I had to talk down my aunt who thought Obama was going to mess with her Medicare

[zulchzulu]

I have an aunt in St. Louis who regularly listens to Limbaugh and the other right wingers on her radio daily. I almost talked her into voting for Obama but she just couldn't do it. She still calls blacks "darkies" when I have driven her around the St. Louis area. She is otherwise a very nice person, oddly. She's 84, never been married and goes to church every Sunday.

So I gave her a call since some family news was brewing about other matters.

We talked about politics and I mentioned the Birther idiots in St. Louis recently. She thought they were "hoosiers", which is not a polite term to use with people. Basically, in the St. Louis meme, such a term is a variation of calling someone "trailer trash".

So I laughed and said that they were just plain rude, possibly plants, and certainly misinformed on the issues.

Where the conversation went awry was when she said (shockingly) what some of the idiots protesting and screaming said at town hall meetings. "Obama better not mess with my Medicare and force me into some crazy government program... I could die!", she said.

After a few minutes of hearing her talk about what her friends think (they are Republicans), I mentioned the fact that Medicare IS a government-run progam and is essentially single payer by definition. She didn't believe me. I felt bad for her that she didn't understand the basic fact that Medicare is indeed "socialist" in terms of a basic description.

After talking with her about how Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans benefits and other government-run programs are essentially working and need some work, she felt a bit relieved.

Unfortunately, I know she'll dial up Limbaugh and the Happy GOP College Dropouts tomorrow on the radio and get a drumming of lies and distortions. She's bound to turn on Fox News and hear the same dribble from the GOP arm of the media as well.

There are so many out there like her who frankly are too lazy and/or unconnected with the internet to look for their own answers to this important issue. The Republicans prey on people like her to instill fear, lies and distortion and they unfortunately eat it up since the MSM has been very driven to not upset the Big Pharma and Insurance giants that pay top dollar for ad revenue.

The worst part about all this is that the Republican Party is certainly happy to instill fear into senior citizens to propagate their lies and distortions on all the major issues. It's as though the Republican leadership enjoys being sadistic and injecting lies about the issues for their own corporate whore kickbacks and lobbyist contributions.

Will my aunt share with her friends what I told her? Frankly, it might get her in trouble and she could be accused of being a "liberal". That can make you a scorned worshipper at the next Sunday mass.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

1. It's a good thing you have so much patience. I'm afraid I don't! nt

[Wapsie B]

2. You did well explaining things to her.

But I'm afraid the minute she talks to her friends and listens to Rush all you said will be forgotten. I know many people like that who truly want to believe, but their day to day thoughts are influenced by many negative sources. That's why the gop has this disinformation push on so many fronts; talk radio, newspaper letters to the editor, Faux News, etc........They can't let people like her think for themselves and ask questions.

[zulchzulu]

6. I remember talking to her about voting for Obama

After showing her some speeches on DVD (I bought for her) and explaining how Obama would be a great President in October 2008, she basically seemed to indicate that she would vote for him.

Then she didn't. She admitted she couldn't vote for him because of his wife and because he was "for abortion".

She has her church friends her same age that are alone (either due to being spinsters or widows) that tend to gravitate toward the Catholic anti-choice garbage that probably whisper to each other Birther nonsense... since racism, homophobia and Reaganoid brainwashing are the usual mental culprits.

Let me state that she is a wonderful person despite what would seem to be a fatal flaw in a friendship. If only people like her actually listened to what Jesus was talking about... they would think the opposite of what they think now.

I still try to inform her from time to time what she needs to know. But I know she will always turn on the KMOX-AM station and get her fill of the GOP Hate Factory every day.

Call it pity on the uninformed.

[Politicalboi]

3. My mom who's 82 heard

They are going to cut Medicare by 500 million dollars. I told her that Obama is looking to cut unnecessary spending, and that she has nothing to worry about. Then she talks to my Repuke brother, and of course he tells her the opposite.

[DrToast]

7. Tell her that Republicans want to kill Medicare

If she doesn't believe you, ask her how many times she's heard them complaining about the "public option."

[sandnsea]

4. She probably goes to mass with my aunt

who I have decided not to call because I just don't want to hear it. I asked for pictures of Obama at the All-Star game because I know somebody back there has season tickets, someone always does. Crickets. From lifelong Democrats. I don't even want to know.

[zulchzulu]

5. Your aunt is in St. Louis?

It's a scary place politically.

There is so much suburban sprawl due to "white flight" there... I can't stand the place for the most part.

[sandnsea]

8. My whole family

They're spread out from St Ann to St Peters. My family "sprawled" to St Charles back in the early 1800s so at least they aren't part of the "white flight". They have always been ardent Democrats, but I never know what kind of racist spew is going to pop out. I haven't heard anything at all about Obama so I'm guessing they don't quite think he's the next JFK. And my one aunt and her daughters are always praying for the babies, so you know how that turns out. I enjoy visiting, but I've only lived in Arkansas and Mississippi so I don't really know what it would be like to live in St Louis.