Phoenix area (Mesa) has a shitload of virulent freepers

[sherilocks]

I did a temporary stint at the Department of Education in Phoenix in 1993. I couldn't believe what was going on. Upper and lower level employees were freely using the fax machines and phones at the Arizona DOE to spread anti-Clinton (both Clintons) hate messages. I was the only Clinton supporter, or the only one who opened his/her mouth about it. No one even tried to stop them. Some of the DOE employees spent as much of half the work day on the anti-Clinton stuff. Not to mention the hard time they gave me.

Watching the freepers on Tweety last night reminded me of this. I have serious doubts about how many of the * supporters were actually students. I also wondered why so many of those young men, loudly proclaiming their support for the war, weren't in Iraq.

[TaleWgnDg]

1. are you sure there's no vaccination as a preventative? no?

. . . . . . .

[catchthefever]

2. I live in the area

and you are right. It's absolutely disgusting. If you look at public education stats for AZ, you'll see that we are ranked 47th. Dumb = votes for Dumbya.

[Touchdown]

3. I visited Phoenix. The locals call Mesa a big trailer park.

Full of inbred knuckledraggers.

[colonel odis]

4. so arizona hasn't changed much since that crazy, crooked governor

refused to acknowledge mlk's birthday?

geez......

[slackmaster]

5. Being familiar with the area, I'm surprised that you are surprised

Tempe is much more balanced.

[City Lights]

8. I love Tempe.

Much different from the rest of the Phoenix metro area.

[readmylips]

6. Mesa is where the retired live and they Vote...

and they are registered Democrats. Mesa has more registered Democrats than any other city. What you see on TV are a bunch of new residents, looking for fame on TV.

The main big city out here is Phoenix, then you have the smaller surrounding cities, the suburbs, Mesa is older but a growing city. I live in the city of Gilbert, the fastest growing city in the US. Ten years ago, there was nothing in the town of Gilbert but a two way main street, mostly unpaved, farms and cows. Gilbert is quite a beautiful city.

[sherilocks]

10. I should have clarified that

I lived in Mesa for a brief time. But the freepers in the DOE were from all over the Phoenix area. Thanks for giving me a chance to clear that up.

[Neshanic]

7. Phoenix is not what it used to be. It is very open....

much more than you think. I moved here in 1977 to go to ASU. The local CBS station identification was an American flag flying behind a palm tree with the voice over, "Blessed is the nation who's God is the Lord". Quite a shock for a New Jersey liberal. The city was run by one newspaper, The Republic, a nasty republican cheerleader for the monied natives.

Now, with the massive influx of Californians over the last almost thirty years, the city has become much more progressive. What people do not understand is that Arizona uses Goldwater/traditional republicanism as it's baseline for beliefs. They really do find the religious right repugnant. One of the firms I worked for for many years, the owner knew he had gay emloyees, and he knew I was because I told him. He is a Republican main mover and shaker in Phoenix, and his philosophy was a Goldwater view. Who cares?

The Republic has been taken over by Gannett, but before it was, it cooled it's heels ten years ago concerning all "liberal" issues. In fact it was a prime mover for the repeal of the archaic sex laws, which a republican governor signed.It can't be lumped in with other conservative states because old style republicanism still is what rules the day.

I have been exposed to anti-gay hate in San Diego. I have never had that experience in Phoenix.

[sherilocks]

12. I liked Phoenix, even with the dry heat,

all in all. But I was struck by how noisy and nasty the freepers were. Of course, I had come there from Boulder, CO, so there was a certain amount of culture shock.

[nine30]

9. Made me want to throw up..

Unbelievable. I thought Univ students were automatically libs/democrats. I guess out there in the Southwest and the South, things are different. I live near the Univ of Illinois campus and people here are overwhelmingly democratic - which is the way it should be.

Who WERE those on Tweety last night ? Were they sons of daughters of military robots stationed in the area ? Why would young people be so conservative ..unless thats the environment they were raised in at home? Single issue voters like anti-abortionists, I understand. They are traitors who will sell their country for a total non-issue of an issue. But what about the rest ??

Every time I heard some 20 year old go.."I am for Booo-uush" I wanted to slam my fist right through the TV set !

[Neshanic]

13. Many of those students are not from Arizona.

ASU in the past has ALWAYS been the school of choice to send marginally educated spawn of monied upper-middle, and upper class parents. It is still is considered a party school. Hence the vocal Bush supporters. This group now is nicely balanced by a very progressive and liberal part of the student body.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

11. Apparently there's a large skinhead contingency in Glendale

remember reading about their crimes in local papers a couple years ago.