Town Hall Highlights: Protesters Fear Socialism, Communism, Mass Murder (VIDEO)

With so many town hall disruptions going on, it's easy to get overwhelmed. HuffPost has compiled some of the strangest, angriest, most fearful attendees. Many of them think health care reform will be socialism at best and murder at worst.

Watch:

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Comments

[JamesJohn]

Cool, this clip allowed me to add a third general truism of the GOP.

1. There religious nut jobs are proof that the concept of intelligent design is fundamentally incorrect.

2. Old people vigorously reject taxes even though they hardly contribute to the tax revenues and receive entitlements future generations will not.

3. Nut jobs have the time to attend town halls, but no time to actually research issues.

[Mycall]

The truth.....
NONE of these people, including the politicians, are complete idiots - they ABSOLUTELY know that everyone including themselves would benefit from the bill, WITH the public option included.
This heated health care debate however is exactly what they need to be able to justify their anger, which has NOTHING to do with health care and is ENTIRELY (make no mistabe about it) predicated on him being black. There isn't a single person who can put together a meaningful, free of fabrication, sentence on their objection to this Bill; Policitians included.
This isn't the first time that the Democrats have attempted to introduce a health care bill. I don't recall seeing ANY of this when it was Bill and Hillary tryin to sell it to the masses.

[mjtaylor22]

crazy idiots mis informed fools
had no qualms with bush and the repugnants ruining our nation and now they do not want it fixed

[AmbientDiscord]

exactly, where were these people during the 8 years bush was in office? they didn't care when our constitution was being shredded but health care reform geez... that is something to riot over.

[JollyBully]

Well, I bet they where praying white folks would always be in charge. And killing 4600 young people to make money is not as bad as give the poor health care. I just have to ask why are only old whites at these town halls!

[Dustee]

Focus group backfires: Guest tells Hannity protesters are "getting bad information from Fox News"

http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200908130060

Guest tells Hannity "words like 'un-American,' 'socialism,' that you use, Sean, I think it's really code word for -- it's the new N-word"

http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200908130059

[redhead61]

Full Story of Poster Altercation at McCaskill Event

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGiLZF--ehA

[oz3472]

The biggest fear I have as I watch these protests is the one of how stupid Americans have become.
How their intellectual curiosity and individuality has been crushed by the incessant blathering of so-called experts on the right and the left - who started with no more expertise in their resumes than the average American yet somehow have turned the average Joe (no pun intended) into a brainless, directionless, sheep blithely following a bunch of miscreants who make their monies from their corporate sponsors who push the messages guaranteed to bolster their own bottom lines!

[Tulka2]

Consider, they are just a small percentage of Americans, but in a huge country like this one a small percentage adds up to several million and a smaller percentage of them come to these Town Hall things.

What i do not understand...? Is when Obama is going to ask for a public demonstration of his base? Doesn't he have faith his base will turn out from him? I do not understand it. There are millions more of us than there are of the know-nothing Nativists.

[oscartucker]

We really hope that all of this can remain peaceful, and although there have been times that people have stood on opposite sides of the street and carried their signs(Brad Miller's office, Raleigh, NC), things could get really ugly if larger crowds came in contact. If President Obama asked his supporters to go out, some of the others might really get something started(pushing and shoving) then all the flack would fall on President Obama for "ordering his people to get out there" (Can't you hear fox focusing on that?) I think some people are hoping that President Obama will "lose his cool" so that they can make that into a big story. I pray that he remains calm and gets this health care reform passed. In reaching out to the other side, President Obama has tried to get their cooperation; soon he will move on and against their mess.

***I think we can help President Obama by talking to the elderly to correctly inform them .
***I hope these wild people see themselves. The worst is that man in the Ralph Lauren flag shirt who didn't know why he was there. The woman in shades didn't know why she was there either. The least they could do is know why they are protesting, or maybe they couldn't bring themselves to actually say the lies or tell that they may have been paid.
***Those dark clouds were an omen letting those people know that they should disban!

[oldngrumpy]

America is not dumber than it used to be. What you are seeing is a group of people who were never really included in politics before. These people wouldn't have even voted 20 yrs ago because they have no real understanding of the issues. That is no longer a prerequisite to having a deep seated opinion and being very vocal about it. This is a result of the bumper sticker thought process introduced by RayGun, the master of platitudes. It was perfected by Palin, of all people, and America will never be the same again.

There is no way that the GOP could continue to persuade people to continue to vote against their own best interest with the increasing education level of the middle class. They had no choice but to reach down in the barrel for a base they can build upon.

[patentleatherpussycat]

oldngrumpy's comment is brilliant.
thank you,

MH

[cubbinincmh]

I just dont understand all of these protestors. They say health care reform is Socialism, but they cannot define Socialism or exactly how this reform bill is socialism. The government option (if it passes) will be very similar to the insurance plan you already have now. It may offer better coverage than you have now, or may not. What it will definitely be is cheaper than the plan that you have. This plan will be able to compete with private insurance plans. It will be cheaper because the government can run as a nonprofit. Why should insurance companies get rich off of ordinary people. People are so stupid to make decisions against their own best interests...

[oldngrumpy]

When you are too stupid to understand the details of a topic you are satisfied by picking up generalities from those smarter than yourself. You can then appear to be smart yourself if you take that big picture to the media and become very vocal about it. Sooner or later, it will sink in by repetition and will become your idea. You will be at a loss tho if you are pressed for details or background on your opinions. All you will have is a shell of thought with no substance and a lot of volume.

[BJD44]

***********************************************************************

WHILE I RESPECT EACH AND EVERY AMERICAN'S RIGHT
TO SPEAK THEIR MIND, YELLING GETS THEM NOWHERE
FAST. PEOPLE WILL JUST TUNE THEM OUT.

AND IF YOU REALLY LISTEN TO SOME OF THESE FOLKS,
MANY OF THEM SOUND SO RIDICULOUSLY MISINFORMED
AND JUST DOWNRIGHT SCARY! WHERE DOES THAT GET
THEM, HUH?

SERIOUSLY.....

I AGREE WITH NUMEROUS NEWS COMMENTATORS.....
MUCH OF THESE FOLKS' IRE IS ACTUALLY NOT REALLY
RELATED TO HEALTHCARE REFORM PER SE BUT IT IS
EVERYTHING THAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST YEAR
THAT HAS TURNED OUR COUNTRY UPSIDE DOWN
PRETTY MUCH OVERNIGHT. AND WHO WOULDN'T BE
ANGRY AND FRUSTRATED? BUT WE'RE ALL TO BLAME
FOR THE PICKLE WE'RE IN.

GREED, GREED, GREED............

********************************************************************

***********************************************************************

[oldngrumpy]

Irony my shirt, now.

[wildervine]

LOL ...Yes!

[Trichica]

What should alarm people is how quickly this is cacthing on as well as their message. I received an e-mail from a science teacher whom I considered educated and smart. The e-mail was a cut and paste of someone's blog listing things about the bill that on other pages were all shown as lies (including the death opanels). This teacher begged me to help with the protests. I was so shocked that this came from her. This goes beyond lack of education. There are people who simply want Obama to fail ( I think Rush is one of them and he is encouraging it.) Maybe the medicare and social security should be taken away from these people who are shouting at these meetings since they do not want socialism....Maybe they should learn thaat a Repug introduced the counseling portion...This fear mongerring is so wrong that it has to be stopped. Responsible journalist should stop giving these people so much attention and start presenting the well tought out and well spoken questions and help educate---not glorify the hate mongerring. It is only spreading nasty sound bites which are catching on.

[MF1951]

I think someone should streak through the town hall while they are all yelling---you know---run naked through the town hall and see if anybody notices!!!

[Paisano]

OK...I'tired of hearing these people defended by..."well...they're scared...they have an opinion and want to share it"...

NO...THEY'RE STUPID PEOPLE THAT ARE BEING USED BY THE REPUBLICAN MACHINE CHANNELED BY FOX NEWS....

[MJHammonds]

Amen. At some point stupidity becomes willful ignorance...

[NJmikeV]

Well said.

[NJmikeV]

...and thank you for not writing "stoopid"

[EdwardianWords]

Ideology, in this case and in all cases, serves to maintain and justify a power structure thus keeping the dominant and dominated in their respective positions. The logic is internal and looped to prevent escape. There is no room for doubt or questions. All can be answered through the prism of truth provided by the ideology. This can also be applied to the opposition by blanketing them with an evil ideology label. This can serve the status quo or revolution if a new ideology attempts to «take over». It can also serve to divide people if that serves the powers that be. Ideologies are naturally structured to be mutually exclusive and to brand all else negatively (wether that be socialist, reactionary, fascist, etc.). It is all about controlling and manipulating people, forcing them to take sides, to avoid learned, original and independent thought.

[SanTang]

Do not trust anyone that carries a flag. That is the only flag I carry.

All my life I have been against anyone that was in favor of anything.

[oldngrumpy]

The only thing more dangerous is a guy with God on his side.

[CTariannaFan]

It is really frightening how similar most of this footage is to Mike Judge's "Idiocracy." Angry, misinformed sheep looking for blood and fearful of anyone who doesn't look just like them. Yikes.

[plaidsportcoat]

I know it's cute and fun to make fun of people but Huffpost - this is SERIOUS!

Could you PLEASE post video EVERY SINGLE DAY of the millions of Americans attending town halls that are PRO-REFORM???
We ARE the majority, even though dumbama isn't able to effectively rally his own troops. We ARE out there trying to get ourselves health care!

PLEASE please please?

[SanTang]

Any suggestion? Tell us what you most expect from health care and what you know it will bring you. Please.

[plaidsportcoat]

i'd like to be covered. i have a pre-existing condition and can't get affordable coverage.
i can't afford coverage at all. I got laid off and never had insurance on my job.

[oldngrumpy]

Don't you know who your representatives are? Contact them -- daily. Let them know that you're still out here and your opinion hasn't changed since you voted for Obama's agenda. Let them know that Republicans are keeping you from the town hall meetings and that you are afraid that it will effect democracy if it is allowed to succeed. At this point in the legislative process Obama has little more "official" influence than you do. Obama also doesn't vote for your representatives. You have the voice only if you use it.

[plaidsportcoat]

CBS Radio newscasts are now featuring ALL anti-reform coverage when they use town hall soundbites. I have been to three town halls in Sam Farr's district. The anti reformers have been in the minority yet nobody from any national news has come to cover us. This should be BIG NEWS, right - since all they show is the other side, you would think it's news when there are town halls that are majority PRO REFORM.

Please call the head of CBS Radio News - I did. He called back and I complained about their slanted coverage. Please flood them with complaints about this. Their newscasts are picked up by hundreds of independent AM stations around the country. CONTACT info:
Contact info: Harvey Nagler, VP, CBS News. 212 975 2685; Email: cbsnews.com.com

[tqcobb]

thanks for the tip