- The Dallas Morning News (link) pegged the crowd at 1,500 people and took note of some of the praise the panel gave Obama, as well as criticism. Excerpts follow...
There was some praise.
Hewitt said Obama was correct to back the "Bush policy of victory" in Afghanistan.
Obama also got credit for giving the order this month to U.S. forces that led to the liberation of an American cargo-ship captain held captive by Somalia pirates. And they agreed he was right to push for a college football playoff.
But for most of the night, Perry and the talk show hosts lambasted the president's first 100 days and called for conservatives to join the "loyal opposition."
The conservative crowd was laid back for most of the night.
They gave Perry a standing ovation when he took the stage.
"It's not politically correct, but it's gutsy," said Tom Hulsey, a 50-year-old Fort Worth man who said Obama should steer the country back toward a biblical, Christian foundation. "I'm glad he did it."
- Bud Kennedy of the Ft. Worth Star Telegram said the crowd was "light" and more like 1200. He also focused on the Christian aspect, and said the radio station hosting the event was ranked #43 in the market (link). Who crapped in his Cheerios? He also focused on one of the sponsors of the event who doesn't think Obama is an American citizen (link). Fair and balanced reporting, right there. Several people in the comment section lash out at the always unfair and always unbalanced Bud for his typically sour story. Excerpts follow...
So who is the carpet cleaning company? Definitely don't want to use them.
Perry, you posturing fool.
He may have drawn a bigger crown had it been promoted as an "anti-Obama" event. The crowd doesn't look too sparse in the picture. Remember, this wasn't a free event. These people paid to come here.
What a Bogus Bogus headline. I was there, and there were easily 1600 people there. Since when is 1600 people a light crowd? Your pro-Obama bias is showing. It also wasn't a "religious" forum, although K-SKY does have a somewhat religious bent. Did you guys even pay attention? It was an awesome energizing event, and you are just frustrated they actually were objective and pointed out good things and bad things about Obama's first 100 days.
Nice unbiased reporting....right!
The forum had little to do with "religion", btw...and everything to do with freedom and liberty. We didn't pray, but we talked about prayer some. We didn't talk about Christianity, but we talked about Judeo-Christian ethics some. You definitely minimized this event and by your condescending "quotes", I believe you didn't have a clue to what it was about.
What a horrible belittling biased story. No wonder the Star Telegram is losing readership with such bad reporters as Bud Kennedy.
Really, were you at the event? I listen to 660 from time to time and to say they are a religious station only tells me you have not. But to say the event was a religious forum tells me that you went to this event with some preconceived idea of what it was about and that is what you reported. It is sad that the Star Telegram has lost its ability to report the facts, only the opinion of its reporters.
- The much more fair and more more balanced Jason Embry has a more fair and more balanced take on the event (link). He also pegged the crowd at 1500 people, but he did throw in the item about Rick taking money from the Republican Governors Association and a comment about scant applause during one of Rick's answers despite a friendly reception overall.
- Also from the Austin American Statesman (I hope they carpooled up on I-35), Ken Herman took his video camera and got some shots (link and link)...
And he also did another "Rick or Kay?" segment, which again mostly favored Rick but not as overwhelmingly as at the Texas Republican Women club lunch a few weeks ago...
I liked Embry's comment on First Reading this morning about the Kay supporter doing her best Susan Combs impression. If you don't get that inside joke, it refers to the first "Rick or Kay" video where Susan Combs froze like a deer in the headlights when asked which candidate she supported.
- The Dallas Observer thinks Rick sounds like Matthew McConaughey at the 30 second mark of this KXAS Channel 5 footage (link).
My take is this... from what I can tell, a decent number of people from Garland showed up to listen and vent a little bit. Whether the number was 500, 1200, 1500, or 2000, that's a lot of people who paid 20... or more than 100 dollars each for VIP seats... to attend. Does Rick's campaign get a cut of that money, or does it all go to the radio station?
More than that, Kay needs to start showing up at these types of events. Right now her absence at these red meat events is becoming mildly conspicuous to political junkies and the chattering classes. Eventually it will be obvious to regular voters... to the rank and file Republican primary likelies... as well.
