... Mr. James Taylor, awaiting security screening. As far as I could
tell, Taylor was only packing a single weapon: his dulcet, understated
tenor.
... Mr. Dustin Hoffman, seated a few rows in front of your humble correspondent.
... Mayor Michael Bloomberg, seated a few rows behind your humble correspondent. Clearly we were positioned in ascending order of political influence.
...
Mr. President.
... and the only guy who may have provoked a noisier reaction from the crowd
(where I was standing) than Barack Obama: former president George W.
Bush. At least, that is, when his chopper finally took off. Most
excited, perhaps, was the middle-aged black guy who shouted "Don't run
out of gas before you get to Texas!" to the departing aircraft (he also
offered to fly it himself, presumably on a kamikaze mission).
"Shoulda taken that trip four years ago," he added. "I might still have
some money." "Eight years ago," a nearby woman said. "Never should have
been here in the first place." Over my shoulder, I heard a college
student admit that she "felt kind of sorry for the guy." Judging by
the cheers, she was in
the minority.
