Romney supporters drown out David Axelrod at Boston press conference
Supporters of Mitt Romney chant slogans and display placards before a speech by Obama strategist David Axelrod, May 31, 2012.
/ AP Photo/Steven SenneIn an attempt to highlight economic failures of Romney's during his time as governor of Massachusetts, Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod held a press conference outside of the Massachusetts State House. He said that under Romney, Massachusetts was ranked 47th in job creation - whereas now it's 5th - and that while Romney served, government jobs grew at a rate of six times the rate of private sector jobs.
Axelrod called Romney's record "alarmingly weak," and said that his record at Bain -- where he said the main motivation was "making money for yourself and your investors" -- was to blame.
"That's what happens when you try to translate those values and those principles into the governments of a state or a country," Axelrod said.
However, Axelrod's remarks were largely drowned out by Romney staffers and volunteers chanting tirelessly throughout. Though the Obama campaign says that they were always planning to hold such an event when they were ready to roll out this line of attack on Romney, word of the event leaked only late Wednesday night, accidentally. It was not supposed to be made public until early this morning.
David Axelrod addresses a crowd in front of the State House in Boston, May 31, 2012.
/ AP Photo/Steven SenneAt their press conference, held on the same steps as Axelrod's, Massachusetts House Minority Leader Brad Jones was flanked by about 40 Romney volunteers and said that the net-net of jobs created under Romney was more than has been during Mr. Obama's entire tenure. After he was done, the Romney crowd more than doubled, and Obama supporters began to trickle in as well.
By the time Axelrod, arrived, the crowds were equal in size, and screaming at each other. Chants ranged from nebulous -- the Obama supporters at one point yelling "Fired up and Ready to go!" while the Romney supporters moaned "Solyndraaaaaa" -- to nasty -- with Obama's supporters chanting "Forward!" and Romney's supporters responding "Off a cliff!"
According to the police, the Obama campaign had a permit for their event, while the Romney campaign did not. The Republican crowd was allowed to stay, however, under First Amendment rights. The Romney campaign had two spokesmen and multiple advance team members on hand, one of whom blew bubbles toward Axelrod as he spoke.
"You can chant down speakers my friend, but it's hard to Etch-A-Sketch the truth away," said Axelrod upon taking the mic. Later, when asked what he thought of Romney staffers heckling him, Axelrod quipped, "I'm glad the governor's finally started creating jobs in Massachusetts."
Obama campaign spokeswoman Lis Smith was more critical. "The Romney campaign has embraced juvenile tactics in the past - when they're running around with Donald Trump, it's not surprising that they'd engage in circus-like tactics like this."
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It is no coincidence that the Democrat party has as its root DEMOCRACY and DEMOCRATIC priciples. If Republicans would care to debate that in an open and honest manner that would be good. I however doubt that Republicans (Conservatives) would want to honestly put their record on the table and lay it bare for the electorate to assess them on it! They would rather lie and shout down the truth!
Nothing livens up a demonstration like Silly String, Super Soakers and Confetti Cannon.
Imagine how much more fun it would have been to watch David Axelrod (try to) make his speech while Silly String and confetti rained down upon him. A Super Soaker aimed at his groin would have been a cherry on top of it all.
You think my suggestion is outrageous? After what the weasel that is Axelrod did to Jack Ryan, I would argue that anything goes.
CONDI WILL BE VICE PRESIDENT.
On the very day your candidate is voicing odd conspiracy theories, concerned that somehow the president is going to prevent him from holding a press conference at the (former) Solyndra plan, your campaign headquarters is orchestrating a plan to shout down a fully-permitted Obama rally back in Boston.
And that zombie picture! Could the Romney supporters BE any more vanilla? Not a single person of color! Not a single piercing or tat! Not a single young person who looks as if he or she has the remotest idea what's happening anywhere in the country other than their own comfortable suburbs! (Mea culpa! I KNOW I'm stereotyping. But do any of those young faces look as if they're down with what's happening in the 'hood or on the farm or in the barrio or in the factory or at the construction site?)
Oh wait, that was Democrats/Occupy Wall Street.....
If there was an honest media that reported both sides equally to let the People TRULY decide, Obama would have a 20% approval rate. Yet, the majority of the media is liberal and just an extension of the DNC.