I flipped a Republican yesterday.

She's this really nice county clerk, and since Katrina I've been spouting off daily to anyone with an ear about how f'd up the feds response to it was.

Anyway, she says, "Well I voted for Bush, but I'm not so sure now."

I say, "Well, I'm a democrat. I'm just curious, what do you think is wrong with the Democratic party?"

"I don't like the pro-abortion thing."
"Shit." Says I. "Nobody's PRO-ABORTION. Democrats are PRO-CHOICE. You know, leave it up to the individual. Besides, the Republicans sure as shit aren't ANTI-ABORTION."

"Sure they are."

"No way. Look. The Republicans are PRO-BIG-BUSINESS. They're all about getting rich people into government agencies, getting contracts for Halliburton and Bechtel, cutting taxes for rich people. They've always been the rich man's party."

Then I give her my favorite, which is, "My grandfather fought in World War II, got a battlefield commission, fought in Korea doing really dangerous stuff, thought he was gonna die every single day, killed a lot of Japs... Came back and voted Democratic every single election until the end of his life a couple of years back. You know why? Cause Democrats are the party of the working man, not big business."

"You think the Republican Party is PRO-LIFE? If that's so why did Reagan appoint a bunch of Pro-choice justices on the Supreme Court? You know, O'Connor and that other fella. Why did Bush just appoint a pro-choice Justice with Roberts?"

"Why do you think Roberts is Pro-choice?"

"He practically said at the hearings he's not gonna overturn Roe v. Wade. Said it was 'entitled to respect'. Think he would've said that if he was going to overturn it? Listen" Says I. "The Republicans NEED Roe v. Wade to stay alive because they know it gets people like you and I to vote Republican even though we aren't rich. The Republicans are the last people who want Roe v. Wade overturned."

We went on and on about Katrina and Iraq (on both issues she has doubts about the Puke position which I blatantly exploited), but finally she agreed to come to a Democratic Party lunch meeting with me.

So that's one purple vote I'm gonna turn blue.

How the Repubs co-opted so much of the white working class vote is totally beyond me.

Good on ya! :toast:

although not for reasons I would like.

We spoke recently & I asked her when she decided the party of big money & big business represented her interests better than the party that implemented programs she takes advantage of -- medicare, social security. I told her it really pained me to hear her talk so derogatorily about Democrats when she is benefiting from the very programs Dems put in place. She recently had cataract surgery that would have cost her close to $10k for only a couple hundred dollars, thanks to Democrats. Her only response was "all politicians are corrupt." Well, Mom, you gotta work with the system you have. She said she probably won't vote anymore. Not sure if I consider that a victory or not.

Sounds like she's a cynic. The way you get a cynic to vote Democratic is for the Republicans to something SO offensive they get angry.

An angry cynic is a good Democrat. Hell, I'm one myself.

I usually don't bring up this website unless I know a person is a committed Democrat. You don't attract flies with vinegar and you don't use a shotgun to swat a mosquitoe.

DU is pretty heady elixir.

like hammering an entire loaf of bread into a toaster with a mallet, and wondering why it won't toast.

n/t

Good job on the republican and I wish you luck. First you need to get them to leave the koolaid (fox) (rush) etc. When they get their news this way, there is not much hope for them.
:yourock:

...I said, well, you know that's just propaganda stuff.

Real journalists challenge the powers that be, they don't just cheerlead for them. Someone who supports the government no matter what they do, that's not a journalist. That's like, a schill.

If you listen to them they'll never say a single thing bad about republicans. Same with Fox News.

As far as I know there was only one perfect person, and he died on the cross...heh, you know...

You need to mention their gurus and it is basically impossible to say anything good about "them". This is the same thing I run into arguing with reps., that it is hard to get them to give on a point. Much like fox and the others, the talking points say to never give an inch.
It is a good debating technique to give your opponent credit, deserved or not, for their views on certain things.

I was reading your post thinking you said "flipped off a republican", afterwards I thought to myself when did she flip off the repuke.:)

I don't know why I thought you were a "she".

Just like the Repukes don't WANT homosexuality to be completely underground. AND they definitely want a coarse TV/Hollywood culture AND Affirmative Action AND the idea of Universal Health Care AND video games AND offensive rock music AND easily manipulated, high strung youth.

Why?

If these issues no longer exist, then there goes their ENTIRE demonizing, Rove-framing, broad-brushing, wedge-issue platform. They need these issues like a drug addict needs his crack.

THAT'S how they grab Dave Cubicleslave and Jane Soccermom. THAT's how they grabbed Joe Sixpack. That's how they already HAVE Billy and Betty Churchmember.

BTW - when you see her again, make sure you tell her that the number of abortions in this country have INCREASED under bush's watch.

You gotta handle 'em with kid gloves once they stop drinking the Koolaid, make sure they know they're welcome, be nice and open and all that.

one at time is the best way to do it.

dangerous in herds. Like any dangerous herd animal, they must be approached with caution.

I never once stopped to think that the Repugs wouldn't want it overturned, just so they can use it as leverage to increase their base.

Thanks for pointing that out to me.

I heard a lot of Republicans last summer saying how they hated Bush & were going to vote Kerry, but the RW propaganda machine did such a good job at demonizing Kerry that they ended up reluctantly voting Bush...

so, flipping them now is great, but we need to keep reminding them of why they are not voting Republican & are voting Democrat in November of 2006.

I think once she sees that Democrats are really not shrill liberal psycho-banshees, but are real people and some of them quite smart, I'll be able to immunize her against the RW noise machine.

it's amazing what a few years of listening to Rush will do to a person... I have mentioned this several times on DU now, but I was in western North Carolina for business last year and was in a conference room with 5-6 other guys who all re-arranged their days so they could listen to Bush get "interviewed" by Rush, and who all believe the Democratic party of 2005 is WAY WAY WAY to the left of the Democratic party of 1965 and 1975.

First of all, I couldn't have said it better myself, but try adding this next time :)

I read on a very interesting left-wing Catholic website (I wish I remember what it was :) ) that the lowest abortion rates in the world are in Belgium and the Netherlands, where "abortion on demand" is totally legal. The highest abortion rates are in Bolivia and Paraguay, where it is strictly illegal.

Their argument was that if we really want to stop abortion, making it illegal won't do anything. The answer is to provide education, health care and support for potential mothers. They said, and this should be obvious to even the staunchest Repub, that someone considering abortion is much less likely to get one when they know they'll get free health care and some financial support for their child, i.e. a strong social safety net.

Which party has a plan right now to provide government funded health care for everyone under 18? The Democrats. Specifically, that evil evil commie-loving John Kerry. Was there zero abortion before Roe v. Wade? Of course not. Plenty of people had abortions, often at the risk of their own lives, despite the fact that it was a crime.

Then I conclude by saying, "with this in mind, are the 'pro lifers' who oppose social services more interested in saving babies or just punishing people after they have an abortion?"