14 Comments
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Sam Rittenberg's avatar

I like the idea, but would really hate to have to give up my LMCYT hat. It's my favorite!

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David Roberts's avatar

LMCYT?

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Sam Rittenberg's avatar

Let Me Challenge Your Thinking!

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Rona Roberts's avatar

A sure way to start a civil war. You left out the option of moving to Canada.

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Kelly's avatar

As someone living on one side and erroneously pushed to the other…

I feel this one deeply.

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Katrin Horowitz's avatar

The view from Canada is that all Americans are already wearing one hat or the other, although some have, like Kelly and many others, had hats forced onto their heads. I'm with Rona -- sometimes you just have to say no and exit stage left. Much as many of the best Russians are doing right now.

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David Roberts's avatar

I think very few Americans would be in favor of such a ridiculous law as the one I proposed in my thought experiment.

There's a funny "Curb Your Enthusiasm" bit where Larry David (who lives in Beverly Hills) figures out that a surefire way to get out of a lunch he's been dreading is to wear a MAGA hat when he arrives at the restaurant. His lunch date suddenly has an "emergency" to attend to.

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Katrin Horowitz's avatar

No, not boring enough for bipartisanship. My guess is that Americans would split more or less equally between supporting your law, opposing your law, and turning it into an elaborate joke. For instance insisting that MAGA stands for Must Adore Gay Advocates or Murderous Aardvarks Gain Ascendency. Or Mathematical Algorithms Grow Awkward. (I'm thinking, of course, of Birds Aren't Real)

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Wendy Schwarz's avatar

I wonder what percentage of people would own both hats, wearing the one that suited their needs/travel/social group on a particular day…. there are likely “secret” Trump supporters in NYC who dare not admit it unless the social group they are with feel the same.

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David Roberts's avatar

You got me Wendy! I didn't think about the "both hats" strategy.

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Linda Breskin's avatar

The no-hatters storming the Capital?

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Andrew Roberts's avatar

The fine dining restaurant lobby would surely oppose this law. Can't have anyone wearing baseball hats in the dining room!

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DANIEL J. ROBERTS's avatar

I once wore a MAGA hat for as long as I could stand it. Did not put it on until away from the doormen. On the UWS i got so many snickers and head shakes and general disdain. It was exhilarating. I was asked at a lunch spot to remove the hat, and I refused. I explained it was an experiment. “The only experiment is that you are an a&&hole.” Didn’t really understand that utterance. I had it on for maybe 90 minutes. On the Upper Westside. Could make a decent reality show; you can get into a lot of trouble wearing a red hat. Then again in certain *red* states a yarmulke would be much more dangerous. Good article, prolific Navis!

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David Roberts's avatar

Brave! Would make a great short documentary.

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