Success! Breakthrough with my wife. [View all]

[reflection]

My wife has always leaned a little to the right. In 2008, she voted for McCain. She didn't hate Obama or anything, she just felt "safer" with someone with more experience at the helm. She also voted for W in 2000 (I know, I know) and she sat out 2004 as best I can tell.

We have one TV in the house. I'm not much for TV, but she used to like Fox News, and so it stayed on that garbage quite a bit. Toward the middle of Ws second term, the kids were getting older and were able to comprehend what people on TV were saying. It pissed me off when I saw them looking at Fox News.

I played a card I rarely play and just said "No more Fox in this house. I can't stand it anymore. It's not news, it's poison." I told her I would cancel the cable before I'd let my kids watch that nonsense. Surprisingly, she didn't put up much of a fuss. Like I said, she wasn't ridiculously right-wing or anything, she just liked Fox. I guess Fox went down easy, you know what I mean? Simple concepts, pretty people, bright colors.

For about 5 years since then, we've been getting our news from the internet and the newspaper. It's gotten quieter in the house. However, she would still joke with me from time to time about my being so dogmatic that day regarding Fox.

So... she came home from work today and started talking to me about the embassy violence. I told her Romney really stepped in it, and told her what he said about shameful apologies and such. She wasn't aware of what Romney said, only the killing itself, and was horrified that someone would say something so reckless at a delicate time like that. I said, "Let's watch some news about it. You gotta see this."

I turned the TV on MSNBC (I know, it can be Fox in reverse sometimes) and we caught the last part of the Ed Show, some guy was subbing in. He gave a very reasoned account of it and my wife was steadily getting pissed off at Romney. She said "I bet everyone's giving him hell." I replied "yeah, everyone but Fox, I'm sure Hannity will be slurping on him." She said "No way." I laughed and switched it over to Fox.

It was the last few minutes of O'Reilly. They were done talking about Romney and he had Dennis Miller on. They were slut shaming Sandra Fluke and just trashing women in general, laughing, calling her a helpless little girl, all that stuff. My wife was pissed. She saw Fluke at the DNC and really thought a lot of her.

The commercial break came on next and then Hannity started. Sure enough, Ann Coulter comes right out and the two of them launched into the most vitriolic attack of Obama. They also called the embassy's statement shameful and weak. Coulter made a crack that the people in the embassy were concerned they'd "hurt the feeling of the little Muslim darlings" and that they were taking marching orders from Obama. They cackled and laughed and talked Mitt up like he was the greatest thing ever. I watched my wife's face the whole time. She was horrified.

She turned it off and said, quote, "Oh my God, they are such hateful liars. I don't remember it being like that. When did it get that bad on Fox?" I said, "You probably won't believe me hon, but it has ALWAYS been that bad. That shit is like a siren song if you're not on guard. I couldn't let our children listen to that nonsense any longer. You get it now?" She said yes, and I could tell she was a little upset. I'm not sure she believes me completely that it was always that bad, but I do know for certain that she thinks it is now, and she'll never watch that crap again, because she said so.

I think you can get too close to something and get used to it, no matter how odious it is. Like the frog boiling slowly in the pot.. anyway, this story is poorly written, I'm kind of in a hurry, but I had to share that. Life is good at my house! I love little victories!