The Tampa Bay Times is doing its best to give the rest of us a feel for this week’s festivities surrounding the RNC:
TAMPA — Police patrolled on horseback, bicycle and foot. An ice sculpture formed the words “Middle Class.” Some folks were dressed in suits depicting a female body part. Dogs described as Democrats by their owners sniffed suspiciously at reporters.
Protest Nation descended Sunday on Tampa and gave free speech a vigorous workout.
The city survived.
The first significant day of protests for the Republican National Convention produced few serious problems under threatening skies and the watchful gaze of hundreds of law enforcement officers….
About 175 people organized by employee-rights advocates protested Monday afternoon outside the Bloomin’ Brands corporate headquarters on N West Shore Boulevard.
Among their demands: a significant pay boost for workers whose companies are overseen by Bain Capital.
They waved signs proclaiming “Don’t let Bain Capital destroy the middle class” and chanted slogans that included, “How many millions do you need? We’ve got hungry mouths to feed!”
Bloomin’ Brands runs Outback Steakhouse, Bonefish Grill and other restaurant chains. It is controlled by Bain Capital, the private equity firm once run by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney….
TAMPA — Police encircled a group of protesters about midnight Monday at an Ybor City intersection, prodding them to return to Centennial Park where the demonstration began.
More than 100 people gathered for a protest dance party at the park on E Eighth Avenue, but then began to march through Ybor City.
Officers, dressed in khaki and some riding police bicycles, followed…
Police appeared to be encouraging the group to return to the park, but some of the protesters were suggesting they would go to a nightclub instead.
And, especially for DougJ:
It was the ultimate clash of high and low brow. Randall, the voice behind the smash-hit YouTube video/Internet meme about the Honey Badger who doesn’t give a you-know-what, and New York Times columnist David Brooks.
The men almost passed each other by Monday evening on Ybor City’s E Eighth Avenue without recognizing the other — until a Tampa Bay Times reporter asked if they knew each other.
“No,” Brooks said. “But he does.” The columnist pointed to his 13-year-old son, Aaron…
Then Randall invited Brooks to attend his 7 p.m. Tuesday press conference at the Roosevelt 2.0 at 1812 N 15th St. Randall will be announcing the Honey Badger party’s official entry into the 2012 presidential campaign. (See www.honeybadger2012.com.)
“Honey Badger 2012,” Brooks said. “Okay. I’ve heard of this.”…
Sly
The honey badger has a brave a serious plan to not give a shit, and we know it’s brave and serious because he wrote it down.
Ash Can
The honey badger theme seems quite appropriate, because there’s evidently nothing in Tampa to give a shit about.
Ash Can
And on the subject of David Brooks, via a commenter at LGF, this is, um, weird. It appears that either Brooksie is trying to parody people who don’t like Romney, or he’s thrown in with MoDo against the Yes-We-Klan ticket. (Maybe Romney turned down his request to sit in his lap or something, and he’s pissed off.)
Smiling Mortician
@Ash Can: Whoa. Brooks actually wrote that? Some of it was funny-ish. My world view just tilted.
danah gaz (fka gaz)
Maybe Brooks is just fed up with being kicked in the head by Charles Pierce twice a week. * shrug *
karen marie
@Smiling Mortician: I think Brooks was drunk, and his editor didn’t notice because Brooks is known for phoning it in.
Old Dan and Little Ann
Even David Brooks is watching “The Newsroom.” He decided to write an article while shrooming.
Mark S.
Somebody really doesn’t want to talk about abortion:
I have a feeling next week we’re going to be told that it’s unfair to ask Romney what kind of justices he would appoint to the Supreme Court. It’s really a private matter and we should just trust that he won’t put a few more Scalitos on the Court.
A moocher
Wait a moment….is someone serious describing that self serving sack of bat droppings as “high brow”?
Hobelhouse
David Brooks is leaving me in stitches. WTF
Lancelot Link
“high brow”?
I think they meant Randall.
MacKenna
God Bless America! LOL.
CaliCat
I get the feeling this is going to be one of the least watched GOP Conventions in a long, long time. It seems especially uninteresting compared with all the hoopla over Sarah Palin four years ago…and she won’t even be there this time around. Ryan has very little natural charisma and Romney’s about as interesting as a wad of dryer lint. Besides Teafarts and political geeks, I can’t imagine anyone tuning in to that snooze-fest.
Amir Khalid
@Ash Can:
My own theory is that Gail Collins wrote the column when Bobo wasn’t looking.
AA+ Bonds
DAVID BRRROOKS, THE HIGHEST BROW OF DEM ALL
AA+ Bonds
__
__
How high
can your brow
get
when it’s bound
to end up
below
your neck?
kindness
Overload. Need more coffee before I can sort out parody from buffoonery.
DougJ
Awesome Bobo link.
Chris
I’m loving how Brooks, the guy who writes about what man in flyover country thinks and feels as opposed to these volvo driving elites, can’t recognise when an all-american internet meme walks up and bites him in the ass
Rafer Janders
Uh, which one?
They just can’t bring themselves to write vagina, can they?
Rafer Janders
Well, thank Kobol that whoever is elected president has no say in who sits on the Supreme Court.
Scamp Dog
I am seriously thinking that somebody hacked the New York Times site, because there’s no way David Brooks wrote that column. I checked the URL to see who went to such an effort to mimic the Times’ web site AND add parody comments, only to find that it was, in fact, the Times.
Next step: pinch myself to see if I’m dreaming. If that doesn’t work, I need to re-assess my understanding of reality.