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Post on September 17, 2009 by 4 Comments »

This year’s Riverfest celebration in downtown Wilmington the first weekend in October will feature something new along with the usual music, crafts, entertainment, and food offered at the annual festival—right-wing politics.

Scheduled to appear on the main stage in Riverfront Park Saturday from 11:00 to 2:00 is the “I Love America Rally,” hosted by local radio talk show host Curtis Wright, Wilmington’s version of Rush Limbaugh.

The head of the nonprofit that runs Riverfest told the Wilmington Star-News that she has been assured by the general manager of the radio station that broadcasts Wright’s show that the rally will not be a political event.

That would be General Manager Paul Knight, who just happens to be a Republican running for mayor against incumbent Democrat Bill Saffo. 

Speakers at the rally will include Republican Bettie Fennell, who lost her bid for the state Senate last year against Democrat R.C. Soles and has already announced she is running again for the seat in 2010, and Republican lawyer Thom Goolsby, who plans to run against Democratic Senator Julia Boseman next fall.

Surely it’s just a coincidence that only Republican candidates are part of the program.  Also addressing the crowd will be Becki Gray of the John Locke Foundation, enough said there, and Jason McKinley of Fairtax.org, a right-wing group that wants to abolish the IRS. That’s quite a balanced program for the city’s main festival of the year.

Read more at Daily Kos about RightWingFest—if you can stand it.

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Comments (Closed):4

  1. Aftercancer
    September 17, 2009 at 8:40 am

    Here’s the response I’ve gotten:

    The Riverfest board of directors has received your concerns and is in the process of reviewing the main stage and program scheduled set for October 3, 2009; please allow us the time to address this issue accordingly, thank you.

  2. TT
    September 17, 2009 at 10:57 am

    Obviously a political event. I now live near Pittsboro,but lived
    in Wilmington for many years. Riverfest has always been a
    low keyed event with none if any political leanings. Now it
    is turning into a Republican circus??
    This is sickening that the event will be so biased. The Riverfront
    stage is the center of Riverfest and you can’t miss it.

    Time to arise people! We have to stand together and make our
    voices known that the selfish,greedy,and disrespectful crowd
    of narrow minded Republicans need to go to the back of the
    line. Perhaps Jimmy Carter is right on…..

  3. Bettie Fennell
    September 17, 2009 at 11:39 am

    I personally consider the comments of “TT” inflammatory, offensive and disrespectful.

  4. Robert
    September 18, 2009 at 12:19 am

    Perhaps you should open your minds a bit and not be so presumptive about what will or will not occur there. Isn’t that what being “liberal” is all about? Or is open-mindedness passé now?