Ann Coulter, Howie Carr Far From ‘Deplorable’ in Acushnet [OPINION]

The large ballroom at the Century House in Acushnet was packed Saturday afternoon with a cross-section of conservatives from the SouthCoast and beyond. The parking lot was filled with late model cars and SUVs. The crowd was roughly split between men and women. I would guess the average age was mid-50’s. In other words—voters.

Over 250 people turned out to see the “Deplorables Show” with WBSM’s Howie Carr and conservative pundit Ann Coulter, while the left was sleeping off a weed buzz while the voters were out in force.

Our own Phil Paleologos kicked things off by introducing U.S. Senate candidate Geoff Diehl, who drew cheers as he announced his intention to beat Senator Elizabeth Warren in November.

Howie opened up the headline portion of the show with a joke about former Senator Biff MacLean still controlling the region, demonstrating just how long Howie has been reporting and commenting on politics and his deep knowledge of political history.

Howie and others were disappointed there were no left wing protesters at the event. Ann Coulter has actually been assaulted at her events in the past. But the left in greater New Bedford couldn't even marshal a few old hippie burnouts or kids in Che Guevara T-shirts to come out and yell on a beautiful day.

Maybe this legal marijuana is having a better outcome than anticipated.

Ann Coulter was her usual witty and biting self, playing well with the humorous barbs of Howie. They sat side-by-side and discussed Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and the 2016 election. They had a great time entertaining the audience, presenting video of Trump’s greatest hits from the campaign trail. They included the funny things he said about his Republican opposition, too, so there was an element of bipartisanship—if you looked and listened hard enough.

Both Howie and Ann have written many books, and the audience was buying them up. It was common to see someone holding over a $100 worth of books, proof these are voters that have disposable income. It was a great event and it was great to hear everyone laughing and enjoying the Trump economy.

I enjoyed meeting some of our regular listeners at the event, but the highlight of the day had to getting to meet, in person, the elusive Ferris Freud. The regular caller who frequently incites and irritates listeners (and, sometimes, hosts) with his “caller broadcaster” shtick literally flew into town to spend the morning with us.

Hillary Clinton may have thought the Century House on Saturday was just another “basket of deplorables,” but I prefer to think of it as proof that there are plenty of right-leaning people living on the SouthCoast of liberal Massachusetts, and more than enough to keep the Trump agenda rolling in the mid-terms and beyond.

Chris McCarthy is the host of The Chris McCarthy Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon. Contact him at chris.mccarthy@townsquaremedia.com and follow him on Twitter @Chris_topher_Mc. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.