Today I've been thinking that behind every liberal-thinking, blue-state living pal I know, there's at least one rabidly conservative relation. In my case, it's my father, who sadly lives in the swing-state of Florida where his vote actually make a difference. This man--who raised me and makes up half my genetic makeup--honestly believes that Obama is a Muslim terrorist and thinks Palin is "the next Margaret Thatcher" (he means this as a compliment).
If I think about it, it frustrates me that no rational argument can budge him from his racist, FOX-News-deluded views.
Perhaps that's why this article by Eric Hirshberg really struck a chord of envy and hope. Called Republicans Voting for Obama: In Their Own Words, the article chronicles how most of Hirshberg's conservative friends have decided to break with their party this election and vote for Obama. In his own words:
Sadly, politics have become sort of a new sports league in modern culture. We don't really listen to each other's points of view so much as we pick a side and root for it. And just as with our favorite sports teams, our faith in our parties can become blind. I have had about as much success convincing my Republican father-in-law of my liberal points of view as I have had convincing my father, an Ohio State alumnus, to root for Michigan.
But over the last few months, something unprecedented has happened. Almost all these folks have told me that, for the first time ever, they are voting for the same candidate I am: Barack Obama.
....
I started asking around and found a number of my liberal friends were having a similar experience. So we asked these folks if they would appear on camera and share with the world why they changed. It seemed to me that the most convincing argument a conservative on the fence could hear might not come from a liberal, or even from Obama himself, but instead, from one of their own; a conservative who had crossed over. So we turned on the camera, and they did the rest.
The video gave me goosebumps:
How about you? Are your crazy Republican relations still sending you wacked out AOL email forwards about Obama's Muslim-Terrorist background? Or have your people honestly reacted to the crisis our country is in and reached across party lines to vote for the best candidate? I'd love to hear your stories.
Both of my parents are far right conservatives. My dad even lives in Arizona, so I don't even need to ask him who he's voting for. My Mom signed me up for some Rush Limbaugh email list that I can't get my name off of so I have to just delete it every other day or so when I get sent something.
I don't think either of my parents actually care who the candidate is, they will just blindly vote republican no matter what.
Fortunately, they aren't super preachy about their politics (but are about religion) so at least I can avoid getting into long arguments that I know aren't going to get anywhere.
Now that I think about it, I would bet that at least 80-85% of my relatives are republican. I can't think of any that aren't.
So to answer your question, yes I completely understand where you're coming from.
Then again, most of the conservatives I'm friends with are very rational and intelligent. They just don't agree with Obama's policies. They also don't agree with McCain either (or his pick of Palin). That is when the "sports team" mentality kicks in most of the time.
I think once we get rid of the two-party system, things can become more relaxed. But the chances of that happening are about as much as Bob Barr winning the presidency this year.
"Most of the conservatives I'm friends with are very rational and intelligent."
I have no problem with traditional conservatism. Hell, I used to self-identify and fiscally conservative, and even now I'd say I'm a fiscal moderate (or the term I prefer, a fiscal pragmatist). I hope this election destroys the Republican party of recent years -- married to the evangelical, anti-intellectual, fear-mongering, war-hungry, ugliest subset of our population -- and eventually leads to a sensible, stable Republican party of the fiscally prudent and socially moderate sort.
I'm not saying I'd vote for that sort of Republican, but at least I would respect him/her. And ya know, I might even potentially consider throwing a vote that way, one day. The future is a very big place.
And ya, what Erik said about getting rid of the two-party system too...
my parents have always voted republican. (i know this firsthand, much to my dismay one year when i was probably 8, i went into the voting booth with my mom and saw as she rushed through, voting for the repubs... only to ask her later who those people were she voted for...).
BUT--i can say that my dad is definitely on the fence... which makes me happy to no end, and i'm keeping on him. i have hope! my mom may be a lost cause, but we'll see.
MY AUNT is a crazy religious freak of a woman and hasssss in fact been forwarding emails about obama & palin around (not to me, thankfully... she knows better).
my concern is that when people go into voting booths, i have to believe they vote SAFELY... and in this election, that is a horrifying idea...
I'm very fortunate to have a pretty left-leaning family. My dad's dad was a pretty rabid Republican, but he died when I was in sixth grade. I have a cousin who's more right-leaning than I am, but he's voting Obama. There's another (Ohio-based, unfortunately) chunk of family on my dad's side that's pretty conservative, but I don't really communicate with them much.
Then there's my grandmother-in-law, the Democrat who told my sister-in-law she couldn't vote for a black man for President. Sigh.
6 i resemble that remark... said on October 23, 2008
Thanks for that Dana, nice to see there are some red staters that just say no to the Koolaide. As for relations, mon & stepdad are retired military & it's almost part of basic training to be an indoctrinated Republican. Plus, they get a steady diet of FOX news, so needless to say, I learned early on not to initiate political discussions, because they always end badly... sadly they are in a battleground state that typically votes Republican, but I'm always hopeful that HOPE is enough for those Nevadans on the fence and see the grass IS greener on our side.
On the other side, my birth-father is left of left and a expatriate in central America, so he more than balances all that flag-waving rhetoric on the other side of the family. On an unrelated topic... I expect I'll be preaching to the choir since most of you imaginaries are more than a little legal savvy but, assuming there may be even one that needs this info, I just wanna let you know...
If on election day you are at the polls, and your right to vote is challenged for ANY reason,
*"gee, looks like you're not on the list" "so you don't have any ID?" "yew don't look AMURKIN to me...", etc
Two words to remember that will keep your vote alive... PROVISIONAL BALLOT. It is EVERYONE'S right by Federal (HAVA) and State law... the state laws of course vary, but not YOUR RIGHT to ask any poll worker challenging your right to vote on election day for a PROVISIONAL BALLOT.
I saw this video linked on Facebook with the ad headline "Conservatives for Change." Since, at heart, I'm neither a democrat nor a republican, but a semanticist, I couldn't bring myself to click on such a paradox.
1 John in Ballard said on October 22, 2008
Both of my parents are far right conservatives. My dad even lives in Arizona, so I don't even need to ask him who he's voting for. My Mom signed me up for some Rush Limbaugh email list that I can't get my name off of so I have to just delete it every other day or so when I get sent something.
I don't think either of my parents actually care who the candidate is, they will just blindly vote republican no matter what.
Fortunately, they aren't super preachy about their politics (but are about religion) so at least I can avoid getting into long arguments that I know aren't going to get anywhere.
Now that I think about it, I would bet that at least 80-85% of my relatives are republican. I can't think of any that aren't.
So to answer your question, yes I completely understand where you're coming from.
2 Erik Gonzalez said on October 23, 2008
50:50 split.
Then again, most of the conservatives I'm friends with are very rational and intelligent. They just don't agree with Obama's policies. They also don't agree with McCain either (or his pick of Palin). That is when the "sports team" mentality kicks in most of the time.
I think once we get rid of the two-party system, things can become more relaxed. But the chances of that happening are about as much as Bob Barr winning the presidency this year.
3 imaginary dana said on October 23, 2008
"Most of the conservatives I'm friends with are very rational and intelligent."
I have no problem with traditional conservatism. Hell, I used to self-identify and fiscally conservative, and even now I'd say I'm a fiscal moderate (or the term I prefer, a fiscal pragmatist). I hope this election destroys the Republican party of recent years -- married to the evangelical, anti-intellectual, fear-mongering, war-hungry, ugliest subset of our population -- and eventually leads to a sensible, stable Republican party of the fiscally prudent and socially moderate sort.
I'm not saying I'd vote for that sort of Republican, but at least I would respect him/her. And ya know, I might even potentially consider throwing a vote that way, one day. The future is a very big place.
And ya, what Erik said about getting rid of the two-party system too...
4 ashley said on October 23, 2008
my parents have always voted republican. (i know this firsthand, much to my dismay one year when i was probably 8, i went into the voting booth with my mom and saw as she rushed through, voting for the repubs... only to ask her later who those people were she voted for...).
BUT--i can say that my dad is definitely on the fence... which makes me happy to no end, and i'm keeping on him. i have hope! my mom may be a lost cause, but we'll see.
MY AUNT is a crazy religious freak of a woman and hasssss in fact been forwarding emails about obama & palin around (not to me, thankfully... she knows better).
my concern is that when people go into voting booths, i have to believe they vote SAFELY... and in this election, that is a horrifying idea...
5 L said on October 23, 2008
I'm very fortunate to have a pretty left-leaning family. My dad's dad was a pretty rabid Republican, but he died when I was in sixth grade. I have a cousin who's more right-leaning than I am, but he's voting Obama. There's another (Ohio-based, unfortunately) chunk of family on my dad's side that's pretty conservative, but I don't really communicate with them much.
Then there's my grandmother-in-law, the Democrat who told my sister-in-law she couldn't vote for a black man for President. Sigh.
6 i resemble that remark... said on October 23, 2008
Thanks for that Dana, nice to see there are some red staters that just say no to the Koolaide. As for relations, mon & stepdad are retired military & it's almost part of basic training to be an indoctrinated Republican. Plus, they get a steady diet of FOX news, so needless to say, I learned early on not to initiate political discussions, because they always end badly... sadly they are in a battleground state that typically votes Republican, but I'm always hopeful that HOPE is enough for those Nevadans on the fence and see the grass IS greener on our side.
On the other side, my birth-father is left of left and a expatriate in central America, so he more than balances all that flag-waving rhetoric on the other side of the family. On an unrelated topic... I expect I'll be preaching to the choir since most of you imaginaries are more than a little legal savvy but, assuming there may be even one that needs this info, I just wanna let you know...
If on election day you are at the polls, and your right to vote is challenged for ANY reason,
*"gee, looks like you're not on the list" "so you don't have any ID?" "yew don't look AMURKIN to me...", etc
Two words to remember that will keep your vote alive... PROVISIONAL BALLOT. It is EVERYONE'S right by Federal (HAVA) and State law... the state laws of course vary, but not YOUR RIGHT to ask any poll worker challenging your right to vote on election day for a PROVISIONAL BALLOT.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provisional_ballot
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help_America_Vote_Act
http://votingmachines.procon.org/viewanswers.asp?questionID=316
Ok, someone with no sense of humor kicked my soap box out from under me, so 'til next time, NUFF SAID (;-D)
7 The Grim said on October 23, 2008
I saw this video linked on Facebook with the ad headline "Conservatives for Change." Since, at heart, I'm neither a democrat nor a republican, but a semanticist, I couldn't bring myself to click on such a paradox.
8 imaginary dana said on October 23, 2008
@The Grim--did you watch it when you saw it on TIG...?
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