Read this editorial from Penn Jillette, of Penn & Teller fame. 90% of the time, this man is an insufferable ass, but he hits a homer in this piece.
It’s asinine to attack any convention, meeting, or group event for going to Las Vegas.
Las Vegas is a convention city…where you can get hotel rooms DIRT CHEAP…where the hotels can offer convention packages far superior to anything you could get in other cities. Food is cheap in Vegas. The unions there are not as strong as in places like Chicago, so your setup and tear-down fees are much, much cheaper than they are in the Midwest or Rust Belt. And, since the days of Elvis, there are plenty of go-go boys in Vegas too, now, so it’s not just the ostrich-feathered showgirls, folks. That’s reason enough to go right there, that sure is.
Because of the affordability of everything, and the fun options available during down-time, more people are willing to shell out their own personal bucks on a trip to Vegas than they would coming to Chicago, Cleveland, Cincinnati, or Detroit in the dead of winter, so conventions in Vegas are much more productive than they would be elsewhere. If more people come to the convention, there’s a better chance the convention will turn a profit, and the people paying to set up booths at the convention will find the whole thing worthwhile since they will meet lots of new clients…which is the point of having the convention someplace desirable that people want to go to.
TRUST US: we’ve worked special events for over a decade. Some of us have worked in hotels. All of us have worked projects where we needed people from across the country to come together for something.
Las Vegas is a city that depends on tourist and convention dollars. So, not only does it make no sense to attack Vegas from the conventioneers’ point of view, but it’s dealing an unneeded blow to the Vegas economy when that’s the last thing it needs right now.
Attacking Las Vegas does NOT mean conventions will suddenly go to Cleveland or Pittsburgh instead.
Perhaps the convention just won’t happen.
That means a great many business deals that would have been formed at that convention just won’t happen.
Local economies, jobs, future enterprises, and a host of other important things are directly impacted by the thoughtless, reckless, and irresponsible nonsense spouted by our current president.
And if a Leftist like Penne Jillette, of all people, is calling Dr. Utopia out on this, you know it must be really bad.
February 8, 2010 at 6:43 pm
Speaking of dumb moves, O’s invitation to Republicans to come and talk about health care, on his terms of course, set the stage for responses like the one from Boehner and Cantor, printed here:
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NjJjNjQwODhjMzI1ODEwMTA4N2Q2NTU3NmIxMGYyMTM=
February 8, 2010 at 7:11 pm
I *heart* Boehner and Cantor. What a beautiful, snarky response to Mr. “I Won”… back when he thought he could do anything he wanted with his supermajority, he told the R’s to go fly a kite.
They should just tell him to pound sand…
February 8, 2010 at 7:27 pm
Yes, the tone of their response was just right.
I also liked the suggestion of a reader of National Review:
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MGQ3MDdmNmRjMDg4MzMxMDUzNGVlODg2NGMzMjZkM2U=
February 8, 2010 at 7:29 pm
Holy crap, that would be a sight to behold! I would pay good money to see Bambi go one-on-one with Ryan… talk about being outclassed and outsmarted…
February 9, 2010 at 4:48 am
Beautiful. Thanks for the link.
February 9, 2010 at 12:07 pm
Well, thank goodness. I was half afraid they would send him a meek little note of acceptance and ask if they should bring their own lunches.
February 8, 2010 at 7:08 pm
I’m just sick of his constant, condescending preaching. Do we really need the Nanny in Chief to tell us not to blow our college money in Vegas? He also told us not to buy a boat if we couldn’t pay our mortgage.
Mind your own business, Jug Ears… I can take care of myself, my mortgage and my vacation plans, thankyouverymuch.
February 8, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Sayeth the ‘Cuda…after going 0 for 3 you should stop dictating and start listening.
February 8, 2010 at 7:31 pm
What we ought to do is the opposite of everything the lecturer-in-chief tells us to do, and then brag about it. Loudly. And laugh.
I detest to being lectured to by a person who is constantly looking down his nose at us. Its as if he thinks that if he gets his nose up high enough, he won’t smell us.
Arrogance. Sheer arrogance.
February 8, 2010 at 9:43 pm
I made my Las Vegas reservations on Saturday.
February 9, 2010 at 12:10 pm
I am so glad that over the past few months the volume of laughter aimed AT him is increasing. It gives me hope that the citizenry is actually beginning to generally catch on. Even if they/we don’t understand all the details, it’s a healthy sign when family members under the tyrannical thumb of the abusive father begin sneaking around making jokes about him and start fighting back.
February 8, 2010 at 7:43 pm
Just gotta say, Penn Jillette is no leftist.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penn_Jillette
“Jillette is an outspoken atheist, libertarian (he has stated that he may consider himself to be an Anarcho-capitalist),[9] and skeptic, as well as an adherent to Ayn Rand’s Objectivist philosophy, as stated on his Penn Says podcast. Jillette is a Fellow at the libertarian think tank, the Cato Institute. In January 2007, Jillette took the “Blasphemy Challenge” offered by the Rational Response Squad and publicly denied the existence of a holy spirit.[10] His cars’ license plates read “atheist”, “nogod”, and “godless”.[11] “Strangely enough, they wouldn’t give me ‘Infidel,’” he says.”
February 8, 2010 at 7:48 pm
Agreed, he has written several articles and interviews as an outspoken Libertarian. Also his “Bullshit” series has been pretty unbiased and equal. (The episode on PETA was *fascinating*)
February 8, 2010 at 7:57 pm
Infidel you say?? Sort of my take. Do you suppose Obamao sees Vegas as the ultimate sinister place for all the nasty infidels of the world to congragate? You know he (POTUS) has been accused of being a Muslim even admitted it once to Stephenapolis (Sp??) in an interview that of course Stephy corrected for him.
February 8, 2010 at 8:06 pm
Huh? I just didn’t want to see Penn Jillette’s name besmirched. I wasn’t calling anyone an infidel, that was Penn Jillette talking about how he wasn’t able to get “infidel” on a license plate.
February 8, 2010 at 8:47 pm
Melissa,
I know what you were doing and also know you weren’t calling anybody an infidel. Just seeing the word made me think that maybe that was the reason that Obummer has asked Americans to boycott Vegas.
February 9, 2010 at 4:47 am
I think you’re on to something. Vegas offends Utopia’s Muslim sensibilities.
February 9, 2010 at 9:23 am
I remember a good friend raving and praising Fidel Castro on how Cuba does not have the pornography and Vegas strips and gambling casinos. At the time it struck me as strange because she had never been there and socialist/communists in this country was a foreign concept to me. It was off my radar that anyone in this country could be for Castro or Cuba.
And since that time look at all the Mao and Castro lovers that have come out of the closet.
February 8, 2010 at 8:02 pm
Thanks, you saved me the snarky answer I was about to do. Guys, remember, “leftist” doesn’t mean “doesn’t agree with me” any more than “right winger.”
February 8, 2010 at 10:04 pm
I’m glad someone posted this… just seeing that one episode of Bullshit about Wal-mart was enough to convince me these guys were hard-core capitalists. Seeing that he’s also an Objectivist made me even happier. :)
February 9, 2010 at 9:03 am
Yes, thanks for pointing that he’s a libertarian. He’d would fit in here with some of his ideas about free market economics. I understand he’s doing Glenn Beck’s “revival tour” here if FL in March. Whoa, that should be an awesome combination in person.
I’ve been to Vegas several times both personally and for conventions. It’s a great place to start a trip to the Grand Canyon or So. Utah. Some of the best hotels in US are in Vegas.
February 8, 2010 at 9:14 pm
Penn Gillette isn’t a leftie, he is libertarian.
February 8, 2010 at 9:51 pm
This is why I am advocating a Clinton Palin ticket. They would both be able to grab from each party a significant amount of votes. Perot chose to run a nice guy but someone not know as his VP, this what killed his chances because it helped solidify that it was going to be all about him.
I had another column that explains that above as to why Ross Perot is a strawmans argument for a third party candidacy but instead I thought I would refute both HillBuzz and CannonFire’s polarizing view that a Clinton Palin ticket would fail.
http://dailypuma.blogspot.com/2010/02/holy-bat-alliance-batman-gene.html
There has never been a third party candidacy in which both candidates were already revered by millions upon millions of voters.
February 8, 2010 at 10:32 pm
Here’s an article about Obama’s disasterous international policy by none other than the great…Charles Krauthammer. It’s long but very informative.
http://www.heritage.org/Research/NationalSecurity/hl1143.cfm
February 9, 2010 at 2:26 am
I have a couple of other theories about how come O keeps demeaning LV.
1. The Hillary campaign filed a lawsuit against the Dem party in Nevada over the “test” caucus debacle in the primaries – of course, as far as I know nothing ever happened. It was repeat of what happened in Texas with the nuts (ACORN, SEIU) telling supporters the wrong place to go for Hillary, etc. Even though I’m not a registered dem, I live in NV and even asked the then Chair of the dem party about it when she was running for Congress during the last election and never did get an answer – surprise!
2. He’s POed that Dirty Harry (as almost all Nevadans call him for his numerous dirty land deals that made him rich) did not get his healthcare bill shoved through and he cannot be forgiven for that! So why not make snarky remarks about the largest city in his home state in order to get rid of him and have a more “useful” person in that spot.
As the Boyz have stated numerous times, the DNC works in mysterious (sneaky) ways. One of the top repub contenders is the same as Reid in all but name…conducting shady real estate deals, missing money, blah, blah, blah. I will certainly be watching to see who contributes to him!
In the end, BO never cares about anyone except himself. The mayor of LV was right on when he said he’ll get the “boot” in his city. And, since he admits to defending mobsters in his “earlier” days, he may be a worthy opponent for a product of Chicago.
February 9, 2010 at 9:30 am
Could someone in Vegas be trying to blackmail Dr. U on personal behavior and Dr. U is getting a nice warning right where it hurts not just the target but the people and economy of Nevada? Hmm….so much of Tiger’s sleeze happened in Las Vegas….. Maybe he is worried that it is no longer, “What happens in Las Vegas, stays in Las Vegas.”
February 9, 2010 at 11:59 pm
I don’t think Obama’s remarks were so much an attack on Las Vegas as they were on businesses. That’s what pisses me off. I don’t give a rat’s ass about Vegas, I care that Obama is once again nailing honest business
“How dare businesses set up meetings or conferences at the city with the lowest airfare and hotel rates in the country! I, the mighty all knowing liberal god, have deemed it a waste of money. Instead, that money should flow to me so I can jet around Europe some more.”
February 10, 2010 at 12:34 am
I acually like Penn Jillette, especially after I heard him talk. He is incredibly aware and sharp. He is a libertarian Ayn Randian type, hardly a leftist. I know others have pointed this out but I just wanted to add my take.