insanity

[bevoette]

i spoke w/ my dad earlier tonight...(east Texas railroad man near retirement, EXACTLY like in the Obamamercial)



he hasn't voted since, like, Reagan or something.

he registered this year.

(this is the part where i warn you this isn't going to end like i wish it would...)

he voted early.

he told me tonight that he's rooting for Obama. he really thinks he's a good man. he hopes he does well.

he was being sincere.

and then he told me he voted McCain.

when he went to vote, he just couldn't do it.

but made me swear not to tell my husband (who's AA). he became agitated and said "don't you EVER tell him that!"

i don't even know why he told ME that.

i have been trying to wrap my brain around it for the past few hours


he's rooting for Obama...but just couldn't vote for him.



family. what can you do.

[skooooo]

1. ..

:popcorn:

[Lost-in-FL]

2. Popcorn is a good way to start

:popcorn:

[abbyg8r]

3. I feel your pain.

My mother-in-law (SW Missourian) and grandfather (Floridian) voted for McCain yet both voted for Kerry in '04. They could not give my husband and I a good reason so we're pretty sure it was based on race. It was discouraging but I'm still very confident of a big Obama win on Tuesday and the first thing I will do is call my mother-in-law...

[liberalmuse]

4. That's crazy.

I talked to a lady who acted like she was on some kind of substance while canvassing today. She hadn't voted in years, and didn't even know if she was registered, but she was rooting for Obama. I told her how she could check online, and even go to the auditors to check, but she wasn't interested in voting, only in rooting. Fuck that. I don't want someone to 'root' for Obama. That is the most useless, stupid shit I've ever heard in my life. If the physics were there to support my head exploding, it would have. WTF? Too many people on this planet are batshit. It's a wonder the human race has survived this long. :(

[liberalmuse]

20. I'm sorry. My comment was thoughtless.

I imagine you might be hurt or at the very least, baffled why your dad could not vote for a black man, especially since he has an adopted son (your husband) who is black. My worst fear is people would let a thing like skin color keep them from voting for the best possible candidate for President, and that scares and angers me. However, I think this is much more than that.

It seems some men have this fear that seems to stem back from when we wandered around in tribes, and it's much deeper than the quantity of melatonin someone may have in their outer fleshy covering. They are afraid of men from other tribes stealing their women. And if a person still exists in this tribal frame of mind, I imagine it would be hard for them to vote for a man from another tribe to head their tribe. Perhaps he feels it is enough that he has accepted your husband, but that it would be pushing it to be expected to vote for a black man for President. I don't know. I am very sorry, though. I'd have a hard time dealing with it if my family member had told me what your dad told you.

[bevoette]

23. thank you...your second paragraph is close, i think

he genuinely loves my husband, trusts him implicitly (even in his will!) and loves to visit

we have always joked that somehow, either because of familiarity or because i'm so happy or because of just who my husband is, dad's managed to 'separate' him

it's disturbing in the underlayers, but it makes for peace and easier family gatherings (at least until recently). i'm not as hard-nosed as many here, i don't think - i believe strongly that actions matter more than feelings

it's been 15 years, it doesn't hurt so much now


if we lived in Virginia or Colorado or Pennsylvania, though...I'D BE PISSED OFF AS A MUTHA!!! ;)

[tularetom]

5. For the past month we've been making up all sorts of bullshit excuses

to avoid our family. The only ones that agree with us don't live nearby.

For years, all the guys in our family and a couple of the women would go on a hunting trip to Wyoming. This year, that went bye bye. As the grandpa, I was the organizer but I had no intention of spending a week in an RV with my idiot nephew and son in law whining about how Obama was gonna snatch their guns.

We're even considering canning the annual family Thanksgiving. Last year was tense to say the least and my shins still hurt from Grandma kicking me under the table every time I started to shut one of these assholes up.

There are like 30 people in our extended family. They are all either my kids and grandkids or those of my late sister. I love all of them/ I just don't want to spend a lot of time with them until they wise up.

[MichDem10]

6. If that were my parent I would have asked him...

"If you are rooting for Obama to win then why the fuck didn't you vote for Bob Barr!!??"

[elkston]

7. That is very scary. You just confirmed a single incident of the Bradley Effect. (n/t)

[bevoette]

9. oh, fuck

that didn't even occur to me


:wtf:

[gabby garcia]

12. sure it didn't.

you are probably very concerned now.

[bevoette]

17. actually, i'm not "concerned" at all...i believe it will be a landslide.

i also believe TX is off the table, there is a strong racist element in many areas that doesn't require the Bradley effect, and i was sharing a story about my ignorant father


but thanks for looking out, LOL

B-)

[RoadRage]

27. I can relate...

somewhat. A friend of mine who is an independant got an early ballot.. and had filled out everything except the presidency. She was torn between Obama & McCain.. she'd like to believe that Obama will do what he says he will, but she had a nagging feeling that he's "all smoke and mirrors". So, yesterday morning she turns on the TV.. see's the story about Obama's aunt living in Boston illegally, and checks McCain and mails in the damn ballot.

I freaked on her.. i'm like, Don't you think if he KNEW she was here.. he'd buy her a plane ticket and send her back to Kenya. Don't you think if he KNEW she was living in the projects, he'd pay to hide her somewhere in an apartment if she refused to leave?

She didn't answer.. she just said that she had a feeling he wasn't who he said he was - and voted for McCain.

Whatever.. you can't do much about people who make decisions on crap like that.

[Whalestoe]

10. If the story is true.

Otherwise, it doesn't seem like the poster's dad would ever vote for Obama. I'm rooting for him? What the fuck is that. This is our future. Not some football game.

If the story is true you should call your dad back and tell him how much he sucks.

[Gold Metal Flake]

13. Or a single incident of ratfucking. n/t

[gabby garcia]

8. cut him off.

Say when you're ready to stop being a racist, you'll be ready to be family again.

Do you have or maybe someday will have kids who are part AA? Are you going to let racist gramps hang out with them knowing how he really feels deep down. You should tell your husband! Who are you protecting - your own embarrassment or your racist Pa?

[bevoette]

15. hubby already knows...things have been slightly strained the past couple of months with both parents

also, hubby got "good-naturedly" ganged up on w/ several friends earlier this week - all of them white republicans ribbing him about supporting Obama

in that case, it's mostly about money...but still


the closer the election, the closer to 'home' a lot of the conflicts are hitting. it's beginning to affect our family/social circles, and it makes me supremely unhappy.

i can't wait for Wednesday...i hope it gets better :\

[codjh9]

11. Your 'insanity' title says it all. I have relatives who are different from what you describe,

but just as insane. Too much to describe, but you can guess. :^)

[Thrill]

14. Hate to break it to you. He's not rooting for Obama

if he didn't vote for him. He's a racist, who is trying to make it seem like hes not. He's what I call. FULL OF SHIT

[bevoette]

16. of course he's racist, LOL...that was my point. despite his son-in-law.

[Indenturedebtor]

18. So he hasn't voted since Regan but he came out for McBush

because he "just couldn't" vote for Obama?

So he's racist... tell me, how are we polling in Texas anyways? :shrug:

[bevoette]

19. well, according to UT...*wipes tear and composes self*...

McCain is up by 11, and 1 in 4 Texans believes Obama is a Muslim :eyes:



at least we're not Utah!! :silly:

[Indenturedebtor]

24. Well AZ here isn't much better. It's a shame that the states most in need of education

and other programs that assist in mental development (like nutrition programs) always seem to vote against the needed solutions.

What can you do eh?

[progressivebydesign]

22. well ya.. that makes no sense. He's come out of voting retirement to vote for McCain?

Not sure I get the point of the story... "couldn't bring himself to vote for Obama" but he's "rooting" for him. Then why did he even vote at all?

Something smells in Texas tonight.

[The Wielding Truth]

21. Your Dad was scared stupid. He let them get to him. He couldn't

think for himself and be strong enough to help break away from all the corruption and deceit of the big business republican BS.

I'm sorry for him because he will have to live with his decision, and he wasn't even strong enough to bare his own burden. He has to lay it on you.

You must forgive him, but you should know how much more stronger you are. You can rise above all the lies. You can remember the many parts of our American Democracy the republicans have broken: our military, economy, environment,justice system,emergency department,food safety,international reputation,language,mass media news,infrastructure,educational system, promise of acceptance of all people to our shores with respect and so much more.

If a man were drowning, and you say that you are rooting for him to live, then when you have the chance to help save his life, and you pull your hand away, did you contribute to the drowning? YES!

[seabeyond]

25. i explained this on another thread just now, about the 2004 election here in texas.

the ones i was around, (and kids at christian private school, so i was around a lot of them) werent excited with bush. wanted him to lose. were in like a shock that kerry didnt win. all election day their heads hung low. BUT the churches DEMANDED they vote bush. kerry was a murder. left werent christians. people didnt like him, didnt want to but... they voted repug even though they wanted the dems to win

[cali]

26. I'm awfully sorry, but your father was not only not being sincere

he was being passive agressive. he more or less attacked your husband and his imprecation not to tell your husband about his vote, is really deplorable.

[EC]

28. Should tell him he missed his chance to be part of a history that could

change the future of your children (if you have any or going to in the future) his grand-children...anyway, maybe it wasn't a race thing - but an experience thing, figuring Obama could run again in the future and this was the old man's last chance...