GOTV: To take my mother to vote for Romney

[JackN415]

My 85-yo mother suddenly called me to ask to take her out to vote. And she would vote for Romney.

She hasn't voted for many years after her second husband passed away. He was a Reagan-era Republican. My mother is moderate and compassionate and I know that on her own, she would NOT vote for today Republican platform.

So I asked her why. Why bother while she has a hard time get in and out a car because of back injury and a host of other ailments. She does not even have enough strength and energy to go out on a short trip, to enjoy the sea, the sun, the fall weather, the scenery, etc. If she has some strength, I would rather take her out on a short trip for her enjoyment rather doing thing like voting.

She forwarded me a bunch of chained e-mails. They came from various religious groups that are parts of her social life.

The mails say that it's God's will that everyone must vote for Romney and Republican. It is a sin of negligence not to vote for them. It is an even worse sin to vote for Democrat. A vote for Democrat is a vote against Jesus and to pave the road to hell.

My mother is a devout Catholic, but not fanatical. As a former teacher who taught math and science, she just doesn't suddenly believe in any junk stuffs.

Looking deeper, the issue turns out to be abortion. My mother had miscarriage, and she generally counseled people not to have abortion. But she was not militant, and in some cases I knew, she sympathized with women who must have abortion.

What I couldn't understand is why suddenly she fell for this crap. When she was younger, before the days of Internet and blogs, she wrote critical and insightful commentaries on social and political issues, and occasionally got her letter-to-the-editor published by newspapers.

I guess that she is going through senility and losing her grasp on the intellect. Nevertheless, like the proverbial "no one is a prophet in his own land," for all my GOTV effort, I just didn't want to engage in a dialog with her why she should vote for Democrat instead. We passed the point of talking politics for over 30+ years and I was not about to restart. After asking her to confirm several times, she re-iterated her desire to vote.

I could easily refuse. But we are Democrat and we put ethics and principles above all else. We aren't into Machiavellian maneuver, voter suppression, and frauds like Republicans, hence I decided that as much as I oppose it, I would honor democracy, her desire and take her to vote.

I came to visit her and talked a little more. She said that she would vote because Democrats would encourage women to have abortion. Poor people, immoral people who get pregnant will be encouraged to abort. I was floored! I asked where this stuff came from, and she said that was what the priests and other "respected community leaders" talked at social centers for old people. These "respected community leaders," who are self-appointed "leaders" are Republican operatives that are well entrenched in her community.

I explained to her all of that was non-sense. I told her the Democratic platform does not do anything about abortion. It simply leaves the matter up to the individual. Just like what she would do, leave it up to a woman to decide. It doesn't encourage, or prevent, or even have a policy.

I told her that it is the Republican platform that tries to interfere, to prevent a woman to have abortion and if they outlaw it, women would be back in the dark age with illegal abortion and can die from it. My mother knew full well of that kind of things back in 50's or 60's.

After awhile, she finally decided to pass up this voting business. I could have tried to talk her into absentee-ballot voting for Democrat, but she was tired and I didn't want to burden her too much.

I am tracing the organizational origin of these chained e-mails, and if they are officially originated by her church, I would report them so that they would lose their tax exempt status. However, I surmise that Republican operatives infiltrating her church cleverly use the cover to do this.

Anyway, I count this as a small victory against falsehood propaganda. At least, Romney won't get a vote.

[Lex]

1. I feel your pain. A friend's elderly parent is scared to death

I mean, really truly scared, because he has read all these idiotic forwarded emails about Obama being Muslim and a Communist. It pisses me off that the elderly are being scared and worried like this for no reason.

[JackN415]

9. My mother was not as much scared as feeling being "morally" pressured. n/t

[LukeFL]

2. I am Democrat and voting to is sacred.

But Depending in the state we live, I would keep my mother waiting - or showing her some evidence -

It's obvious she wanted to vote for Romney bEcause of lies and fear. It is
Good you are going after the church or the priets. I once made a church take out a sign they had for McCain and Palin. I took a pic of the sign along with other pics showing the church, address, and went to the office and reminded them of their 501 status.

I said I was giving them two days to remove the sign- otherwise I would have contact the IRS.

They did.

[JackN415]

10. I will try to do same. These religious groups are just unbelievable.

[Michigan Alum]

20. You rock!

[TrogL]

3. Make sure the nursing home people don't steal her vote

[JackN415]

11. Good point. She still lives at home. But her occasional care giver, if politically motivated...

could have done that with absentee ballot. Now, I wonder if Republican has a concerted strategy like this?

[TrogL]

21. They do. I seem to remember it happening in 2008.

No doubt it's in their playbook.

[LiberalFighter]

23. Check to see if they track absentee ballot or early voting.

Here in Indiana we can go online and check our status for absentee or early voting.

[gateley]

4. Bless her heart. I hope you were able to put her fears to rest so she doesn't worry.

And bless your heart for being willing to help her vote even though you knew better.

[JackN415]

12. Thanks. I told her there is no such thing as "sin" associated with voting for a party.

She reads stuffs from Vatican, and she knew better that the Pope would never say such a thing. Although the Pope's position on abortion may have a strong influence on her.

Oh.. religion!!!

[dennis4868]

5. If your mom is in OHIO

KEEP HER HOME PLEASE!

[JackN415]

7. Don't worry we are in Texas and she already decided to stay home. :D n/t

[woolldog]

13. hehe

[McCamy Taylor]

6. Did you tell her they will destroy Medicare?

[JackN415]

8. No. We didn't get to that. She has a good retirement plan that covers some. :) n/t

[pnwmom]

14. Since she is Catholic, she might be interested in this video of a Mormon Temple Ceremony.

It resembles Masonic Temple rituals more than anything in Christianity.

You could also point out to her that the Mormons believe not in One God and the Holy Trinity, but in countless gods of countless planets; that Romney himself, according to his beliefs, might be on his way to becoming a god of his own little planet.

You could also talk to her about the "nuns on a bus" who went on a bus tour this summer to preach Catholic social justice, as outlined in the Bishops' letters.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/sister-simone-campbell-nun-from-the-bus-calls-gop-budget-immoral/2012/09/06/d815e19c-f867-11e1-a93b-7185e3f88849_story.html

[renate]

15. I've honestly been wondering how on earth any sane person could vote for Romney

He's so completely icky.

But he's not Obama, so all the religious leaders and wingnuts have fallen neatly into line, and have no compunction about lying to get votes from good, trusting people like your mother.

Thanks for explaining what's going on in such detail--it really does make clear how half of the country is falling for this crap.

[nobunnyclue]

16. The influence of the pulpit

... is not to be underestimated for those who expect to meet their maker soon.

I stopped going to church around the time of the Kerry - Bush election when I sat through an entire one-hour homily devoted to how a vote for any pro-choice candidate (he was careful not to actually name Kerry) was a mortal sin.

That was from a priest who had built quite a bit of credibility and trust in my mind for his prior preaching about war, justice, and society. Right in the middle of the Iraq war, this guy gets the call from Church Leadership to boost votes for Bush, and all the other Christian doctrine he had espoused goes out the window.

[GetTheRightVote]

17. It is scary what the repubs will do for a vote...

thank you for being her guiding light out of the darkness.

[LeftInTX]

18. Romney Invested in Firm that Disposed Aborted Fetuses

Since she reads chain emails etc, send her this. Even though she has decided not to vote, she will still get those chain e-mails from RWers.
It might make her feel better to know that Romney isn't squeaky clean:

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/07/romney-bain-abortion-stericycle-sec

[Michigan Alum]

19. Yep my 80 YR mother has gotten more and more crazy, thinking Obama is a Muslim due to e- mails.

She's always voted Repub though. She will also vote on her death bed if it comes to that. Here in Florida - you'd see people standing in line with walkers and oxygen hook ups. I've seen some people who seem to be pretty out of it too - it's a bit concerning. I don't think she would ask me to a ride to the polls, however, since we heated about our politics.

[whistler162]

22. Weird sense of victory

celebrating someone giving up on voting. You may not agree with her choice and try to dissuade her from voting for Romney but consider it a victory to not have someone vote!

[JackN415]

24. A victory for reason and rational decision.

She chose not to cast her vote. I left my vote blank for several Republican candidates that I do not support, but they run unopposed. Nothing wrong of not casting a vote.