What we have to remind ourselves is that these audiences are stacked and are not representative of the state’s populations as a whole. They do not even represent the conservative residents of these various states. They are hand chosen by the handlers of these “shows” who manipulate and orchestrate the events in every possible way.

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I received an email from a reader who attends college in Florida where this road show will be appearing on Monday in Tampa Bay as they ramp up for the Florida primaries. Here is some of what he shared with me…

“The Republican “candidates” are coming to “debate” (again) at our school on Monday. They’ve already started the security stuff, and it’s already starting to create all sorts of havoc. Some of this can be found on our school newspaper, the USF Oracle (check out the link – there is some reporting on the situation there). Here’s what is not being said: Most of the reason why students have difficulty with getting tickets to the “show” is because they don’t want any protesters or Democrats to show up. We do have a popular and rather strong Occupy presence here (many of the social science students really support Occupy, along with a LOT of the professors)…the security is set up in such a way that any protests will be hard to do within earshot (or where the Media will easily notice). I’ve heard that outside groups and donors (often dominionist supporting or flat-out dominionist) are the ones getting the tickets – the tickets are supposed to be mostly going to known “Good Republicans” like the wealthy people of Tampa Bay. I do not intend to go to school at all on Monday. I don’t want to deal with that mess! If there is anything of value here, pass it along…” ~ (Anonymous in Tampa at his request)

I am hearing this same story from others who are in locations that are hosting these GOP debates. Every year politics becomes more a manufactured production that is all about scripting and show. Cherry-picking audiences to avoid the possibility of potential critics or even legitimate questions that they are not comfortable with is not new to the republican campaign architects. All politicians are staged on both sides of the aisle, but to shut people out from attending rallies and public events is cowardly. If their messages are authentic why do they feel they have to insulate themselves?

I understand that these debate productions are becoming more staged each election year in order to portray a false sense of resounding support and that if they were open attendance there would not be camera shots of people jumping to their feet to applaud their outrageous remarks.

They booed when member of our military asked a question of the then 9 candidates because he is gay

They applauded when Herman Cain blame the poor and unemployed for being poor and unemployed

They applauded when Ron Paul was asked about letting an uninsured coma patient die

They applauded pro-life Texas Governor Rick Perry’s record of 235 executions

They booed when there was resistance to not blaming ALL Muslims for terrorism

They cheered when Newt Gingrich called for an end to child labor laws

These are just a sampling of the blood-lust that emanates from the GOP debate audiences. These hateful sentiments are destructive to America. What is happening? When did these behaviors become acceptable? To mock the poor, relish in other people’s sufferings who are sick, dying, unemployed or homeless? To put our children to work as young as five? To openly discriminate against homosexuals, minorities and non-Christians?

Which brings me to my last observation for now…that these are also the very same people who arrogantly believe they have the lock on faith. That if you are not a republican – you cannot call yourself a Christian. The same people who drooled over the impeachment hearings of President Bill Clinton but stand by their man, Newt Gingrich, whose marital infidelities are as abundant as his girth. Newt…the same man who was having an affair with his staffer, Calista while he was Speaker of the House and championing the call to impeach Clinton.

Hypocrites abound in politics whether liberal or conservative. But it is the self-appointed moral guardians who run as Republicans who propose restrictions on the social freedoms of all Americans. How much hubris does one have to have to absolve their own heinous behaviors and then go forth and preach social values to the rest of us as Newt and 3rd wife Calista have done in their “Rediscovering God in America” films?

At least the Democrats have the decency to refrain from telling the rest of us how we can live, who we can love and how much say we have regarding decisions affecting our own bodies. About the Author – Leah L. Burton