Voters are stupid, get over it, respond this way- if you are canvessing or trying to get their vote.

[Stuart G]

If you come across stupids, then respond, ask if you can get them some information on that topic. And do so.
..OR follow up in some nice way.. "Here is how Obama stands."

Do not insult the "stupids", inform them. Perhaps you can get the stupids to vote for Obama...As a retired high scool history teacher, I found many stupids. What was I going to do? So try to teach them for goodness sake. If you do it right, they will come around.. at least a good number will...What else is there? Call them stupid? Sure, that will really work...From what I recall it was the hardest part not only of teaching, but when I worked for Mc Govern, it was the same thing...

[Doremus]

1. Mmmmkay. n/t

[El Supremo]

2. OK, what do I get the person who told one our canvasers yesterday...

"I would never vote for that nigger"?

There aren't just lots of stupid people out there. There are also assholes.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. Literature from the Libertarian Party n/t

[CTyankee]

7. the answer is the click of your phone cutting off the conversation

without further comment/questions or anything.

[LooseWilly]

9. That person you might as well call stupid, no loss. (n/t)

[LooseWilly]

10. That person you might as well call stupid, no loss. (n/t)

[abumbyanyothername]

16. I would say

that there are an equal or perhaps even greater number who would never vote for McCain because he's too old (there are plenty of good reasons not to vote for McCain, but don't kid yourself about the pervasiveness of ageism in our society).

Some people are obviously not going to be convinced.

"To waste too much time with a person who does not want it, is to deprive another of his or her chance."

[Oak2004]

25. As I posted earlier in a thread now locked:

You can't convince them to *like* Obama, but you can convince them to vote for him

I know, I've done it.

Don't try to take on the racism. That's a losing battle. Instead, argue pragmatically.

I say that Obama wasn't my first choice, and wasn't even my second choice, but the primaries are over, and what we've got is what we've got.

And I point out that we're not picking a friend, or someone to live in the neighborhood, or someone to marry -- we're hiring someone to work for us. I ask them, if they had to hire someone to work on their house or car, or perform surgery on them, and there were only two people available to do the job, would they pick the out of touch old white guy who can't really do his job anymore and who probably would leave the work to his untrained apprentice (who is a woman picked more for her looks than her knowledge)? Or would they pick the young black guy who at least has some energy and knows his job (and if all else fails is backed up by a very skilled white guy)?

It would be an easy choice for them, if it was their house, their car, or their health. It should be doubly easy as a voter, because while it's their business if they want to screw up their property and take their life in their hands, they have a patriotic duty to their country to put aside their reservations, hold their nose, and hire the best guy for the country. I say there are people in Iraq and Afghanistan right now dying for this country, that if those people can die for this country, a voter can at least suck it up and choose the best of the two remaining options for this country.

You're never going to win trying to convince such people to like Obama. But you can convince them to vote for him.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. You've got it right

But I will add that if you come across racist stupids, kindly point them in the direction of Bob Barr.

[Stuart G]

6. excellent...........send them to anyone else..Bob Barr or Nader is fine.

[KathieG]

13. This is what I have been doing...there are many people in my very red area

of Florida who say they will never vote for a Democrat...I tell those people to check out Bob Barr because many of them aren't overly thrilled with McCain either.

[Stuart G]

14. Keep on doing that ...

Because there are many areas of Florida that are very blue, that will never vote for Bob Barr...A vote for Bob Barr is a vote that will not go to Mc Cain

....Cary Bob Barr Literature if it will help.. A vote for Barr could be counted for us, cause it would have gone to the idiots and be against us.......don't give up

[sunnybrook]

28. good point

:rofl: "Bond" with the racists. Let them think you are an idiotic white supremacist too! And the only REAL candidate for you two is Bob Barr! Brilliant! You could easily convince them of that!

[CTyankee]

5. And I can hear this in my head

me: what is most important to you in the next administration?

callee: well, the economy.

me: what would you like to see the next administration do for the economy?

callee: I don't think it matters. They never do anything.

me: Obama has a plan that would reduce your taxes.

callee: oh, they all say that.

me: which candidate do you think would help you personally the most?

callee: they're all the same.

me: how do you think you'll be voting?

callee: right now, I'm supporting McCain.

And so on...

[Stuart G]

11. Ok...but that is how you qualify..

They call it qualifying voters. If they are not for your side. Ignore them. But many stupids don't know who they are for.

......."They never do nothing.".....What about Roosevlet and Social Security?

[CTyankee]

18. Maybe, maybe not. I did extensive phone banking for Ned Lamont

and the call that I described was not too off the reality. There were fewer absolutely for/absolutely against Lamont and lots more of these. IT's this mushy middle who just say they're for McCain (or whoever) in an offhand manner that you encounter. If you disqualify them, you're left with precious little.

Now I realize you can't transfer Lamont/Lieberman to Obama/McCain but there are similarities. I will get back to DU with my comparison after I start phone banking for Obama. This will test my theory...

[spartan61]

15. I have been canvassing and phone banking in Maine all summer.

Me: If the election were held today, who do you think you would support?

Voter: McCain

Me: Which of these four issues do you think is most important to you?

Iraq War Jobs/Economy Health Care Energy/Fuel costs

Voter: Iraq War

Huh???????? This doesn't make any sense. Talk about Low Info voters, also known as Stupid Voters.

[Stuart G]

17. The truth is as follows...25 percent of the voters are for Bush/ and are pretty stupid..

It is the truth. But most are not, and will listen, even if they are stupid..

[Stuart G]

21. Why is this thread important...

Because some real people are reading this and will need to convince the "stupids" that we are right and they are wrong. And some are indeed willing to listen. And may be convinced..

[abumbyanyothername]

23. What is not computing?

It makes sense if the callee is FOR the continued occupation of Iraq.

[CTyankee]

33. Yep, they go along withthe prevailing policy. It's bizarre.

I want to hope that this year is different but I am skeptical. Here's why:

In 06, Lamont was an unknown with lots of money and from Greenwich, which in case you don't know, is one of the most fabled moneyed communities in the United States. He inherited lots of money, went to Harvard undergrad, Yale grad school, and funded his own run for Senator because he was fed up with Joe Lieberman's non-leadership on the IraQ War.

When I volunteered for Ned, I was calling all sorts of people, mostly home bound older people who were retired. They were nice onthe phone but didn't go along withmy arguments for Lamont. They were for Lieberman. They knew Lieberman. Nothing could touch him.

This routine became tiresome. I was expecting a chance to offer Ned's vision and was cut off by respondents who didn't want tohear it. They actually didn't. Even if you offered!

It's a sad thing. I'll phone bank again but I am not real enthusiastic...

[lligrd]

8. I Agree But

Not all of us are qualified to be teachers. I for one, lack the patience to teach the stupid. I tip my hat to those of you that are able to do so.

[Stuart G]

12. I am talking about talking to a stupid who might vote for Obama..

I am not talking about getting a college degree. Screw it. We are trying to save this country. It is worth trying..

[lligrd]

20. I Am Trying But I Do Find It Extremely Difficult

to maintain civility while doing so.

[GoesTo11]

19. You can explain why YOU support Obama

That's just authentic.

Dialogue:

Them: "I ain't voting for Obama. I just don't like him."
You: "Well, can I tell you why I do like him? What I see in him?
Them: "Go ahead"
You: "I really believe what he says about how we can't have a red america and a blue america, that the problems we face are too big for that. I hear the way he can actually take in different points of view and talk to people without making it personal. That is the exact skill we need in these times." etc.

I've had this type of conversation with reasonable success.

[Stuart G]

22. We need to win this time to save this country..

Sure it is tough, it is thankless, and it is not easy. Is worth it?...........you answer that, so think about this..

..But I am not sure I could live with Sara Palin as President..not when Obama was a better choice..And we still have over 6 weeks left to convince the stupids of the world that Obama is better than Palin...

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

24. There are some people who are beyond reach

I spent a lot of time in 2004 at booths or tables at Farmer's Markets, J.C. campuses, and street corners, handing out leaflets and voter registration forms. I remember walking up to one guy to speak to him and when he saw my campaign button, he put his hands on his ears and began shouting "Bush, Bush, Bush, Bush, Bush" as he walked away. Another lady called me a communist and said the entire Democratic Party was communist and should be outlawed and she wouldn't let me say anything to her. I remember quite a few of those types of unreachables.

[Stuart G]

27. You sure are right.....there are unreachables...

I had a door slammed in my face when I said the word..Watergate..Ok, and I was on the right side of that one..so what?

But, my area got 4 percent more than areas that were not worked on. This year, in certain states, that 4 percent may mean the difference of 3 years with Palin as President or 4 years of Obama......think about that when you get down on this..

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

29. I want to clarify that I'm not trying to discourage activists

In fact, I think they should not get discouraged if a door is slammed in their face or if people just reject them before they can barely open their mouth. Some of the people I worked with got easily discouraged and quit.

You have to know in advance that there are people like that out there and it's important to develop a thick skin at times. But the times you do reach people and open their minds to you candidate can be very rewarding, too.

[Hansel]

26. Good advice. It works.

I've already converted 2 co-workers doing this. One thought Obama was a Muslim, was born outside of the US and he spouted the BS about "Obama sat in church for 20 years listening to that racist."

I just kept calmly and confidently saying that I like Obama and think he's a very intelligent guy. And that he was born in the US and I don't really care about the other 2 issues. I also told him that I thought Obama would be better for me, my family and my friends so I support him.

The thing with this guy was that no matter how much smear information about Obama he would bring to me, I continued to firmly yet calmly hold my ground and say that I like Obama and that I think he is the best candidate for the country. He would try to pick fights with me, but I would tell him that I'm not interested in talking politics with him unless he is better informed. He was intrigued by that and started doing some more research.

He says now that he found out all of that smear information was wrong and that he thinks the Democrats would be better for the economy. He still doesn't love Obama, but he is no longer afraid of him. He hates Bush and thinks McCain is just like him.

[Stuart G]

30. Remember this...the assholes will not let go easily...and they think that..

the stupids are theirs..We need to out think the assholes.. We have the truth on our side and we know it. They have fear..We can win the stupids to our side, if we fight hard enough..

[Stuart G]

31. And I am sorry for the word...stupids...but that is the truth...and ..

we need to deal with the truth at all costs. It is our best weapon..

[27inCali]

32. Obama's giving me twice the tax break as McCain

Hell, that's all I need to know.

I think a lot of stupid people want to feel slick, like they got some secret weapon knowledge that others dont which justifies their intellectual laziness.

giving them the insider tip on lowering their taxes gives them this feeling.

we don't win stupids with facts, but emotional arguments that appeal to their human insecurities.

[samuraiguppy]

34. excellent advice nt

[backscatter712]

35. I'm sick of being shouted down by dipshits with half of my IQ.

Stupids indeed!