am also sure the mom was exaggerating to get her point across. When a kid is cold, you should let them go home. Let's keep our eye on the real problem - it is very sad that Republicans lack compassion.
Imagine what Fox would be saying if this had been at an Obama rally...and it was a white child
Technically, exposed skin can get frostbite above 32F if there are high winds.
Normally there would be plenty of wind (HOT AIR) at a Romney rally, but remember that Romney was delayed.
It doesn't matter how cold it was. It doesn't matter if she said 'frostbite' out of motherly concern even if it wasn't an actual risk. When a mother is concerned for her child's health ... it doesn't matter what a campaign staffer thinks.
What matters is that people were being held against their will. How is that NOT a crime?
I agree 100%. I can't stand pushy people, but just watch me turn into one if somebody wouldn't let me leave a public place with my child. I'd probably find the cameras and start a ruckus until they had to let me go. UNLAWFUL DETAINMENT!
America is burning with the socialist fires from the pit of hell. It would be way too dangerous to let those people out in that! The safest place to be is clearly a Romney rally.
/snark, fyi.
Crowd control techniques, Bush/Cheney style.
Silly baggers... you're not a supporter, you're a disposable resource. Didn't you know?
Serves them right for going in the first place. Waiting hours for Mitney to speak? How about the voters in Florida who are waiting hours to VOTE?
I don't understand it! It takes me about 10 minutes to vote. Why aren't there more places opened to accommodate the people?
There should be a website developed for people to sign in if they're not able to cast their ballot. I'd be arrested if I had to wait hours to vote! I just don't understand this! Does anyone understand this?
Where are you? I am in Texas, a Republican state. I had no wait to vote at all, and the people who arrived after me had less than 10 minutes to wait. But I am in Texas and the Republicans in charge aren't too worried about stopping the Obama-vote. Maybe next election I will need to bring a book and snacks, but not now.
Fewer hours + longer lines = voter suppression
They did that ON PURPOSE.
globalove - Have you been hiding under a rock, or haven't been paying attention to the GOTP in state legislatures that have been disenfranchising the (democratic) voters in their states with non-sense "fraud fraud/change in polling hours/places/times " laws making it down-right difficult to vote?!
Yes, there should be a way to vote from ones phone or computer. Credit Card information is relatively safe on them (if a person uses anti-virus, phishing software. On the time needed to vote, it used to take me about 5 minutes when I lived in GA but since returning to California I think it will take me about 15 if I bring my voter's pamphlet with and have it pre-marked. Phew! A lot of stuff goin' on up in here!
"You haven't signed your loyalty pledge yet."
Now, let's see. Miners being made to take the day off without pay to act as a backdrop, by force, to Mitt Romney's rally. Mitt Romney having more people bussed in because there weren't enough people at a rally. Now people not being allowed to leave a rally? Yes, I believe people really want this man to be President. NOT. Funny, President Obama doesn't have these problems. Wonder why?
That was something when they parade Ann Romney out and have her talking, when she is like the Queen of the Tyrants. I have never anything so disgusting when she opened her mouth. Ann Romney’s total lack of empathy and compassion was just too shocking to see. If Ann Romney had anything to really say other than some fantasy delusional chatter, it would be just too unbelievable to even believe. Romney and Ryan in the white oh please give me a break that would be well worth a major protest, especially when it comes to our Democracy in America.
10 minutes to vote? ....
Look Here : http://www.miamidade.gov/elections/s_ballots/11-6-12_sb.pdf
or here in my county in Redneckistan Central Florida
http://elections.lakecountyfl.gov/sample_ballots/pdf_2012/8x11s/G104.pdf
And if you really want to drive yourself insane....looks what's on the ballot
I know. I have family down there. They have nothing good to say about what is going on down there, they live around Orlando, and nothing good to say about Willard. A family I can be proud of!
Just so people have a clear definition of what a bureaucrat is here is what the definition is - 1. an official of a bureaucracy.
2. an official who works by fixed routine without exercising intelligent judgment.
And here another definition of a Dictator -
1. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) a. a ruler who is not effectively restricted by a constitution, laws, recognized opposition, etc.
b. an absolute, esp tyrannical, ruler
2. (Historical Terms) (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) (in ancient Rome) a person appointed during a crisis to exercise supreme authority
3. a person who makes pronouncements, as on conduct, fashion, etc., which are regarded as authoritative
4. a person who behaves in an authoritarian or tyrannical manner
Now here has been what these Republicans, extremists of hatred (including the religious ones), and extreme wealthy have really been. You look at Romney, Ryan, Bishop Daniel Jenky, Akin, Murdock, and many others that are exactly what these people have been doing and being Bureaucrats and Dictators. But the very principles they follow are absolutely nothing to do with how you make better conditions for people to live in or care to say what people really need in order to live their every day lives. These men and women who follow these falsehoods, lies, and deceptions that really do place excess burdens on people are no more than like trained seals to follow some set dark agenda. There is no single aspect of humanity in these people, except that they are obsessed with power, control, and greed over people. These people act like they are the Kings and Queens of the world and they must dictate their dark policies to the Peasants and Peasants who shouldn’t complain about the few scraps that are thrown to them to live off of. After all to these Kings and Queens, these few scraps are plenty enough for ungrateful Peasants who only complain un-necessarily because they have to toil in the heat of the sun as they live in abuse, misery, despair, and death. History teaches us well why we want to avoid these people, but have all people learned this lesson apparently not. This is the very reason why America was established to get rid of these people out of our lives, but we must always be diligent and watchful because they are always there.
Which speaks to why I occasionally tune in to Fox "News". To stay informed as to what the enemy is planning.
Romney loves China so much that he would like to copy the Chinese economy that's based on slave labor and no taxes.
There's nothing wrong with bureaucrats or bureaucracies. If you need to accomplish a very specific thing in an exact way, a bureaucracy is exactly what you need. This is true of governments and corporations.
Can you have too much bureaucracy? Yes. But the way people assign malicious intent to all bureaucracies really grinds my gears. Real people work in these things, and believe it or not, they're often filling critical roles on our society.
You mean, like the FBI?
Cokehead: It is understandable when someone has done something that is criminal, we need a law enforcement. But when you have people like Romney, the Republicans, extremists of hatred, and extreme wealthy putting people into abuse, misery, despair, and death that is a real BIG problem. If you actually think Romney's style of leadership and business is really something good you are full of it. Plus all these other bozos the way they have been talking, you again are full of it.
Way in the back of the crowd were the k-12 kids that were'nt let off the bus after school.They must have had boxes set up to make them look taller.
How could leaving an eveny be a security threat?
Only thing I can figure is whatever lie is needed at the moment.
Got to give Mendacity Mitt credit for consistency.
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It was a threat to the security of Mitt's ego.
This reminds me of our old german shepherd dog who would only bark at people when they were leaving.
If people can't leave a campaign rally because of a "security threat", I can't imagine what kind of "security threats" would exist in a Romney administration. Bush was bad enough but, c'mon man!
Polar, I had a shepherd mix that would let people bring anything they wanted into the house, but wouldn't let them take anything out. My grandmother ran a business and it caused problems for her with her customers if I was there with the dog.
Romney Campaign:
WE'LL tell you when you're cold!!!
This is exactly the kind of story that Rachel will talk about tonight, and Brian Williams won't touch with a ten-foot pole ... thank you , Rachel.
That's bull crap when they say the secret service was worried about security because Romney was there. If all the people left because they got sick and tired of waiting and like they were locked up in a prison, why would would the secret service worry if all the people left? This is a free country you don't confine them and hold them like their a threat. If people left that would make it easier to guard Romney, if everyone is moving in the opposite direction that Romney is at. Romney set that up and forced people to stay there and just shows how much of a moron and incompetent Romney really is.
I guess we know where the Secret Service agents in Columbia during the Colombian Sex Scandal have been assigned.
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I "get out of jail" the day after tomorrow!
As I'm writing this I'm watching Bruce Springsteen playing at a Obama Rally in Madison Wisconsin.
Bruce is in a vest with his sleeves rolled up. According to NOAA it's presently 40 degrees there.
I bet Romney wishes he could attract such hardy people to his campaign.
.
Romney must be saying to himself, "Obama's got the Boss, and I've got Meatloaf?? WTF??"
Not only is Romney stuck with Meatloaf, he gets to campaign today with Kid Rock, about whom Pamela Anderson once said "I try to get the ones with talent, but in that case I made a mistake."
The best Republicans can ever get is Third Rate "Talent," since they're so third rate.
And Ted Nugent. The one they were thrilled about. Gah!
Well, to be fair, I went to an Obama rally yesterday. We couldn't see the speakers because there were too many people in front of us (if we'd wanted to arrive at 7 am when the "doors opened," meaning when security started letting people into the outdoor event, and wait 3+ hours for Obama to arrive, we'd probably have had a better view). When it was over we were hemmed in behind metal barriers for about 20 minutes, presumably while Obama greeted people who were close enough. When we got back to the shuttle buses between the parking sites and the event, they were already full, and they took a good 45 minutes to make the three-mile round trip because they got snarled in the departing motorcade; a fellow carpooler and I talked with a staffer who said the advance team should have planned better by having the buses take a different route. Some people (including me) who had come from other states planning to canvass after the rally ended up with less time to canvass, and by the time we got to it any excitement and energy we'd gained from the rally had entirely dissipated. (No great loss: at this stage of the game practically no one living in a swing state answers their door, including people we could clearly see watching football, and I can't say I blame them.) Some people who had planned to stay and canvass went home instead.
Granted, we didn't wait hours on a cold night, we were held up for an hour or so on a sunny day (though staffers kept trying to herd people waiting for the buses out of the sunny street and onto the shady chilly sidewalk). But it goes to show that security-related glitches are pretty common, and staffers whose focus is understandably the candidate's safety rather than attendees' comfort can be unfriendly. (I mentioned poor bus-route planning to another staffer who accused me of not caring about the president's safety.)
Thank you for sharing! I have to say, I think having people wait in a designated area for a shuttle bus is a bit different than holding people up so they can't even use the bathroom. I am sure they could have planned better, though.
I'd expect security to be a bit different for a seated president, so 20 minutes delay while he walked out makes sense to me. Actually, it sounds quite fast!
Oh, I agree -- and we were allowed to walk around, sit on the curb, buy food from local stores, and so on while waiting for the buses, which I appreciated, having a bad back that starts to hurt a lot if I have to stand in one place for more than a few minutes. The herding got serious when the buses actually reappeared. There were also porta-potties available to everyone while we were inside the secure area; I didn't use them myself, but there seemed to be enough to handle the crowd, which was apparently bigger than expected. There was a very long line, probably at least half a mile, to get into the event; I think we were in it for at least an hour. The crowd waiting to get in was very patient, cheerful and well-behaved; waiting for the buses some people (including me, I have to admit) got a bit restive. I just wanted to point out that not letting people out until the candidate is gone is standard security procedure, stuff does happen, and it's not in any campaign's best interest to annoy supporters. I'm glad I went, though I remain jealous of people who've actually gotten the chance to shake Obama's hand.
I'm told by people who've done advance work that adequate bathroom facilities are key; if you have those, people will forgive just about everything else.
The Republicans destroyed our economy and Mitch McConnell, Boehner, Canter and Ryan made it worse and then blamed Obama.
The Republicans have been one the side of the terrorists from the time Obama was elected.
To be charitable, it may be that the problems stemmed from late planning and poor communication. Getting tens of thousands of people together can be a great looking rally that shows support, or it can degenerate into a mass action where people are trampled to death. Crowd control is very important, but is also kind of mysterious. Romney staff may have been told that people are not allowed to leave en masse for security or safety reasons, but may not have known how to deal with exceptions. This puts an individual staff person, who has no actual authority, in a bind: Being told by officials (Secret Service, no less) to have people stay put, but being asked by concerned parents for a way out.
This may simply be a reflection on the final-days push, not the character of the Romney campaign.
I wonder if the secret service said that, or if the staffers only claimed they said that?
I ask simply because as history shows, the Romney campaign really does lack character.
Romney does not care about the U.S. Why is no one paying to attention to this:
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2012/11/dutch-paper-alleges-mitt-romney-used-netherlands-dodge-taxes/58697/
Why is Ohio so close? President Obama saved the Auto Industry which in turn saved a lot of jobs in Ohio. Your Secretary of Suppression Jon Husted is an Open Racist and people in Ohio do not find that offensive? Romney lied about Jeep and caused people anxiety over their jobs, to the point, that Chrysler CEO and GM had to come out publicly and pronounce Romney as a liar.
Hatred and prejudice out-weighs the states economy and people having jobs?