The scene from St. (Ron) Paul
Posted: Tuesday, September 02, 2008 5:35 PM by Mark Murray
From NBC/NJ's Carrie Dann
MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- Grover Norquist is talking about decapitated rodents.
"Those Republican elected officials who vote for tax increases are rat heads in a Coke bottle," booms the president of the Americans for Tax Reform, cheered by a crowd of thousands here. "They damage the brand for everyone!"
These people are serious.
At today's Rally for the Republic, a celebration of the candidacy of one-time presidential candidate and grassroots messiah Ron Paul, a slice of newly activated political consciousness is on stunning display.
The project of Paul campaign offshoot Campaign for Liberty, today's rally could top an attendance of 15,000 supporters, organizers say. The cavernous Target Center stadium in Minneapolis, which seats somewhere south of 20,000 at capacity, is already seating several thousand vocal Ron Paul supporters -- hours before the Texas congressman is scheduled to make his keynote remarks.
Among the phrases dropped by lineup of speakers so far: "the war of Northern aggression;" "Barack Hussein Obama," "McBama," "chickenhawks," and "the environmentalists who have made toilets too small to flush completely."
Personalities and entities of all political stripes are vigorously booed upon mention. Jeer-ees include Madeleine Albright, Rudy Giuliani, Joe Lieberman, Sean Hannity, Hillary Clinton, George W. Bush, Ben Bernanke, the New York Times, FOX News Channel, the "neoconservative death cult," "the blockheads who rule us," and any mention of the RNC over the river in St. Paul, a.k.a. "that snorefest down the street."
And, of course, the two current presidential candidates – who receive robust raspberries each time their names are uttered.
The most passionate of applause lines so far? Upon one speaker's single pronunciation of "the Austrian Theory of the Business Cycle," members of the audience leapt to their feet with enraptured cheers.
(Yeah, you can Wikipedia it. I had to.)
MSNBC's own Tucker Carlson is emceeing the rally. Carlson opened the event by lauding Paul as "a sincerely gentle human being" with the generosity and vision to advocate for the legalization of marijuana, despite having never seen the drug in person. (Carlson was spotted before his remarks, holding court backstage with a crowd of handheld-camera-toting Web journalists and fans.)
Colorful analogies grant texture to the speaking schedule. "We are the garbage of the world!" opined presidential historian Doug Wead, noting that the "refuse" once welcomed in the engravings of the Statue of Liberty has catapulted to global dominance. Allusions to Ghandi, Moses, and Mandela are sprinkled throughout most presenters' remarks.
In between speakers, video montages that feature Ron Paul's speeches and supporters are broadcast on two huge video screens, complete with soaring soundtracks. Favorite toe-tappers: "You Spin Me Right Round" by Dead or Alive and "Fortunate Son" by Credence Clearwater Revival.
An inflatable white miniature blimp, printed with the logo of the Ron Paul Revolution, dangles from a ceiling that stretches a full hundred feet above the convention floor.
Carefully lettered vertical placards, meant to replicate the traditional state delegation markers that dot a convention floor, were distributed early around the crowd, only to be collected after television cameramen -- perched on a riser hundreds of feet from the stage -- complained of obstructed views. (The placards have largely been replaced by smaller red signs that read "Calling the GOP Back to Its Roots.")
Some of the supporters in the Target Center are decked out in noteworthy costumes. One family is clad in full colonial gear. Pirate hats and tri-corner hats are popular. Text on screen-printed T-shirts spotted in the crowd include: "The Centrists are the Extremists," "Don't Gavel Me, Bro!" and "Ron Paul is my Homeboy."
Still to speak/perform: Country singer Sara Evans, former congressman Barry Goldwater Jr. -- yes, son of THAT Goldwater -- and former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura.
And, of course, Saint Paul.
