Thursday evening, I attended a VIP reception before the banquet dinner where Vice President Cheney spoke. After snagging two bourbons from the open bar, I shared a table with a coupla’ Deep South fellas who run a company that helps conservative grassroots groups use email to organize.

We got to talking a bit. I mentioned I was a libertarian. The older of the two said he’d been affiliated with the LP for a while, then bolted when Ron Paul became a Republican. I was delighted to hear that both were becoming disillusioned with the GOP’s abandonment of limited government. It was at about this time that a pony-tailed fellow in a colonial costume passed behind me to get a drink. Not sure, but I think the get-up was supposed to be Ben Franklin. The younger of the two gestured me closer, as if he was about to share something candid with me.

Him: See that there behind you?

Me: The guy in the costume?

Him: Yeah, him. He’s one of them Loooog Caaaabin Republicans.

Me: Oh yeah?

Him: Yeah. And that don’t mean he’s an old-time Republican.

Me: No?

Him: Nope. It means he wants to put the log in the cabin. Know what I mean?

Me:: I don’t follow.

Him:: [Drawing it out for me.] Loooooog?……in the caaaaaabin?

Me: I still don’t get it.

Him: [This time, with hand guestures. I'll leave it up to your imagination.] See he wants to put his log [hand gesture] in some other guy’s cabin [hand gesture].

Me: [Silence]

Him: [Now realizing that I get it, but don't find it all that amusing.] I mean, there ain’t anything wrong with it.

Me: [Silence.]

Him: He can do whatever he wants.

Me: [Silence.]

Him: I just don’t want to have to look at it, you know?

The other guy was laughing his ass off, first at the joke, then at his buddy’s squirm out of it.

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 20th, 2005 at 9:37 am by Radley Balko and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.