Boots on the Ground – Stephen King and the Invasion of the Palinbots!
I just loved this report from Mudflatter 24owls. Contributions from the ever-expanding Boots on the Ground team are so much fun. I have a couple more in the works to share in the coming days. It’s my “busy season” at that other job that pays the bills between now and the end of the year, so I may slow down a bit, but I’ll be back up to full speed after the first of the year, and I’ll supplement my own posts with great ones like this when I can. I’ll just warn you straight out that at one point in this post you will be unable to not think of Stephen King in a bumpit. You have been warned…
By “Boots on the Ground” reporter, Mudflatter 24owls
First some background – I live in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and there is a wonderful theater located downtown called The Music Hall. It’s a beautifully restored place, and seats up to 900 people. The Music Hall partners with New Hampshire Public Radio and RiverRun Bookstore to bring a series called Writers on a New England Stage to the theater. It is a fantastic series where both locally and nationally known authors come and speak about their latest books, and their careers. In the first part of the hour and a half show the author stands at a podium and talks about, or reads from their latest book. In the second half the author is seated with an interviewer from NHPR and answers questions from the audience. The radio station tapes the show and then rebroadcasts it usually a week later. The first show was with Alan Alda in November 2005. Over the years there have been a number of amazing authors on the stage and I suggest that if you want to hear some great interviews and creative insight go to www.NHPR.org and click on the icon for Writers on a New England Stage.
And now to the “encounter” – The show was on December 1st and the guest speaker was Stephen King slated to talk about his latest book “Under the Dome”. The seats in the theater are comfortable, but snug with your neighbor. It is easy to strike up a conversation or hear what is being said around you. I had gone to the show with a couple of friends and in our seating sequence I sat on the end of our group with an unknown person on my right. The person sitting next to me was a man in his mid 50s. Next to him was his wife or mother – couldn’t tell, didn’t ask – some things you should just not inquire about. The couple and I chatted, nothing out of the ordinary, just polite conversation about the theater and the guest. They had just joined as members, and this was their first show. The lights turn down, introductions are made and Stephen King walks to the podium. A couple of his first comments were about the selling of his book and he made a reference that if he had a Sarah Palin hairdo maybe he would sell more of his books. Everybody laughed and clapped except the couple next to me – the man made a few loud comments in support of Palin’s hair and appearance. Now, you can imagine that after I heard his comments, over my clapping noise, I was wondering if I really heard what I heard. I gave him a sideways glance and he was still muttering. I turned to my friend on my left and asked if she heard his comments – she said sort of but then added that if he was a Palin supporter then he was really in the wrong crowd. We laughed and I clapped louder.
Just to put some perspective on that comment, Portsmouth, New Hampshire is a lovely deep blue on the political color wheel and New Hampshire as a whole has done a nice job of changing its color from red to blue in spite of our present senior Senator Judd Gregg who is retiring in 2010.
The NHPR interviewer, Virginia Prescott, is a well known host in national public radio circles – well respected, sharp wit, intelligent questions and follow-up inquiries. She has participated in many of these series interviews before so she was well versed and prepared. Stephen King finished up his talk at the podium and then sat down with Virginia. They chatted and then she asked the typical question of how he got the idea for his book. He said the idea had been kicking around for 20 plus years and he had picked the idea up again during a recent trip. He thought about the Bush administration’s abuse of power and that formed the substance for two of the main characters. He referred to it as the Bush and Cheney duo, master controlling the puppet dynamic. King then raised his hand in the air and moving the fingers like in the form of a mouth, mimicked the Darth Vader voice and Cheney telling Bush what to say and do. Everybody laughed and clapped – except for the couple next to me. They both got very irritated and started making loud comments again. The man was the loudest, saying at one point that he didn’t think this was suppose to be a political event and then he directed his sharpest comments to the woman interviewer. He dropped to a very scum sucking low level and said very demeaning and derogatory comments about the “elite” female, not towards King who had made the comments but towards Virginia. Then my neighbor says and I quote “Palin could beat your ass”. Nice huh? Well, needless to say, I was now getting hot under the collar, gritting my teeth and clenching my fists. I turned and glared at the man and was forming the perfect rebuttal sentence in my head when as I opened my mouth to speak the two women in the seats in front of him turned around and said what needed to be said. Their words were laser sharp, direct and perfect, sorry I can not repeat them but they were very effective. The man shut up and sat back into his chair. I smiled at him with my best Cheshire cat smile and clapped and whistled even louder. Surprisingly, the couple did not leave, they stayed for the remainder of the show but you could feel the daggers being thrown in our direction. The show ended and we all filed out without any further incidents.
Afterward, my group went to the local brewery that is within walking distance and enjoyed a night cap. We discussed the evening, and they were pleasantly surprised that I didn’t deck the guy or at the very least pour my bottle of water over his head. Frankly, I didn’t want to waste the water. I just got to wondering how I was “so lucky” to sit next to a Palinbot in a place that seats 900. What were the chances, besides the obvious 899 to 1? Dumb luck I suppose.
I’ve been following the Palin train wreck on Mudflats since the very first month that the site has been on the web. I know more about her soap opera than I care to admit and it figures that I end up next to a Palin/Bush/Cheney minion. The rude comments about Virginia were really bad, like he was trying to protect his Queen Sarah from another threatening female. Did he see her as a threat? Virginia was clearly on her game with the interview. She showed smarts, intellect, proper use of language and sentence structure, her voice was calm, knowing, easy to listen to. The Palinbot had a very strange reaction to her, his demented thoughts came out with his demented words. Weird, weird, weird. But you know, this was a night to listen to Stephen King (talk about a guy who gets strange thoughts in his head). Maybe his next book will be titled Nightmare on Palin Street. Anyhow, Stephen King was very funny. He called himself an old hippie that just wanted to bring everyone together and get along. He is certainly a progressive thinker, and very proud of his Maine roots. Best yet, he is a huge Red Sox fan – his comments about the team and players were hilarious.
It was a great night, despite the Palinbot invasion.
[photo from newhampshire.com]
Stephen King is a scary kinda looking guy, especially when he’s weaving his way off Storrow Drive while making his way to Fenway Pahhk.
Too bad about the dude in Poohtsmouth… seems like a Craig O’Brien kinda guy; always trying to run INTO traffic after everyone else has figured out it’s best not to.
What a great write up 24owls!!
Amazing night, Stephen King and Palinbots. I would have loved to hear SK in person, and would have been terribly dismayed to sit next to the bots.
The guys reaction though, goes to the “poor me” theme that is SP. Too deep psychologically for me to explain, but there is some sort of protection thing that goes with her fans.
Oh and I’m dying to know what the ladies said!!
24owls : I loved your story.
Stephen King never seemed the same, after his accident.
I havn’t read him for years.
Maybe I might try again, Under The Dome sounds interesting.
This is great Stephen King material. Individuals are being targeted by airborne particles of “kool-aid’ which affect the brain and the central nervous system of these poor saps. They are being turned into Palinbots without their knowledge.
An idiot needs a village in order to be the village idiot. What better way to gather the needed village?
Another prime example of Life imitating Art.
sounds like a great time, sorry about those seat neighbours
Thank you for sharing, 24owls. It is most unfortunate that you were subjected to your neighbor’s rude and irrational behavior.
24 owls – great write-up and like ValleyIndependent, it’s too bad you had to spoil your evening by sitting next to a guy like that!
I grew up in Portsmouth, and wonder if The Music Hall is a rennovated theater. Could it be either the Civic or Olympic? The Civic was up by the Congregational Church on Congress Street, and the Olympic was on a side street heading out of town (away from the river, going towards the old high school.
Tigerwine–I think it’s the old Olympic. They did a very nice job.
And 24owls–admirable restraint! Are you actually in Portsmouth, because we might need a Mudstock at the Brewery!
Thanks for sharing, sounds like it was a good time despite the neighbors.
I’ve ran into quite a few palinbots myself this past year. It is amazing that they are the ones that spew the hatred. The strongest emotion they have is with using the “N” word. So immature and juvenile. Sometimes I wonder if that’s why they support their queen, their deep seated racism.
They always watch faux news and have such praise for the faux news. Most of the time it’s the older men more than women that I run into. They all say the same thing over and over, no substance or intelligence at all!!
24 owls, what a great write up! And you showed more constraint than I could have.
I am a third of the way through Under the Dome and SK has, in his usual masterful style, completely nailed the mindset of the conservatives. There is even a snarky remark made in reference to S’error.
I wish with all my heart I could have seen him speak in person. I read an article that compared Under the Dome to The Stand. I think it will be close but not quite as good.
Jim Jones had his followers and She Who Was has hers. We all know what happened to the “Jones family,” I sure hope history doesn’t repeat. Stephen King is one of my favorites so would have loved to have been there. I wouldn’t walk across the street (I would run into the compound if I did) to see SP or read her works of fiction.
For the sake of the world, if you have “two women in the seats in front of him turned around and said what needed to be said. Their words were laser sharp, direct and perfect, sorry I can not repeat them but they were very effective,” you CAN’T KEEP THAT TO YOURSELF! We need to know to combat the koolaid drinkers. Please tell us what was so effective!
Tigerwine – The Music Hall is indeed the old Civic Theater. I grew up next door in Kittery and my Mom still goes to shows there. They’ve done a beautiful job fixing the place up.
We do need to know, but is it printable? LOL
I am amazed that the Palinbots ended up in that crowd. Maybe they didn’t understand what they were really going to?
We had the fortunate chance to go see Garrison Keihlor (sorry, spelling) shortly after the election last year. The concert was great, but the thing I enjoyed most was that he clearly stated how he felt about Obama and finally getting rid of Bush/Cheney, and the crowd loved it. I didn’t hear any disgruntled people in the audience – maybe we were just lucky. But we also live near Seattle, so that explains it, I guess.
Thank you so much 24owls for the great write up. I have always loved King and the majority of his writing. Seats that close I would have had to accidentally spill something on the neighbor. moseyon read Duma Key if it has been awhile since you read King.
I just begun reading ‘Under the Dome’ a couple nights ago..big book . I have read all his books & highly recommend ‘On Writing-a Memoir or the Craft’.
Now, i apprieciate him all the more.
Thank you so much 24owls for your boots on the ground & wonderful write up!
This is the only word that comes to mind when I read about those ‘bots:
vis·cer·al
Pronunciation: \ˈvi-sə-rəl, ˈvis-rəl\
Function: adjective
1 : felt in or as if in the viscera : deep
2 : not intellectual : instinctive, unreasoning
3 : dealing with crude or elemental emotions : earthy
4 : of, relating to, or located on or among the viscera : splanchnic
Wow … what a story.
Great read, 24owls. Bet you really wouldn’t trade the experience for a seat in some other part of theater with no Palinbot neighbors!
Palinbot males and really serious right-wingers in general are serious cowards, and woman haters. The only reason they love-from-a-distance the Wasilla Idiot is because she mixes sex kitten and macho girl so convincingly. And because she clearly ISN’T smarter than they are. So the reason that guy attacked the woman NHPR interviewer and not Stephen King was because he was a coward. Hadn’t the guts to speak out loudly against a famous, and large, male. Also, too, the woman WAS clearly smarter than he was. As were the women sitting in front of him, no doubt.
Lucky you, 24owls. King has been a fav of mine forever!
You definitely have more constraint than I– it’s likely I’d have behaved much like the ladies who said whatever they said!
24owls, we really need to know what the women said, just leave out enough blanks, and we’ll figure it out. =) Wonderful story, thank you so much for sharing.
The Civic is the old place across the street from the old Greyhound bus stop, non? That place needed a good renovation.
Great Story…and Great Writing about it…thanks
for someone who used to live in NH…last residency Loudon, but lived in Seabrook before
who said drink the Kool Aid? I dont know but it really seems like that to me…the Palin folks are really just soooo engulfed as if she is a mystic or something…weird and scary to me
Mudflatter 24owls – I thoroughly enjoyed reading your summary and would like you for taking the time to put pen to paper (keys to screen?).
Meanwhile, it seems like we should have some sort of acronym for the “boots on the ground” reports (which I have found most interesting) – maybe ‘bog’ – boggers?? a form of a blogger. While AKM gets in the muck (w/ her new golden rake) of the mudflats, the ‘boggers’ are out and about in the ‘bogs’ of our world? Just a thought.
sauerkraut – I don’t remember any Greyhound bus stop across from the Civic Theater.
To moseyon@3 and anyone else considering getting this book… DO IT NOW!!
I’m currently reading “Under the Dome” and it is more than terrific. Fast paced with ingenious and harrowing plot twists that make me wonder where in hell does SK come up with this stuff.
After hearing that the book’s two main bad guys are modeled after Cheney/Bush, it absolutely makes so much sense to me. These two characters are frikkin’ EEEEVIL!! There is definitely a political undercurrent in the story.
I won’t disclose any more, but read the book. It rocks on so many levels.
Please tell us what they said. I’d love to have a sure fire way to shut these people up.
When a guy at a health care rally told me that Palin would be running health care in 2010 I had no come back. Nothing at all came to mind. I’m always just so shocked that seemingly sane, normal people would vote for her.
BTW, I am 800 pages into Under the Dome (274 to go!) and highly recommend it for this crowd. It’s about evangelical fundamentalism, and what happens when the structures of society that keep the right wing fringe in check (government, education, diversity) are removed. It’s a scary scary book.
OK, I’ll make a guess as to What the Ladies In Front said:
“Sarah Palin would be embarrassed to know you. Now STFU.”
Ravinwind – I really like your theory on the men right-wingers and their protective thing with Palin. I just ran into one on-line who was falling all over his tongue contradicting himself, and when I cornered him each time, he got more and more nasty and vindictive, and we were not even discussing Palin!
King has been my hero for thirty-three years – what I would have done to be at the show – 24owls, you got that AND a bonus show of Palin-bots. Wow!
Will be buying Kings new book soon. I just finished his latest collection of short stories, “Just After Sunset” – the best ever, by far.
Thanks again for a great read!
I’m going to get Under the Dome.
Highly recommend Duma Key and the last short story collection (after Duma Key)
Some of those stories are STILL in my mind.
TY Hwmnbw.
On your advise, I will buy this book.
Hope it is available in Australia will go and check that out now.
Mirage18 @24 –
BOGgers, yes, BOGgers… I love it.
LOL.
Sorry Hwmnbn,sorry about that w lol
Going into town soon our book store has put a copy aside for me.
Ty again.
Great story. I, too, have run into Palin bots – even here in blue Los Angeles.
The day before the election, I went to my bi-weekly networking meeting – a group of business women.
Our resident bookkeeper walked in, covered head-to-toe with Palin buttons – at a business meeting! She received icy stares – not because we were all Obama supporters (we were not), but everyone found it tasteless to appear at our meeting sporting political buttons.
It was her last meeting – she quit (like her hero) right after election.
I suppose she is still holed up, crying and eating cruchwrap supremes from taco bell.
Did I mention she is a Fundie Evangelical? She called me a few months ago seeking property for her church. I told her that the job was beyond my scope, and to find another broker.
The bots are everywhere – but I am confident their numbers are FAR to low to win an election. They are irritating, ignorant, and loud though.
On the other hand his odds weren’t too good either. 899 to 1 to end up sitting by some one who could take him to school on Palin.
Just too bad you couldn’t though channel his education.
King definitely has taught this Alaskan a lot about the New England mindset and rural, small town folk. I’ve developed an affection for them in that there are good people everywhere, you just have to be lucky to find them.
The Long Walk and The Stand are my all time favorites and I was lucky enough to meet him and a dozen other crazy famous, successful writers one night.
Speaking of King, in his book The Dead Zone, his character, the preacher turned Senate candidate (future President) scared the crap out of me – where he kicked a dog until it was mortally wounded, said a lot about him. I thought of how Sarah, behind her veneer – would be the type to kick a dog with no mercy if she could, and then sign books and ask a person’s name with a sincere smile the next moment.
This character, as President, celebrated his destiny as the bringer of WWIII – too many similarities for my comfort.
Oh, and thank you 24owls for your worthwhile writing, and to AKM who is never afraid to give the stage away. AKM is obviously no narcisscist!
30 Kelly Mahan Jaramillo Says:
… and when I cornered him each time, he got more and more nasty and vindictive, and we were not even discussing Palin!
I have found it characteristic of men that when they are “bested” by women they get verbally abusive and of course sometimes physically too. Of course there are some women (need I say who?) who when bested start calling the other pary insulting names (like muslim) and vendictive (like claiming they’re not American).
@9 here_in_pa
I believe the biggest problem these bigots (there is no other word for them) have is that here is a man, a BLACK man, who is well educated, articulate, a wonderful family man with a strong marriage and nice children. He does not fit into any of the boxes of their cherished stereotypes and it makes them crazy so they lash out with childish name-calling. I’m sure Pres. Obama has endured name-calling before so he graciously lets it roll off his back and that makes them even crazier.
Our President did us proud today. We no longer need to hang our heads in shame in the world.
I went to college with Stephen King–we both were journalism majors. This was in the sixties, and he was very vocally and visibly involved with SDS and the whole antiwar movement, very left-wing. He wrote a column called “King’s Garbage Truck” for the college newspaper and was not shy about his beliefs, then or now. He’s a good man.
Why is it Virginia’s fault if Stephen King’s inspiration just happened to be of a political nature? She’s just asking the questions!
Why didn’t the Palinbot direct his vitriol at King? Because he is a man and therefore, not to be questioned?
You know, as a woman, it sickens the rampant sexism I see in conservatives. Sarah Palin is FAR from defenseless – she has shown time and again how well versed she is in personal attacks and settling scores. She’s got a WHOLE BOOK of personal attacks and score settling!
And another thing – why is it NOT ok for an intelligent, well spoken woman to ask in depth questions but it’s Ok for Sarah Palin to parade around spouting her ignorant “views” & poisoning the national discourse? It infuriates me to see the conservatives lower themselves into the gutter simply because – horror of horrors – we have a Democratic President who is – OH NOES – an intelligent, thoughtful, compassionate African American Christian man. They are insane – and their party is dying with their intellect.
Check this out to illustrate my point:
Jon Stewart on Gretchen Carlson who is a Stanford graduate but acts like she’s as dumb as Palin to condescend to the Fox News Masses who see education as elitism and snobbery. UGH…..!!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/09/jon-stewart-calls-out-gre_n_385158.html
You know, if Fox News and the Far Right actually cared about this country, they can show by showing respect to the American public who are not as stupid as they think. Case in point: 2008 General Election.
Thanks, 24owls– wish I could have joined you in my boots. Mine are substantial enough that a slight stomp on the next-seat neighbor’s toes would’ve shut him up but good.
Maybe what a man gets out of loudly supporting Palin is that he sees it as proving to himself and others that he doesn’t hate all women.
So the couple decide to go to a book reading ,by the author,of a book about a very political subject,and he complains that political topics are brought up?
Wait!!I know!! He thought it was a Palin book signing event!!
Either way,what an idiot.
Cool Skepticat @ 41!!
This has turned out to be a very interesting comment section. Lots of King fans.
“Just After Sunset” the most recent short stories. eeeeeeeee!!!! and aaaaaaah!!!!
The Stand is my all time fave with King.
24 owls….thanks for your story. I want to know what was said by those ladies up front. Can’t you just type with ?**)@@^ and we all will surely figure it out.
. I hope S.T*F^U was part of the dialogue. 
@41 Skepticat….I’m sure he is a good man. I would love to meet him and discuss where his amazing stories come from in that incredible mind of his.
If you communicate with him, you should direct him to Mudflats! He would fit right in.
(1) I cannot visualize SK in a bumpit — every picture of him I’ve ever seen reveals a man who cares less about his hairstyle than I do.
(2) I’m guessing that 24owls front-seat neighbors said something along the lines of STFU.
(3) Anyone forming an opinion of Stephen King should remember that he plays (or at least played for many years) guitar in the Rock Bottom Remainders.
(4) I suspect that SK acquired a certain following among apocalyptiphiles due to The Stand.
http://www.thespec.com/News/BreakingNews/article/688652
NOOOOO….. I will be boots out of town that day, as far away as I can get from the idiots who would bring the Death Panels – Kill Canadian Socialized Medicine Queen to raise money for a Canadian hospital.
I love Stephen King’s books! Those Palinbots must have thought that that King was part of their insanity, only to find that he (and his reader’s) were among intelligent people who want to make sure truth be told. That is not what the Palinbots expected. Yea!!
Gasp! Can Stephen King survive the loss of these dolts from his audience? Will his town have to hold fundraisers now to feed, clothe, house, and provide medical care for King and his family?
What will the Palinbot nitwits read now that King has betrayed them? Oh, well, there’s always Nora Roberts or LaVyrle Spencer.
@27 Laurie
Ask them if she’d run it the same as she did in Alaaaaska when over 200 seniors died on her watch!
Thanks everyone for your comments!! I am contacting AKM as to whether I should answer your questions using the comments section or will there be an additional update section to the piece. I will get back to you as soon as I hear from her.
Again -thanks so much!!
I am a huge Stephen King fan and have just started to read “Under the Dome” (it’s going to take some time since the book is huge and I’m not able to travel with it; it’s just too heavy) and I know exactly the characters he referenced. I don’t know how you were able to hold your tongue. I don’t understand what is with some people that they believe they can say whatever they want whenever they want simply because someone has stated an opinion opposite from theirs. I really would like to know what the people in front of big mouth said to him to effectively shut him up. It must have been great.
24 owl. loved your post. you put us right in the seat with you. i love Stephen Kings’ work but he scares the bejeebus out of me. after reading The long Walk i had to give him up. the two idiots sitting next to you were nicely taken care of by the two angels sitting in front of you. thank you for a wonderful boots on the ground essay….bubs
I”ve loved Stephen King since the early 80s. I sit here now, just about three feet from the bookcase that holds almost every book he has written. Like many others, my favorite will always be The Stand. I have both the long & short versions. The Green Mile another fav. Hopefully, I’ll be able to hear him speak some day. I also have some of Tabitha’s books. When I read her for the first time, I thought, oh my, she’s even stranger than Hubby.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience. I can just picture the guy sitting their, red face, cords sticking out in his neck, ready to explode. Cardiac arrest imminent. It is wrong to stereotype I understand, but in our world travels we cross paths with many of these ultra conservatives; the personality traits this guy characterizes are significantly more evident within the right than the left.
Speaking of Steven King, are any of you mudpups fans of the TV show
“Supernatural”?
The episode we watched last night had an Angel take Dean five years
into the future. $’error was president and the newspaper headline said
‘President Palin supports the bombing of Houston’.
Talk about scary!
DD
Ty 24owls .
It was great to read the comments.
I bought the book yesterday.
I just finished the book under the dome I also highly recommend it.Once I got into it I stayed up all night 3 nights reading it. Maybe the bots only like his books and just started this one..Some of the things the two evil people say say it is done in the name of God and always says lets pray.Maybe that’s what got the Bots there.They did not maybe understand what was written or did not get far enough in to know it was not a sign from God that put the dome there.I though I had read all his books but in the last few years I have been lax do to the economy.I got under the dome for 9.00 from amazon when the price war was going on ,so thanks to who ever bought that up a while ago.
So sorry I forgot to say thanks to 24owls for the article, I also have read a few of Tabitha’s books.I got most of their books from the library. I also love Dean Koontz, I also bought his book Breathless for 9.00 at the same time,It is also a very good read but it is more about weird things than scary things happening. He is another #1 Best selling author.I think he also wrote the book cells about cell phones used to take away peoples minds.
Can ya tell I am an avid reader? My room right now has maybe 50 or more books that I already read and need to give to someone that likes the same types of stories I do. I have read a few non fiction,maybe 10 or so but I would rather read fiction of any sort.Kind of takes the mind off what is going on world wide.
PPS please don’t tell me Nora Roberts is a bot I have quite a few of her trilogies she is a great writer also.
S’error Palin and William Shatner are on Conan O’Brien tonite… she just does not know how to properly read that style of poetry. Her… syntax?… was off, way off. Her way of speaking just sounded odd.