GOP debate audience boos gay soldier- Page 2

[Roscoe]

Posted: 9/23/11 at 3:38pm

Looks like the Pro-Gay Republicans like Meghan McCain and Cindi McCain and Laura Bush and Dick Cheney etc. really need to step up their efforts to make the GOP the Party of EQUALITY instead of the Party of HATE.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 9/23/11 at 3:46pm

Aw, Laura Bush. Remember when her wan comments were going to change the world?

[Roscoe]

Posted: 9/23/11 at 3:50pm

And Meghan and Cindi McCain's little Photo-ops that were greeted as being of ever so much importance as a sign that the GOP were finally coming around on gay issues.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 9/23/11 at 3:58pm

It was gonna open the floodgates, baby!

[Unknown User]

Posted: 9/23/11 at 5:08pm

The New Yorker rips all involved a new Santorum-hole:

"There were nine Republican candidates on the stage for the Fox News/Google debate Thursday night. Not one of them stood up for an American soldier, Stephen Hill, who was being booed by the audience. Hill appeared by video from Iraq, where he is now stationed; he showed his face and asked this question:"



A Brave Soldier

[Q]

Posted: 9/23/11 at 6:59pm

I'm curious about the soundtack to the debate video. There really isn't any response at all until the end of the soldier's video, and then all of a sudden there's a short burst of a few boos. But you aren't shown the audience during that, and Santorum doesn't seem to act as if anyone is reacting verbally with anything (at least that's what I see, even though I can't stand him at all.) Then, when there's this supposed huge cheering reaction to his comments, they DO show the crowd, and it's difficult to see anyone even clapping, much less having the kind of reaction that's being heard.

It just all seems a little odd to me.

In any event, if someone was booing the soldier in question, they should simply be made to switch places with him.

[JbaraFan1]

Posted: 9/24/11 at 1:33am

Buncha buttheads.

[trentsketch]

Posted: 9/24/11 at 9:06am

Q, seriously? FoxNews muted the audio on the room for the broadcast when they played any of the YouTube videos so the audience at home could hear the question. That's why the moderator usually has to repeat questions fed in from outside sources at debates.

[Q]

Posted: 9/24/11 at 10:25am

Trent - it's not like I'm going all conspiracy theorist here, it just struck me as odd. Your explanation of the video muting makes perfect sence, and I get that, but it doesn't really have anything to do with the audience visual not matching the sound, which is what I really noticed. And then Santorum said he didn't hear the booing. You know, even though he disgusts me, maybe I'm just pre-disposed to giving people the benefit of the doubt. I've never been to one of these things live, so I really have no idea what the atmosphere is like (as opposed to what we see on tv.)

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/24/11 at 10:35am

Maybe so, but I'm reminded of Patti LuPone saying how actors on a stage know everything that's going on in an audience. And while I have no doubt the atmosphere there is EXTREMELY different, I find it hard to believe they can't hear that.

[Q]

Posted: 9/24/11 at 10:43am

I have a hard time believing they can't hear it, as well - I mean, it's not THAT big a space (at least from what we can see.)

Maybe I'm just trying to find a way to accept what I find so repugnant. As a gay vet myself, this issue cuts very close to the bone, and hearing that jeering is like an actual physical assault.

One good thing is that this did not go unmentioned in the mainstream press - and I have seen nothing but outright condemnation for both the audience reaction and the reaction of the nominees.

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 9/25/11 at 12:31pm

Jay Lerner-Z, looks like Rick Santorum got your memo, almost verbatim, and maybe as you suspected, Q, he wasn't able to hear:

"One loud boo was followed by several others. Many Republican commentators condemned the catcalls. On Friday, Rick Santorum, the candidate who ended up taking the question, condemned the negative response in a follow-up interview with Fox News.

"I condemn the people who booed that gay soldier," said the former senator for Pennsylvania. "I have to admit I seriously did not hear those boos. But certainly had I, I would've said, 'Don't do that. This man is serving our country and we are to thank him for his service.' " "

Wash. Post Article Updated On: 9/25/11 at 12:31 PM

[SNAFU]

Posted: 9/25/11 at 2:14pm

All very well and good BUT safely AFTER THE FACT!. I am sorry. When on stage even in a large venuse one is aware of EVERYTHING in the audience. How many times have we heard a performer say, "The audience can adore you but it is that one person in the house who disaproves that you end up focusing on?"
He didn't say anything then because it would have made him look bad to the crowd he was playing!. I call BS!

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 10/5/11 at 12:23pm

Romney now admits he heard it too
but he shouldn't take sides