And I write that as a long-time resident of an adjoining county. Bush should be forced to submit himself to the wrath of Philadelphia sports fans. Let me show you -- or remind you, as the case may be -- what Bush would be in for. On a continuum, Philly is closer to The Hague than to the Shoe Attack in Iraq.
First, most famously, is the Santa Claus incident. No, it's not urban legend.
By 1968, Olivo, then a skinny 20-year-old kid, had been wearing a Santa suit and fake white beard to the last Eagles home game for several years. As halftime approached in the game Dec. 15 against the Vikings, the Eagles' entertainment director asked him to replace a hired Santa stranded by the snowstorm.
As instructed, Olivo ran downfield past a row of elf-costumed "Eaglettes" and the team's 50-person brass band playing "Here Comes Santa Claus."
Thunderous boos erupted from a crowd of 54,535.
"When I hit the end zone, and the snowballs started, I was waving my finger at the crowd, saying 'You're not getting anything for Christmas," Olivo recalled.
Philly politicians know how to incite the fans:
In 1989, even [now-Pennsylvania Governor Ed] Rendell played a role in the misbehavior when he bet fellow fans in the rambunctious 700 level of Veterans Stadium that they couldn't reach the field with snowballs.
He lost, in more ways than one.
Philly fans are equal-opportunity booers, though.
As Eagles fans watched their team lose to the New York Giants Sunday night, a shot of [Vice President-elect] Biden on the big screen elicited boos from the notoriously tough home crowd, the Associated Press reports.
Biden sat in Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie's box, taking in the game during his first weekend off since Tuesday's election.
And, just before that:
When Sarah Palin dropped the ceremonial first puck at the Flyers’ opener on Saturday night at the Wachovia Center, she was greeted by resounding (almost deafening) boos. Ed Snider, owner of the Flyers, had her introduced to the crowd more as a hockey mom than as the Republican candidate for vice president.
Bush's idea of coming to Philadelphia is to visit the Union League, the upper-crustiest place in town. Imagine him, instead, taking in an Iggles -- I mean, Eagles game; say, against Dallas on the 28th. Imagine further: The Eagles are down -- by a lot -- at halftime, and George takes to a podium at the fifty yard line to say hello to the fans.
What do you say, George? Want to face some Americans with strong opinions and the willingness to voice them? Want to know what people outside your bubble really think?
Philly fans are ready, willing and able to explain things to you.