Only a few reacted with "You should be shot!" or "Are you aware this is CPAC?" before they noticed the hammer and sickle. Boy, conservatives sure can be intolerant and hateful!
Some of our CPAC Accomplishments:
1) Ann Coulter loved her hat and CNN showed her wearing it!
2) John Bolton placed his hat on the table as he signed his book!
3) Mike Adams couldn't stop laughing when given his hat!
4) John Lott, the statistics god that he is, calculated in mere seconds that his hat ruled!
5) We interviewed with the lovely Mary Katherine Ham at Townhall, with CNN and with Fox News. The Fox News interview was broadcast today.
6) An informal poll shows Ushanka.us having the most creative and funniest booth at CPAC. Many enjoyed taking pictures with our surprise guest, Hillary Rodham "I'm going to cry!" Clinton!
Overheard at the Ushanka Booth:
College student approaches booth...
Karl: What can I do to put you in a hat today?
Student: I think what you're doing is too harsh. It doesn't benefit the political discourse.
Karl: Yes! We are lowering the political discourse to a new low level of dialogue!
Student: Calling them [Democrats] communists doesn't help.
Karl: We're not calling them communists. We are saying that if every faction in the Democratic Party were to get what they wanted, and what they are being promised, then we will live in a communist state. Read our About Us link at our site.
Student: But calling them communists isn't right.
Karl: You're not listening to me. I am saying they, collectively, are communists in what they are demanding of the Democrats.
Student: But there is no nationalization of industry here.
Karl: Hillary is going to freeze interest rates on Mortgages on day one! How is that not government takeover of industry?
Student retreats...
Karl: What can I do to put you in a hat today?
Student: I think what you're doing is too harsh. It doesn't benefit the political discourse.
Karl: Yes! We are lowering the political discourse to a new low level of dialogue!
Student: Calling them [Democrats] communists doesn't help.
Karl: We're not calling them communists. We are saying that if every faction in the Democratic Party were to get what they wanted, and what they are being promised, then we will live in a communist state. Read our About Us link at our site.
Student: But calling them communists isn't right.
Karl: You're not listening to me. I am saying they, collectively, are communists in what they are demanding of the Democrats.
Student: But there is no nationalization of industry here.
Karl: Hillary is going to freeze interest rates on Mortgages on day one! How is that not government takeover of industry?
Student retreats...
Ahhh youth..
We were disheartened to see Gov. Romney drop his bid at CPAC. We think it put a damper on an otherwise upbeat event. His booth was two booths away from ours, and we knew then that no matter how bad our hats sold, we wouldn't have the worst experience at CPAC. It was further disheartening to see the walking dead (Ron Paul supporters) come out of the cracks and take Romney's booth. General Zhukov took the spoils of war and returned home with as much Romney handouts as he could carry.
Two things about John McCain:
1) He is not a conservative. When the Fox News interviewer asked us why we just had "Hillary 08" and "Obama '08" on our hat placards, and not John McCain, we replied, "Because we can't design a three-sided placard". (We're fast on our feet)
2) Mike Adams had the best speech of CPAC 08 (link) when he described the opposition as 'godless socialists'. We think he put things in perspective when he said his vote will not necessarily be for John McCain, but it will be a vote against Socialism. He not only knows the stakes in 2008, he has great taste in head wear too!
Our thanks to everyone who visited the Ushanka.us booth, pointed to us from their blog, or participated in the CPAC 08 organization.
Ushanka.us-related CPAC 08 Links (we'll add as we find them...):
1) Weekly Standard, Brian Faughnan
2) Taki's Top Drawer, Richard Spencer
3) Added 2.21: Mary Katherine Ham, of HamNation, wears our hat in her CPAC video.
4) Added 2.28: Kevin Merida writes about the hat in a Washington Post story about McCain
More photos!
