Word For The Day, Friday, December 19, 2003

The Verbivores | 12/19/03 | Teacher

[xsmommy]

He likes Fred Barnes, bc he is another convert from liberalism, so he finds Fred effective. But most of them are not quick enough on their feet. He goes nuts over seanny and oreilly.

[xsmommy]

i got an email from a college friend this week also. i know he is still liberal and he is somewhat puzzled by me. i told him about the Chris Matthews encounter and he couldn't quite figure out why i had loved to hate chrissy, since he considers chrissy moderate to conservative. i don't have the heart to engage him on this bc i know we disagree.

[tioga]

-my daughter swears by raspberry mustard pretzel dip. She lives for it each Christmas. Got some hidden in the dining room hutch....

[Argh]

That may be true, but I think good arguments can help get more of the uncommitted swing voter types permanently off the fence.

[xsmommy]

you going to be getting together with your hubby's family this holiday? aren't they the libs?

[tioga]

-are you trying to ruin my Christmas???

[xsmommy]

i agree arghy. you are never going to reach the committed hardcore dem. what you will reach, with cogent argument, is the person who isn't really political, hasn't really THOUGHT about anything in a particular way. sees the parties as equally corrupt and full of empty promises. if you can frame the issues to things that these people care about, and find some common ground with their views and point out how the lib dems are just WAY OFF BASE on that particular issue, you can reach them.

[xsmommy]

NO! i was just wondering if christmas involved fraternizing with those types!!!

[NYC GOP Chick]

I hear ya! That's how it was with my dad's family -- his father was a cop (NYPD) and my grandmother didn't work after they married. My mom's family was typical suburban middle class Jews (Westchester) who also automatically voted 'rat, and it took her until she was about 30 to wake up to the light side.

My dad told me that their first argument as a married couple was over RFK running for the Senate from NY -- she was for and he was vehemently against -- although he later regretted (sort of) that he resorted to yelling over political differences.

But she was another one who used to try to bury her conservative instincts. One of the other teachers at the elementary school where she taught told her that she could call herself whatever she wanted, but that she was a Republican in her beliefs, attitudes, etc. And she was fully onboard by the 1968 election.

We knew the transformation was complete and irreversible shortly after Carter was elected, when she went off on a classic rant over his decision to pardon the draft dodgers who ran to Canuckistan. (Her cousin was killed in the war) And she was a fairly eager Reagan supporter, much to the consternation of her friends and some family. :)

[Argh]

Do you think we need David Horowitz out there more? He strikes me as someone who wouldn't putz around, but I don't remember ever seeing him on TV. To tell the truth, I've watched very little punditry since the impeachment. Kind of like I don't read books I consider "good for me" any more. At my age it seems life has gotten too short to spend much of it upset or bored.

[tioga]

-and yes you are right. michael jackson/rosie should adopt kids idiots parroting the latest pc crap....that's my in-laws...

AND IT'S SNOWING AGAIN!!! -who said it could snow?? the northeast is going to slide off into canada at this rate...

[xsmommy]

i was not convinced that the same wasn't true of my dad. he was a big gun owner and hunter, and i am sure he was not conversant with the Dem party's gun grabbing ways. But one thing i found completely astounding was that he did not despise Clinton and what he did. The only sanity that he exhibited was his outrage over the Elian case. My dad was here with us, bc it was Easter. and we watched that together and i cried all weekend long about it. My dad was on the right side of that, for which i was very glad.

[Argh]

I concur heartily.

[xsmommy]

He's good, but better in writing than in speaking. he says the right things and makes good points, but you don't hear him and say God is he articulate. he needs to be quicker. Ann Coulter, if she is not off on a shrieking vitriolic rant, is good at making the points and making them quickly. That is where Barbara Olsen was just superb, she was quick, articulate but not shrill and meanspirited. She was a great loss to our side.

[NYC GOP Chick]

I know the feeling! Also, most of the libs I know and like aren't particularly well-informed, and I know that I'd crush them in debates, so I tend to back off when it might cause hard feelings or discomfort at certain occasions.

The most recent disheartening encounter was with my cousin a few weeks ago. At her mom's birthday party, she was hanging out with my dad and me when she started going off on Bush, so my dad and I just looked at each other and didn't say much. It just wasn't the time...

At my last job, the leftists were nice enough, but were as ill-informed as they were passionate in their leftism. I used to regularly debate them and my moment of pride was when three of them started in on me at one time and I successfully 'whupped them in a fast and efficient manner. I mean, how difficult is it to defeat guys who, in 2001, thought that not only was Newt Gingrich still Speaker, but that if Cheney left office, Newt would automatically become VP?!

And then there was the earnest Sensitive Ponytail Guy who huffily informed me that since he majored in some sort of leftist environmental thing in college, I was therefore incapable of debating environmental issues with him. So, I smiled and replied that if that was the case, that he was disqualified from questioning my authority on economic and business issues, as I not only majored in econ in college, but also have an MBA. The pay wasn't the greatest, but the entertainment value there was enormous. :)

[Gabz]

I never knew the political party of either of my parents until the 92 (I think) Dem convention in NYC. My business partner and I were attending a function (he was a tobacco industry lobbyist and it was a command performance)connected with the connection and took my parents out for dinner for my father's birthday.

We were at the Palm when Bob Graham walked by and dad spoke to him. His comment - "I may not be of the same political party, but when we move to Florida I will probably vote for you"

First and only reference to political party I remember him ever making. I do remember my mother supporting Anderson, but she could not fathom anyone choosing Clinton over George Bush (41)

[NYC GOP Chick]

Yep, it sounds like another case of Latent Conservatism. :)

[tioga]

-she was another one who used to try to bury her conservative instincts. One of the other teachers at the elementary school where she taught told her that she could call herself whatever she wanted, but that she was a Republican in her beliefs, attitudes, etc.

-that's where I slowing lead in, I just nod and say they have conservative values, just haven't awoken to the fact that clintoon, gays, gun haters (whatever their personal data indicate) are on the other side of their position. When they confirm and start to hint at other areas, that's when I smile and ask them if they are ready to admit reality, the dems are not the party of the little people anymore. Then I suggest they register as republican and get it over with. -- I must be part of the clean-up crew, only there to close the deal....!

[Argh]

Barbara Olsen, a Babs I loved. From a distance, sadly...

[xsmommy]

the most effective way, Ti! good on you!