Seminole Heights Protester Calls out 'Lunatic Fringe' at RNC

Chuck Kaelin of Seminole Heights took the day off Wednesday from his job as a manager at Publix.

He just had to come to downtown Tampa, site of the Republican National Convention, to share his opposition to the GOP's platform.

"When's the RNC going to come back to Tampa again?" he said.

Kaelin was holding his homemade sign, which read, "Pardon Me, G.O.P. — Your Lunatic Fringe is Showing," on a streetcorner a few blocks from the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

Joining him were two of his old college buddies from the University of Florida, Phil Atley of Port St. Lucie and Wallace Armes of Naples.

"We were Republicans back then," said Armes, who once campaigned for Ronald Reagan. The Republican Party has gone "downhill ever since," according to his sign.

"They're a bunch of religious wackos, and intolerant," Armes said.

Kaelin said he was a bit surprised that about two out of every 10 of the Republican passersby agreed with their messages, which included Atley's sign supporting gay marriage.

"We're providing a countervoice to the craziness," Atley said.

See Also:

• Republican National Convention in Tampa