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Conservatives, Pack Your Bags! Liberal-Free Travel Has Arrived
Some people like risks when they travel. Others don't want to take any chances that their entire hard-earned vacation will be ruined by angry, bitter, close-minded companions - you know, liberals.That's the philosophy behind Conservative Tours, a Boston-based company not to be confused with conservation-related tourism. It's led by political pundit Ken Chase, a 2006 Republican candidate for the Senate who lost to Ted Kennedy. Chase really can't stand what he calls "Cambridge democrats." He certainly doesn't want to travel with them and figured there was money to be made by making sure people aren't forced to do so.
In an interview with Outside magazine, Chase describes his demographic as "Americans who are easy going, affable, nice, better with their time and money, and of good humor. So, they're kind of the opposite of the Cambridge democrat." An avid traveler who speaks French, Chase organizes escorted tours of Western Europe for people of his political persuasion. "I wanna spend four- or five-thousand dollars on a luxury tour to be with somebody who's pleasant," he tells the author after combatively badgering him to say that liberals assume gay-marriage opponents are homophobes.
"You're pretending to be dumb because you don't want to answer the question because you know what the answer is," Chase tells him, pleasantly.
Chase assumes conservatives (and only conservatives) are interested in landmarks related to the U.S. military, so he works in visits to D-Day beaches in France and an American military cemetery in Italy. After all, he says, "You know what [liberals] think of the military." And he avoids places that are "not the kind of destination that conservatives are attracted to," such as Cannes. Don't worry; his trips are more fun than they sound. "Once in a while we lighten up and have a good-old pizza night," the company's website says of its Italy itinerary.
Otherwise, Chase tells Outside, politics have nothing to do with the company's travel experience, which always includes first-class airfare. It's simply about being with "people who are like-minded politically." Based on the interview, that means if you like to refer to our sitting president as "Barack Hussein Obama," you're the kind of "tolerant... normal... pleasant... thoughtful... traditional" person welcome to book with Conservative Tours.
Have an enlightening time!
[Photo credit: Flickr user Chiaralily]
Otherwise, Chase tells Outside, politics have nothing to do with the company's travel experience, which always includes first-class airfare. It's simply about being with "people who are like-minded politically." Based on the interview, that means if you like to refer to our sitting president as "Barack Hussein Obama," you're the kind of "tolerant... normal... pleasant... thoughtful... traditional" person welcome to book with Conservative Tours.
Have an enlightening time!
[Photo credit: Flickr user Chiaralily]
Filed under: Learning, Europe, France, Italy, Luxury Travel
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Kay @ Travel Bug Diary blog Mar 9th 2013 6:56AM
I like the idea of tailoring vacations to attract a certain mindset. It's really unpleasant to go on vacation with people who don't share your interests. I went to Egypt with a tour a few years ago. I'm a quiet bookworm in my early 30's, I enjoy the outdoors, art and history. My Egypt tour included a lot of sightseeing and camping. It looked perfect. Unfortunately, it attracted a bunch of college-age travelers interested in partying. I thought the tour would be a great way to meet people. Instead, I spend two weeks trying to avoid my group.
Megan Fernandez Mar 7th 2013 9:08AM
Thanks for the comment, Kay. sorry to hear about your Egypt trip! I agree, whom you travel with is a big deal, and there's certainly nothing wrong with congregating with people you identify with.
Boomeresque dot com Mar 6th 2013 10:29AM
Interesting concept---although I'd be looking for the opposite---you know, the one with the insufferable Cambridge Democrats. We once went on a Carnival cruise that left from Charleston, S.C. At least two people at our assigned table for six were convinced that Obama is a Kenyan born Muslim and we were the only people at the table who didn't own any guns. Talking about the weather is soooo boring.
joemadeus Mar 6th 2013 11:55AM
Chase has created a "club" that villainizes a segment of his constituency's population -- based on stereotypes, no less -- and he's the one that's tolerant, thoughtful and open minded? I hope the conservatives I know, who actually are open minded and thoughtful, see this for what it is and give him exactly what he should receive: no business whatsoever.
Leyla Mar 6th 2013 4:40PM
Of course. And they could share that first-class compartment with Elite Luxury Gay Tours...
Inky Mar 6th 2013 11:52PM
I'm so glad to have found this article. I hadn't heard of this tour group before. Now radical conservatives can now cloister themselves even in travel. Keeps them away from nice people everywhere.
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BeyondtheDiploma Mar 8th 2013 1:46AM
There are a lot of things to be considered if we think of traveling and these things are to name a few. After all, travel means freedom and the important matter is that we ought to give respect to anyone, anywhere at all times.
www.beyondthediploma.com