Students, Columbia citizens and people from all over Missouri flocked to the Missouri Theatre on Wednesday night to hear syndicated columnist and best-selling novelist Ann Coulter speak.
Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder introduced Coulter, calling her “one of America’s great conservative provocateurs.”
Coulter spoke for 20 minutes before taking questions on the healthcare system, the rising debt, her opinion on Obama’s first term and the upcoming presidential election, all while employing humor and taking digs at Democrats.
Slogans like “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for” and “Change we can believe in” got President Barack Obama elected the first time around, Coulter said.
“The aspect of a slogan means nothing at all,” Coulter said. “It’s kind of like an Obama speech.”
Coulter discussed the trillion-dollar stimulus bill she said mostly stimulated the government.
Democrats are now asking for another trillion, complaining the Republicans are against creating jobs, while Republicans are asking where the first trillion went, she said.
“Democrats are like your degenerate brother-in-law,” Coulter said. “They ask for money and then spend it on crack and rent.”
The lowest unemployment rate during Obama’s presidency, 7.6 percent, was when he took office, Coulter said.
“Now, it’s a point above that, and we’re all supposed to say, ‘The man’s a genius,’” Coulter said.
Coulter also talked about the various problems with Obamacare, such as temporary budget neutrality and the need for a free market for insurance, in which citizens could design exactly the coverage they wanted and pay for what they get.
“Obama really has fulfilled his promise to bring us all together,” Coulter said. “We all hate Obamacare.”
The economy is in the toilet and foreign policy is a mess, Coulter said. Despite these issues, she said she thinks Obama is going to be difficult to beat in November for four reasons: He’s an incumbent, he’s personally likable, he’s the first black president and the non-Fox media loves him.
“This is the most important election of our lifetimes, because if we don’t repeal Obamacare in the next four years, that’s it,” Coulter said. “No money for defense, national parks, China will loom large, Islam will loom large. There will just be taxing to pay for free medical care.”
Not everyone was in favor of Coulter coming to speak in Columbia. Lana Minor and senior Sarah Ivey protested with signs outside the theater’s front entrance.
“Not only are we representing liberals, but we’re also here to let the conservatives know that ‘she’s not you,’” Minor said. “She wants to incite dissension, she wants to get everyone fired up, but in the wrong way.”
Coulter said there has always been a “jackass-liberal Republican” running, but this is the first time the most conservative of the candidates has been branded a liberal.
Coulter also said Republican candidate Mitt Romney cut spending in every budget as governor of Massachusetts, and the only issue he flip-flopped on was switching from pro-abortion rights to anti-abortion rights.
“Mitt Romney is the most conservative candidate,” Coulter said. “I’ve been shouting it from the rooftops.”
Coulter stayed after her speech for a reception to converse and take pictures with those who paid a $125 fee.
“I’m glad Columbia got the opportunity to hear her,” MU College Republicans President Craig Arnzen said. “People come across the state to hear (Coulter). We knew she was going to bring people out in droves, and we wanted somebody that people would come to and might not all agree with.“