Big Blimpin': Ron Paul Blimp Coming to Boston

Republican presidential candidate and Internet sensation Ron Paul doesn't need Oprah. He doesn't need connections to the hot-shot politicians. He just needs a blimp.

Ron Paul's supporters are sending up a blimp for an East Coast tour from North Carolina, through DC and New York, to Boston. According to the flight plan on the Ron Paul Blimp site, the balloon will launch Wednesday in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and then travels north, flying over Boston, Worcester, and New Hampshire on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, December 16, the website for the Ron Paul Blimp Tour organizers says the blimp will dump tea into the harbor at 7:00 pm.

This information gave Bostonist pause. The Ron Paul Blimp organizers would be asking for trouble if they dumped tea into the harbor. Boston doesn't take kindly to any sort of threat to its city. If the city brass doesn't like Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Star Simpson's light-up sweatshirt, they will not be pleased with tea in the harbor.

However, Bryce Henderson, media contact for the Ron Paul Blimp team reassured Bostonist that the tea-dumping was only symbolic and related to what other groups are doing on the ground to commemorate the Boston Tea Party. Phew. That would have been ugly.

Speaking of celebrating the Boston Tea Party, the Ron Paul-related Tea Party Rally will take place on Sunday, December 16. The rally will happen at 1:00 pm at the State House and will then move to Faneuil Hall. The rally will eventually coincide with the yearly tea-party re-enactment at the Old State House at 5:30 pm.

Bostonist contacted Joseph Ureneck, the Ron Paul Meetup coordinator for Boston. He clarified that the group putting up the blimp and the group organizing the rally have coordinated their schedules, but that those participating in the rally will not be dumping tea or anything else into the harbor. For more information on the Ron Paul Tea Party '07, head to their website for a full schedule of tea-party-related events.

Image courtesy of Liberty Political Advertising. Previously on DCist.