MITT-MANIA in New Hampshire!

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CONCORD, N.H.
Mitt Romney headlined tonight’s Tea Party Express rally and here are just a couple of photos:


I’ll have much, much more in a few moments.

UPDATE: More photos:

Former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer is interviewed by Da Tech Guy.

Dave Weigel interviews some local Tea Party activists who showed up to protest against Romney. 

UPDATE II: More photos:

My friend Andrea Shea King offered to take this photo.

Not everybody in the crowd succumbed to Mitt-mania.

Suffice to say, he’s immune to Mitt-mania.

This young fellow knows how to get onto my blog.

UPDATE III: Yet more photos:

A capitalist offers a fine selection of anti-Obama buttons.

A Tea Party activist tells an ABC News reporter why Mitt Romney is the spawn of Satan (I paraphrase).

My old buddy Eric Odom is traveling with the Tea Party Express.

The anti-Romney rally sponsored by FreedomWorks.

UPDATE IV: Dave Weigel, filing for Slate from the same McDonald’s where Da Tech Guy and I are working, just posted his article about the anti-Romney protesters:

“The issue with Romney is the issues,” says Jackie Bodnar, spokeswoman for FreedomWorks, the group that quit the TPX tour to protest Romney. She hands me the three pages of fliers and oppo research that everyone will be getting as they show up, with granular details about the taxes and fees and un-Tea Party things Gov. Mitt Romney supported in the ‘Aughts.
Peg Coutermarsh was one of the first to arrive. She wears a shirt with the date January 19, 2013 on it — Obama’s last day in office, if he loses — and holds a flagpole that has been signed by famous Tea Party speakers. Hermain Cain has signed it. She doesn’t want Romney to sign it.
“I’m going to support a Tea Party candidate,” she says. “Romney represents the same old, same old.”
Is she swayed at all by the polls that show Romney beating Barack Obama?
“If you read into who was polled, they were all Romney people.”
The press conference starts at 5:30, sharp. There are two dozen protesters and around 30 reporters scribbling down what they say. Andrew Hemingway, wearing a Join-or-Die T-shirt, speaks into a microphone, his anti-Mitt jeremiad radiating from a small grey amp.
“Did you know that 50,000 people fled Massachusetts because of Mitt Romney, fled to the free state of New Hampshire?” asks Hemingway. “For him to say, in a recent Politico article, that a lot of Tea Party people in New Hampshire like him? I say he’s drinking the wrong Kool Aid.”
Jerry DeLemus, chairman of Granite State Patriots, warns us that Romney is about to commit fraud, getting the media to take pictures of him in front of a “Tea Party” banner and pronounce him acceptable.
“A photo-op is just that,” he says. “I can take a picture of myself in front of the Supreme Court. That does not make me a Supreme Court justice!”

Read the whole thing. Dave does good work.

UPDATE V: The first few photos at the top were uploaded while we were still at Rollins Park, where I was poaching WiFi from the Tea Party Express. Several people — including Weigel and Andrea Shea King — thought it was amusing to see me working on the grass and shot some photos:



Whatever it takes to get the story, right?

Speaking of which, Da Tech Guy’s doing a quick fund-raiser in an attempt to get enough money to join the Tea Party Express tour.

Both Da Tech Guy and I have more photos, videos, etc., to get online, but Sarah Palin’s due in Manchester at noon Tuesday, so we’re going to have to shut down the National Affairs Desk here in Concord and get back on the road.

UPDATE VI: We’re at the hotel in Manchester where the Tea Party Express crew is staying. Pete’s uploading video and telling stories of his travels. Meanwhile, Don Surber writes:

What does compute is that as the lone New Englander in the race, Romney must win New Hampshire. And how does he go about that? By sucking up to the party brass? By showing everyone how centrist and electable he is? By using the 2008 plan?
No, he is asking the Tea Party for help. Far from being the extremists who will turn off middle America, the Tea Party is middle America.

Surber links the Boston Globe‘s story:

CONCORD, N.H. — More than 25 protesters turned out before a Tea Party Express rally this evening to protest not President Obama, but Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
“We do not need leadership that puts their finger up, sees which way the wind’s blowing and then all of a sudden changes their mind and goes back in that direction,” Tim Carter, a leader of the Lakes Region Tea Party in New Hampshire. “If you look at Mitt’s past voting record, I think that’s what you’re going to see.” . . .
The FreedomWorks rally was held before the larger Tea Party Express rally, where Romney was scheduled to speak. FreedomWorks had been active with the Tea Party Express, but pulled its staff member off the Express bus to protest Romney’s inclusion in today’s event. After holding the anti-Romney rally, it urged participants to join the Express event, held in the same place.
The Tea Party Express tour, which is crossing the country in the lead-up to a Tea Party-sponsored Sept. 12 presidential debate, invited all Republican presidential candidates to speak at rallies along the route. With the entrance of Texas Governor Rick Perry into the presidential race, Romney has showed signs that he will be reaching out more to Tea Party activists.

UPDATE VII: Bob Belvedere at The Camp of the Saints quotes the original Gonzo:

It was dangerous lunacy, but it was also the kind of thing a real connoisseur of edge-work could make an argument for… Separately, we might pull it off. But together, no — we would blow it. Too much aggressive chemistry in that mix; the temptation to run a deliberate freakout would be too heavy.

When the going gets weird, the weird go to New Hampshire.

UPDATE VIII: The New York Times:

Mitt Romney’s keynote speech Sunday night at a Tea Party Express rally in Concord, N.H., was perhaps more notable for what did not happen — there were no fiery clashes with Tea Party protesters, or angry hecklers — than for what did — Mr. Romney delivered a lively version of his standard stump speech.

The civility of the Tea Party was, or at least should be, the big story of this event, as Da Tech Guy has been saying all night. Here’s Pete’s video where he asks a question of Romney and then of Romney’s finance director Ron Kaufman:

Linked at Memeorandum, with more from The Lonely Conservative and The Gateway Pundit.





55 comments

  5. Buddy Roehmer is a stalking horse for Gary Johnson. That’s right, thanks to him diluting the vote, Johnson will go up to second to last. What they hell are guys like this thinking?

  9. There was a distinct group of pro-Romney people there — probably 60-70 of them — and another 50-60 non-Romney Tea Party types, and about 100 media. Those are rough estimates. But there was seriously a lot of media, including Ben Smith of Politico.

  13. Man, sounds like his campaign is on fire, or is that just global warming. Nice crowd Mr. Romneycare, 100 reporters a few protesters and some fans.

  18. I do – I’m a huge fan of Ace’s. I was one of his early people, before the current crew of insanely witty types took over. I’m too understated for Ace’s commenters, these days.

  19. Well, when Freedom Works starts worrying about “our brand” – meaning the Tea Party – it makes me think THEY are the “poseurs” here.  Nobody voted for them to be the representatives, or especially the sheriffs of who can speak at a Tea Party rally.

  21. Romney is a flip-flopping flim flam artist. I hope tea party types don’t fall for Mr. Plastic Fantastic.
     
    I like the kid with the Herman Cain sign…smart kid. Obviously not educated in a government school.

  22. Stacey, you look like your worshiping  some kind of paleo-techno god from the future. They’re called LAPTOPS FOR A REASON!  😉

    Good coverage and pics.

    Now if only the Messiah can revitalize the economy he put in the dumper maybe I can get a job and hit the tip jar.

  24. Once upon a time, there was a little boy named Jeff. The sun set, the darkness came, the moon rose, and still little Jeff could not sleep.

    So, he sneaked past his sleeping parents and down the stairs and out the door. He sat on his swing, the one hanging from the tall, tall tree, and he started to swing.

    Head back, looking up at the moon, he swang higher and higher and higher until he could see all the pores in the moon’s face.

    A cloud floated near the moon and then sagged closer to the earth where little Jeff’s swing almost touched the dark grass. Playfully, Jeff jumped out of his swing and onto the cloud.

    It was soft and not too awfully damp and Jeff loved the feel of the cloud. He loved it so much that he didn’t even notice it when the cloud began to rise.

    The roof of his house passed bebeath them long before Jeff opened his blissful eyes. It was too late. Jeff was lost in the clouds.

    Morning came for him like he’d never seen it before. The sun was so close that the mist of the cloud turned golden.

    Then, with the heat, the mist began to disappear and with it’s disappearance, Jeff’s cloud grew smaller. It grew warmer and smaller until Jeff feared he’d soon have nothing to keep him from falling to the ground.

    By then, the ground was so far away that he couldn’t see it but he remembered that it may be hard and thoughts of falling so far filled him with terror.

    Would there be a kindly passing bird to save him in time?

    Pleasant dreams

  26. Dianna Deleey: So, lying on grass in New Hampshire doesn’t make you damp and itchy?

    Zhuang-Zi: If a man sleeps in a damp place, his back aches and he ends up half paralyzed, but is this true of a loach*? [* freshwater fish of Eurasia and Africa resembling catfish] If he lives in a tree, he is terrified and shakes with fright, but is this true of a monkey? Of these three creatures, then, which one knows the proper place to live? Men eat the flesh of grass-fed and grain-fed animals, deer eat grass, centipedes find snakes tasty, and hawks and falcons relish mice. Of these four, which knows how food ought to taste?

    Jee Loo Liu: We can formulate Zhuang-Zi’s argument in this way: Our judgments depend on our natural/physical compositions. For example, men judge a dry place a better place to live whereas loaches would judge a damp place a better place to live; men find animals tasty whereas deer would find grass tasty. Different compositions generate different perspectives. Therefore, all judgments are made in accordance with a particular perspective. Therefore, there cannot be universal judgments among agents with different compositions.

    Anamika: Different strokes for different folks.

  27. Good luck to Romney. Good luck to all of them, the factional infighting leaves me bored to tears and removing the current occupant of the White House is a national imperative. The one who does the best Ronald Reagan impersonation will get my support. If you are looking for someone with the wisdom, judgement and character Reagan displayed at this time the choice is clear: Herman Cain.

  29. Let’s see – You’re a freakin’ downer, and you pretend you understand philosophy.

    I was teasing and commenting on RSM’s dedication.

    What, precisely, are you doing?

  32. Tsk tsk , Anamika, tsk tsk!

    One should follow the instructions for the medication exactly.  They’re right there on the label.

    Tsk tsk , Anamika, tsk tsk!

  35. Hup to it and take remedial action immediately!!! Where’s that Insult Weapoon when I really need it?

    I find that the ‘insult weapon’ works ‘in person’, but that the blowback is then found to be hanging about, like an eternal fart.

    However, there is nothing to preclude the ‘wrangling’ of others, whom I judge to be so far ‘off the mark’ as to beg for sincere an dedicated intervention; this is the same online as it is in real life, if but we let it be so. Some appear as veritable children who were parented very poorly, while others seem to be those parents themselves, bound to replicate themselves by wile and/or force.

    It is all too easy to place ranking of judgment upon others, and to use accusations which have no logical counter; this is the insanity producing ‘double-bind’ approach and is to be avoided. Better, is to simply approach with self revealed, in all of its various virtues/flaws. If any find ‘flaw’ in this, the automatic mirror-function is seen. Bottom line: Conversation can take many forms, some quite alien to many.

  39. Heart, you are flailing away at “lying on the grass”.

    This is not conversation, my lass. This is an annoying drunk asserting her obsessions into the conversation, with her depressed state foremost.

    The appalled spectators attempt (“Always Trust Your Cape”) to lighten the tone; the drunken depressant injects yet more downers.

    Dear me, what to do?

    Most people, kindly, turn away and attempt to conduct their own conversations. Being an inveterate do-gooder, I am trying (valiantly) to indicate that, just maybe, you are off base, and possibly should head for home, and possibly get laid.

    Frankly, since it’s a long weekend, and you show every evidence of being young and unattached, I cannot imagine why you are not off amusing yourself with the person of your choice. Instead of annoying those of us (like me, of a certain age), who find dinosaurs and politics fascinating.

  45. Better full of me, than of you, eh?

    ‘Interesting’ your focus in the comments tonight…it provides a window
    into the early-life ‘beatdowns’ of poor, insecure ‘AW’.

    But please, don’t be ‘sad’ on my account.  Be happy! Have a POSITIVE ATTITUDE!

    Rip off your rags and hop around in the meadow, like a demented marmot!

    Wave your arms and scream, “I HATE  ANAMIKA!”

    So tell me… HOW do YOU manage to ‘have’ such a large, sunny and humble, human ‘soul’ yourself?

    What is your Great Secret, O Mighty Lord of Righteous Humilification?

    How do you DO it?

    Perhaps it is accomplished by periodically discharging your bile, by issuing a mighty “STFU!” or other, even-more-humbler expression of inner peace… eh?

    Whatever it is, it does nothing to stop you from issuing these self-damaging, ultimately condescending missives, does it now?

    The toxic goo of your lofty, narcissistic condescension, like the mighty mucus of King Kong itself, sluggishly oozes downhill, and fortunately, it is easy to avoid.

    But it must be painful for you, poor man.

    Does it leak out of your huge ‘sack’? Or from that festering crack in your alcohol-soaked skull?

    No matter!

    Carry on!

    The only thing you have to fear, is yourself!

    Hup! Hup!

  47. Thank goodness. I guess you are not an Ann Coulter fan either when she tries to play a biologist discussing the Bible and Dinosaurs.

  48. DARN! am going to bed with a Kafka book.  Can’t help it darling…..it’s a sad and lonely place to be…in bed with a dead guy. lol.

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