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Thursday, March 10, 2011

Politics / ??!! Today in Great Ideas

Posted by David Schmader on Thu, Mar 10, 2011 at 2:21 PM

Some Sarah Palin fans are so upset at the direction the country's headed they're planning "Just Stop!', a nationwide protest in which protesters would pull their cars over the side of the nation's highways. Take it away, Stand Up America

Sarah Palin called the Obama Administration’s actions as the “Road to Ruin”! Like most of the USA now, we at Stand Up America think it is a great way to express yourself and learn what is really happening to our country, so what can we do? Well, it seems the normal methods do not work because of entrenched political machinery, moneyed interests, power seeking for power’s sake, and a media that is just plan in the tank....So how do we make our voices known? How do we finally succeed? How do we send a clear message that cannot be twisted by the media, misinterpreted by politicians, or co-opted by Obama apologists? Well, we have come up with one interesting new way. Are you game? It won’t cost you any money short of a gallon of gas. It won’t take much of your time, only about an hour. It won’t mean travel to distant cities. It won’t mean crowds to wade through, and it won’t interfere with your life too much. Here is what is planned...

· Sunday, March 13th, 2011 — 4 PM Eastern, 3 PM Central, 2 PM Mountain, and 1 PM Pacific time;
· We want everyone to get into their cars, trucks, motorcycles, RVs, Semis, box trucks, and any other vehicle, and drive to your nearest highway or main route;
· Don’t go far, just enough to get in a safe position to pull over to the shoulder, and park, engine running, headlights and flashers on;
· Hook up a boat trailer, a snow mobile hauler, or anything to make the line look miles and miles long, bring your tractor-trailer;
· Get your car club involved to show off those great hot rods and collectibles;
· Imagine others driving by wondering “what the heck”? Wave to everyone;
· Stay one hour if you can, get your friends to do the same, line up all your vehicles in a safe manner as far off the side as you can, and hit your horns.
· One hour gives the media a chance to react, a chance to get footage. Imagine the traffic reports!
· Hang a sign inside your back window, or use temporary soap to write a message safely on the window;
· Be a part of millions of people saying: “Stop the madness, we are pulling over and just stopping!”

Imagine the image, when every news outlet in the USA must take notice.
Imagine the evening news and cable stations saying, “What the heck is going on?”

Do the math. If a car is 17 feet long, and 10 feet is maintained between each vehicle, it takes only 195 cars to stretch one mile. Imagine 500 tractor trailers pulling over for one hour! That’s over seven miles!

This is a brilliant idea for every reason imaginable. Thanks for the heads-up, Wonkette.

Comments (47) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

What asinine nonsense is this? Please tell me it's a joke.

Posted by yelahneb

on March 10, 2011 at 2:23 PM

I'm pretty sure stopping your car on the side of the highway when you don't have an emergency is illegal.

It is also dangerous.

And stupid.

And why should they keep the engine running?

Did I mention this is stupid?

Posted by Urgutha Forka on March 10, 2011 at 2:25 PM

Ugh. Miles and miles of idling vehicles, spewing pollutants ... 'cuz there's no danger to the ozone layer or global warming or any of that ... librul hi-falutin nonsense, right?

Posted by Helenka (also a Canuck) on March 10, 2011 at 2:27 PM

What?

I...

This...

It...

Uh,

Posted by laterite on March 10, 2011 at 2:27 PM

So..... they're sending a "clear message" that... what? What the hell is their message here?

Posted by Julie in Eugene on March 10, 2011 at 2:28 PM

run my car for a hour for nothing ? i'm not payin $ 4.00 a gallon for that. i paid 80 bucks to fill up yesterday , come up with some thing else i might think a bout it .

Posted by whatsbeckgottadowithit on March 10, 2011 at 2:30 PM

And of course, when this inevitably fails, they'll just do what they always do - claim 10X the number of actual participants and whine that the media incorrectly estimated the numbers.

And the fact that tens of thousands of traffic cameras corroborate the lack of participation will simply be blamed on a massive, simultaneously coordinated cover-up by DOT's in all 50 states.

Posted by COMTE

on March 10, 2011 at 2:31 PM

That makes my hair hurt.

Posted by Geni on March 10, 2011 at 2:32 PM

I have to ask. WHAT, precisely, do they want to stop? "Quit it!" is the message of a three-year-old. Just stop WHAT?

Posted by Geni on March 10, 2011 at 2:34 PM

“Stop the madness, we are pulling over and just stopping!”

You gotta be fucking kidding me.

Posted by mr. herriman on March 10, 2011 at 2:37 PM

They call for "vehicles." I say all the critical mass cyclists join them just to piss these people off.

Posted by Devin on March 10, 2011 at 2:39 PM

In her world, this makes perfect sense. Also in her world, all vehicles are 17 feet long. If only she lived there alone.

Posted by Dougsf on March 10, 2011 at 2:39 PM

Imagine others driving by wondering “what the heck”?

Man, this just keeps on giving.

Posted by mr. herriman on March 10, 2011 at 2:40 PM

NO SHORTAGE OF THE STUPID

Sorry, didn't mean to yell.

Posted by merry on March 10, 2011 at 2:41 PM

All labor protestors are officially allowed to use these people as food.

Posted by OuterCow on March 10, 2011 at 2:45 PM

And you liberals are against eugenics...

Posted by Canuck on March 10, 2011 at 2:45 PM

BRILLIANT!

Posted by venomlash on March 10, 2011 at 2:46 PM

Seriously, why do the engines need to be running? Is this protest sponsored by BP?

Posted by Julie in Eugene on March 10, 2011 at 2:47 PM

Get every LEO out on wheels that day with extra ticket books. If we can't tax these clowns to fiscal sanity, we can at least penalize them for a slice of it.

Posted by sloegin on March 10, 2011 at 3:00 PM

I love this so goddamn much.

Posted by kid icarus

on March 10, 2011 at 3:02 PM

This will make it easier for all of us to give them the finger while we pass them. Slowly so they can see it.

Posted by gnr8r

on March 10, 2011 at 3:08 PM

@21:

You mean, like this?

Posted by COMTE

on March 10, 2011 at 3:14 PM

Teabag RV pile up!

Posted by Vadt on March 10, 2011 at 3:26 PM

@16 This liberal is not.

Posted by OuterCow on March 10, 2011 at 3:32 PM

This is my favourite part:

it seems the normal methods do not work because of entrenched political machinery, moneyed interests, power seeking for power’s sake, and a media that is just plan in the tank

AKA, REPUBLICANS.

Posted by Backyard Bombardier on March 10, 2011 at 3:35 PM

Gee, I wonder if The Economist gave them permission to use its map for this. Would be such a pity if they got sued.
http://www.economist.com/node/7087458?st…

Posted by FeralTurnip on March 10, 2011 at 3:47 PM

It sounds really boring. Who wants to sit in an idling car for an hour?

Posted by Catalina Vel-DuRay

on March 10, 2011 at 3:57 PM

@15 The Slow Food Revolution, you mean? How thoughtful of them...

Posted by Canuck on March 10, 2011 at 4:01 PM

@28: Warning: Contains nuts.

Posted by FeralTurnip on March 10, 2011 at 4:17 PM

@29 Laughing....

Posted by Canuck on March 10, 2011 at 4:23 PM

i love ecstasy. bring it back sarah!

Posted by aardvark on March 10, 2011 at 4:49 PM

I'm going to fly by these clowns at 80 on my motorcycle, giving them all the finger.

If anyone actually did this, which they won't.

Posted by doceb on March 10, 2011 at 5:09 PM

@28&29: Nice.

Posted by OuterCow on March 10, 2011 at 5:12 PM

as a dispatcher for the highway patrol -- I am soo glad I don't work sundays.

Posted by lizdini on March 10, 2011 at 5:23 PM

Is it wrong to wish that Sarah Palin gets cancer and dies a painful death..a quick death to be sure but a painful death?

Posted by Cato the Younger Younger on March 10, 2011 at 5:30 PM

Time to start collecting my urine and feces. Again.

Posted by wisepunk on March 10, 2011 at 5:51 PM

What do the Child Psychology textbooks say about this sort of tantrum-like behavior? Of course, the Teabaggers bein' so 2nd Amendment and all, there'll be a shootin' or two and some complicit people will die needlessly. This sounds like a Les Misérables scenario but without the music, the French, the staves and the pitchforks.

Posted by Rhett Oracle on March 10, 2011 at 6:33 PM

What if forget to set your clock ahead and come late to the party?

Posted by ravenraven on March 10, 2011 at 6:57 PM

This is the coolest thing I have ever heard.

You Libs are oozing with jealousy because you couldn't even mount a successful labor protest in the most left wing state in the country!

Posted by Supreme Ruler Of The Universe

on March 10, 2011 at 7:16 PM

Great idea.

Teabaggers, get off my fucking road!

Posted by Cynic Romantic on March 10, 2011 at 8:01 PM

Just great, a bunch of America hating scum wearing pompadors and bobby socks cruising and squirrling in their "17 foot" classic cars, on our national freeways nonetheless, while us real Americans who work and have jobs get to on Sunday are stuck in their selfish little temper tantrum/traffic jam.

Posted by Rose DeCastile on March 10, 2011 at 10:05 PM

Fantastic idea, teabaggers. Drive out onto those interstates built through federal projects, to protest against legally elected representatives, only to be ticketed by a state employee. What a clear message.

Posted by Knat on March 11, 2011 at 12:21 AM

@39: now i know youre just being ironic.

Posted by Max Solomon on March 11, 2011 at 9:44 AM

@39, 70,000 people isn't a successful protest? In that case the teabaggers have never had a successful protest anywhere.

OK, aside from giving more money to the oil companies that fund all of this bullshit can anybody give any good reason why they should leave their engine running for an hour? Also odd that they're protesting the federal government by using federal highways.

Hey, now that I think of it. If the highway patrol is on the ball this could help fill the state budgets. They could ticket the states out of bankruptcy. Hooray! Finally the teabaggers do something useful.

Posted by Root on March 11, 2011 at 10:12 AM

I think it bears pointing out that there will be maybe a handful of nutcases who will actually do this. More in the south, of course, because that's where most of the stupid is. But even there, I don't think this will amount to much.

Posted by Catalina Vel-DuRay

on March 11, 2011 at 10:31 AM

This oddly coincides with my event, "Just Egg People Parked on Narrow Shoulders and Blocking Traffic for No Reason." Anyone wanna go for a ride with me?

Posted by Park on March 13, 2011 at 2:18 PM