Does anyone else get lectured by Republicans at the polls?

[Patiod]

I was working the PA primaries today, and an old man from my neighborhood decided he needed to spend 15 minutes lecturing me about "personal responsibility" and how welfare was encouraging a "culture of dependency". He also was ranting about how politicians are irresponsible with our money, and none of them (Dems in our area) have any business experience.

It took every bit of humanity I pride myself on having to refrain from saying " 'Personal responsibility' and 'business acumen' - is that how you would describe how you gambled away every penny of your family's savings on day trading, Pat?"

I frankly felt trapped, and this is not the first time that a Republican has lectured at me, based on nothing at all - I am just handing out the sample ballot for our mostly school board election.

That was 100% of their grievance - high taxes to pay for people who were raised with "no personal responsibility" and are living high off welfare (even my bad ears could catch the dogwhistle there). Three Republicans just went off on us about that. Later, discussing the issue with the one sane person among them, I said "What do you think would happen if we cut all these programs you're complaining about?" he admitted he didn't know the answer.

[Bluenorthwest]

1. Absolutely not, we don't have 'polling places' here so there is no dealing with anyone required to

cast a vote. I did so yesterday. None of that confrontational bullshit involved.

[MaggieD]

28. +1 for mail in voting

Don't have to put up with crap.

[Trajan]

2. Poll intimidation ...

I would not have been so respectful ..

[MineralMan]

3. If you're working officially at the polls, just tell them

that electioneering is against the law. If you're volunteering at the polling place, you can tell them the same thing. Another strategy is just to tell them that you're busy and don't have time to listen to speeches right now. If you're just at the polling place, simply walk away and leave them to talk to themselves.

Official poll workers can't really discuss such things with voters, and political conversations amount to electioneering. Stressing that electioneering is a violation of the law should shut them up. If they persist, have a police officer explain it to them.

[Patiod]

7. Ugh. The problem is that off-year primaries are SLOW

During gubernatorial and Presidential elections it's easy to walk away. This morning at 8am with no one else around, my innate politeness kept me from doing so. I argued with some of his more egregious comments, but most of it was "I was raised to joint the military and contribute and work hard unlike SOME people" stuff.

This was an elector.

[MineralMan]

10. Oh, OK. Well, that's difficult.

I usually say, "You know, I'm really uncomfortable arguing about this stuff at a polling place. Let's change the subject, OK?"

[oberliner]

21. Ask them if the Phillies should get rid of Cole Hamels

Sports is usually a good neutral subject as long as everyone likes the same team.

[B Calm]

4. If republicans took personal responsibility seriously, they would admit that going to war

in Iraq was a huge fuck up that they caused!

[AgingAmerican]

11. They project

...their own failings onto others.

[MaggieD]

29. Sadly the party of personal responsibility....

.... fame takes no responsibility for any of the dumb shit they do. I remind republicans of that every time they bring up the topic in my earshot.

[stevenleser]

5. Where I live in Harlem? It would be fun to see a Republican try.

They would probably only be laughed at.

[bigwillq]

6. Never happened to me. (nt)

[Patiod]

8. I wonder if older men feel the need to mansplain to women

He directed most of it to me, even though there was a gray-haired man there, also doing the exact same thing - giving out sample ballots.

[bigwillq]

9. I'm sure some do

but not all. Depends on the older man, I would guess.

[John1956PA]

12. In 2004-06, I served as a Dem observer at a Western PA poll in a strong Repub precinct.

The poll was located in the basement of a Baptist church in a township where the registration was 2-1 in favor of the Republicans. My job was to rein in the "greeter" who presented his Republican speech to the voters as they walked in. Here in Western PA, the Republicans are organized, and they will brazenly defy the prohibition against electioneering at the polls.

[Patiod]

13. At least this was Eastern PA

We out-register Republicans 3:2 in my suburban town. I normally have some pretty mouthy reinforcement, but again, an off-year primary.

[Orsino]

14. They are not lecturing you. They are seeking support and reassurance...

...that their views are not completely at odds with reality. The farther right their party edges, the greater their need for constant immersion.

[Patiod]

17. you may be right

Although I've noticed over the years that Republicans seem to think that if they just talk at you enough, you'll come around to their way of thinking.

My neighbor thinks the lecturer guy has been sucked into Fox "News" over the past few years. His wife still votes Democratic, though, which I think is funny.

[Orsino]

36. It works on most of us.

Memes repeated often enough by those we respect become our truths. The kind of mind that falls for Fox News bullshit thinks that anyone will.

[LeftishBrit]

15. Was this on the doorstep or actually at the polling station where people were voting?

If the latter, then it would be against the rules in the UK at any rate. You are not supposed to talk about voting decisions within the polling station, even at the level of a last-minute discussion with your partner about your voting choice - you need to go outside for that.

If the former, then it's the occupational hazard of promoting something - politics, religion or a product - to people at their homes: they will often give you their opinions at length, if willing to talk to you at all!

It is unfortunate, however, that some people seem to see 'personal responsibility' as incompatible with responsibility for your community; and assume that anyone who receives any sort of government benefits must be undeserving, wilfully unemployed (in any case most benefit recipients of working age are not unemployed but low-paid workers), and a one-way recipient of other people's taxes (in fact, we all pay taxes - VAT/sales tax if no other type).

[Patiod]

22. This was out front of the polls on a primary day

In primaries in it state, only those registered on the party my vote. So we're only handing literature to Democrats, explaining who the party-endorsed candidates are, and why (if anyone asks). We don't even try to speak to Republicans, but this guy just couldn't fathom that we even existed.

He hates our one local rep, a black guy from Philadelphia. Our district has been carved up so that much of it is in the city, even though we're miles away.

Frankly, it was clear from all the codespeak that he used that he just resents the "damn lazy inner city (black) people who have never worked a day in their lives". Any attempts to argue were just met with sputtering outrage. He makes every one of the mistaken assumptions you mention. He resents unemployment (although we all pay in at work and can only collect for a short time if we've only collect if we've been employed) subsidized school lunches (lucky his kids were grown when he bankrupted his family) subsided housing, and especially any help for children, which just encourages " huge welfare families,". So many things to argue you can't even know where to begin. Plus it's pointless. He has Murdoch's channel on TV all day.

[Dawson Leery]

43. Go to the rural south.

All they ever do is complain about welfare, while most of them are on it.
So long as the welfare does not go to the black people, all is well with the program.

[NaturalHigh]

16. Are you kidding me?

The little old ladies who run my polling place wouldn't put up with that shit.

[LuvNewcastle]

19. lol

They wouldn't put up with it at my polling place, either. They would probably tell him to shut up and go vote.

[LuvNewcastle]

18. I would've told him that it sounds like

he's been watching too much Fox News. I'd tell him that he needs to turn off the tv once in a while and pick up a book that has real sources. Learn some facts. Also, there's a lot more to talk about besides politics. That's what I tell my dad and my brother.

[hobbit709]

20. Last year during the primary here when they asked me if I wanted the D or R ballot

My reply was "Do I look clinically insane?"
The guy behind me in line was not amused-everyone else was.

Of course my precinct is pretty much solid Democratic. Went for Obama 73%.

[DiverDave]

40. I was asked if I was D or r in Delaware and

I replied that I was a 'Proud Democrat'
Then I went in and voted for the President.

[PCIntern]

23. We used to have this ongoing in Lower Merion Twp (Eastern Main Line), PA

People who are loudmouthed like me stopped it one Dems began to swell in numbers. One guy in the GE in 1992 stopped me on the way in and offered me the Rethug ballot. My response to him: I think we've had quite enough during the past 12 years. People, even the Dem candidates who were at the poll were dumbfounded, because no one ever gave it back to these people - they were too afraid to open their mouths.

Now things are calmer because we're generally Dem in this precinct.

[Patiod]

33. I know - Delaware County and Chester Co goin' blue!

Who would have thunk it!

I used to live the the P-W area, and we watched it go from solid red to blue - always a GREAT feeling. One of the local Republican yokels told me it was due to all the "city people" moving out to once sane and conservative Whitemarsh. Hahaha.

[PCIntern]

35. Didja hear what happened in Narberth

when it went blue after 203 years?

The Rethugs showed up at the Boro hall anyway because they didn't know what else to do after two centuries of being the Overlords.

[City Lights]

24. That has never happened to me.

People mind their own business at my polling place.

[LWolf]

25. No polling places here, but

when I lived in a state that had them, there is no way in hell I would have let someone lecture me when I showed up to cast my vote. I can say STFU asshole in many eloquent, less crude ways.

If he was simply ranting in public, rather than lecturing ME, I would have complained to those monitoring the polling place; if it were one of them, I would have sent my complaint higher.

[Jamastiene]

26. They do it in the grocery stores to anyone they can make

stop and listen to them, where I live. It's like preaching. They don't ever STFU and just stop. I just walk away, because I've been hearing it all my life and I'm sick of it by now. You were in a position where you really couldn't get away, it seems, because you were working the primaries. I feel for you.

[angryvet]

27. NO

cause we have "vote by mail" and there are no repugs in my house.

[ScreamingMeemie]

30. Just one time. PassingFair and I were at the polls and had an earnest, young, chubby

GOPer come up to us. I can't remember the conversation, but he was wearing a nice trench coat.

[hatrack]

31. Why did you "refrain"?

You had an opportunity to hit this clown (metaphorically, of course) right between the eyes, and that's pretty much the only thing they understand.

[Patiod]

34. Because he lives on the block across the street

and I see he and his wife when I'm out walking my dogs. We live in a really civil neighborhood, and I'd like to keep it that way. I found out later, his wife is a hardcore Dem, and loves "cancelling" his vote in the regular elections.

I get in digs at people if they're rude, but not if their my immediate neighbors.One woman showed up last Presidential election dressed head to toe in red-white-and-blue, and said "I guess you can tell by how I'm dressed how I'm voting!" and I said "Why? Because you think Republicans are the only ones who wear red white and blue? I don't think so". She huffed off, throwing over her shoulder "Well! I still believe in American exceptionalism!!!" I swear to God, you can't make this shit up.

[KT2000]

32. RW old men lecture

wherever they can trap people. They are nuts with FAUX news.
We don't vote at the polls anymore but when we did, such a thing would be against the rules. As I recall - no politicking within so many feet of the polls.

[Mnpaul]

37. Just the opposite

I lecture them at the polls when they ask for my ID. I tell them that voter ID was voted down in Mn and that I am already registered and in the book. I love to rub their nose in it.

[Skidmore]

38. In Iowa you are not allowed by law to do anything that can

be construed as electioneering within a goodly number of yards from the polling place. I like that law.

[Iggo]

39. Not if they're smart.

Like the poster above says, electioneering within a certain distance of the polls is prohibido.

[KingCharlemagne]

41. Back in 1988 while living in Madison, WI, I was precinct walking for

Michael Dukakis and down-ballot Dems in the General Election. I stepped onto the enclosed porch of a detached single family house and the porch door closed behind me. The guy who opened the door prefigured Jeffrey Dahmer. And I still remember the cold breeze that went down my neck when he listened to my pro-Dem spiel and then said, "I'd be happy to vote for Dukakis (and the Dems), except that they favor abortions." From the mad glint in his eye, I knew I was in the presence of the clinically insane. My training for precinct walking had given me no instruction on how to handle this. As I recall, I muttered a few polite inanities about Dems supporting a 'woman's right to choose' while backpedaling as fast as I could until I reached the porch door. Guy was sort of following me, all the time muttering his anti-abortion litany. For a second my heart stopped when it seemed like the porch door handle was stuck. It wasn't, I got the door open and slipped out. But it truly scared the living shit out of me. And this was in Red Madison, of all places. I have resolved since then never to enter the dwelling or structure of any stranger while canvassing or precinct walking and offer this advice to more novice DUers.

[DFW]

42. Not ever

But luckily for me, there are rarely any Republicans present when I mail in my absentee ballot from here in suburban Düsseldorf.