LIVE THREADS:Two Trump Rallies Today. Exeter,NH 12pm, Portsmouth, NH 7:00pm

The Right Side ^

[nutmeg]

Oh, yes... I do remember the dinner was in 2001. Right after Rick Lazio lost the Senate seat to Hillary. I was kind of a part-time, once-in-awhile campaign volunteer for Rick Lazio... first campaign I was ever involved in.

Zelig and I were able to spend a fair amount of time in NYC back in those days. I was SO angry that Hillary was trying to horn her carpetbagger self into that NY Senate seat, I desperately wanted to volunteer for whoever ran against her, somehow, from 130 miles away.

I was volunteering at a Lazio campaign office - near the World Trade Center - one day in Fall 2000 when the Lazio staff asked if I wanted to volunteer to hold a sign at that "Welcome Gov. George W. Bush" rally outside of David Letterman's studio. That was around the same time I had just discovered Free Republic.

Several Lazio staffers and I arrived at the corner near Letterman's studio... I saw the giant RAT (LOL), and the Teamsters shouting in my face. Silly me, I thought this was going to be some quiet peaceful "rally". At the time, I had no idea what the giant rat symbolized.

Then I met a few FReepers... you were there! Zelig arrived a bit later after a business meeting and grabbed a sign.

My first "FReep" ever... loved it! Even with that crowd of scary-looking guys shouting and swearing at us just a few feet away. I remember you said one of those Teamsters popped a balloon you had with his cigarette.

I'm pretty sure the date of that rally was October 19, 2000. (My father's birthday is Oct. 19)

*sigh* Those were the days.... :-)

[nutmeg]

It was at the dinner. Part of his very witty speech. I always thought he was the funniest one.

It's funny how each of us remembers different things, lol. 2001 was a long time ago now... hard to believe.

I wish I could see/hear McCain's speech again from that night. I do vaguely remember that he gave a very good, funny speech. I remember all the speeches were interesting to me, as I was new to politics.

I admit I was kind of star-struck seeing Trump up on that dais in 2001. First time I had ever seen him in person, and I guess it surprised me that he was at a Republican political event. (We have since seen Trump several times at CPAC, and a few weeks ago in Milford, NH)

Cindy used to come to all our events, along with Lionel Hampton and Tony Randall. I don’t remember Trump being there but I’m sure zelig is correct.

Lionel Hampton and Tony Randall? Were they Republicans??

[firebrand]

I remember that. I had three balloons, red, white, and blue. Someone popped the red one, so then I had UN colors. LOL.

The Bush rallies didn’t get going until the close result in Florida and Gore’s attempt to count the ballots again and again. Some guy from Texas—can’t remember his name—posted on FR that we should get some action going for Bush. So we did. I can’t remember his name. A young guy with a long Texas-style ponytail.

I think we had three and then a kind of victory demonstration in December.

[firebrand]

Yup. Most were reluctant to appear in public at Republican events because it could hurt their careers, Hollywood being the communist rats’ nest that it is.

Reminds me that McCain said something that night about reading the New York Times . . . and other communist publications.

When we had the dinner at a different place, Tony Randall said he had had the fish or the chicken, he couldn’t tell which one it was, and Cindy put it in her column.