PHOTOS: Hardly Anyone Showed Up To Steve King’s Anti-Immigration Reform Rally

[Playinghardball]

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) held a rally on Monday night for those who oppose the comprehensive immigration reform effort taking place on Capitol Hill. But no one, it seems, felt like going.

The event was billed as a “Stop Amnesty” event — a response to the pro-reform rallies being held around the country. It was held in Richmond, Virginia. But instead of massive turnout by those who agree with King’s assessment that the bill “proposes to legalize a lot of people that will include the people who are drug smugglers,” a mere 50 to 60 people came to the event, by Politico reporter Seung Min Ki’s estimate:







There are maybe 30 people here at this Richmond town hall rally against #Amnesty . pic.twitter.com/HC80z47YWB

http://thinkprogress.org/immigration/2013/08/12/2456691/photos-hardly-anyone-showed-up-to-steve-kings-anti-immigration-reform-rally/

[sharp_stick]

1. I'll bet this one won't

go up on that skidmark's .gov page will it?

[brucefan]

2. Yeah,but

How many porta potties were there?

[TheCowsCameHome]

4. None. They weren't serving lunch this time.

[Rain Mcloud]

36. Pie and Punch?

[link:

|

[George II]

45. There were two sitting on that bench!

[TheCowsCameHome]

3. Wow. He doubled the size of his last crowd.

[Norbert]

32. I think most people can outdraw Stevos speech attendence

Even if they announce that all they would do is make fart noises with their armpits.

[TheCowsCameHome]

33. Haha.

Certainly more enjoyable.

[calimary]

46. Hey, I'd go to see that!

Maybe even learn how! My kids used to do that. I could never quite get it figured out.

[BlueManFan]

5. The Two Women on the bench are just plumb worn out from carrying those signs. If they had calves

the size of cantalopes they could carry those bad boys~~~

[dem in texas]

8. Check those calves

The crowd is so small because they were checking their legs. If they had calves the size of cantaloupes, they were turned away

[calimary]

47. DUzy!!!!!!

[calimary]

48. DUzy!!!!!

Dayum! You go to Steve King rallies to generate material, I guess!

[TlalocW]

6. And this joker has presidential aspirations

What would make this better is if a few democrats (don't want to inflate the crowd numbers too much) would show up in disguise with copies of STEPHEN King's books like, "Carrie," and "Pet Semetary," and ask for autographs.

TlalocW

[otohara]

7. Politico Being Kind

errrr....lying.
I count 16 - excluding King and the camera guy.

[louis-t]

9. That looks like a park near my home in MI.

Half of those people are probably there just enjoying the beach.

[liberal N proud]

10. If he would have been in his own district, there would have been thousands

NOT!!!!!

[Caeser67]

11. This Was The Fake Rally

You can best believe the "real" rally was packed. Behind closed doors, he has more supporters than they will admit.

[Scuba]

12. So why does he get so much airtime and ink from the "liberal" media?

[Spitfire of ATJ]

20. Because he knows how to sit in a studio and talk to a camera.

[Scuba]

21. So does my crazy neighbor, but no TV stations are showing him.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

24. Why bother when Steve King represents him so well?

[n2doc]

13. You can just feel the excitement!

I guess Faux will have to photoshop some crowds in.

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. I have covered a few events like that.

I remember one where, I am not kidding, press outnumbered participants 3:1, and cops were at a 1:1 ratio

To call it a flop would be kind.

I understand the problem Politico's reporter had...exactly the problem.

[KayJay503]

37. Would that have been....?

...the Sarah Palin Fan Club attempt at boycotting the Dave Letterman show in NYC back in 2009?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/16/letterman-protest-draws-m_n_216566.html

[nadinbrzezinski]

38. Well, on the one hand 100% honesty in the headline

Means a burned bridge...we are talking a congressman here.

On the other hand...

Well that one we had I think seven, we wrote...few supporters. We did not lie, but left it to creative interpretation by the reader. And we kept a line open. Mind you...we really did not have to, but at the time we did not know.

[calimary]

49. Welcome to DU, KayJay503!

Glad you're here!

There are sooooooooooo many of these! Lesson #1 in how the message is manipulated. If Pox Noise were covering this, they'd probably provide some "crowd" - either onsite or Photoshopping it in later, with crowds maybe taken from a civil rights or Obama rally. Or else they'll just keep tight shots on the speaker himself so all you get is his message and his speechifying, and that's the only takeaway you'll get.

[arcane1]

53. The phrase "palm trees in Wisconsin" comes to mind

[calimary]

57. I rest my case.

[awoke_in_2003]

15. 50 to 60 my ass...

there are maybe 10 there.

[Rebellious Republican]

25. You forget GOP math, there were probably only ten to turn out in support of the rally....

However they included the random joggers, bikers and people just strolling by. That probably accounts for at least ten more bringing that total to 20. Then you have 30 to 40 homeless that live in the park and have no were else to go. By my calculations according to GOP math, would bring the total up to fifty to sixty.

[nadinbrzezinski]

39. Less than ten

I count four reporters and a staffer.

No, people usually do not wear media passes or carry 20k dollar video cameras.

[wordpix]

44. if there are 10 people, 5 are staffers

[another_liberal]

16. Wow!

Even that Tea-Billy with the tri-cornered hat and the snake flag didn't show up, and he goes to all of these hootenannies.

[Thav]

19. It wasn't a hootenanny

It was a shindig, that's why he wasn't there.

[another_liberal]

26. It seems like a rather fine point . . .

But I do stand corrected.

[madrchsod]

17. maybe he got lost and thought it was his district

the people there were probably having a reunion and moseyed over to see what the hell this guy was rambling about.

[SummerSnow]

18. overheard at "rally"

Person 1: who's that on the microphone?
Person 2: the sign says Steve King

person 1: oh the author, I love that show " the Dome" just can't watch it now cause my cable company dropped cbs.

person 2: not that steve king. this guy is a politician

person 1: oh

[Spitfire of ATJ]

22. Look at how Politico covered it...

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/08/steve-king-hits-the-road-on-immigration-95458.html

[rpannier]

29. Great lines from the article

Republican leaders — eager not to further alienate Hispanic voters — argue they’ve done all they can to shut up King.

But Republican leaders haven’t stepped up with a louder voice on the issue, leaving a vacuum King has been happy to fill.

He began his nearly half-hour speech here arguing against immigration reform, claiming societies tend to become more violent as one moves farther south in Latin America.

immigration reform doesn’t appear to be a top priority for House Republican leaders, who spent the final days and weeks before the recess voting on more symbolic bills, such as repealing the health care law and targeting the Internal Revenue Service.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

35. "..claiming societies tend to become more violent as one moves farther south in Latin America."

"LATIN"????

[Skidmore]

23. Good!

[Rectangle]

27. Were you counting the photographer in the 30??

[Skidmore]

28. No, I was appreciating that my fellow Iowans are

smart enough not to dignify this asshole's racist ramblings with their presence in large numbers. Iowans are better people than that.

[rocktivity]

30. Upholding a decade-old tradition

of being out-attended by the porta-potties!



P.S. The attendees must have all been Indians....


rocktivity

[Hippo_Tron]

55. Was waiting for that picture to be posted

[Norbert]

31. Note to self:

Get the Marshall Tucker Band to appear in concert before I give my speech.

[marble falls]

34. Maybe his supporters emigrated back to their home planet.

[Politicalboi]

40. There were more flies than people

Flies know when they smell shit, so there must have been a bunch. And where's the Get A Brain Moran guy?

[hatrack]

41. Just went through the 2nd photo - I count 16, and that's with the guy on the walking trail . . .

. . . way in the background, and I'm including the cop.

Where the hell Politico got "50-60" passeth all understanding.

[groundloop]

42. He could have easily doubled or even tripled attendance.....

If there had been free performances by Hank Jr. and Ted Nugent, and maybe free PBR for all.

[RZM]

43. I think PBR is more of a hipster beer now

When I first started drinking beer PBR was the butt of jokes as a redneck beer (and nobody called it PBR either, just Pabst or Pabst Blue Ribbon).

10 years later I looked around the bar and the hip crowd was drinking nothing but PBR. I think the Hank Jr. set still prefers the old standbys like Budweiser.

[NYtoBush-Drop Dead]

50. hysterical...

HE should run for president!

[SoCalDem]

51. reminiscent of this famous gathering

[Scurrilous]

52. K & R

[Rex]

54. FOXNEWS: 10,000 show up to King's rally.

Maybe even close to 100,000.

[Ash_F]

56. Who is Steve King?

nvm lost interest.

[Lawlbringer]

58. Despite this, Steve King is still

only neck and neck with Peter King as "King" of Jackasses.

Waiting for Peter to fall on his face with something we can laugh about. But this is still something that I savor with glee.

[Crowman1979]

59. It doesn't help when the age of your main demographic is one foot into the grave.