Report From The Road. and Texas: The Truth Revealed.

[chaska]

Some of you may remember that I posted last week about my impending move from SC to California. Well, I'm here. Thought I'd post a few random observations.

Firstly, I finally managed to scrounge a Kerry for president yard sign. Had to pull it off the side of the road. They really need to get some materials together at HQ, we got an election to win. Anyway, I taped it to the window of my minivan (behind the driver's seat - I was pulling a trailer, thus that location). I was surprised at how little reaction I encountered. Whether it's a good thing or bad, I only noticed 3 reactions in 2500 miles.

The first was a very enthusiastic thumbs up from a biker dude. Another, a very enthusiastic thumbs down from an SUV driving freeper dude (I saw his thumb and raised him another finger). Lastly, stopping for lunch near the ancestral (snicker) home of the Bushes, Midland Texas, an amused fast food lady manager observing my strategically parked vehicle and sign noted "So John Kerry, that's pretty risky in West Texas." My pointedly matter of fact "Yep" would have impressed even Hank HIll. All in all, I was very surprised how little reaction I received. Also, I observed very few Bush bumper stickers.

I had hoped to have lunch IN Midland Texas, but couldn't hold out quite that long. They have this really tacky sign on the outskirts of town that has a rendering (not a photo) of the two presidents and their wives that says something like "Midland, Texas Home of Presidents." The interstate actually bypasses the town - a bit disappointed by that, but I wasn't about to take no detour to see that place. My observations about it are therefore limited. My main observation is that the place just stinks something awful. There's an oil refinery in town and the place smells terribly of sulphur ... as befits the home of the devil.

The other thing I would note is that Midland is out in the middle of nowhere. Anyone growing up here (to the extent Bush Jr. did) would almost necessarily have a limited worldview and a very conventional outlook on life. It's a theory I have about how place influences political philosphy - humor me.

The last thing will get it's own thread in the lounge. DID YOU KNOW??? There is an actual town in Texas called 'Moran' I kid you not. 35 miles east of Abilene on I-20 squats Moran, Texas. Big as life. Near 'bout hurt myself laughing about that.

[bobbieinok]

1. there is really a Peculiar MO

we sometimes took the 'internation' route between Houston and Tulsa years ago

I think it included Paris, Palestine, and Athens TX

[calimary]

4. I have relatives in Peculiar, Missouri.

I kid you not. YES the place exists.

[kerryin2004]

2. Bush didnt grow up in Midland

As much as he likes to sell it, he was schooled in the NE and lived in Midland very little..As for signs, I have seen the Midland one, and it is sickening, you should also have checked out Crawford, they have a wonderful sign of Bush when you enter town. It is really a disgusting vile pic of him trying to look presidential.. I was going to paste a Kerry sign over his face, but there were two barbed wire fences to get to it, plus the police in Crawford didnt appear like anyone I wanted to mess with, and they appeared to travel up and down the road the billboard was on.

[chaska]

3. That reminds me...

of a sign in Freeperville SC, where I just left. It was a reelection sign for the local sheriff, a real jackass. He was once a neighbor. His house got robbed constantly. They put it up on the edge of a dirt poor trailer park. Someone blacked out the eyes of the sheriff and scrawled a swastika on his forehead. Did my heart good to see that.