Ballroom at Dover Downs
Event: The Lincoln Dinner
Players: The Filet and potatoes of the Delaware Republican Guard
It had to be a party scene taken from The Natural… modern day and set in Vegas, of course. Set against the backdrop of 4 star opulence and a drop dead gorgeous drop off into the lobby and attached casino (if you can call it a casino), Michele’s Dover Downs takes a back seat to no dining venue (well maybe a couple). And annexed adjacent to it lies their Rollins Center Grand Ballroom where the pubs nestled in for the evening. Nice place. If you’re gonna do it right this is a place to do it. And the GOP was doin’ it right tonight, brightly garnished, bombastic, and in their ball park.
If you were even a Single A player, you were there. The double and triple A’s got some obligatory glad hand regards, but it was the party’s veteran players that were outfitted each with one of the dozen Louisville Sluggers stacked neatly just inside the entrance (just kidding, but you catch the metaphor). Led by emcee Dave Skocik (good call on Miss Delaware), the A line up included Stabler, Rakestraw, Ross, Phillips, Ramone, Cloutier, Connor, Bonini, Cathcart, Kovach, Schwartzkoph, Thornberg, Fink, Lavelle, Rzewnicki, Wagner, Gore, Clatworthy, Strickland in addition to King Mike all taking their jog from the dugout as they gathered for applause up the first base line (Hey, it’s their home park). Oh, and Fred Cullis removed just one table from the NRA! Shocking seating alignment , eh? Wonder what that convo was like? Aaand of course we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the notable – but not surprising – absence of one Miss Tetely, aka Christine O’Donnell. We figured she either couldn’t secure the scratch to get in, or, since the Ballroom was guarded by a single front entrance, there wasn’t a convenient back door by which to slide through. Damn, and she had a seat reserved right between Ollie and Mike… maybe next time, eh?
But it was the keynote clean-up hitter, Clatworthy’s Annapolis classmate and Mike’s table mate for the night, Lt. Col. Ollie North, who was the object of laser eyed focus as he stood in statuesque power in Banker’s Brooks like A-Rod warmin’ up in the on deck circle. A pose that one would imagine a Marquis figure like that would strike… looming, and with a smile like he knew he could park any pitch you threw him. He didn’t disappoint. Commanding and charming – pretty nifty trick – Ollie stood tall, gathered his thesis, and implored his flock to stand up and fight against the evils of Spending and Socialism. Thank God Sweden’s King Gustav wasn’t parked up front… or anywhere else in the lot… lol. Yes there was more text to his speech, but those are the accurate cliff notes… economical, ain’t it?
This was a night to crow, bitch and revel… and to start setting tables other than those beautifully appointed by the crackerjack staff. And those tables were busy places set just feet apart… as the fly (our fly) flies. One would have trouble discerning between the fly’s sibilation and that of the respective political banter. And the banter on everyone’s tongues? Why the mysterious DE2010, of course… or so we hear… Are we self absorbed or what?
And holding a tableside audience befitting a front running candidate and fmr Navy Officer himself, Anthony Wedo (who ironically …wink… withdrew his name from contention the same day) was all smiles and handshakes (and a good handshake at that). It was as though no one heard – or read – DE2010’s bulletin (and we know that ain’t true) citing Tony’s surprising sabbatical. The masses couldn’t have cared less or gotten close enough. Ya swore he had just smoked Carney in the general. Ya gotta wonder what the actual remaining pretenders… er, ah …hopefuls were thinking as they hid in name tag obscurity wishing they had that kind of appeal …and look… and cashbox. But hey, tomorrow’s another game… right?
But tonight was for everyGOPbody … all the way. The speeches and rhetoric were sharp and the biting incitement on the Dems performance, Gillette. Everyone was on their game. The subjects? Pick ‘em, any of ‘em, and they hung like an opaque blanket of Cohiba smoke over the entire contingent… Taxes, Spending, Socialism, Castle, Carney, Obama, Afghanistan, Health care, Money, Mid-Terms, Biden, Carper blah blah blah… all had their forum this night. Partisan can be sooooo predictable and entertaining; but also highly charged. As can be the fear (they both do it, folks) that the opposing party and their agenda portent absolute calamity for the State and the nation.
But this was the GOP’s family reunion and behind the barbed wired protection of the general platform, it was warm, fuzzy, and profoundly patriotic. And yes, one does acquire the sense that The Party of Lincoln fashion themselves indeed as the true patriots.
A few of these patriots, though had decided to assist the staff by augmenting the standard banquet accoutrements with some campaign lit and gizmos of their own. These well appointed tables looked great from a distance until, upon pullin’ out your date’s chair, you discovered that in addition to the cheap program sans the Lincoln hat, there were the stereotypical politics 101 “Please give” envelopes – how gosh – care of Poliquin and Bonini (thanks for the flashlight…now I can find your candidacy) aaaand the ink jet printed spam (so high end, guys) supplied by Wade, Cullis, and Urquhart. Don’t’ any of them know it’s against the law to litter?
The menu? Meat – Filet mignon – and tater’s, of course. What else would one serve up to a gathering of political carnivores on the hunt? “Hey, Ollie!… how do you like your tofu?”…yeah, as if…
And for desert? Cheesecake (no, not you, Janet) with white chocolate in addition to the Democrats Jubilee (and no one blew out the flame… lol).
To the staff of Michele’s and the Ballroom: Y’all got good grades for performance and persona… but get a better warming station (the steaks seemed left over from lunch… and ya gotta serve coffee at the end, yo. What’s up widdat?
A final note: Dark tidings for Cullis and Wade??? Just as y’all thought it was safe to go back in the water another friendly shark has poked his fin just slightly above the waterline. Glenn Urquhart got the buzz and the Ollie North shout out. Hmmmmmm – now whaddya think that means, boyz? Better be checkin’ out that wall… may be some handwriting on it, bros.
Stay tuned.
