The Power of LARD

So the other day I randomly posted these photos of presidential hopeful and Kansas Senator Sam Brownback at a speech in New Hampshire.

The room was quite barren and it looked as if he was passionately pontificating to maybe six warm bodies, five of which looked totally bored.



I got home that day to an email regarding the post sent from someone at Brownback's campaign. It looked as if several bloggers would receive this same letter.

The email basically said the photo was misleading and the photo was taken after most in attendance had left because they had to make their 1:00 classes and yadda yadda yadda. It stunk of guilty conscience laden damage control. The email was rife with links and referrals and quotes from people swearing there was more than 10 people there. Hysterical.

Here's the email:

http://brownbacker.com/?p=169

Bloggers,

The photo of Brownback at St. Anselm is highly disingenuous. There were over 50 people at the speech as they came and went over the lunch hour. That shot was taken at the end of the Q&A after the students had left to make it to their 1p classes.

From New Hampshire Presidential Watch:

The above photo was taken at the Sam Brownback speech at Saint Anselm College.

The Drudge Report had a copy of the picture under the headline: What Happens When A Politician Goes To New Hampshire: And No One Shows Up…

In Brownback's defense, I was at the event and the photo was taken after most students had left because they had to make their 1:00 classes.

See also: Boston Globe

UPDATE: A reader writes in to National Review's Kathryn Jean Lopez about an email exchange he had with a professor that was at the event. The professor said: "There were about 75 people there, including faculty and students. ….That particular photo was taken towards the end of the event after some 20 students or so had to take off for class. Such is life. "

Dude, ok, whatever, chill.