Anyone have close relatives....

[dennis4868]

who have gone off the deep end with regard to their political views. My parents used to be dems but now they are repubs based on what they see and hear from FOX News. My parents and I used to always laugh about FOX News that they were a joke but for some strange reason thay started believing FOX's bullshit and they hate Obama and will only vote repubs and maybe for the tea party. The blame only Obama for all the problems and not Bush at all. It's a tough situation because they are my parents but at the same time they have lost it and don't care about the facts anymore. When I am with them we cannot talk politics anymore and I sort of feel different about them....hard to explain.

[PinkTiger]

1. Yes.

And it is just about all of my brothers and one sister, and they are all Fox news watchers. I'm really appalled at their ignorance of the true issues. They listen to the holy trinity - Rush, Beck and Hannity - and ignore the facts. We can't talk politics anymore and we certainly can't be around each other much. It has destroyed our family.

[closeupready]

2. Recessions do this to people. Just yesterday,

it kept occurring to me how messed up people are lately - and then I remembered having survived prior recessions, and just as prior ones, people get stressed about money and jobs and income and stuff, and they just mentally pop. So if things were good, people would be busy working on dreams, busy making money, raising families and stuff, but when times are bad, their lives become nightmares, boring, idle - and that's when crime rises, unfortunately.

But to answer your question directly, no nobody I know has done a 180 or anything.

[SheilaT]

12. Very interesting observation.

What's also at work is that people and the news media are acting as if this is the first recession ever since the end of the Great Depression. Alas, there are economic cycles. Sometimes the times are good, sometimes they are bad. There is never any reason, in my humble opinion, whether times are good or bad, to abandon progressive ideals. Yeah, this recession may well be deeper (therefore worse) than most recent ones, but I recall a really nasty one the first two years of Reagan's first term.

Another thing that the Dems should absolutely be beating the drum about is that Dwight Eisenhower was the only Republican president since the Depression to experience overall job growth during his term in office. The only one. Every single Democratic president starting with FDR, experienced job growth, usually pretty good job growth at that. Back in '03 people used to put up the charts showing that here on DU. I can't figure out what kind of search terms to use to find them, but I don't understand why that isn't the absolute basis for this coming mid-term election.

Oh, another thought directed at the supposed fundamentalist crowd: I thought that Christianity was supposed to be all about helping out those in need.

[closeupready]

14. Right, the media keeps trying to minimize how bad things are, but people ARE going hungry.

You can't sugarcoat an empty stomach. They have just GOT to start generating some jobs - even low-paying jobs are better than no jobs.

[Warpy]

3. My own parents had a mercifully brief fling as dittoheads

back when Fatso had his short lived TV show.

When they'd start to rant, I'd just leave, hang up the phone, walk out. Half an hour later I'd return and ask if they were done. They got the point in record time.

My dad was always a right winger, loved the illusion of tax cuts while hating the religious nuts. My mother fell into the trap because she'd gone blind and the only stuff available through broadcast, Braille or casette was right wing. However, they were both very intelligent and there is no way a dummy like Fatso could hold their interest for long, and he didn't.

Remember two things: educating our parents isn't our job but being used as their political punching bag is up to us. My parents didn't have my permission to use me as one and I didn't have the responsibility of educating them away from Lardbutt. You can set some behavior limits but if you want to keep the lines of communication open, you can't stoop to that level and retaliate.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

6. If I may ask. Where do they stand now politically? nt

[Warpy]

9. My mother got too ill soon after that to care much

although one day when I had the Enron executives lying to Congress on C-span, she did rouse long enough to ask who the bloated plutocrats were.

I'm delighted to say my dad's last vote was for Kerry. I didn't grill him on his reasoning, but he did mention the Swift Boat smear campaign as being one thing that helped push him over the edge.

They're both gone now and I'm glad I kept the lines of communication open. I just didn't allow them to use me as a punching bag and I returned the favor, not haranguing them with the truth as I saw it.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

10. Sorry to hear that. Reg. your last sentence, it seems like a healthy attitude.

Your father came around and not at the expense of your relationship, which is good.

[virginia mountainman]

16. yep! nt

[Lint Head]

4. I want to sue Fox for alienating me from my immediate family.

My Mom and Dad are dead and were Democrats. My nearest relative is my sister. She married a Republican and swears by Fox. I feel the same as you.

[Uben]

5. Been there!

My parents have always been republicans. And, they are ignorant. The many conversations we've had verifies the fact they are. I can ask them a question about a current event and either they claim they don't know or don't care. Rarely have they ever offered up fact for a response. That's just how they are, I guess. It doesn't really bother me because I gave up on converting them many years ago.

[KansDem]

7. Yes...

Mostly cousins. I don't speak with them much anymore.

Life's too short to endure unenlightened, misinformed people.

[uppityperson]

8. Mine have gone the other way. My condolences to you

[T Wolf]

11. I am so lucky that my immediate family was very liberal - living through the Depression

will do that if you have a heart. None of those closest to me have changed, e.g., gone to the Dark Side.

However, I do have quite a few relatives who are reich-wing types, both on my side but especially in the family I married into 38 years ago. Many of them have turned from Kennedy Democrats (a religious mandate at the time) into Stormfront-loving, Klanbagger rallying, outright racist assholes. Makes those special family times a real trip.

I also have the bonus of a birth family that is almost exclusively liberal - but then, they're from Minnesota and have that liberal tradition.

Having cons in the family is bad enough. I cannot imagine how much more difficult it would be to have someone whom you love go bad like that.

And as for how to live with them - that is a huge source of conflict. While we on the left tend to want to go with the peaceful approach, those on the other side do not abide by (or believe in) that principle. They view their political outlook as a faith-based philosophy and as such, they are required to try and "save" you. That is, they never shut up about what is wrong and who is wrong in America.

This has led to some arguments, even more than substantive ones about issues. So, not only on a national basis but also on a person, individual basis, the repukes and their hatred and turning politics into a blood sport has done grievous harm to individual persons.

Good luck.

[virginia mountainman]

13. How my very own family was turned from us.

This was, wayyyyy back in late '04. About how my very own family, was turned from the Democrats.

I have been “lurking” here for quite sometime, and I would like for some of ya’ll to meet an “alienated” rural Democrat.

First a little background about me…..

My family has STRONG Democratic roots, Both my parents where union organizers in some textile mills in southwest Virginia back in the 1970’s I was the “Democratic poster child” in parades back in the 70’s, we was also featured on the nightly news for a period of time, with my mother's work with bringing the union into town, (ultimately unsuccessful) My mother was also a delegate, from the state of Virginia, for Mondale, at the democratic convention

My wife’s family has just as strong roots. Her father has just retired from the coalmines. Her grandfather has served in local government on the democratic ticket for many years, and is also a union man.

My “alienation” began around 1993, when gun control started being a loudly contested issue. My WHOLE FAMILY owns guns, we ALL where raised around them.

Guns where NOT an issue, everyone had them. I was raised in a small house, my father’s long guns where stored in a rack over the headboard of my bed, his handguns where kept in his bed-side bureau and yes, he kept a .45 1911 pistol, loaded, in the open, on top of his dresser, no big deal, it was ALWAYS THERE, right beside his tie-tack box.

It was ready to defend everything my father held dear in his life at a moments notice.

To us kids, it was nothing special, they was ALWAYS their, very much like the butcher knives in the kitchen, they are both deadly, but they both are just “their”.

Nothing special about them

Now I know some of you are thinking my father was a “gun nut” he was NOT, I don’t ever remember him buying any guns, he did not shoot them often, maybe a box of shells a year, right before hunting season. All the guns he had, he had BEFORE he had me.

I had uncles and cousins that “traded in guns” allot. It is a hobby to them and they are law abiding folks, each and everyone. They enjoy the hobby of collecting and shooting as do I

I remember, me and my (then hardcore democratic uncle) was watching the news about the Brady bill, he got very silent about it, but was still supportive to the Democrats. Then the AW ban came, I remember seeing Feinstein on the news, holding up a semi auto AK up saying that ONLY CRIMINALS would have one. (Between all of us, we had 4 of those rifles) in the next election my uncles and cousins went republican, I did too

I PROUDLY voted for Bill Clinton over Bush SR, he took my vote and betrayed me and my family.

We saw the party that we supported faithfully for generations literally turn on us overnight it seemed. Gun Control was all over the news and if you disagreed, you where “outside the mainstream” or a “gun nut”

Some will say we are just bigots, religious zealots, and “simpletons” and we don’t matter.

But the truth is I could not careless about gay marriage, I am supportive of abortion rights, I detest what is happened in Iraq, I BELIEVE IN ALL OF THE BILL OF RIGHTS.

And I am an outcast from the democrats, because I believe in the 2nd amendment

It is about MORE than guns, it is about personal responsibility, I was taught at a VERY EARLY age, that it is MY number 1 responsibility to protect myself and family from “folks that have bad intentions” Guns are the BEST means of that, the police are ONLY CALLED AFTER there is a crime committed, if you cannot defend yourself effectively, or rely on OTHERS to protect your family, you have FAILED as a parent/husband.

All these gun control laws effect is how effectively I can protect my wife and kids, or my wife protecting herself and kids when I am not here, THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE!!


Let me point out the damage that gun control has done to the democrats; my family has swung to the right. All my uncles and cousins proudly sport “Bush 2004” and “W” stickers on their cars. My father-in-law does not vote anymore, he cannot vote for the “gun banners” but he can’t bring himself to vote for the republicans neither. ONLY MY WIFE’S GRANDFATHER STILL OPENLY SUPPORTS DEMOCRATS. My wife has swung to the right, she is STILL gloating about the election.

My parents no longer vote/supports democrats neither.

See the “gun issue” is about much more than guns to my family. My family would be willing to support the democratic agenda (some may be too far gone now) but I think most would. The Democrats lost us with all the “Hillbilly”, “redneck”, and ”gun nut” talk

It's not the 90 million U.S. gun owners or their guns that are the problem. It's the criminals, and the 20,000 gun laws have never deterred them.

Lines like “Mr. and Miss America turn them ALL IN” don’t help you at all in these parts.

And stop talking about “hunters” the INSTANT folks here, hear that, they KNOW that you’re a “gun banner”

Kerry’s “canned” goose hunt was a joke; his 100% voting record against gun right was NOT a joke.

I have read “post after post” about how the NRA is a shill for the Republicans, they ARE NOT, they DO Support TRULY Pro-Gun democrats, like my congress critter, Rep Boucher (D) VA 9th district.(and YES I do vote for him proudly)

And the talk of NRA money, PLEAZZZZ, it is the 4 million members that vote religiously that give the NRA its power


I made this post (MY first) because I WANT to see the Democrats come back, I am truly scared that soon if the party don’t learn, they will find themselves completely out of power. The Republicans being in complete control scares the crap out of me. I am new to forums so pardon if I have broken any un-written rules, PLEASE give me a canadate I can support whole-heartedly.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=118&topic_id=95394#95510

Granted, times has dramatically changed since then, most Democrats have finally sworn off Gun Control. And some are starting to come back to the fold, by most are too far gone.

[Pithlet]

21. Oh well. If they cared more about guns then anything else, more power to them.

What can anyone say? I personally don't care and never have about that old canard. Anyone who turned away because of guns probably wasn't that strongly with us to begin with. :shrug: If it wasn't guns, it would have been something else. There are plenty of good strong dems who are gun enthusiasts.

[virginia mountainman]

24. Wasn't that strong?!?!

Union Organizers...Elected officals....Parade organizers....Delagates to the national convention....

LOL we was on the 6:30 CBS/NBC/ABC national news for a while...

And we "wasn't that strong in the first place"?!!?!?

ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!! You need to smell what your shoveling...

Evidently you did not read my post..

BTW, I am a good strong Democrat, that has a CCW permit, and carries a .45 on a daily basis.... Not to mention a rather extensive military firearm collection...

[Ramulux]

23. Wow, do you still agree with what you wrote back then?

Can I assume that you have done some research about gun laws and regulations in this country and changed your position or do you still not understand why people are for regulating guns more strictly? At the least you have to admit that that post is full of disinformation.

[virginia mountainman]

25. Absolutly...

BUT, that being said, and I noted as much in my post..

Times has changed. Gun Control is finally off the table, and is a complete NONSTARTER (for MOST Democrats), and some in my family have been "trickling back" over the past 5 years.

Bring it up again, and they will tell us to go pound sand for another decade...

I have been fighting within my party, for about 15 years on this issue. I have done tons of research on this subject, actually it is my "pet issue". And one that I proud to report, has born much sweet fruit!!

And for people being for regulating guns more strictly..The opposite of what you say is true. The current trends in the nation, is for loosening gun control, especially "super strict" regulation.

[Swamp Rat]

15. Yes

They are fucking nuts and I rarely speak to them anymore.

It sucks to have family members who hate you for your skin color, sexual orientation, and religion.

[dixiegrrrrl]

18. I found my "own" family after disowning the biological one I had.

Once I realized that blood was NOT thicker than water. And stupidity.

The only family member I have a relationship with is my gay brother, who is still hurt because the rest of the family refuses to talk to him.

[AmandaMae]

17. yes, mostly older relatives

It's too bad because I love my grandparents but I don't respect them anymore. They eat up everything on Fox news and one relative in particular is prejudiced against Muslims and says Obama is a satan worshipper. My dad listens to right wing radio talk shows sometimes but thankfully he's not a nut job. But I am the only one in my family who knows anything about current events or politics, and since it's such a central part of who I am it makes it hard to relate to them.

[Nikki Stone1]

19. Propaganda is powerful

Entertaining repetition of words and ideas can eventually wear down logic.

[OmahaBlueDog]

20. I go to so many homes and businesses where FAUX Noise is on seemingly all the time

...and plenty of businesses where Rush is on in the midday (I wish I meant the 80's band).

[Ramulux]

22. Do something about it

From what you have said it sounds like this change in their beliefs has occurred fairly recently. Its not too late, from the fact that you are posting on this website I will assume that you have a decent understanding of our political system and the political atmosphere, so you should already be aware of all of the facts necessary to out-debate your parents.

I know it may cause tension and you may not want to cause problems but you have to talk to them, they are your parents so you should be able to sit down and have a real discussion with them. Be serious and be compassionate, explain that their recent switch in ideology and their willingness to accept propaganda really worries you and that you care about them and you dont want to see them succumb to fear and lies. Be real, be honest, and be willing to slowly explain your positions and slowly deconstruct theirs. If you need help on a certain subject or if there is something you aren't familiar with, ask us, that's what this website is for. The point is, you cant just sit back and watch your loved ones devolve into paranoia and psychosis, its not healthy and its something you will have to deal with for the rest of your life if you dont try to get through to them now.