A perfectly delightful young woman as my seat mate on a flight last night

[Stinky The Clown]

I was flying from Tampa to DCA last night. (Yeah, National or DCA .... the notion of a Ronald Reagan National Airport makes me hurl.)

As we were about to leave the gate, we got hit by a thunderstorm and took an hour and fifteen minute delay. Not fun on a full plane with a crying infant behind me and across the aisle, and a barely functioning a/c with just the APU running ........ aaaaaanyways .....

This young woman was sitting in the middle seat next to me. She's reading some book about political science that was obviously a college text type of thing. She also made a few cell calls in perfect Spanish, but spoke in unaccented English.

I strike up a conversation. Weather and shit. The usual.

The talk gets around to politics. She asked first: "Are you a Democrat?"

"Yup."

Big smile. "Me too!"

Talk about her Governor, Warner of VA. She loves him. Hates Sen Allen. Tells me her mother wrote a *scathing** letter to him right after Kim Il Bush declared war on Iraq.

"You in college?"

"I just graduated HS. I'm going to Michigan State in the Fall."

"Good school. I have relatives in Plymouth, not too far from Ann Arbor." I than ask her if she knows about the 'mile' roads. We talk a minute or two about Eminem and '8 Mile Road'.

"Have you picked a major?"

"Political Science." Big smile.

Lots of political talk. PNAC. Her term paper research on Abu Ghraib. She was unaware of the rest of the photos. Lindy England (Glad she's in jail, now what about Rumsfeld?). Fox (Cartoon news, she says her father calls it.) Jessica Lynch and how glad she was that she said the US was wrong to use her as some sort of symbol. That led to talk about 'missing white women'.

On and on. This kid was **sharp** and knowledgeable.

But ... she never heard of DU. Now she has! And she wrote down Sparkly's and my user names! :)

After what seemed like two minutes later, we landed at DCA.

As we were getting ready to deplane, the guy who was in the window seat on the other side of her, a guy I'd guess was in his 40s, says: "I couldn't help hearing all the political talk. Who do you think will be president in 2008? I voted for Bush in 2000 and 2004 and will probably never again vote for a Republican." He sounded shell shocked and a bit ... mmmmm .... worried.

Crappy weather and all, it was a great flight!

[Son of California]

1. I've been hearing that a lot lately

the whole I voted for Bush, but never again for a Republican thing...

Take Hope.

Believe.

[Cleita]

6. I really take no joy in the "I wish I hadn't voted for Bush" speak.

I still don't understand why they did. It really has made no sense to me why these voters were so misguided, and now look at the mess they got us into. I am not in the mood for giving them a free pass.

[Stinky The Clown]

13. The only pass I'll give them is to the sign up sheets for the Dem party

When they get a few years with us and serve their pennance, I'll give 'em their pass.

[wildeyed]

28. I carry voter registration forms with me at all times.

Sign up the newbies and switch the voters exhibiting serious buyer's remorse to the dem column.

I am mad, too. I tried to warn them. I tried really really hard. They would not listen to truth or reason. But the reality is, we need their votes to win. So I try to keep the 'I told you so' to a minimum and just welcome them into the light.

[Son of California]

15. Ok, fuck em' for being retards

but still, every drop in the bucket counts.
I mean, I am seeing a phenomenon of voters stepping away from Bush and the Republican party.

I could give a fuck about their reasons.

I'm looking at it in a purely Machievellian sense.

[Cleita]

17. I understand, but....

we did that when Clinton was elected because Reagan/Bush had been miserable failures, so the same shits decided this time around their boy, Junior, wouldn't disappoint them like Poppy. I can't take this merry-go-round anymore. This time they have got to be educated somehow, so it doesn't happen again.

[Son of California]

18. Americans have short memories

I wonder if that is related to short attention spans?
There is no educating the mob.
only controlling them.
Our only hope is to be better seducers than the RW consistently.

[LandOLincoln]

20. Oh, fine. That'll help. No, really.... n/t

[EC]

27. I feel that way too, but

today I did give a free pass, to an aquintance, that just today said ,"I'm really hating those Republicans, I'll never vote Republican again. Ever." And I thought, good a life-long convert. I didn't rub it in her face, just bowed and smiled and sat back down at my desk...

[YOY]

33. 'Fear is the mindkiller'

to quote Frank Herbert.

That's why many of them voted Bush.

The blatant and counterprodutive manipulation of fear of violent attack against America. Naturally, fightinh this with the fear of loss of rights and the decline of standards of living just can't counter this raw physical fear.

Being afraid is not a crime. Making people unnecesarily afraid to furthur one's own political agenda should be.

[tblue37]

7. That's OK.

Diebold will count his votes for Republicans anyway.

[Talismom]

30. Ever since election 2004, when the news was that democratic

registration was at an all time high all over, I also can't get excited by people turning against the repukes. What Stalin said about it being who counts the votes that matters is always on my mind! I went to Cleveland to get out the vote and saw the robbery first hand. I wonder if we'll ever see the repukes loose again in my lifetime!

[shrdlu]

2. Thanks...

...for the good news story...all encouragement is valuable.

[Fridays Child]

3. So a member of the "Movable Middle," as Elliot Aronson calls it...

...was positively influenced by overhearing an intelligent discussion of politics. How many more like him are out there?

And, by the way, your young friend in the middle seat gives me hope for the future.

[Stinky The Clown]

10. She was the point of the story

Young, sharp, enthusiastic, not starry eyed, but pretty well gounded and, for her age for sure, quite well informed. Balanced views. Not at all fringe, but solid pro core Dem values.

She seems like good raw material for a future policical operative ... or maybe an actual reporter (she was also very photogenic).

[yorkiemommie1]

4. i've heard

' i voted for bush but i don't trust him any more '

and " i Like your Black ( " I DID NOT VOTE 4 BUSH " ) wristband and i voted for the man! "

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. Very cool! :^D

[barb162]

8. In December I waws in a doctor's office waiting room and this

80+ year old man was sitting next to me. He was a WW2 vet also. Somehow we got on politics and he mentioned he was never going to vote for a Republican again because of Bush and what he was doing to the country. It was a wonderful conversation

[Catherine Vincent]

9. Things are so much nicer when you're among your own kind.

I would have been grinning from ear to ear had that happened to me....being that I'm in Texas.:-)

[AuntieM1957]

14. Don't feel all alone

we're not the only ones....

[wildeyed]

29. It happens in the strangest places sometimes.

I was stopped in Rutherford County NC (looked pretty rural and conservative to me) at the Sonic Burger. An older woman came up to me while I was standing by my car and asked, "So what is this Democratic Underground?" I though, uh-oh, political argument at Sonic Burger. And I am not among friends here. But then she says that she is a Democrat and very anti-war. She wrote down the DU web address, too :)

So everyone be on your good behavior, we have visitors. And clean up the Lounge, too :P

[entanglement]

11. Such things never happen to me :(

I know, I know, this isn't the Lounge ;)

[proud patriot]

12. What a great story

Thanks for sharing

[Al-CIAda]

16. If these 2004 bush voting idiots made that mistake,

they damn sure aren't smart enough to not vote that way again. 2000, I can accept as 'fool me once' mistakes. 2004, I have nothing but contempt and anger for you, you ruined this country you fascist loving dumbass.

[LandOLincoln]

24. There ya go. Idiological purity uber alles.

No converts accepted, and you get to decide who's pure enough.

That's a fucking great idea.

No, really...

[rockymountaindem]

19. I'm trying to tell you all, it's all about the young 'uns.

We nice liberal youths will save this country.

Too bad it's going to take like another 10 years until enough of us are old enough and mature enough to vote to make a diference. But we're here...

[Stinky The Clown]

21. Yes, you're there, and I see more and more of you

Youth has always been our greatest hope.

I look to my sons, bot good dems. The younger one has almost all repubs as friends. He's relentless in slapping down bullshit and has had a few of them change views. He doesn't get discouraged ... just resolved.

The older one wasted his first two presidential votes on obscure (really obscure) 3rd party candidates. No more, sez he. Solid Dem now.

Sparkly Jr has yet to vote but is easily the most politically aware of the three. She's got real 'take no shit' attitude and will argue with a fence post if its painted red.

Why do we always reserve a special place for daughters? :)

Yes, youth, as always, is our greatest hope.

[rockymountaindem]

23. I used to say "all my friends are Republicans".

Living in Colorado Springs, that's ususally the case. But lately I've realized that's wrong. A lot of these kids who repeated their parents' conservative talking points for years have matured and come into their own. Surprise surprise, most of them aren't that conservative anymore!

Yay!

[CrazyForKucinich]

22. 3 questions

1. Was she hot?

2. Is she single?

3. Are you single?

I was expecting this to turn into a love story. So if #1 and #2 is yes and #3 is no then she should send me a Private Message when she gets on the board. :)

It's tough finding a beautiful liberal single women nowadays. Was just at a wedding this past weekend. EVERYONE TAKEN. EVERYONE. Booooooo.

[Stinky The Clown]

26. She was

in my estimation, a very extraordinary young lady.

My first notice of her as more than a heat source in an overly hot, stuck airplane waitng for a thunderstorm to pass was her cell calls in fluent, perfect Spanish ....... so she's bilingual.

She was volunatarily reading a college text ..... I infered from that that she's intellectually motivated and curious.

She's accepted to a major university. Add to that her way of speaking ........... she's obviously smart and articulate.

She knew lots about lots, and it was **far** from all being the result of high school level instruction ...... so she's learned and self taught.

She told me she just graduated high school, so that makes her the same age as Sparkly, Jr., who I know firsthand is too young to be married ....... so it is safe to assume she's single. (By the way, Sparkly Jr **may** be old enough to get married when she's 40 ... and only if the guy in question is worthy of acceptance to Oxford or to be Pope .... and that he never calls her 'hot' in my presence.)

Speaking of 'Hot'. That would be in the eye of the beholder, n'est pas? She was, I can say, very pretty .... and with her knowledge and articulateness, could (should!) consider a career in teevee journalism.

I'm a 58 year old married guy. Making me about 40 years older than she is.

Back to hot. The only woman I know who is truly hot is my wife, Sparkly. SHE'S hot! ;)

[Catherine Vincent]

34. Isn't there a Sparkly that posts on DU?

[Stinky The Clown]

36. Yes ... and she's my wife

Sparkly ...... Husb2Sparkly ..... get it? :) :hi:

[Aristus]

25. Glad you had such an inspiring experience.

I'm happy for you. :-)

And for her. :-)

And even for him. Too freakin' bad he learned too late. :dunce:

[OrlandoGator]

31. Fox = "Cartoon News"....I love that.

Great description.

[GOPFighter]

32. Great story! Thanks for making my day!

I hope this young lady ends up being one of our future leaders.

[StaggerLee]

35. Great story

I live across the street from the MSU campus.

This lovely well rounded young lady is definitely welcome in the neighorhood.

:hi: