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ninanevermore.
.
.
There are few people in the world – very few – with whom I am willing to get into a discussion of politics or religion. My nature is that whatever topic I am discussing, I am going to try to search for common ground to stand on with the other person. For the record, I am a spiritual person who votes, but that is more than most people need to know. The more my nation appears to grow more polarized, the more I stick to safe topics like the weather and what area restaurants are worth checking out (though even the latter can get up the dander of certain people).
Occasionally someone will come out and ask me point blank, “So, what are you? A liberal or a conservative?”
Where I live, the correct answer is conservative, or – if I really want to impress people - very conservative. This will make people smile and nod in agreement and shift the conversation toward how Obama is driving the nation toward doom and destruction. I like to answer, “I’m a radical moderate,” because it makes them scratch their heads.
Often this will stump the questioner enough to shift the conversation back toward the weather, where it belongs. The ones still itching for a debate will ask, “How can you possibly be a radical and a moderate both?”
“I think that everyone should be required to consider at all sides of an issue before voting on it. I think that people who vote for the letter behind a candidate’s name instead of the person behind that name have no business voting. I think that putting your loyalty behind a single political party and putting its interest ahead of the country’s interest is unpatriotic, no matter how much you dress it up in red, white, and blue.”
“So you’re an independent, I guess?”
“Pretty much.”
“Do you vote Democrat?” The tone of voice makes it clear that this is an accusation as much as it is a question.
“Sometimes.”
“But you can’t tell me that that [Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, etc.] is not [corrupt, a Socialist, a liar, Satan’s minion, etc.], can you?” By this point, I know I’m dealing with a person looking to argue about, not discuss, politics, and they are excited to have found a foe. I’m happy to discuss politics calmly and rationally, but that is not what this person is looking for. I then shoot them down with one fact that even they can’t deny.
“All politicians are liars and sonsofbitches,” I say with a smile. “Republicans, Democrats, or anything else, none of them are worth a damn. So it doesn’t really matter who I vote for, does it?”
“But, [Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, etc.] is [corrupt, a Socialist, a liar, Satan’s minion, etc.]!”
“Perhaps, but [the Republicans running against them] aren’t any better.” This leaves them looking a little stunned. They are used to a my guy is better than your guy fight and they have come armed with the arguments for that particular battle. Saying they all suck – your guy and my guy alike throws these people off their bearings just a little bit. They stand there looking uncomfortable for a moment or two until I throw them a conversational lifeline.
“It looks like it might rain later today, doesn’t it?”
“I hope so. My lawn sure could use it.”
I’m not as cynical as I come across. Of course I think the politicians I vote for are better than the ones I vote against or I wouldn’t have bothered voting at all. But I’m not going to yell and scream about it, and I feel no need to justify my vote or even engage in verbal fencing over why I vote the way I do. A recent poll showed that 42% percent of Americans currently do not subscribe to either of the two main political parties. Assuming the other 60% is close to evenly divided, that means we Independents are actually a quiet majority. We’re hanging out in the background minding our own business, not making a fuss. Our voices are heard only on an election day when we cast our votes and quietly leave the polling place.
Sometimes we speak pretty loud on that day without ever uttering a word.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * # * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
.
.
There are few people in the world – very few – with whom I am willing to get into a discussion of politics or religion. My nature is that whatever topic I am discussing, I am going to try to search for common ground to stand on with the other person. For the record, I am a spiritual person who votes, but that is more than most people need to know. The more my nation appears to grow more polarized, the more I stick to safe topics like the weather and what area restaurants are worth checking out (though even the latter can get up the dander of certain people).
Occasionally someone will come out and ask me point blank, “So, what are you? A liberal or a conservative?”
Where I live, the correct answer is conservative, or – if I really want to impress people - very conservative. This will make people smile and nod in agreement and shift the conversation toward how Obama is driving the nation toward doom and destruction. I like to answer, “I’m a radical moderate,” because it makes them scratch their heads.
Often this will stump the questioner enough to shift the conversation back toward the weather, where it belongs. The ones still itching for a debate will ask, “How can you possibly be a radical and a moderate both?”
“I think that everyone should be required to consider at all sides of an issue before voting on it. I think that people who vote for the letter behind a candidate’s name instead of the person behind that name have no business voting. I think that putting your loyalty behind a single political party and putting its interest ahead of the country’s interest is unpatriotic, no matter how much you dress it up in red, white, and blue.”
“So you’re an independent, I guess?”
“Pretty much.”
“Do you vote Democrat?” The tone of voice makes it clear that this is an accusation as much as it is a question.
“Sometimes.”
“But you can’t tell me that that [Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, etc.] is not [corrupt, a Socialist, a liar, Satan’s minion, etc.], can you?” By this point, I know I’m dealing with a person looking to argue about, not discuss, politics, and they are excited to have found a foe. I’m happy to discuss politics calmly and rationally, but that is not what this person is looking for. I then shoot them down with one fact that even they can’t deny.
“All politicians are liars and sonsofbitches,” I say with a smile. “Republicans, Democrats, or anything else, none of them are worth a damn. So it doesn’t really matter who I vote for, does it?”
“But, [Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, etc.] is [corrupt, a Socialist, a liar, Satan’s minion, etc.]!”
“Perhaps, but [the Republicans running against them] aren’t any better.” This leaves them looking a little stunned. They are used to a my guy is better than your guy fight and they have come armed with the arguments for that particular battle. Saying they all suck – your guy and my guy alike throws these people off their bearings just a little bit. They stand there looking uncomfortable for a moment or two until I throw them a conversational lifeline.
“It looks like it might rain later today, doesn’t it?”
“I hope so. My lawn sure could use it.”
I’m not as cynical as I come across. Of course I think the politicians I vote for are better than the ones I vote against or I wouldn’t have bothered voting at all. But I’m not going to yell and scream about it, and I feel no need to justify my vote or even engage in verbal fencing over why I vote the way I do. A recent poll showed that 42% percent of Americans currently do not subscribe to either of the two main political parties. Assuming the other 60% is close to evenly divided, that means we Independents are actually a quiet majority. We’re hanging out in the background minding our own business, not making a fuss. Our voices are heard only on an election day when we cast our votes and quietly leave the polling place.
Sometimes we speak pretty loud on that day without ever uttering a word.
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no subject
Date: 2010-03-24 06:04 pm (UTC)I also chuckle that nobody on the left or the right seems to get that it's the people in the middle who have all the power.
no subject
Date: 2010-03-24 06:47 pm (UTC)When they pester you just smile, make non-committal responses (Oh, really? Interesting,) and never offer your opinion. It frustrates them and they eventually go away.
no subject
Date: 2010-03-24 06:17 pm (UTC)I could not reveal I voted for Kerry, as people literally refused to do business with me.....I learned that the first week.
As a white guy who lives in Texas though it's always amusing that people assume I am "on their side"...then when I say "I voted for Obama, because there wasn't a more liberal option on the ballot"...they look stunned like I just confessed to pedophilia, necrophilia, or pedopyronecrophilia.
no subject
Date: 2010-03-24 06:41 pm (UTC)I have no issues with traditional conservatives. I think the more perspectives and view points that are considered, the better off we all are. It's the radicalized far right that gets on my nerves. Since I'm not with 'em, I must be a'gin 'em and I must be a (gasp!) liberal.
no subject
Date: 2010-03-24 07:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-24 07:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-24 09:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-24 07:24 pm (UTC)I'd like to say that we've suddenly degenerated in to this kind of behavior, but a quick look at history shows that we're at a pretty damn calm period in U.S. politics. I didn't get shot while on the way to a polling place, so I count that as a win.
no subject
Date: 2010-03-24 08:20 pm (UTC)So far only the rhetoric has been violent. But when side starts saying that anyone who disagrees with them is some kind of enemy of the state, it makes me nervous.
no subject
Date: 2010-03-25 09:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-26 01:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-26 01:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-29 01:03 pm (UTC)I try to find the middle ground, too. It helps to work out from common ground rather than in from an extreme position.
Sorry.
Date: 2010-03-29 01:04 pm (UTC)Re: Sorry.
Date: 2010-03-30 02:27 am (UTC)