Wisconsin Democrats are calling for partisans to protest various stops on Ron Johnson’s tour of the state, in what is an example of untoward behavior that is also protected speech — one of those “just because you can doesn’t mean it’s wise or proper” situations. The Wisconsin Democrats have emailed a missive to their lists, asking recipients to appear at the same time and place as Ron Johnson during his visits to Green Bay and Wausau. They’ll then caterwaul and carry on as protesters do, having their say in the public square. (Protesters of any stripe bring out the Kevin Williamson in me: I dislike the lot.)
Note: Only the Democrats are doing this. I have yet to see or hear of a Republican Party organ calling for what the Left is doing here. Shame on Wisconsin Democrats.
This strategy is the height of stupidity, and I pray the Democrats aren’t doing this for the reason I think they’re doing it — namely, to have some right-wing nutter lose what’s left of his mind and take a swing at a protesting Democrat. Then we’ll have a Dem with broken Zenni glasses and blood on his J. Crew chinos (size 30×32 for his 140-pound frame). It’ll be an ugly image, with a heaving idiot rightist and a slight and bloody English major, ripe for the national media — and there’s your controversy.
We saw this in Portland and elsewhere. I excuse no one for such foolishness. I loathe it when parties force opposed political forces together. There will be no reasoned debate or fraternal community. At best, it’ll be obnoxious hooting and hollering while a candidate makes his pitch to the voters. At worst, the Right and Left clash in physical altercations that will see someone injured.
Political events are composed of three groups: true believers, lookie-loos, and weirdos. Lookers abet the believer’s actions by providing numbers, thus confidence. The overconfident actions of the believer then set off the weirdos. Bad things then quickly follow. This is the algebra of crowds and mobs — but I repeat myself.
Sending political activists to interrupt the opposition’s event is constitutionally permitted.
It’s also obnoxious. Stop.