"From one Republican to another...."

[Pacifist Patriot]

Last night I officiated a wedding and stayed for part of the reception. As we were waiting for the bride and groom to enter, I overheard a man at the next table loudly ask if someone had registered Republican after moving to Florida or still insisted on being an Independent. He then bellowed something incoherent about Rubio. I was hoping he was complaining, but no such luck. The next comment out of his mouth was, "We're going to damn well have a Republican in the White House in 2012." (Never mind the winner wouldn't be inaugurated until 2013) followed by effusive praise of the Tea Party.

I inwardly groaned and thought, "Oh great, it's that kind of crowd. Funny, I didn't really get that from the bride and groom" followed shortly by "what kind of jerk bellows politics at a wedding?" He continued to spew racist and corporatist bullshit.

I sighed and waited for the unavoidable chorus of right wing talking points coming at me from all sides when I looked up and surveyed the scene.

Four people had gotten up and left his table, the body language of the people at my table indicated clear discomfort, and two people at a third table were openly glaring at him. In my role, it would not have been remotely appropriate for me to retort, so I practically had blood dribbling down my chin.

An elderly gentleman got up from another table, walked over, put his hand gently on the loud mouth's shoulder and said calmly, "From one Republican to another. Even if this were neither the time nor the place for such talk, you'd still be dead wrong and a jackass. Educate yourself son." and then just walked back to his table and sat back down.

I assumed it was because of the boorish behavior in an inappropriate setting rather than the ideas themselves, but given the commentary from my table afterwards I think it was definitely both.

I'm in a very Red Tea area. This is heartening to see indeed.

[brewens]

1. The guy probably spends 99% of his time in a Teabagger support group.

I'm occasionally around people like that. It really surprises them if the encounter anyone with opposing views.

[Laxman]

2. When You ASS U Me!

This is how these jerks like to talk when they think they're "amongst friends". Probably took a look around and assumed everyone at the table was a fellow Bund member. They usually just operate in their little echo chambers where calling liberals bad names passes for policy conversation and everyone says amen to everything someone says. As Felix Unger famously stated, "when you assume you make an ass of u and me...I rest my case!" Rec'd for being a great story!

[Keith Bee]

3. You can't always get what you want

I was once in a situation where I thought there would be like-minded people, only to discover that I was massively mistaken. And this was in Massachusetts.

[monmouth]

4. Too many scotches prior to the nuptuals...n/t

[Pacifist Patriot]

5. We did get off to a late start.