Some years back the American I.R.A. had a float in the Pittsburgh St. Patrick's day parade. They were next to last, and didn't roll past until 1:00 in the afternoon. Most of the crowd had been there since 10:00 that morning and had been drinking steadily. They would have cheered if a wolfhound watered a fire hydrant.
But they didn't cheer the I.R.A. The float rolled by a silent crowd. A few people muttered things about terrorists, but that was it.
Then came the Eat n' Park giant cookie balloon, a feature at all local parades, the drunks cheered their hearts out.