The Bobcat Nation

What is the world coming to? Republicans attending UM!


College Republicans of Montana hold rally at UM, lend support to president, U.S. troops in Iraq
By ROBERT STRUCKMAN of the Missoulian

University of Montana freshman Jennifer Elliott places a flag in the arms of Mike and Maureen Mansfield during a campus rally in support of the war in Iraq and President Bush, sponsored by the College Republicans of Montana.

“USA ... USA ... USA ... ,” chanted 20 student demonstrators at an afternoon rally on the University of Montana campus sponsored by the College Republicans of Montana.

The demonstrators expressed support for U.S. troops in short speeches punctuated by applause and seconded by those on the sidelines.

“We can't cut and run like most people want us to,” said Seth Patterson, a junior majoring in finance and the head of UM's College Republicans.

“We need to support our troops and especially the president,” said Patterson, whose brother served in Iraq.

A number of curious onlookers listened briefly to the speakers, which included Mayor John Engen, who thanked the students for organizing the rally and joined the group in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

A common theme at the rally was the plight of Republicans and conservative ideals on a campus known for its liberal bent.

“Missoula is Berkeley-of-the-north,” said Will Selph, the statewide head of College Republicans. Selph is a freshman majoring in business and political science.

Selph accused Democrats of being appeasers and demoralizing the nation and its soldiers.

“No more. We won't stand by,” he said.

The United States must stand firm in Iraq, Selph said. Radical Islamic fundamentalists there are “hell-bent on taking over the world,” he said.

President Bush is like Winston Churchill, who agitated for war against Nazi Germany in the 1930s, Selph added.

“It's the fight for world domination,” he said.

He asked America to let Bush and the Republican House and Senate do the job they were elected to do: prosecute the war on terrorism.

Later, Patterson also urged UM students to listen to the president's State of the Union speech Tuesday evening. In addition, he noted Bush's political victory shortly after the U.S. Senate confirmed Samuel Alito as an associate justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.

After the speeches, Selph said he found himself happily surprised to find a large number of like-minded students at UM.

Raised in Billings, Selph worried that he would lose his conservative values in Missoula. But he can still loudly proclaim his thoughts and be proud to be conservative, he said.

Patterson agreed.

“This is the biggest chapter in the state,” he said. The chapter counts 200 members.

“There are a lot more conservative ideas and thoughts than you'd expect,” he said.

Well, judging by the quotes, at least they've taken the time to memorize the talking points. But I guess that's kind of the point of a rally (by any group) -- it's not really to advance discussion of real ideas.

I know it may seem odd, but maybe these kids actually believe what they are saying rather than regurgitating talking points...unless they're in journalism then its their job

If they actually believe those talking points and aren't just using them for rhetorical purposes, then they are wasting their money on an education of any kind.

That kind of stuff is great for speeches and rallies, but anybody who thinks about it knows that it is a vast oversimplification of the issues and that a nuanced conversation will shed much more insight into the real problems and solutions.

So I am giving them the benefit of the doubt and assuming that they are bright, but know the marketing appeal of keeping it simple and loud.

Yes instead of regular hippies we just call them corporate hippies.

Bay Area Cat wrote:If they actually believe those talking points and aren't just using them for rhetorical purposes, then they are wasting their money on an education of any kind.

That kind of stuff is great for speeches and rallies, but anybody who thinks about it knows that it is a vast oversimplification of the issues and that a nuanced conversation will shed much more insight into the real problems and solutions.

So I am giving them the benefit of the doubt and assuming that they are bright, but know the marketing appeal of keeping it simple and loud.

perhaps there is much more to the quotes....perhaps...those were just the quotes selected by the newspaper. they do have a habbit of doing that ya know. IF you would take the time and talk with them i bet you that they would have a much deeper puropse to life rather then just to spew out quotes

Hell's Bells wrote:

Bay Area Cat wrote:If they actually believe those talking points and aren't just using them for rhetorical purposes, then they are wasting their money on an education of any kind.

That kind of stuff is great for speeches and rallies, but anybody who thinks about it knows that it is a vast oversimplification of the issues and that a nuanced conversation will shed much more insight into the real problems and solutions.

So I am giving them the benefit of the doubt and assuming that they are bright, but know the marketing appeal of keeping it simple and loud.

perhaps there is much more to the quotes....perhaps...those were just the quotes selected by the newspaper. they do have a habbit of doing that ya know. IF you would take the time and talk with them i bet you that they would have a much deeper puropse to life rather then just to spew out quotes

And that's exactly what I assumed/hoped above.

Bay Area Cat wrote:

Hell's Bells wrote:

Bay Area Cat wrote:If they actually believe those talking points and aren't just using them for rhetorical purposes, then they are wasting their money on an education of any kind.

That kind of stuff is great for speeches and rallies, but anybody who thinks about it knows that it is a vast oversimplification of the issues and that a nuanced conversation will shed much more insight into the real problems and solutions.

So I am giving them the benefit of the doubt and assuming that they are bright, but know the marketing appeal of keeping it simple and loud.

perhaps there is much more to the quotes....perhaps...those were just the quotes selected by the newspaper. they do have a habbit of doing that ya know. IF you would take the time and talk with them i bet you that they would have a much deeper puropse to life rather then just to spew out quotes

And that's exactly what I assumed/hoped above.

in a round about way yes but then again i guess i was guilty of quoteing you directly...