General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Rachel had it Right, now DU is getting it wrong. [View all]zwyziec
(173 posts)I'm not a left wing nut progressive, but after a shout out with my father in law yesterday, he was the straw that broke my back. When he asked me if I was happy with the election (He knows we vote Democrat), I of course replied, Yes.
He said he wasn't because "look at who voted for Obama, all those takers". He was referring to the black, hispanic and asian blocks. And then he told me that "Obama was stupid and never did anything good, all he did was hang around with that Jeremiah Wright guy for 25 years."
I reminded him that his daughter and I voted for Obama along with the majority of women and young adults, as well as their grandchildren and that Obama was a state senator (his reply was "for only two years" , a constitutional law professor (his reply was "so what" and that he accomplished much in his first term after inheriting a financial fiasco from Bush (his reply was "there you go again blaming it all on Bush"
My father in law is 84, his catholic upbringing, a lack of education, his backwards view of who he thinks America is, has made him an intolerant, bitter old man, relies on FOX NEWS because they support his opinion while his wife listens to Rush Limbaugh because he supports her opinion.
Both of them will not discuss politics with us. They have never shown any interest in asking us why we vote the way we do. They don't want to hear our views. Because we are college educated that feel defensive with us.
My in-laws are why Romney and Ryan and the pollsters thought the GOP would win going into Tuesday's election. To them it was inconceivable to accept the fact that Obama, a black man, could win this past election, and for a second term.
The problem is this. 50.3% of all children under age 1 in the USA are minorities. They are still holding to a belief in the old, all white, America, which is past. They will soon pass away, and the GOP will lose two more of their angry white voters.
My inlaws have been living exclusively on their monthly Social Security checks and Medicare for the past 19 years. They have had major, multiple diseases requiring significant medical expenses.
The only statement I made that shut them up and made them think was when I told them, in a fit of anger, that Social Security and Medicare are Democrat programs and if they didn't have them today they would be living in a spare bedroom of one of their kids, if their kids had a spare bedroom and wanted them, or under a bridge. And they voted for two men would would do away with both programs for their children and grandchildren. After they recovered, he said.....how do you know that Romney and Ryan would do that?" I had to tell them that that is what is in the Paul Ryan budget that every GOP member voted for. They still couldn't accept ti.
So I disagree with your premise. I think these people like my in-laws and other right wing family members and friends, are incapable of accepting anything other then what their vision of America is and will only double down on their beliefs. And the only way to counter this to with a hard nosed approach, without compromise, doubling down on our progressive principles, vote in every election and make sure our representatives including the President are held to OUR principles.
This is a class war. A war between the illiterate, under informed, willingly ignorant, dupes of the GOP machine and the people like us that visit, post and comment on DU.