Monday, September 13, 2010

Senate debate ticket hustle?

I just got a report from someone who stood in line at the New Haven Public Library today to get tickets to the scheduled Linda McMahon-Dick Blumenthal senate debate on October 5th. The debate is sponsored by FoxNews.

My friend said that there were dozens of people waiting for tickets, with the first ten or so people in line known to him as tea partiers or wearing McMahon T-shirts. Each person was allowed four tickets apiece.

Which is fine, except that the library only had a total 50 tickets to give out, and every single ticket went to a GOPer/Tea Party fan. Similar things happened in other towns, such as Middletown (as reported by a local DTC member), where every ticket was grabbed by McMahon supporters.

Apparently the same thing happened with the tickets for the gubernatorial debate between Dan Malloy and Tom Foley, scheduled for the following night. This is acceptable under the rules that the network created.

What isn't acceptable is that the State Democratic Party allowed this debate to be held by a notoriously right-wing news channel, when there are so many much more fair news outlets who could have sponsored it. The very fact that Fox allowed people to grab up to four tickets each (I don't recall ever being allowed more than two tickets for a debate) probably indicates that they knew they only had to have about a dozen people on line at each location to have all the tickets go to Linda McMahon supporters.

And I get the feeling that Fox won't try to rein in the audience if they start getting too vocal in their support of the GOP candidate.

I simply don't understand the decision to allow an important event like this be controlled by a right-wing media group. Trust me, I saw the Alpert-Blumenthal debate; Merrick totally controlled the dialog, despite the crowd being overwhelmingly pro-Blumenthal.

One can only wonder what sort of debacle awaits Dick Blumenthal when confronted by a very media-savvy candidate on what is obviously now her home turf.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think the Blumenthal campaign is asleep at the switch. No bumper stickers, lawn signs, mailers, or any other evidence that anyone's running besides Linda McSteroid.

I contacted them via email, via their blog site, and even by phone, where I was told someone would "reach out" to my efforts to volunteer. No response.

I have a friend who's active in the Black community, who said he should visit a Black church or other activity, instead of just focusing on the suburbs. She doubts he'll get many Black votes, because most think he's ignoring them.

Now he's walking into a "Fox trap."

I see another Martha Coakley upset coming, and feel helpless to do anything about it.

The thought of Linda McMahon as our senator makes me nauseous. The thought that Blumenthal's campaign is allowing her to steamroller them is heartbreaking.

Anonymous said...

Stop the whinning, 4 tickets a piece has been the norm.

As to who tried to stack the deck, find out who paid for the yellow school bus that came to get tickets, they weren't McMahon fans, smacks of ACORN or UNION.

CT Bob said...

2 tix apiece is the norm.

Whatever happened to giving the campaigns an equal number of tickets to distribute to whomever they want? That's the fair thing to do.

oldswede said...

Geez, Anon#2, you saw a school bus at a public library? How shocking. All your paranoid fears are proven true. Couldn't have been a class visit. Nah. Must be the dirty commie liberal hippie Kenyan lovers.
What library, anyway? Got any facts?
oldswede

Anonymous said...

Well oldswede there is this:

http://www.dailyructions.com/boffo-box-office-for-senate-debate-tix/

oldswede said...

Okay, onanymous,
This supports what Bob was saying, that the repubs got there first somehow and grabbed all the tickets.
I don't see anything to backup you delusions about Acorn or 'Union', whatever that means. I like unions. They have made America a much better place to live and with their being beaten down by the right, we will all suffer. The wealth gap you see now is only the beginning if the repubs get more power.
Oh, and onanymous, if you won't come up with your own nym, get used to this one.
oldswede

Anonymous said...

I still don't get how teabaggers knew where the library was?

Authentic Connecticut Republican said...

>>I still don't get how teabaggers knew where the library was?

Someone that could read must have ratted out the location.

>>What isn't acceptable is that the State Democratic Party allowed this debate to be held by a notoriously right-wing news channel, when there are so many much more fair news outlets who could have sponsored it.


Considering how balanced CNN and WNBC are (not) what's the difference?

Anonymous said...

oldswede,

Bringing in busloads of people is an ACORN and Union tactic.

oldswede said...

Hey onanymous,
In the real world, ACORN no longer exists. It may still keep you up nights whimpering in a cold sweat but they have closed down. They were a community action group that helped minorities to become home owners, get needed assistance and become voters. This last part scared the Republicans so much that they dummied up a monster they called ACORN. It had nothing to do with the real ACORN. The righties can't function without a boogie man to scare the weak-minded into voting for them.
This rampage by the right-wing noise and hit machine did the real ACORN in, as the MSM barks at whatever the righties tell them to.
Onan, you really need to try to stay current. Get your head out of the Fox's hole and look around.
oldswede

West Haven Bob said...

"Methinks the wingnuts doth protest too much....

You touched a nerve, here, Bob.

Nonetheless, I am increasingly concerned that Blumenthal is falling into the Coakley trap.

With all the genuine anger towards government (which has been admirably exploited by the neocon Republicans - Blumenthal should be running all out.

Instead, he's acting more like the election is a pre-ordained fact.

CT Bob said...

Boy, I can't agree more! There's nothing more likely to contribute to a surefire loss than his being overconfident and overly cautious going into the Nov. election.

But it doesn't really surprise me; Blumenthal would have easily been a senator in 2006 if he'd had even half the guts Ned Lamont showed that year. No, Blummy chose to play it safe. Well, there ain't no upside to playin' it safe this year!

Anonymous said...

Waa Waa. Stop your whining! If someone from MSNBC or CNN came to moderate the debate, you wouldnt say a word and not acknowledge at all that they are both liberal left wing news organizations. BUT since they are MODERATING anyways,it shouldnt matter, but SINCE FOX NEWS HAS THE MOST VIEWERS< MORE THAN THOSE OTHER 2 COMBINED!!!!Then a Fox associate would be a wise choice. Go with the most popular with the people. Make sense ?

Anonymous said...

Well, since MSNBC and CNN are liberal news org., that would be a wash as far as a choice of moderator based on bias.. So,,, Since FOX has MORE VIEWERS THAN MSNBC AND CNN COMBINED, I would say that Brett Baier would be a better choice, more popular, according to the general population. Although, though, he will be only a moderator. The candidates will be given the same time and same questions to answer. As far as how a conservative could find a library..? What makes them so illiterate? The fact that they want to stop the spending, a smaller government, and less than a 9.9 % unemployment rate!! Years already in control!