October 23, 2008 05:53 PM UTC

Road Raging, Gun-Toting, Loves Sarah Palin

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• by: Colorado Pols

In the last couple of weeks, Democrat trackers have mixed with attendees standing in line for John McCain and Sarah Palin rallies around the country, and the video they’ve obtained of certain rather extreme comments about McCain’s opponent (“Muslim terrorist,” “Kill Obama,” etc.) has seriously embarrassed the McCain campaign.

As the Glenwood Springs Post-Independent reports, the question of whether this segment of full-bore nutter McCain/Palin supporters is a symptom of something new and ugly manifesting in our culture, or people who would be crazy anyway and are simply more noticeable when they gather in large arena settings, remains open:

Heated words between drivers leaving Sarah Palin’s rally Monday allegedly escalated with one man brandishing a loaded handgun.

Jack B. Cheskaty, 62, of Grand Junction, said he pulled a handgun because “he wanted to be ready for anything” in what started as a verbal spat between drivers in bumper-to-bumper traffic leaving Lincoln Park around 8 p.m. Monday, according to an arrest affidavit.

Cheskaty and three family members were riding in a Chrysler, moving slowly in a line a traffic. A man behind the wheel of a Kia SUV attempted to inch in front of Cheskaty’s Chrysler, the affidavit said.

“If you want to get ahead of me you’ll have to deal with my insurance agency,” Cheskaty allegedly shouted.

The Kia’s driver reportedly replied, “I’ve got insurance too.”

The driver in the Kia alleged Cheskaty then displayed a handgun, “racked the slide” and held the weapon over the steering wheel, according to the affidavit.

A 14-year-old girl riding in the Kia noted, “Dad, he’s got a gun.”

…Cheskaty, who has no criminal history, [Pols emphasis] was booked into the Mesa County Jail on a felony menacing charge and released Tuesday after signing off on a $5,000 personal recognizance bond.

No criminal history? Very bad timing for his first firearm-brandishing wigout, wouldn’t you say? Now we’re not defense attorneys, but we do wonder if a novel “Sarah Palin is like eating too many Twinkies” defense for Mr. Cheskaty could establish some useful precedent.

The deeper political/psychological/cultural meaning is better interpreted by our astute readers.