NEW YORK, NY: Houndstooth Pub is one of those bar-restaurants on 8th Avenue near Penn Station with red walls, black woodwork. Big tv screens replace dart boards. Downstairs in a private room, the New York Young Republican Club held their Palin-Biden VP Debate Party. The RSVP affair was hosted by Daniel Peterson, Club President, who alone in the room met my 20th century sartorial image of a young New York Republican. Not only did he know how to wear a pocket square, but he sent a proper confirmation letter to the event complete with menu of complimentary "Spinach & Artichoke Dip, Pigs in a Blanket, Mini Sliders, Chicken & Cashew Spring Rolls, and cheeses".
Do I swoon too loudly? Is my GOP envy showing?
They welcomed us with a personal introduction at the door, had a typed list of guests and fed us serious party food. On the other hand, all the tvs were on Fox News and it was disconcerting for this Democrat, to see the pre-show with Brit Hume and Dick Morris and Bill O'Reilly brazenly on the screen. My friend and cohort for the evening, Zeke Mermell, was asked only one question by the fellow next to him- how many Republicans worked in his office? This made me sad. To be a Republican in New York City is to reach out cautiously through the isolation of life in a Democratic bubble. Were we in the political equivalent of a gay bar?
Reality knocking. Swooning time over.
The room filled with 70 or 80 people, more men than women. The crowd around the tv was standing for the first 65 minutes, beer in hand like they were watching a football game. Sarah Palin the sexy cheerleader...."Hey Sarah, You're So Hot!". Joe Biden was the no good stinking coach. When he talked about a constituent not having money to buy gas, I heard ...."Sell Your God Damn Car!". And moderator Gwen Ifill, the archetypal referee, would have heard...."Hey, What Side Are You On?" when she told Sarah Palin that her time was up on a question.
Mostly there was brief but boisterous cheering in rhythmic reply to each Palin punch line. Did you know, dear reader, that Republican politicians know just what to say and when to say it to get applause? Who knew? The political process was devoid of magic for the first time in my life.
The crowd - and my attention- thinned out for the final 30 minutes of the Debate. Club President Peterson wrapped up the evening and encouraged us to be active in the Party and to run for a local office.
I spoke with Jim, a McCain supporter who was finishing his beer at the bar after the Debate. He works with television and media so he claimed professional insight when he told me that Barack Obama has reached such popularity because he's black. How does that work, Jim? Obama is smart and gifted but a white man wouldn't have been catapulted to such heights by the liberal media who is pushing to get him elected because it's a good story. To that add the support of white people who feel guilty about our history of racism. I puzzled over that, but it was easy to understand what he said about Sarah Palin. "She's charming and I love her smile" Jim told me. "I just love her smile".
The NYYRC is a no ambiguity zone and that's the GOP secret weapon. To Win. This wasn't a place for Woody Allen Democrats who greet good news with fretting that it won't be sustained. No, they just win. I almost started to forget that I didn't agree with anything Jim was telling me or that the confident Palin had been pitching me.
And now if you'll excuse me, I need to send a little thank you note to my host for such a lovely evening!