Black Panthers vs Fox News Reporter At Polling Place In Philadelphia (VIDEO)

Fox News' Rick Leventhal reported live from the polling place where Black Panthers were allegedly intimidating voters Tuesday afternoon.

A University of Pennsylvania student reported that a Black Panther wielding a "night stick" intimidated voters at a polling place in Philadelphia (video below). The Black Panther allegedly claimed he was "tired of white supremacy." An Obama volunteer on the scene disputed this account, saying there was no intimidation of voters occurring at the polling place.

When Leventhal went to investigate, he got into a confrontation with a Black Panther — a certified poll watcher — who denied the story and told Leventhal in no uncertain terms that he was not welcome at the polling place. Leventhal disputed his claims, citing election law which allows him to be within 10 feet of the entrance.

Leventhal could not confirm that the Black Panthers were on the scene intimidating voters, saying, "There's been no disturbances that I'm aware of, except what we've encountered here. But again, I want to make very clear, we don't know that any voters were denied entrance to this polling facility. We don't know that anyone was intimidated to the point that they decided not to vote here, but that was what some people were concerned might be happening with two Black Panthers, one of them holding a nightstick, out front."

Watch:

Watch the original student video below:

Read more about Election 2008 coverage here.

Comments

[alabaman]

Bet McCain and Co. are kicking themselves that they didn't try to tie Obama to the Black Panthers.

[Islanders6466]

shhhh, dont give them any ideas...they're not giving up haven't you heard...don't encourage them!
Obama'08!!!

[Snwbnny9]

I don't think the guys should be patrolling the door way. But I don't have any problem with them being there. They should get a chair and sit to the side. Maybe with a sign. The night club is overkill. I think they are just very serious about making sure that minority voters don't get disenfranchised this year. I'm pretty sure no gelatenous white neo con lawyer will be trying to scare away voters from that polling place.

[MattThorn]

Did these alleged Black Panthers think they were doing Obama a favor by standing in front of the polling in military garb and carrying a nightstick? The far-right media will have a heyday with this one for at the 24 hours. Stupid.

[Digeeedad]

Although I'm not supportive of these two gentlemen being there, I also found it pretty funny that Sean Hannity was ALL OVER this story, and over and over and over... saying BLACK Panthers, just as his announcer last week emphasized VERY noticably WHITE... when transitioning to a commercial break and stating "Red WHITE and blue... and PROUD of it".

If anyone's been given a "free pass", (as Hannity constantly tells his listener's that Obama got), it's been Sean ("Don't you believe it ladies and gentlemen! EVERYTHING Michelle Obama said (in her eloquent and moving speech at the DNC) was scripted, PURE HOLLYWOOD! Never forget that this is an ANGRY black woman!") Hannity himself and his best friend Rush ( "It's all about race! It's ALL ABOUT RACE!" referring to Powell's endorsement of Obama and "I know how we can end unemployment in this country... just create more basketball teams"!) Limbaugh!

The HEAD of the "Guardian Angels" often substitutes for Hannity. Aren't they somewhat intimidating in their tactics also?

[Damaven]

A 4' black guy is scary when it's convenient for certain people to "Horton" it.

[PatA]

Anyone ever consider this? What if Fox News put them there?

[vinceoffer]

No.

[JerryFreeman]

Now you're just reaching.

[bjefrz]

that polling place is deep in the hood, and would be a prime location for people who want to disenfranchise black folks to set up shop. So if I were voting in that precinct, I would find the presence of 7 feet tall armed black men reassuring. Because it would mean that republican d bags from Penn (my alma mater) would be a whole lot less likely to show up and try something to keep me from voting.

Remember Florida in 2000? Remember Ohio in 2004? I wish those guys had been on the job there and then.

[Mysticalsister]

That was my take on this as well. They are there to show that they're not going to be anybody's beatch this time around. (Still -- dude, put the stick away.)

[guamarcy]

The "Black Panthers" size and billy club could be intimidating but for the Faux News folks it was more their label and color. I bet Faux News suspected that there were more McCain supporters with a "B" carved into their cheeks.

[BluebirdofUnhappiness]

Oooo scarey dark people, no trouble, no controversy. Worthy of Faux

[alekslove]

No one should stand out in the entrance to a polling place with any kind of weapon or military style uniform. Regardless of race, creed, or religion. Nobody.

[vinceoffer]

Word.

[chickenpieeggs]

A light saber would have been much better

[liberalrebuttal]

I'm Black and even I think what they did was retarded. I didn't get it. I thought it was over the top.

[JerryFreeman]

Exactly, although Fox news was really trying to pump some steam out of it. Reporters should report, not try to become part of the story.

[Futrell]

To the people saying that "this isn't a national story": Wrong.

If this was two rednecks in overalls with USA trucker hats holding nightsticks in front of a polling place, we'd all be shouting "intimidation" as well. This IS a story and FOX News has every right to air it. NPR has been calling on its listeners for weeks to send them reports of voter intimidation, irregularities, broken polling machines, etc. It's just unfortunate that these two goons are making US look bad.

Thanks guys...(cough)idiots(cough)

[vinceoffer]

Word.

[Bocado]

I agree first time poster.

But you gotta admit, Joe the Plumber and Sarah Palin weren't exactly great picks by McCain.

[RJII]

idiots come in all shapes and colors. sad, but true. they seem unstable.

[Mysticalsister]

Rednecks have been standing around outside polling places for decades -- and they've been doing it with more than just sticks. And they still are, except instead of overalls, they're wearing suits and ties -- but they're still rednecks, and they're still trying to prevent black folks from voting.

Now that the pendulum has swung the other way, all the white men on fox have their panties in a twist. As far as I'm concerned, black people have a right to be a little on guard.

[Futrell]

My point is that the pendulum shouldn't have "swung the other way".

The "I-told-you-so" liberal in me was hoping to pull up some juicy evidence of right-wing douchebaggery when I searched for "voter intimidation" on Google news and instead I pulled up this...

Unlike, it seems, a lot of the Right, I feel shame and this incident makes me feel a little ill.

[metsfan 1969]

Hey Futrell, I guess you didn't hear the part of the story where the reporter said that one of those guys (the one without the billy club) is actually an authorized poll watcher and was entitled to be there. They never Identified themselves as "black panthers", and I didn't see any black panther logos anywhere. It appears to be an inner city polling place, so I am sure most of the blacks voting there were happy to see them.

This is just another attempt by Fox News to drum up fear in white voters about Barack Obama. It's no coincidence that they began showing it early on election day. This so-called "news" report from Fox News ties right in with an ugly video they have been promoting on Greta Van Susteren's blog for the past week. In that video, they try to convince the viewer that an army of black nationalists (or muslims -- take your pick) will take over our country if Obama is elected. This is just another attempt to frighten white voters away from Barack, but it will not work this time.

[Futrell]

No, I did hear that part of the story... and I stand by my first comments.

Idiot #1 - dude with a nightstick
Idiot #2 - dude who, as an authorized poll watcher, allowed Idiot #1 to stand next to him with a nightstick

I agree that FOX must be loving this but that doesn't make it acceptable.

[BertrandRussell]

No group, no individual, has either a legal or a moral right to interfere with a polling place. Stand 10 feet away from the entrance. No demonstrations. No campaigning. Let each citizen enter freely to vote their conscience.

[Nyla785]

Which was the 'intimidating' part? The Black Panther part? The nightstick part? Or just the plain 'black' part?

[Bocado]

I'd say the big tall black men, one with a nightstick in hand.

I'm all for Obama and I'm white, but this kind of crap isn't necessary.
It only creates more trouble, it definitely won't solve it and I'd even venture to say that Obama wouldn't agree with it either.

[vinceoffer]

The nightstick part, the well-over-six-feet-tall part, the military uniforms part, the why-are-you-confused-about-this part.

[georgiagirl4life]

If they were "black panthers" at all, I can put on military gear but it does not mean that I serve in any branch and as a matter of fact I bought my son a complete army uniform when he was younger and we all knew he was'nt enlisted. These are simply minor distractions that have a tendency to take our focus off of the "big picture". If those two guys are not working at the polls and they have finished voting, they need to leave. Simple as that.

[formerprosecutor]

When I voted today in Missouri, there were two deputy sheriffs giving everybody the once over right at the door to the gym. I stopped and said : what's up guys?' and the looked at me , looked at each other, got in their units and rove away". I don't know why they were there, but I guess they didn't want to answer the old judge. Their presence might have felt intimidating to some people.

[Rob61872]

A guy with a night stick standing in the entrance way, dressed in a way that is obviously meant to intimidate? If those guys were bald headed white dudes dressed in a similar fashion, brandishing a weapon, it would be all over the news, and you wouldn't be asking what's the intimidating part.

[Bocado]

While I love the idea of Obama being President, this kinds of supporters aren't helping Obama in any way shape or form.

[georgiagirl4life]

I guess the same can be said for McCaines supporters who were yelling racial slurs and making threats unh?

[Futrell]

Yep, the same can be said.

[stryker]

Or the gop hackers who took over George Mason u's email site and directed all students, under the guise of the DNC, to vote tomorrow. FBI is now involved. Or the flyers in mosty Black neighborhoods that say, in order to keep lines short, Republicans vote today, Democrats tomorrow. Why do republicans hate America so?

[brodiesgirl]

What were those guys thinking?!?! Let's dress up in uniforms and carry a big stick outside a polling place during the election of the 1st black President in a key swing state. Wow, with friends like these . . .