Posted on 09/12/2009 2:44:10 PM PDT by SE Mom
NRO at the 912 March [Mark Hemingway]
As journalist who wears his cynicism like badge of honor, to say that today's tea party protest wildly exceeded my expectations would be an understatement. I've yet to see a reliable estimate of the crowd size and the cops seemed bound and determined to keep any photographers away from any high vantage points, but I'd be shocked if it wasn't well into six figures. I've heard crowd-size estimates ranging from 350,000 to 1.5 million — the latter seems wildly optimistic, but the former figure would still be incredibly impressive..
... So many people showed up they couldn't contain everybody in the plaza, so they just strated the march early to make room. As for the composition of the crowd, well I personally spoke to people from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Idaho, Alaska, Delaware, Tennessee, Nevada, California, Montana, as well as Virginia and Maryland, natch. (And I'm probably forgetting a few.) What also bears noting is that a lot of people came by bus — and of the people that came to the march by bus, alomst all came on privately chartered buses organized by someone they knew. I asked one guy who came up from South Carolina with a 160 people on three buses, who put his trip together. He laughed and said, "My neighbor." Can we drive a stake through the astroturf claim now?
Another interesting detail about the march — it was filled with immigrants. I'm pretty sure every Cuban in a thousand mile radius was there, helpfully explaining to everyone who would listen that Cuba's vaunted free health care system involves shoddily trained doctors and bringing your own linen to the hospital. I also spoke to angry immigrants from England and Ireland, appalled the country was slouching toward socialized medicine.
But perhaps the most interesting thing about the crowd was how friendly and civil it was. It was also a fun crowd — to the well endowed redhead in the "Boobs Czar" T-shirt, I doff my cap to you m'lady. There was some concern by some that media attention would focus on a few fringe cranks. Well, out of what had to be hundreds of thousands, I saw two, count 'em, birther signs in hours of wandering around. (I did, however, see one person holding up a sign expressing concern about "Merovingians" running the country. With birthers and truthers, I didn't know there were still that many people concerned about the illuminati — old skool conspiracy theorizin' represent!) But it overall it was an undeniably sober and informed crowd, especially in comparison to your standard left-liberal protest march. These people have jobs, are infuential in their communities and you can be darn sure they plan on voting next November.
5:15 PM
ping!
:) Thank you, Mom!
“Boobs Czar” indeed, any body come across a picture of that shirt ?
Research huh?
“Boobs Czar”, lol!
pics required or it’s just a rumor.
"12:34pm Eastern: Police estimate 1.2 million in attendance.
ABC News reporting crowd at 2 million.
I LOVE this quote:
Another interesting detail about the march — it was filled with immigrants. I’m pretty sure every Cuban in a thousand mile radius was there, helpfully explaining to everyone who would listen that Cuba’s vaunted free health care system involves shoddily trained doctors and bringing your own linen to the hospital. I also spoke to angry immigrants from England and Ireland, appalled the country was slouching toward socialized medicine.
ABC denies it though.
“the cops seemed bound and determined to keep any photographers away from any high vantage points”
AP is still reporting the crowd size at 60,000 and mentions that somebody had a sign calling 0 a Nazi - the AP reporter must have seen the request from Moveon.org for Natiz sign spotters.
Nazi sign spotters
Had the same comment on the other thread.
Scrub #12 and #13, my appologies. It was ABC see for yourself: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/tea-party-protesters-march-washington/story?id=8557120
:) Here is a link from Instapundit. The UK Daily Mail is reporting correctly, I think.
http://pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/85085/
Well the DC police are saying 1.2 million. I’ll bet it’s 2 million.
“..you can be darn sure they plan on voting next November. “
Amen, that is the TRUTH!
Will the brick-heads in the dem party realize that? For that matter, will the mush-heads at the RNC realize that?
Great job to all, how I wish I could have been there.
I couldn’t because I started my H & R Block tax preparer course today, also filled with immigrants. Out of 10 students 4 or 5 (not sure about one gal) were definately foreign born. Two Oriental gals (one definately from China, the other I’m not sure) One Russian, one Romanian, and the Dominican gal I’m not sure if she was born here or in DR. Only one guy out of the ten students, so that was noteworthy.
I have to say the immigrant spirit lives, the Romanian woman was an accountant in the old country, but the rest have no particular training. I doubt I’d move to a foreign land and start learning their tax laws!
Again, great job to all, I’m soooooooo HAPPY there was a big turn out!
Hey, choose any czar's picture. Iron it on a T-shirt. Instant Boob Czar on a T-shirt.
Well, gee, aren't they all BOOBS???
;)
Link?
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