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War Doves Protest Obama in Front of the White House

By Brian O'Connell on 12.12.09 @ 5:55PM

"Hey, hey Obama, say! How many kids did you kill today!?"

The above quote was a chant led by former Senator Mike Gravel at an anti-Afghan War escalation rally in front of the White House today. Around two hundred upset citizens came out to protest President Barack Obama, and his move to add 30,000 troops to fight in Afghanistan.

Among those in attendance were Congressman Dennis Kucinich, and former Green Party Presidential nominees Ralph Nader and Cynthia McKinney.

The makeup of the rally was mostly an older crowd, with some young people. I would say that the age distribution was somewhat similar to that of the tea party rallies -- although the similarities between tea party goers and anti-war protesters basically end with the age ranges except for one person with a "Ron Paul" sticker. Much of the crowd was sporting Green Party gear and had posters voicing their opposition. Among the signs read "War: The Audacity of Compromise", "Arrest OBusha", and "I don't vote because of people like Obama."

When a crowd member burst out during Nader's address "What about Bush!?", Nader replied "it's a seamless transition" -- saying that the war policies of the current president and the last president were the same and both were unacceptable to him. For a small but vocal crowd, Obama is not far enough to the left for them.

If the anti-war movement gains any steam, it could make things problematic for the Democrats in 2010. "They [the Democrats] have nowhere to go politically. We can go for third party candidates or go home," Nader said.

He then pointed out the threat of a Republican takeover in 2010 as a reason why the Obama coalition would need support from the anti-war wing of the party. The reaction by the crowd was pretty silent on the thought of a Republican takeover, but did give Nader an energetic applause when he concluded his address a few seconds later.

The war movement will need to do better than a couple hundred or so people in order to make much noise politically, and will need to gain favor with some more moderate members of the Democratic Party if it is to have any success. But if casualties rise as the escalation is implemented, then the movement will likely gain some steam and could cause problems for the Obama coalition.

View all comments (28) | Leave a comment

Dell| 12.12.09 @ 7:00PM

Pretty much a mirror reflection of the entire far left political movement. In fact, their numbers are about the same as they were 40 years ago...about 30 percent of the entire Democrat Party, but they make 100% of the noise and, therefore, get media coverage - not to mention blog coverage just like this.

Despite their pronouncements, this entire group would go to the polls and vote for O Bomber again tomorrow, if it was election day. They prefer spending our tax dollars on entitlements - spreading the wealth, they call it. I call it the "Free Lunch Bunch". They want me to work and pay taxes so they don't have to work and pay taxes!

marcia | 12.12.09 @ 8:49PM

I agree with you in some respects...these unpleasant "chants" turn everyone off. really in "poor taste". I wish Ralph had not been there...if he plans to run for the senate. same thing happened in Seattle a few weeks ago. people protested "too much force" against a teenager (age 15).....but then some loud chanters took over the crowd with a clammer of "KILL THE PIGS"..
nonono!! this was not our complaint!!! Too many idiots with megaphones.
It's difficult to follow everything you say here, but I do get what you mean. The loudest is not usually the smartest..and I think Ralph would do well to steer away from these folks. what we need is the "voice of reason" and we cannot hear it over distractions of this type.

Dave H.| 12.13.09 @ 12:18AM

Oh, no ... Don't you know that the NWO has planted agents provocateurs in all demonstrations these days to discredit everyone and everything, and to justify martial law? Just try to shut them up.

marcia | 12.12.09 @ 8:36PM

imo, Mr. Nader should not participate in any more anti-war rallies if he wants to get into the
US Senate. i have roughly 5 concrete suggestions about how this can be accomplished. if anyone wants to chat via e-mail about this, i will send my perceptions. i do not think that the radical image "drafting Ralph Nader to RUN RUN RUN"...that is currently being put out on FACEBOOK is an effective one. (one that will get people to vote for him.) imo, he would do best to run under the "favorite son" persona. if he runs, it should be made clear that it is not "at the urging of his fans". but because he would enjoy this job, represent his constituents, has a clear chance to win, & that he would make a little difference here and there.
(..also, I am on page 233 of OTSRCSU...it is slow because I have to look up the ref's & ch'ract'rs....and I am still working as a teacher in sps..)
~peace

Eric Cartman| 12.12.09 @ 9:17PM

Makes ya wish Dove Season was open!

Carl| 12.12.09 @ 9:22PM

I didn't realize doves were carnivores. It's great to watch them eating their own!

MLW| 12.12.09 @ 10:28PM

So, just how many folks actually showed up?

Franklin| 12.12.09 @ 11:16PM

Wonder what the MSM will state as attendance?

richardoflongbeach| 12.13.09 @ 12:21AM

Four consecutive failed administrations. Neither republicans nor democrats have any worthwhile answers. Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney, Hillary Clinton sounds like a rogues gallery to me. The solution must come from the people. Maybe the time has come for the anti-tax crowd to find common ground with the anti-corporate crowd. In the end of the day, main street needs the working stiffs and the working stiffs need main street. Neither one needs the cretins from wall street.

Hangshai| 12.13.09 @ 12:55AM

richardoflongbeach-
truer words were never spoken, but WHO? Ron Paul? Kucinich? The problem has been going on for too long, Im afraid its way past the point of being able to do anything about it. Either Dem or Rep, its still within THEIR system, and the BUREAUCRATS dont change. Just wait until Bernanke gets reconfirmed, then you will know who TRULY runs this country.

spinnikerca| 12.13.09 @ 1:01AM

Marcia, if Nader does run, let people at www.dailypaul.com and www.campaignforliberty.com know. Running against one of our own, we might not support him, but principles with a leftist slant are better than no principles at all, when it comes right down to it. If I hadn't at the last minute been able to write in Ron Paul in California, I was thinking of voting for Nader last year, and I'm sure a number of us did.

Pink Elephant| 12.13.09 @ 5:00AM

Obama has vowed to send 30,000 more troops into harms way in Afghanistan against a scape goat enemy, knowing full well members of his staff are terrorists responsible for 911 and other atrocious attacks. For instance, his Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel is the son of Irgun terrorists, so how could we ever expect to fight a “war on terror” with terrorists occupying the White House? The war in Afghanistan has a very simple purpose. Protect the Israeli opium and heroin trade, and subdue the Muslim and Arab people of the Middle East, who are not confused in the slightest as to who the real terrorists are. Is this the same guy that was recently given a Nobel Peace Prize? How does expanding wars equate to making peace? Obama plans to expand the wars, and we will see no decrease in hostilities until 2012. Are we supposed to believe his tired campaign rhetoric of “change” now? The only thing that changed was the puppet public speaker we call our President. The war mongers that really run the show are still fully active behind the scenes.

http://www.realoathkeepers.org.....harms-way/

JamesJ| 12.13.09 @ 6:30AM

Pink Elephant, try some lithium. Your current Rx isn't working. Its the Joooos!

RichardofLongBeach| 12.13.09 @ 2:23PM

JamesJ, whether we agree or do not agree with Pink Elephant should not be the point. He raises real questions that our soverign nation must address. Rahm Emanuel is a dual citizen. He maintains Israeli citizenship. Paul Wolfowitz, Doug Feith, Richard Perle, and Scooter (what a ridiculous name for a grown man) Libby all have both US and Israeli citizenship. It is a fair question to ask whether their allegiance is towards the US or to Israel in certain crucial matters. It is fair to ask whether a president is receiving unbiased information if members of his or her staff have an agenda that is different than the security of the American people. Since the invasion of Iraq, many senior politicians have come forward and categorically stated that the invasion of Iraq and the expansion of the war on terror were undertaken at the behest of Israel to rid the middle east of enemies of Israel. These questions must be asked and addressed. The foreign policy of the US should be undertaken to protect the American people and not conform to the needs, no matter how valid or invalid, of a foreign government. With regards to members of his staff being terrorists responsible for 911, all I know is that the 911 Commission report is full of holes that have not be addressed. It would be healthier for all of us if the truth came out now rather than later.

Hangshai| 12.13.09 @ 2:26PM

Yeah, right JamesJ, you tell him.. Everyone knows its not the Joos we should be afraid of, but the Mooslims.. get a brain and an original thought before you try to add to an adults conversation.

John Z| 12.13.09 @ 10:05AM

Pink elephant is absolutely correct!
Too bad so many comments on this post reflect that of the brainwashed braindead fools who blindly believe anything "their" president tells them.
These wars are "businessman's wars". war for profit through corruption,plunder, extortion and murder.
Deprogram your minds and start thinking for yourselves. :
It's obvious that most here would like to believe the fairy tale that the wars are for the protection of our freedom and liberty. Pure BULLSHIT!!
Get yourselves an education: turn off the TV and FUX news and start doing a little more research. That is if you really dare. Maybe you won't like what you see, maybe it will shatter all the myths you believe about the state of affairs in the world.
Maybe, just maybe it will shake some of you out of your coma. Good luck. You're going to need it.

jack| 12.13.09 @ 2:48PM

"and will need to gain favor with some more moderate members of the Democratic Party if it is to have any success."

Actually, it has to be led by libertarians to have a chance, because they are anti-war domestically too. When anti-war is led by the left, it just becomes something to do between socialist meetings and health care rallies.

Margie| 12.13.09 @ 2:51PM

Here we have (more) proof positive of the insanity of the Left. The anti-war Leftists are protesting the anti-war Leftist President.
The inmates are running the asylum--still!

John Wheat Gibson, Sr.| 12.13.09 @ 3:20PM

"not far enough left" my far enough left ass! Genocide and wars of imperialist aggression are not questions of right and left. They are matters of right and wrong.

hey| 12.13.09 @ 6:07PM

"the anti-war Leftist President."

Margie,
Obama is NOT anti-war, he is presiding over two wars and carrying on the Bush regieme's agendas, and HE IS NOT a leftist. Obama is a corporate-controlled, center-right Democrat.

This is the problem with the Democrats: they are a center-right party and their base is left. the chasm is between two factions: one who has left and joined the Greens and other left alternatives, and the other that feels that it can stay and reclaim the Democratic Party from the center-right DLC, Wall St/corporate interests, and the military industrial complex that wants these wars.

hey| 12.13.09 @ 6:09PM

John Gibson,
The Left is anti-war, the right is pro-war, except people like Ron Paul, and the Libertarians. The teabaggers are the majority of the GOP now and they are pro-war, mostly for racist reasons.

Yosemeti Sam| 12.13.09 @ 11:10PM

Nader? Nader?

Claim to fame was about dangers of Ford Pinto autos - yes? Something about their size and
vulnerabilities in collisions.

Where has he been on the little put-puts designed to 'green' America.

John Stossel, formerly of ABC skews, now trotting with FOX news, bought one for about
6 grand. Can disassemble one of these put-puts
and almost store it in the trunk of a Pinto.

Nader for Senate? Yeah, sure. LOL.

SubvertedNation| 12.13.09 @ 11:23PM

I have to agree with Pink Elephant. Nothing any of you are saying makes sense compared to what PE said. None of what you're talking about has any bearing on anything in comparison. In fact, I'd say you're all just singing the tune you were taught by the conductor. Time to change that.

http://www.subvertednation.net

hey| 12.14.09 @ 10:24PM

Fuck off, Sub nation, you sick, anti-Semitic prick, people who truly stand with Palestine and oppose US war and Occupation hate you little neo-nazi bastards.

John Wynne| 12.16.09 @ 3:15AM

Many of the people on the lawn were there to represent peace. Some, obviously were there to distract from the important Peace message. Certainly some of those may have been agent provocateurs and this is expected if you want to protest the President at the White House. What people need to know is those on the lawn were but a tiny group of representatives for the Peace Movement as a whole. We mean to end the wars, and we are a multitude worldwide. We are millions of people and we all want to end the wars. We will not be ignored. We are the force of Peace in the world my brothers and sisters. We create public opinion and we can stop the wars.