Posted on 09/17/2004 6:24:36 PM PDT by Fishtalk
This is the first vanity I have ever posted. I do have my own Blog but for reasons that will be clearer, I cannot post my perplexing missive to my Blog. Yet I am so troubled, so very troubled, I could use some feedback/input.
Begin with background. Mother in Law is visiting husband and myself this weekend. She is from Massachusetts though originally from Indiana. She's lived in Mass. for about 40 years. MIL is 75 healthy years old.
Now MIL is a liberal in that manner of gentle elderly women. She voted for Gore in the last election but she agonized over it for a long time. After 9/11, she told me she was glad that Bush was the President and not Gore.
I really like my MIL, the distance of her in Mass and her son, my husband, and myself in Delawear making such pleasant relationships with in laws a bit easier. MIL is a very nice, intelligent and civic minded lady. While she's not a political junkee like me, or her son to some extent, she takes the act of votiing seriously and does hone up on the issues before casting a ballot.
So we were driving back to the house, just me and her as husband was working. She flew in from Mass to BWI and I drove up, yes I did, from Delaware to pick her up. Husband and I, until last year, lived in Merryland. Husband got so damn sick and tired of living in liberal hells that in our early 50's we packed up and moved. Husband, and MIL's son, USED to be a liberal, as was I as a young woman with the ill-fought war in Vietnam rageing. In our middle years we have both turned vehemently conservative as the scales fell from our eyes.
So we are talking about the election and I make some comment about her home state foisting gay marriage and John Kerry on the rest of the world. "I'm not that crazy about Kerry," she said, "But I'm going to vote for him. I absolutely HATE and DESPISE President Bush."
Well I was just shocked speechless. I mean, she's a very nice lady, hand to God. But her hatred was visceral.
Now we've all talked about the kooks that hate Bush with an irrationality that defies reason. I asked her why she hated him so much, rather timidly in fact, as this was the first genuine Bush hater I'd met. Sure, I've read about them and for the record, her eldest son and my husband spend many evenings making fun of the Bush haters. In fact, I mentioned that she better not tell Billy how much she hates Bush because Billy, well he hated Bush haters,isn't this sweet? So she said if we wanted her to go home then she would.
Of course I don't want her to go home and I always enjoy her annual visit. But this Bush hatred has me taken aback and walking around softly.
"I hate him, I hate to see him on TV, I think he's arrogant, I just hate him to my bones. He sent those soldiers over there and now over a thousand of them are dead."
Now I did try to handle this politely though every fiber in my being wanted to throttle her. "Three thousand Americans died on September, 11," I said softly.
"Yeah, but Saddamn had nothing to do with that. And he had no weapons of destruction either."
Again, my heart and soul and body were screaming all the things I wanted to say. Soon both of us murmured that it was best for us to not talk politics this weekend.
We get a pizza, she visits for a while, then her son takes her to her motel. I can't wait for him to get back so I can tell him that HIS MOTHER IS A BUSH HATER!
When he came back I told him just this and I told him in no uncertain terms. "She don't know what she's talking about," was his response but his hands were shaking. Billy thinks Bush haters should be shot and spends many of his waking hours making fun of them. "I don't what they think he's done wrong. HE took the Al Queda out of Afghanistan and Saddamn, well he's a nice guy been causing the world nothing but trouble for almost twenty years," Billy will say. At least once a night he'll go to great pains to mock the Bush haters and once commented that they all should be shot.
So I have to spend the rest of this weekend with a lady who I once thought was so very nice and sweet only I'm re-thinking this. Because her irrational hatred of this President really does cause me to feel, ...well I don't know what I feel but at a minimum, uncomfortable comes to mind. Of course I have big Bush-Cheny signs in my yard and I'm glad she had to look at them when we pulled in go to hell.
And yes, I do have my own Blog which, oddly she reads all the time. I don't know, maybe she skips my Bush rants but hey, I'm quiet political and it's no secret. Obviously I can't post this missive on my Blog as, duh, she reads it! Her son, and it's a good thing, shares my political passion and idealogy. MIL tells me she doesn't think Kerry's going to win so she's going to vote for him. She says she doesn't like Kerry but hey, I don't think she knows what to think.
Should I try to even talk about this this weekend? If so, why, she can read my Blog. Voted Best Blogger in Delaware I was, big write-up in the newspaper. Okay, so there's only me and one other Blogger in Dellywear but I'm a known quantity, even by her. I certainly write tomes about the Bush haters which she could read. Why talk about it?
But how, dear God, can I pretend to have even one ounce of respect for this woman who so irrationally hates my President who, ahem, I see in a VERY different light than she does.
Have any other of you meant any genuine Bush haters? Any of them in your family? What did you do?
I'm done and I'm heartbroken.
I've had a mother-in-law (I call her Mothra, Queen of the Morons). I think that's where the problem actually starts. Don't have mothers-in-law, especially of differing political persuasions.
I can't help you my MIL is a flaming liberal.
Blood is thicker than water, and politics. Family's are not a political affiliation, but relatives that you are going to keep for more than four years...GET OVER IT!
I know you feeling. I had a friend and her mother that were over visiting last night get up and leave after I told them why Kerry was not a suitable canidate and why I was voting for Bush.
She had started out with the comment stating: "I know those staunch supporters of Bush are going to have a difficult time when John Kerry gets elected in Nov."
I ask her after that comment what is John Kerry's Platform. What is he running on that you want to elect him for?
She responded with the typical I don't care what he is running for, as long as it is not the liar Bush.
I was dumbfound. I repsonded and told her that I was not being mean, but to provide me with proof that Bush lied, and to give me specifics. at that point both my friend and her mother got up and left. with out a word. I have not heard from them yet. As for you Mother in law... If at all possible I would say avoid the politics, if you can't I guess tell her you'll agree to disagree. I do feel for you.
Euthanasia?
NeverGore :^)
It got REALLY bad in May when we were there for only 1 night, thank God. A lot of what they do they wait until he's not in the room so I try to never be alone with them.
I told him after this last visit that he either needs to tell them to cease and desist on talking politics at all or let me open up on them. He did agree he would have a 'chat' with them before we see them again.
Actually he can take the kids and visit without me, that would work out real well IMO. I don't care if I ever see them again. Thank God my family is reasonable.
Sounds to me your MIL is simply regurgitating what the MSM and her liberal friends are telling her. Thats what the situation is with hubby's family. It's all emotionally based, none of it is based in logic. It's usually a waste of time to try to argue with these types, although some like to do it. They are so narrow minded that they don't want to be confused with the facts.
Who knows? Maybe you can talk some sense into her this weekend.
MKM
Did she hear Zell Miller's speech? Same age group- different Democrat Party now.
MKM
Don't hold it against her. It's not worth it.
That's common among Bush haters - they just want anybody but Bush. They couldn't tell you one thing about Kerry's platform, but they support him. These are dangerous voters....
yeah dangerous they are, but as in my incident last night the 7 of us that were there talking about this did kinda jump them when they stated that they were Bush haters for no other reason then they thought he lied. I even preface my converstation with them that I am a register independent I arizona. (Granted I have voted republican since birth, well ok almost since birth..)
It's probably best not to say anything. Life is short & she is elderly. More trouble could come from a confrontation that could have long lasting effects. "Therefore by the grace of God go I" Signed, Dear AZ
She's 75 years old, and your mother-in-law. Best to treat her the same as you've always treated her, avoid talking politics whenever possible, and pity her on Election night.
I dunno. Being dead doesn't necessarily stop people from voting Democratic.
I know a handful of Bush haters, and they are rabid. I don't mean passionate or resolute in liberal beliefs. I mean they are snarling, wild eyed, trembling with rage, foaming at the mouth fanatics. As much as I normally enjoy rolling up my sleeves and engaging in verbal fisticuffs, I've learned to leave these types alone. They're more than simply obtuse, they're downright creepy.
What's scary is that, as lunatic fringes go, the legions of Bush hating zombies are huge. There are many people that literally think Bush is an American version of Adolph Hitler. If enough people really start buying into that kind of kookery, some will want to act on it.
She hates Bush because the MSM indoctrinates people, especially the elderly. Ask her if she watches cBS regularly...
Let it go.
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