But at least he didn't try to make it on Youtube by pissing on a dying woman. I'd make a crack about the end of the proud punk ethos, but I never thought there was much to that to begin with.
    So the larger question I still have is this: does it seem possible, given the self destructive moments last election cycle (or even that famous "Dean scream" from 2004), does anyone think it possible that there will be partisan groups trying to create news by confrontations like this? Even public figures might get into the act-- it was funny that Ann Coulter got pied, but what if security had tasered that person as well? Would it still be so funny? Would Coulter have gotten any flak for actions she had nothing to do with? And what happens the next time someone tries to revive the grand old American tradition of assassinating politicians?
    One thing seems clear: the poorer, less well known candidates will suffer the most, because A) they won't be able to afford the best trained security agents, and B) remaining accessible to the public is one of the main advantages less well known candidates can use to gain some traction with voters (and the press!) A future where every campaign is as distant and scripted as Bush's 2000 run strikes me as a terrible development . . .

Ex ignorantia ad sapientiam; e luce ad tenebras

The initial concept that a lot of the subQ comments understandably didn't get (not this re-written version) was based off the South Park episode from the 2004 election when John Kerry is posited as a douche and George W. Bush is posited as a turd sandwich -- ie, our choices for President are between a douche and a turd sandwich. This was further bolstered by John Stewart on the Daily Show (sense a TV viewing pattern?) referring to Andrew Meyer as a douche. Hence, Douche V. Douche or whatever it was, honestly I don't remember anymore.

The upshot of it all is that Meyer acted like a total douche. Colin Powell came to speak at my college back in 2000 and I recall a Meyer-esque individual (not myself, to the shock of some around here I'm sure) getting up and asking Powell a bunch of rambling accusatory questions about the continued bombings of Iraq under Clinton. Mine is a much smaller school than Florida and we pretty much all in the audience knew one another and were rather embarrassed given how open and friendly Powell had been to that point. I can see some of those same faces among the audience members in the Meyer tape.

Not surprisingly, Powell went into the same ham-handed douche talk Kerry did when posed with those questions. I can't recall how that little episode ended. I think the kids mike may have been cut but he certainly wasn't physically touched or intimidated by anyone. In fact, I think Powell was pretty insistent himself that he (Powell) be allowed to answer the questions and that then other people should be allowed to ask questions.

As douche-like as Meyer was, I think Kerry for a man who was the Democratic nominee for President last go 'round, was a total douche as well. In the situation at my school, Powell was a man about it and took control of the situation. In the UF video by contrast, Kerry drones on and on while Meyer is being physically removed from the premises and finally tasered. We were in a massive auditorium that was far bigger than the one in the UF video appears to be. And yet, Powell gave respect to the situation.

The fact of the matter is, by the time security put their hands on Meyer, he was already walking away from the microphone. While security overreacted in any case, putting their hands on Meyer after he'd already given up asking questions was an inflammatory escalation of the incident in my mind. Finally, I kind of like that this ran now. "Don't Taser Me Bro" was the catch phrase of the week and Meyer the weekly youtube sensation. To be discussing it at a more leisurely pace seems optimal.

It is easy to buy small plaster models of what you think life is like.