Would the Washington-Dulles airport t-shirt stands have had anti-Bush t-shirts on sale in front?

[zulchzulu]

I did some travelling this weekend and had to go through the Washington/Dulles airport and was taken aback by a t-shirt/magazine/candy rip-off store that was the first store you would see coming into the C section of the airport.

In front of the store where you could not miss it were t-shirts that had anti-Obama messages like "Nobama", "Let's Take Our Country Back" and other none-too-subtle messages clearly to be on sale and out in front for all to see in the crowded airport.

I could only imagine the poutrage from concern trolls if there had been anti-Bush t-shirts right there in front of the store and clearly visible to even the TSA security that were very much present in that location...looking for people who hate our President and/or want to harm Americans.

I'm all for free speech, but why haven't there been at least some reporting on this story?

After all, the Republicans keep saying we are at war with the terrorists and imply Obama isn't stopping ALL of them and this particular location is RIGHT IN THE NATION'S CAPITAL, ferfuckityfucks' sake!

I was in too much of a rush to yank out my iPhone and take some video of the store and upload it and show what I'm talking about, but I'm sure someone here at DU could stop by at Dulles and see.

Why do these t-shirt scam artists hate America? Can someone do a report on this? People selling anti-Obama t-shirts in an airport pretty much on terrorist-lockdown in our nation's capital is OK? Really? And it would not have been a problem in 2002 with anti-Bush t-shirts right there in front of the store?

I'd love a Republican come up with an "answer".

[SpiralHawk]

1. Why do they hate America? Undoubtedly they are Chickenhawk RepubliconBaggers

who have repeatedly demonstrated their hate for democracy, America the Office of the President, and our US armed forces.

[rasputin1952]

2. Because...

their vision of America comes with a swastika nailed to a cross, draped in a flag.

They are just too stupid to figure it out yet...:(

[Beacool]

3. How are anti-Obama t-shirts equivalent to hating America?

It's VERY American to disagree with the establishment. I still have a couple of anti-Bush t-shirts somewhere around. Does that mean that I too wished physical harm to the then president and hated America? Of course not, I just disagreed with his policies.

Freedom of speech is not only for those who agree with us.

You are making way too much out of the whole thing.

:shrug:

[zulchzulu]

4. OK. So a t-shirt right at that location with a....

...design that spells NOBAMA with the O as the Obama campaign logo and the stylized Obama face illustration with a line across it that is clearly meant to be in front of the store and for sale is just "entertainment"?

Footsteps away from the store are TSA agents looking for terrorists and such. And it's in the Nation's capital, not Dallas, Texas.

It's not really "hating America" persay. That's exactly what Republicans would say about a store owner who offered anti-Bush t-shirts on front display and for sale during the Bush years. He probably would have been arrested, shackled or told to give up his store.

That's the point. The goddamn hypocrisy.

As for anti-Bush t-shirts... yeah, I have a couple. I do know that you or I would never have been able to buy them at an airport in Washington DC from 2001-2008.

[Beacool]

12. I don't have much of a problem with this thing.

Whether the t-shirts were anti-Obama, anti-Bush or anti any other politician. I simply would walk by and not buy one if I didn't agree with the message. As for selling anti-Bush t-shirts at the DC airport during his term, I never noticed them, but I doubt that if they were being sold that the vendor would be arrested. People like to vent and they express their frustration at politicians in various ways. The only t-shirts I find offensive are the ones calling female politicians the "C" word (I've seen them against both Hillary and Palin) and any Obama t-shirt calling him the "N" word (never seen one, but could be out there). I also didn't appreciate the t-shirts during the primaries that proclaimed "Bros before Hoes" and depicted pics of Obama and Hillary. Pretty sexist and disgusting. Other than that, I don't care what people put on their t-shirts.

[Diamonique]

18. Unfortunately, that's not true.

I visited DC is 2006, and there were as many anti-Bush tshirts as pro-Bush tshirts... everyone.

Remember, along with being our center of government, DC is also a tourist town. Both shirts of both types are wanted by the tourists.

I bought a couple of really cool anti-Bush tshirts while I was there... one was purchased at the airport, and the other in Union Square.

[treestar]

19. The point is during the Bush Administration, there would be an uproar

And they'd have prohibited it somehow. In the name of terra, of course.

[Beacool]

22. No, they wouldn't have outlawed it.

Read the comments of other posters below. Anti-Bush, and anti-Clinton for that matter, t-shirts were sold at the DC airports when both men were in office. The anti-Obama stuff is only more of the same thing.

;-)

[onenote]

5. there were anti-bush shirts on display in dc area airports during bush's term

but thanks for the poutrage

[zulchzulu]

6. I doubt it very much

DO you have any details?

I'm talking IN DC airports... not in DC...

[onenote]

8. I bought some. Is that enough detail?

I live in Northern Virginia. All of my travel is either through National or Dulles. I have very conservative in-laws. So i had a practice of buying, as a gag, something anti-bush at the airport when we went to visit them. The reason I bought at the airport was that I knew I could find stuff there with ease.

I bought my father in law a t-shirt that had bush looking like Alfred E Neumann one year (I think it said "what me worry"). I also bought my brother in law a bush "countdown" calendar and a t-shirt with 1-20-09 "End of an Error" on it. I remember seeing "Re-elect Al Gore" shirts but never bought one of those. And I almost bought my brother in law a talking bush doll, but it cost more than I wanted to spend.

FYI - The name of the store I typically shopped in is "America!" Its got locations at both airports. But as I recall, there were some other souvenir stands that had political stuff as well.

[LibDemAlways]

7. It would never have happened. If it had, the media would have been

all over it and the vendor would have been pressured not to treat the President "disrespectfully." Hannity and Rush would have had a field day with it.

That's a big difference between R's and D's. When R's see something they don't like, they go into attack dog mode until the other side backs down. Dems, not so much.

[Golden Raisin]

10. They threw people

out of Bush appearances (guess the normal Bush pre-screening process to only admit loyalists FAILED) who wore non-approved t-shirts. Bush/Cheney probably would have had those airport shops swept by Secret Service, shuttered immediately and threatened the owners with water-boarding.

[onenote]

11. I'm curious. How often were you in a DC airport during the bush years?

I'm guessing not often if at all. I live in Northern VIrginia and go through those airports all the time. And there was plenty of anti-bush (as well as pro-bush) stuff for sale.
So, in fact, it did happen.

And if my word isn't good enough for you, here are a couple of links that establish that there was no fear of repub reprisal at airport shops in DC.
http://www.thestar.com/printarticle/253983
http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2007/04/no_equal_time_for_gop_at_reaga.html

[lynne]

14. Thank you. I'm from the area and YES there were anti-Bush and anti-Clinton when they were in office

- I'm guessing that the OP doesn't travel through IAD very often.

[depakid]

15. Given that it's the major DC airport- and politics is DC's stock in trade (so to speak)

That doesn't surprise me.

Never went through Dulles during the Bush years, though I did go through a dozen other domestic airports in the states, and every one had its cheapo souvenirs.

Just as an aside note: best airport anywhere is PDX. Free wifi, incredible beer, coffee and food from local establishments- cool things from local shops that have airport annexes- and all of them are required by the Port of Portland to sell their wares, food and beverages for the same price that you'd pay for them in town..

And if you fly there via Alaska/Horizon, you'll be on the best airline in the states (actually rivals Qantas for the quality of service).

[LibDemAlways]

16. The stuff you describe - "end of an error" and Bush recast as

Alfred E. Newman saying "What me worry?" strike me as more humorous in intent than "Take our country back" and "Nobama" with a line through his face do. Some asshole near me drives a car with a hammer and sickle insignia next to Obama's name - no humorous intent there.

I don't doubt that there was jokey merchandise that could be construed as Anti-Bush and that you bought some for your conservative in-laws. However, it doesn't sound overtly political in a nasty way like "Take our country back" does.

By the way I was at Dulles a couple of times in the Bush era, but didn't have time to shop.

[zulchzulu]

20. I went through DC area airports a couple times during Bush years...

...usually when in that area, I'd either take BMI or fly from NY or Philly and rent a car...

[lynne]

21. Would you have been upset or concerned at the sight of anti-Bush shirts during his administration?

If not, maybe that's why they didn't make a memorable impact on you. However, they were there.

[reggie the dog]

9. I dont know about the airport but in lakeview, a chicago neighborhod

there were anti bush shirts, posters, bumperstickers all over the place.....

[lynne]

13. No story to report on. I'm from the region and YES they did have similar Bush shirt -

- in the airport when he was in office. Same for Clinton. The same store would have "For" and "Against" shirts on different sides of the store. As IAD is in the DC region, people coming through often look for political themed shirts and the shops aim to please.

The store owners are there to make money. They cater to both parties and people of all opinions and have been doing so for many, many years.

[jimlup]

17. I have to add my own observations here ... yes they did have anti-Bush shirts

I flew out of Washington DC airports several times during the Bush years of despair.
These people are shirt vendors - they only want to sell t-shirts.

The anti-Obama shirts are stupid as are the people who buy them. Let's keep speaking the truth and making sure people hear us. We will prevail in 2012 and probably even in 2010.

[fortyfeetunder]

23. Saw same displays at BWI and at DCA

I was kind of astonished for the volume of them. guess it's expressing those precious first amendment rights. But then, expressing those rights comes with some responsibility!

[Cha]

24. No need for pics..we can well imagine.

If I had been there I would have been pissed and told them so..as in " I hate your fuckin' tee shirts."

I was in that airport in 2008 and there was no anti-anything..in fact I had my Obama tee on.