This event actually took place a year ago this past September. It was, to say the least eye opening. It is a true story.
Here is what took place as I was traveling from my home in Rhode Island to Banff-Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada:
In September of last year, I had to take a business trip to Banff (I know, you can all feel sorry for me later). Since I live in Rhode Island, my flights can often bounce me around the continent a bit. This time, my route out was Providence to Washington DC to Denver to Calgary.
I was flying out on a Monday morning. It so happens that the Tea Party had held a huge rally in Washington DC against Health Care Reform. You probably remember it. Fortunately, it didn't work and HCR passed regardless.
But that Monday, as I got on the flight from DC to Denver, I realized I was surrounded by Tea Party protesters all over the plan (cue the spooky music)!
I sat in my seat - center row, far right of three. In front of me was a couple with T-Shirts that said, simply: "Obama, Not American." They had a very unflattering picture of our President on them. In the row directly behind me, a gentleman with two buttons on his shirt. Button one said "Out of my cold dead hands," and button two "I'm pro-life and I vote."
Directly to my right: Another gentleman with a poster tube he had not yet (or could not) put away. In black marker on the tube it said "Obama is an Islamo-Fascist Communist."
Hoo-boy, this was going to be a long four hours to Denver! The plane was crawling with people dressed as if they had just been to the Republican National Convention.
I was hoping beyond hope that the two seat in my row would either remain empty (practically an impossibility) or the occupants would be normal (at least not tea party freaks, anyway). Imagine my relief when an older couple sat down, no political paraphenalia trailing along with them.
She sat next to me. He was immediate asleep in his seat. She said "hello," and asked me where I was from. She was certainly pleasant enough. She asked where I was going and what I did for a living.
I explained I was in travel marketing and on my way to Banff for a conference. She told me that she and her husband (now awake and listening, by the way) had been to Moldova (Moldava?!!!) as Christian missionaries - and that's when the alarm bell went off in my head.
But, you know, that doesn't mean you're a member of the Tea Party, so I asked if they were in Washington or on their way through to somewhere else.
Nope, she told me that they were there for the rally. They lived, actually, in Montana. Both she and her husband were retired nurses. Did I know that if Obamacare passed that older "folks" would be dragged out of their homes and killed to save health care costs?
I said that I lived in New England and we just didn't do politics like that. She said it was important to be active and save our country. Did I know the President was not an American and was a muslim.
"No ma'am, I'm sure he is a Christian and that he is an American."
"No Christian would ever endorse a socialized health care plan like that." (Her actual words). "I call John Melcher's office every day and let him know how important this all is."
And this is when I began to wonder if Senator Melcher's office had put a restraining order on this woman. And this is also when her hubby leaned over and said, "Darling, let the poor man do his work."
But I was kind of enjoying this (or something like that). This was so off the wall. I mean, I had read about the strange tea party people, but there I was in a plane full of them. And it got weirder.
I told the nice crazy lady from Montana that I thought the Republicans would get better traction running on issues that sounded less conspiratorial (translation: less loony).
That's when the Mr. Out-Of-My-Cold-Dead-Hands sitting behind me said, "Do you know what, Rhode Island? You need to get a gun."
OK, and that was logical, how? I just nodded and said, "Well, thanks for the suggestion."
And the guy to the right of me (with the poster tube), chimed in: "Have you ever read Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand?"
"Why yes, I have read that. Interesting book."
And he says: "No, it was a great book. That's one bitch that sure can write!"
This is all true. And I survived it. I even gave the crazy Montana lady my e-mail. She sends me little prayers and conspiracy tidbits all the time. I'm very sure that Senator Melcher's staff probably has her photograph.
The conversation petered out, and I worked for the rest of the flight.
After we landed, as I was headed for the gate for my flight to Calgary, a gentlemen came up beside me and introduced himself as a reporter for the Calgary Herald - that city's local paper.
I recognized him from the flight I had just been on. He told me he was in DC covering the Tea Party rally for his paper, and he was amazed at the conversation I had. I told him I was sure that health care reform would pass (still up in the air at the time), and that I couldn't imagine that American voters, by and large, would go for this Tea Party crap.
Well... at least I got one of these right!
Hope you enjoyed this bizarre tale of a Tea Party close encounter.
Update: The rec list - I'm honored! It has been pointed out - correctly - that John Melcher is a former Senator (it's Max Baucus and Jon Tester now). So, Granny Teabagger is calling a retired Senator every day (or another Senator and she thinks it's him). Or, she had a senior moment.