Published: August 26, 2008 10:43 pm         

Love encounters Pat Buchanan on Denver flight

Shirley Love always has considered himself a conservative.

Then he ran into Pat Buchanan at the Democratic National Convention this week. Love got an update in politics, learning there are degrees of conservatism.

“He’s a little more conservative than I am,” Love quipped after the two exchanged views on a few issues.

Love has been a fixture at every national convention save one as a delegate since 1972, when he initially went in hopes of putting Hubert H. Humphrey on the ballot only to see George McGovern get the nod.

Love encountered Buchanan on the flight to Denver and quickly struck up an acquaintance with the onetime speech writer to President Nixon.

Buchanan is now an author and political commentator for Fox News.

“I’ll tell you one thing, he’s a smart man, well educated,” Love said of the first celebrity he encountered in the 2008 convention.

Buchanan occupied the seat on the plane directly in front of Love, and the two chatted for about 20 minutes after landing while waiting to fetch their luggage.

“We just talked about politics in general, about Obama and McCain,” the senator said, “without getting into any fine points.”

Actually, since no specific issues arose, the two didn’t really spar much.

“We disagreed that he’s a Republican and I’m a Democrat,” he said.

“Since I’m a more conservative Democrat, he and I had a little better conversation possibly than he would have with other Democrats. I like him. He’s a great guy. He’s got a great personality.”

True to his machinegun-like delivery on Fox News, the onetime presidential aspirant tossed in a few quickies for Love’s consumption.

“It has been one of the highlights for me at this convention to have a one-on-one with him,” Love said. “He’s an interesting fellow. We had a good conversation.”

— E-mail: mannix@register-herald.com