McCain Camp Buses In School Kids To Fill Crowd

The most cringe-worthy political moment of the day, so far, came when Sen. John McCain called out for his new buddy Joe the Plumber to stand up at a rally in Ohio, only to be greeted with confused silence. Joe the Plumber wasn't there.

But that rally featured another embarrassing moment, one that illustrates a far more troubling dynamic for the Republican ticket. The McCain campaign actually had to bus in school kids from the surrounding area in order to fill the event. As reported by MSNBC:

A local school district official confirmed after the event that of the 6,000 people estimated by the fire marshal to be in attendance this morning, more than 4,000 were bused in from schools in the area. The entire 2,500-student Defiance School District was in attendance, the official said, in addition to at least three other schools from neighboring districts, one of which sent 14 buses.

This happened -- as if a reminder were needed -- less than a week out from the election, when the heat of the campaign should be drawing record crowds.

Comments

[w&cheneysuck]

http://www.alternet.org/democracy/105669/

[aishadl]

I can't for the life of me understand how this can be legal! I mean, really. And the MSM would be showing clips every ten seconds if Obama did something like this. This is probably the lowest of the low tactic McCain could have used. Did the children's parents know about this? Just outrage, shock, and outrage.

[goodnessgracious1234]

First off, this is SO PATHETIC ... I keep thinking that I've found the most pathetic thing that the McCain campaign has done, but then I read something else that tops it!

Secondly, others have made a good point: Who could have possibly given the permission to bus all of these kids to this event? I can't even imagine what kinds of strings were pulled, and if my kids had been students at that school, I would be outraged and organizing a lawsuit against the school district.

[Lalita]

Is it just me or does anyone else have a problem with this? The school moved 4,000 children to participate in a partisan "field trip" without their parents' knowledge or permission.

Try to get your kid on a bus for a FT without a permission slip. Good luck.

I think both the McCain campaign and the school system was craven and very, very wrong.

[quizh]

Then these buggers whined about why a number of voting-age 18-year-olds took a field trip to the polling locations as a part of their Civic class in one FL county!!!! Perhaps a mere bus full of these kids who could actually vote...

[Glowcy]

.
using the children = country first?

.

[katlin]

If teachers aren't allowed to wear buttons endorsing any candidate, how is this kosher?

[Caddisfly]

Would'nt this qualify as "child abuse" ?

[sincite]

Broward County in Florida has it right. The school district had voter registration for the high school seniors who were eighteen years old and bussed them to early voting sites. Any complaints about the bussing were answered by: they had money put aside for a field trip and that's what it was.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/florida/story/744236.html

[bellabeach]

That's because nobody but Joe and Ashley are listening!!!

[speakonitgod]

Poor McCain.

Poor Republicans.

Obama 2008

[concernvoter]

This was so stupid.

[craiggp]

I've yet to see in coverage of the story how the decision was made by the school (just looking a bit last night and this morning). That's a key part of the story, as all these comments point to the use of the kids, perhaps without parental consent (let alone their own). When the story says "the whole school district," that really sounds off the charts to me. When there's a whisper campaign that at my university professors aren't even supposed to encourage students to vote lest that be construed as "pressure," let alone bus them off to a rally, this seems insane. We all point it out, but I've just never witnessed such freakish levels of contradiction. Say it with me "what would happen if Obama bussed a whole district of kids to a rally?"

Perhaps the larger question now, what are the desensitizing and other injurious effects of all of this long-term exposure to irrationality on the national psyche, child and adult?

[Ron5937]

Hear hear! Since when do schools take students to political events? Did they stop by a church on the way?

Schools should limit themselves to teaching. And while it could be argued this was a learning experience, it's a learning experience that is in the parents realm. Just as faith is.

[keepemhonest]

The super of the school district should be tossed out of office for forcing children to attend a political event.

[devans00]

I know that's right. I'd be miffed if I sent my kids off in the morning to get an education. Just to find out they were used as props for some politician. One I don't even respect or agree with their opinions, no less.

[FuturePrez]

I absolutely agree!

Plus, depending on the age of the child and what was said at the rally, I'd also be concerned about the SD subjecting my kids to:

-Propoganda
-Age inappropriate material
-Hate speech or prejudice
-Potential physical harm or loss due to the incidents of violence at recent McCain/Palin events, the crush of people or some wacko that attended!

[HuffaBee]

Says McCain: "You are the plumber we've been waiting for!"