* Only took him a week…
Background is here.
* Davis’ former staffer, by the way, posted this rambling story on the Young Americans for Liberty website several months ago…
Here at EIU the culture doesn’t allow for much freedom of speech. The PC culture is alive and well at Eastern Illinois University, so my Restore the 4th event was lackluster. Our campus and therefore student culture is dominated by authoritarian leftists who condemn free speech in favor of safe speech and false pretenses of being non-offensive. Unless you’re a “progressive” group, or advocating for whatever group is trending at the time, real open free speech is hard to come by. That’s why my event last week was unique. Since I could not get official university recognition, I had to get creative to spread the message. Instead of setting up a booth or informational table, I took to the street and canvassed to individuals who couldn’t be bothered to peel their faces from their phones. This in -your -face, aggressive guerilla style seemed like the most effective way to spread the message in a seemingly uninterested audience. Hearing many people argue that there are more important causes than worrying about the content of their phones was truly disappointing. Have we become so fascinated with everyone else’s lives that we simply don’t care what happens to our own? While I didn’t get the experience or levels of enthusiasm I was hoping for, I got something else. I acquired a desire to help spread the message of liberty across my campus. It is sorely lacking free-thinkers and those who challenge authority.
Emphasis added.
- Da Big Bad Wolf - Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 12:07 pm:
Wow. I haven’t seen such a bad case of victimitis in a while. Hope for a speedy recovery.
- Matts - Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 12:10 pm:
So, It wasn’t an out of character, once in a lifetime dumba— move at the bar last week.
- Actual Red - Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 12:10 pm:
Can’t believe no one came to his event. He seems like such a fun, pleasant guy to spend time with!! /s
- lakeside - Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 12:11 pm:
Translation: I bothered people who were uninterested in me or my message while they were on their way to do something else. I had a right to their time.
- LoyalVirus - Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 12:22 pm:
He might be able to find work with James O’Keefe & Project Veritas. Then again maybe he isn’t subtle enough for them…
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 12:25 pm:
Why did it take a week? Should have been in the first statement on the incident.
- Precinct Captain - Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 12:26 pm:
Rodney’s denial is just not believable.
Part of a trackers job is to stay on top of the events the opponent is having and help build their own schedule for tracking.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 12:29 pm:
–seemingly uninterested audience–
Yeah, “seemingly uninterested.” Not possible that people could be “truly uninterested” in him.
- illini - Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 12:29 pm:
Lest we forget, Rodney got his start in politics with George Ryan and then for many years with John Shimkus. Playing the victim does not wear with many voters. And deflecting blame does not work either.
- Matts - Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 12:30 pm:
Rodney is coming right along in terms of slowly, but surely showing he has what it takes to be just another politician.
- Jibba - Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 12:45 pm:
Follow up questions: do you use or have you used trackers? If so, how often, where are they sent, and are they paid campaign staff, volunteers, or contracted? Denying he was sent without knowing other practices that the campaign uses is not credible.
That rant from EIU verges on the mentally ill, but it does fit in with current tracker practice from liberty-spreading people on one side of the political spectrum (remember Rich’s article only a couple of weeks ago?)
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 12:47 pm:
Maybe it took a week to persuade Mr. Lovell that the campaign that didn’t send him to this event.
When I was a young campaign worker, I used to always take initiative and assign myself important projects regardless of what my boss said. Come to think of it, maybe that’s why I don’t work on campaigns anymore?
Maybe somebody promised young Levi a job on Duncan Hunter’s staff in DC if he keeps his mouth shut.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 12:48 pm:
A little late to the party… never shoulda took this long.
If the tracker continues to say “otherwise”, that he was sent, as he stated in the police report…
Let’s see how this rolls the next few days.
- Finally Retired - Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 12:49 pm:
Madigan sent him. /s
- Leigh John-Ella - Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 12:50 pm:
Great. You didn’t personally tell him to do this. And now you say your campaign didn’t send him.
OK, at any point was your campaign aware that he was going to the event or that he was at this event prior to the alleged assault?
(I find it hard to believe the field director went rogue, disappeared for a big chunk of the day and this was all a total surprise. He didn’t text or call or message anyone while he was at the bar? Seems kinda out of character.)
- the Patriot - Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 12:50 pm:
==Rodney’s denial is just not believable.==
I disagree, sending trackers is nothing new. Any campaign sent tracker would know one of the main objectives it to not be notices.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 12:54 pm:
==Rodney’s denial is just not believable.==
===I disagree, sending trackers is nothing new.===
You just contradicted yourself
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 12:57 pm:
=I disagree, sending trackers is nothing new. Any campaign sent tracker would know one of the main objectives it to not be notices.=
I disagree, Rodney took a week to issue the denial. Seems like he had to think about it for a while.
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 12:59 pm:
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, even when you wish it was something you can use to bash a pklitical oppent over.
He’s a legend in his own mind that did what many ideological campaign newbies do. They want to save the world and expose the truth with their cameras, bad journalism, stunts and bar fights.
If you wanted this youthful scamp to derail an incumbent’s reelection, you need to have a candidate with more to offer.
Why did it take a week? Ever try to prove that someone who did something no one wanted done, that you didn’t want that thing done? Prove that in a 24 hour political junkie cycle.
Real world guys, real world.
- WSJPaywall - Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 12:59 pm:
Mike Madigan and the Republican trackers he controls
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 1:03 pm:
=== Ever try to prove that someone who did something no one wanted done, that you didn’t want that thing done? ===
Don’t be silly.
He doesn’t have a huge campaign management staff. All he’d have to do is ask his manager to ask the staff above this guy if anyone sent him to the event. Takes like 5 minutes. There’s this thing called text messaging now.
That would be the real world.
- A guy - Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 1:09 pm:
Only a little “better late than never”. If this kid is at EIU, it’s time to change Majors. Hint: not social work or poly sci.
- a drop in - Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 1:30 pm:
“It’s your fault you don’t agree with me.”
There, shortened it .
- Kayak - Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 1:36 pm:
The kid must have a history of acting out. From Tim Butler’s 05/05/18 FB post: “Don’t get too crazy tonight Levi Anthony!”
- Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 1:37 pm:
Guy, this kid graduated from EIU. I’m sure he appreciates your wise counsel nonetheless. After reading that screed, looks to me like he could have a bright future at IPI once he sobers up.
- Jocko - Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 1:40 pm:
Maybe he’s the new breed of “guerrilla tracker”…using inebriation and rudeness to disarm his opponents. /s
- A guy - Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 1:43 pm:
== After reading that screed, looks to me like he could have a bright future at IPI once he sobers up.==
Artie A, what makes you think they’d place such conditions?
- Lester Holt’s Mustache - Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 1:57 pm:
Is there a more annoying group of people today than young conservatives? He probably derived this weirdness from reading too many Charlie Kirk and Candace Owens blog posts, this screed repeats that type of illogical language almost verbatim:
I’m totally not a jerk shouting Fox News talking points at indifferent college students, I’m actually part of a group of “free-thinkers and those who challenge authority”. I refuse to approach people who don’t know me like an adult because that’s just “safe speech and false pretenses of being non-offensive”. Even though I can accost other students on campus in order to push my wing-nut viewpoint, “free speech is hard to come by”. Other students who don’t want to listen to my nonsense political rants are all “authoritarian leftists who condemn free speech”. I’m not repeating offensive slogans and hysterical warnings of impending doom, I’m just trying to “help spread the message of liberty across my campus.”
I’d bet cash money right now that this guy has an angry, insult-laden diatribe posted somewhere online about how the female students at EIU won’t date him.
- Double Standard - Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 2:11 pm:
Have I missed Londrigan’s apology for misrepresenting Davis’ comments about female hiring in Congressional offices?
- Gooner - Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 2:21 pm:
Honestly, I was hoping the tracker just got drunk and that caused him to act in that manner.
Apparently, the alcohol had no role.
That being said, we seem to be seeing this more on both sides. Extremists have this idea that if you get in someone’s face and annoy them, then the person in question will see your side (and be “woke” if the person in question is in the left).
It doesn’t work that way. Annoying is annoying. It is not convincing.
- don the legend - Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 2:51 pm:
“This in -your -face, aggressive guerilla style seemed like the most effective way to spread the message in a seemingly uninterested audience.”
A Lincoln: 1865 Second Inaugural Address
- Jibba - Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 4:24 pm:
Civility Davis just got done on TV ag show blaming the dems for a lack of bipartisanship on the new farm bill. Takes one to know one.
- Ruckus - Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 6:02 pm:
Gooner is right, this seems to be the new style of discourse for both the left and right extremists. Go on Youtube, type the word antifa and watch the battles…Warning…it will not be a pleasant experience.
- illinois manufacturer - Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 9:16 pm:
Why is this right wing purist at a state subsidized school anyway?…..
- knownothing - Wednesday, Aug 22, 18 @ 10:08 pm:
The repeated non-answers and dodges finally culminating in a clear denial really instills me with a lot of confidence that neither Davis or his campaign had anything to do with his field director (2nd highest paid campaign employee) doing something campaigns regularly do….