Wednesday, November 17, 2004
Other than Obama
But seriously, other than Barack Obama, what is the future of the Democratic party? We really need to figure that out, and soon, because personally, I'm getting really tired of well meaning Republicans telling me that Democrats suck, they aren't going anywhere and if I want a job I should switch parties.
Last night I got a phone call from I guy I had called to help me get a job with a Democrat, and by the end of the conversation, to put it mildly, I had been torn a new one. He asked about my "values," and then told me that Democrats were stupid, going no where, blah, blah, if I want a job I should switch parties, blah, blah - and this was the guy I called to get me connected with a new Democratic Congressman (Jim Costa of Fresno, if anyone else can help me.)
Dude on the phone: Are you for God?
India: Yes? (but not in the way that sounds, no no, stay with the easy answer.)
Dude on the phone: Are you for Country?
India: Yes (except when we do stupid shit and I contemplate moving to Canada. No, stay with the easy answer, and pout later about how Republicans abducted patriotism.
Dude on the phone: Are you for motherhood?
India: Yes. (what kind of question is th- oh. It's the abortion question. And I just answered wrong...but I was tricked. Nevermind. Abort, abort! No pun intended!)
Dude on the phone: Where do you have an ideologocial problem?
India: (I want to live in a secular state, not a Christian state, I want gay people to get married and have it recognized by our government, I'm for fiscal discipline, I'm for responsible government, I'm for people who can pronounce "nuclear") Um, my family is from Alabama, and the Republican party there is sort of crazy, and I can't in good conscious join them. (Please let that be enough, I don't want to do this.)
Dude on the phone: Like what?
India: (Damn, fair question.) Do you know who Judge Roy Moore is?
-ensuing discussion of the seperation of Church and State, and I think it's a great plan, and Dude on the Phone doesn't, and proceedes to tell me why thinking so is stupid. -
This is the part of politics I dislike. There are some issues - abortion, death penalty, party affiliation - that you really can't change someone's mind about. No matter how awesome your argument is, they're not going to buy it. So it's a waste of time. But people do this all the time. And like last night, it often comes out of the blue. On airplanes is really the worst, and it's happened to me more than once during this election cycle. (What are you studying? Political Science? Oh, I have the Best Opinion Ever, and I'm going to MAKE you agree with me! No sleeping for you!)
So, the goal of today, aside from going to Capitol Hill with 40 copies of my resume, is to write out exactly why I'm a Democrat, and why I plan to stay one for the next four years. And if the Dude on the Phone tries to tell me that fiscal discipline is actually a Republican value, because he will, I want to have numbers and % at my disposal to tell him why that is no longer true. Time to Bring It Hard. (Assistance in this project gladly appreciated.)
Last night I got a phone call from I guy I had called to help me get a job with a Democrat, and by the end of the conversation, to put it mildly, I had been torn a new one. He asked about my "values," and then told me that Democrats were stupid, going no where, blah, blah, if I want a job I should switch parties, blah, blah - and this was the guy I called to get me connected with a new Democratic Congressman (Jim Costa of Fresno, if anyone else can help me.)
Dude on the phone: Are you for God?
India: Yes? (but not in the way that sounds, no no, stay with the easy answer.)
Dude on the phone: Are you for Country?
India: Yes (except when we do stupid shit and I contemplate moving to Canada. No, stay with the easy answer, and pout later about how Republicans abducted patriotism.
Dude on the phone: Are you for motherhood?
India: Yes. (what kind of question is th- oh. It's the abortion question. And I just answered wrong...but I was tricked. Nevermind. Abort, abort! No pun intended!)
Dude on the phone: Where do you have an ideologocial problem?
India: (I want to live in a secular state, not a Christian state, I want gay people to get married and have it recognized by our government, I'm for fiscal discipline, I'm for responsible government, I'm for people who can pronounce "nuclear") Um, my family is from Alabama, and the Republican party there is sort of crazy, and I can't in good conscious join them. (Please let that be enough, I don't want to do this.)
Dude on the phone: Like what?
India: (Damn, fair question.) Do you know who Judge Roy Moore is?
-ensuing discussion of the seperation of Church and State, and I think it's a great plan, and Dude on the Phone doesn't, and proceedes to tell me why thinking so is stupid. -
This is the part of politics I dislike. There are some issues - abortion, death penalty, party affiliation - that you really can't change someone's mind about. No matter how awesome your argument is, they're not going to buy it. So it's a waste of time. But people do this all the time. And like last night, it often comes out of the blue. On airplanes is really the worst, and it's happened to me more than once during this election cycle. (What are you studying? Political Science? Oh, I have the Best Opinion Ever, and I'm going to MAKE you agree with me! No sleeping for you!)
So, the goal of today, aside from going to Capitol Hill with 40 copies of my resume, is to write out exactly why I'm a Democrat, and why I plan to stay one for the next four years. And if the Dude on the Phone tries to tell me that fiscal discipline is actually a Republican value, because he will, I want to have numbers and % at my disposal to tell him why that is no longer true. Time to Bring It Hard. (Assistance in this project gladly appreciated.)
