There is quite a bit of debate about the source of the emotionalism driving the core of the opposition to President Obama's agenda. You know, the ones that show up at the town halls with signs that make our President look like Hitler. The ones that claim he was secretly born in Kenya. The ones that scream, "Liar," at the President's speech to a joint session of Congress.
Commentators have all weighed in. It is racism. They're just crazy. It's a core of conspiracy that always surfaces during times of great change. I'm sorry - it's pretty clear to the average individual what the difference is between an honest conservative with an intellectual argument against a liberal President, and extremists with a crazy and racist agenda.
I know we all know this. Innately. And, after all, politics is a matter of perception. So, we know that a good chunk of the rightist movement is either batshit crazy, racist or both. And I got to find out first hand this past Monday, when I was on a flight with a serious number of them.
You'll recall that this past weekend there was a protest against the Obama Healthcare plan in Washington DC. Well, I had to fly through Washington to Denver (on my way to Calgary for business). And the flight was full -- filled with them.
They had buttons that said "Stop Obamacare Now." They had pins that said "Not Our President." And they were all over the plane. It was a wide-body, and I was in the middle of economy in the righthand most seat.
The woman in front of me was wearing a t-shirt with Sarah Palin on it. The guy to my right had a poster tube bearing clearly readable black marker the said "Obama Islamo-Fascist Marxist Nazi," obviously the message on the poster. If that's intellectual, then I'm a hat box.
And the guy behind me - this guy had a button with a picture of Charlton Heston that said, "Out of my cold, dead hands..." on one side of his shirt, and another button that said "Abortion is murder" on the other side.
And I waited in dread and terror to see what my seatmates were going to be like. And shortly thereafter they appeared. An older couple. Perfectly normal looking. No buttons, posters or signs. I was relieved.
They said hello. They were very friendly. Then they asked if I was in Washington for the rally. I said no - I was flying through from Providence. And - as the warning signs went up in my head - I told them that in New England we did our politics more calmly.
They were from Montana. Both were nurses. What did I do? I'm in travel marketing. They traveled alot. They were just in Moldova (not exactly a tourist mecca). Doing what? Spreading the word of God.
Well, I mean, if they were evangelists how horrible could they be? So, with four hours of flying time in front of us, I decided to be friendly. Soooo - I asked what they were doing in Washington.
At the rally of course. How could New England have voted so heavily for a President who is not an American. Did I see the photo of the birth certificate? And - remember these are professional nurses - healthcare reforms would destroy the medical system. Did I know that senior citizens would be "dragged from their homes and drugged to death?"
I told them that it was a free country ("not for much longer" was the reply) and while I disagreed with them, they certainly seemed like nice enough people so I didn't want to argue with them. I mean, how are you possibly going to when a logical debate with people that think like this?
Meanwhile, Mr. Out-Of-My-Cold-Dead-Hands tapped me on my shoulder from behind and said that if I had my own gun I would feel differently (that made such sense). And the Islamo-Fascist-Nazi guy next to me said that Obama was arming black people to take control of the country. And - by the way - had I ever read "Atlas Shrugged," which was - and I quote - "a pretty good book by a bitch that could write." I wish I were kidding. I'm not.
Thankfully, the drink cart and a flight attendant showed up right about then to stop the flow of that conversation. Gun boy went into a book. The intellectual giant next to me put on his earphones and went to sleep. I ordered a coke, and politely changed the subject with Nurse Diesel and her cohort.
I asked them more about Moldova. They told me more about Moldova - the history, the food, etc. Then they asked me where I was going. And, had I been to Montana? And they let Governor Schweitzer, Senator Baucus and Senator Tester have it with both barrels. I had better hurry before they ruin the state.
And - speaking of travel - the husband (Art) had a wonderful idea. If all the blacks moved back to Africa, they would help the tourism industry in all the countries there. Racist and crazy.
I realized I was trapped. Trapped around a plane full of bat shit crazy racists. It was like the Twilight Zone of politics! I said I had to work on things for my trip (it was true), and I got out of any further conversation that way.
But it was so very clear: If anybody tells me this movement is understandable, and simply the latest iteration of the visceral emotional reaction of the American independent streak to big changes in government. It's not. It's far more evil than that.
Are they racist and crazy? Yes, yes they are.