"I'm not one much for glitz and galas. Give me the open road, a motorcycle, and the wind blowing in my face any day." Cooper was a man of simple tastes he knew what he liked and it was some of the rougher pleasures of life. But he'd dutifully come to these events to make a good impression. Now that he was a representative, he had to make sure his public image stayed secure. Not to show up would have been seen as a snub to JC and the tongues would have started to wag.