So my mother called to talk to me for 30 minutes about Michelle Obama's speech.

[Plaid Adder]

My mother, the 70 year old affluent white woman who hasn't worked in 30 years and lives in the state Mitt Romney used to govern when she's not relaxing at one of her two vacation homes, identifies with Michelle Obama and thinks Mitt Romney is out of touch.

I'm just sayin'.

I know we can't afford to be complacent what with the economy and the smear tactics and all the things we have come to expect from the Republicans and the media during a presidential election. But I think we're gonna win this one for the same reasons we won 2008, not the least of them being the fact that this time, all the people who vote based on who they want to have a beer with are going with our guy. Less, of course, the people who would refuse on principle to have a beer with anyone who wasn't white.

You know what, though? There were not enough racists left in the US to elect John McCain, and there will not be enough to elect Mitt Romney in 2012.

I will remember that I said this as I get more nervous watching the deadline grow nearer.

On edit: AND, can I say that it is crazy how gay marriage is now getting a shout-out in these convention speeches like it's no big deal? Their internal polling must have started showing that public opinion has finally broken with the Republicans on this one.

The Plaid Adder

[warrior1]

1. Plaid,

How do I reach my gay sister who supports the GOP no matter what. (I'm also gay) We are not rich, so what is it?

[whathehell]

3. Authoritarian upbringing?...Personality?

According to a number of "experts" on psychology and political leanings,

about 23 percent of the population (any population, I imagine) is hard-wired

for conservatism, and one of the outstanding features of most conservatives

is an authoritarian nature.

[Plaid Adder]

5. Dude, that's rough. Don't know what to tell you.

Most Log Cabin Republicans are white men who have never experienced any other form of oppression and therefore believe that if they could only tweak this minor detail in the Republican platform everything would be just hunky dory. Why any woman would stand by the Party of Legitimate Rape at this point in time is a whole other question.

Anyway. I think with someone who's that disconnected from their own self-interest, all you can do is wait for the lightbulb to go on, and then be supportive once it happens.

Good luck,

The Plaid Adder

[warrior1]

7. Thanks but

unfortunately I don't think that time will ever come. It's just something that bothers me, people who vote against their best interest based on lies the crave to believe.

[Care Acutely]

26. What lies does she crave to believe?

I think it would help to start there.

[Raster]

11. Excellent description of the Gay Republican mindset:

Most Log Cabin Republicans are white men who have never experienced any other form of oppression and therefore believe that if they could only tweak this minor detail in the Republican platform everything would be just hunky dory.

[msanthrope]

6. Encourage her to do more for the GOP...volunteer, canvass, etc....get out there and meet

her political bedfellows. It's easy to be a Republican if you aren't down in the trenches with the anti-choicers, the anti-gay marriage types, the tea baggers, and the racists.

I'm serious. I've had family members change their stance after getting a whiff of the troglodytes in the GOP.

Encourage her to meet her local Republican party members. And then give it time.

[Angry Dragon]

8. Like having forced to look in a mirror and finally see what others see

[Blue Belle]

9. Ooh. Good one.

well said.

[Plaid Adder]

10. Actually, that is a good idea.

Especially if they don't know your sister's gay, she might hear enough crap about gay people to change her mind abotu the party.

The Plaid Adder

[warrior1]

12. I'm afraid

with this President, it is because he's is black. Given all the good he is done especially for the gay community she either doesn't see it or says that they're all the same.

[msanthrope]

13. Then she shoud definitely expose herself to people who will express the view that 'all gays are the

same.' Cognitive dissonance might kick in.

[whathehell]

2. Sounds like your mother is much more in touch then Romney

She sounds cool.

And I agree with you that we will probably win this one,

but, as you said, we can't be afford complacency.

[former-republican]

4. Lets not always make it about racism

To me it's more about vision.
It's two separate visions on where our country should be or will be one day.

One is a throw back to let only the strong survive .
One is compassion for fellow man is right way to be.

that's it really in a nut shell

[iamthebandfanman]

14. I think the will of the people

is definitely on our side..

its just getting them to all go out and push that buttom or pull that lever...
thats the hard part

i tend to think, if you were to 'force' everyone to vote after being shown clear cut policy differences.. wed probably always come out on top.
while i do agree this country has become a center-right nation.. i feel its only because of alot of ignorance and apathy on the part of the american people..
its sad how few people use their right to vote .

[madrchsod]

15. there`s a lot of women across america like your mom

they can relate to michelle

[Neon2012]

16. I hope you're right.

[calimary]

17. All that other CONvention was, last week, was a crowd of people proudly and relentlessly

clinging to the wrong side of history. Looked like an indoor Klan rally. Whereas you saw EVERYBODY in the house last night. I LOVED those camera pans and random crowd shots that showed every color of the human rainbow. People have described the Dem convention as looking like what America IS. And what America looks like. Whereas last week, we had the Klan-meets-country-club crowd.

[calimary]

18. As a matter of fact, I need to add this, that I saw posted on HuffPo:

HUFFPOST SUPER USER
DANOSC
297 Fans
32 minutes ago ( 1:15 AM)
Whether you're a Republican or a Democrat, you have to agree that what we saw in tonight's coverage of the DNC is the future of America. If you're a Democrat, you can be proud, very proud at the promise of America. If you're a Republican, well, you just have to get used to it.



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/04/michelle-obama-media-reactions-dnc-speech_n_1856453.html

[noiretextatique]

19. i had to unfriend someone i knew from high school

who keeps claiming Democrats and liberals are hate-filled, and of course CONservatives are loving, wonderful people. i gave him many examples of the blatant racism displayed by GOP and its friends towards the President, his family, and liberals in general, and the embarrassingly homogeneous crowd at the GOP CONvention. then some more of his brain-dead friends piled on and claimed that i was brainwashed, just like all the 90+% african-americans who vote Democratic. i didn't bother to point out the obvious racism required to reach such a conclusion...i just unfriended the jerk. you have to have a brain to be brainwashed, and these folks seem to be missing that vital organ. indeed, the Democratic convention is a reflection of the America that IS, not the America that is a fantasy in the twisted minds of CONservative radicals.

[Kurovski]

20. K&R

I'm glad to see Plaid!

[ellisonz]

21. Perfect

There were not enough racists left in the US to elect John McCain, and there will not be enough to elect Mitt Romney in 2012.

[Honeycombe8]

22. I don't think McCain is a racist. Did you hear/watch his ans to a racist's statements about Obama...

in McCain's audience during the last Pres. campaign?

[eridani]

24. The OP didn't say McCain was a racist

She said that the critical mass of his support was from racists. Very different, IMO.

[Aristus]

23. Good to see you, Plaid Adder.

I've missed you...

[Care Acutely]

25. Sweet. k & r