I’m getting so sick of this election. I say that every time though so I’m not sure why this time I feel so differently. I think because I was so unsure before Obama won over Clinton. I just didn’t know. I liked her but not him. I’m not saying that I was going to vote for her but I just hadn’t made up my mind yet. I also feel with all the in fighting of the democrats, it left McCain so quiet and out of the news. So it just seems lately, it’s gotten so ugly between the parties.
But that’s not really why I’m writing this. It has nothing to do with anyone’s personal choices but it’s WHY do some people just have to tell you what THEY think is right and then change the subject??? I won’t argue with her but why should she be able to talk and tell me what she wants to but I can’t??
Those of you who know me, know who I’m talking about. It’s my mom. She’ll start a conversation and tell her side of things and then the second I open my mouth, she wants to either argue with me or changes the subject. This happens almost every day right now. She told me this morning that I’ll never change her mind and I better be VERY careful who I vote for. That she is so “smart” about politics and she’s “smart” enough to vote using her own mind!!! She thinks my husband tells me what to do and who to vote for!! YES, shocking isn’t it that since I never do what Paul “tells” me to do but I’ll vote for who he tells me to! RIGHT!!! In other words, I’m to stupid to vote on my own. How insulting to me is that???
So, this morning I got more irritated than usual and started to tell my side. First of all she can’t read (not because she can’t read but she can’t see) so she does no research. She’s voted Democratic her entire life and if Fred Flintstone was running, that’s who she’d vote for. I told her she had to read and research and can’t just listen to the negative ads on TV. So then she tells me she listens to the radio and I proceed to tell her that she’s then only hearing whoever’s broad-casting’s opinion.
You know, I can understand other people’s opinions. That’s what’s great about this country. We vote for who we want to. I just feel if you want to talk politics or any other volatile subject, you should respect the person your talking to and let them give you their opinion without insults and degrading. What’s the point of that? I just get so tired of her doing that to me day after day. She’s like that about everything. You “think” you know what to say to her and even when you think you’ll be agreeing with her, she’ll flip to the opposite side she was on yesterday. I find most times I talk to her I just sit and nod, agree and boil inside. So today I tell her she only listens to what she wants to listen to, their opinions and she pops off like that. Give me a break.
Let everyone have their own opinion and if you know you disagree, agree to that or don’t bring it up.
Know anyone like this???
Us Girls..Our Views 
All too well *hugs* to you, shall we sit outside and have a beer? I’ll get old of that pigeon in the mean time oks. Mwah!
A beer with you sounds divine.
Yes I do know someone like that.HMMMMM I wonder who.
But you know what Joy she’s right you should listen to Paul because your to stupid to think for yourself.LOL
No but seriously that’s very annoying, and who ever she wants to vote for fine and same for you. That’s what makes this country so great. As far as the bashing ads that are smeared all over the tv, I can’t stand it and when Hillary was still in it that’s about all her and Obama did and now that’s all Mccain and Obama do. I probably won’t know who I’m gonna vote for till that day.
I, too, know some people like this… One is a die-hard Republican, the other votes whatever way her husband tells her. When they start bringing up politics, I just sit and pull into myself. I breathe. I become aware of my toes, that sort of thing.
But sometimes I feel like stirring the pot. Yeah, I know, not very enlightened. But fun! So I tell the absolute truth – I’m considering, as I do every election, voting Third Party. And that just sets him off like a rocket to the moon… “You’re wasting your vote! You’re throwing it away! You’re voting for the Democrats when you do that!” And it thoroughly entertains me that this man, who is so savvy in business, and considers himself so incredibly smart, is so undone by the simple logic of “I will vote FOR someone, I refuse to vote AGAINST anyone.”
Eventually, he just lets it go as a bad job. He simply cannot understand that, to me, the Constitution is far more important to me than any political party. And I’ll vote that way every time.
I got into a big argument with her Sat, Her opinion is the only way it should be because SHE is so much smarter than I am because she has been around this earth longer, I say hogwash. Everything negative about Democrats is not true, its like they are all lies I guess some people have selective hearing. Thanks for letting me vent a little.
I think after our car ride out to your house that day, she will never talk politics with us again. Hopefully!! You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. You simply can’t win with her. My brother has always voted Democrat also. All I told him is to not vote for Obama JUST because he’s a Democrat. Research both sides and then make your decision. I watched both the Democratic National Convention and the RNC. You’re right Laura, I think a lot of people are purely voting for Obama just to be voting against McCain. Like I told my brother, I don’t care who vote for but make sure you KNOW what they really have done and what they stand for. For the first time he is voting Republican, not because Jason and I do but because he has been doing his research.
I love my MIL, but lately politics has been a conversational minefield with her. She has picked her candidate based on her hatred of the sitting President (whom she blames for everything, if only because they do the same on the news – her words). She’ll actually ask me what I think, and I’ll sit and elaborate my position based on facts and research – and then she tells me I must be wrong because the commercials and news say that my position is full of lies. That they must be right because that’s their job. I tell her I was trained as an analyst, that I know how to put 2 and 2 together, and then she goes “oh.” I just think now that she doesn’t want to cope with the fact that her beloved talking heads might have their own agenda too.
In the end, she’ll vote for whomever she wants, but I feel that she needs to make an informed choice – that’s the only reason why I take her bait. She listens to me on other issues, after all.
My own mother, I’m not worried about. She’s been writing in my grandfather’s name since she was old enough to vote. She’s pretty liberal socially, but more moderate fiscally. I’m leaving her alone this cycle, because a vote for my grandfather is not a vote for Obama (she liked Hillary anyway).
Well, I got off easy here – my whole family is Republican. My sisters-in-law were dems when they got married, but at least one of them has come over (or says she has), and the other one at least knows better than to argue about it in our family gatherings!
I certainly know people who obviously believe that the IQ tests are wrong, because they are far smarter than everyone else, or at least everyone who votes for the other side. I just act dumb in their presence and leave if they go on too long. Why torture myself?
I used to work with a young woman like that. She was the dumbest person in the office, but all of a sudden when it’s about politics, she knows best. I mean, she literally took the CPA exam eight times before she finally passed. Well, one day she was going off about how stupid Bush is and how stupid anyone is that would vote for him (which included various partners, etc. sitting around her). So I made some pointed comment inviting her to affirm that she had the highest IQ in the room. She shut up and that was the last I ever heard about her politics.
Now if I could only get CNN to shut up – or get everyone here to stop tuning it in. A woman can dream, right? At least I can cuss at CNN all night long with no repercussions.
Just a quick note to say hi! I can’t wait till we have internet and cable again so I can come and actually read your blog again! I do miss it! I posted a quick update from my dads pc on my blog.. I hope you are well. Joy please feel free to email me anytime I can get emails and respond to them through my cell phone. I just cant write posts on my cell phone for some reason..
I’ve always been curious what the physical differences are in people’s brains that make them believe a particular viewpoint over another. I have no idea…but I’d love to learn more about why there are so many different views in the first place.
I’m sure a portion of it is based on personal experiences we’ve had coupled with our outside influences (media etc). But if you removed the outside influences and honestly let people form their own opinions what happens?
I think the smartest person would gather information from multiple media sources including the ones that they dislike to form an opinion that is well rounded and able to present all angles. If that person in turn tried to sway my opinion I’d be more inclined to give them pause based on their research on both sides of the issues without bias.
(I’m not sure I’ve ever met anyone to do that to me yet though 🙂
If you are going to debate, at least be informed. That is my only requirement. Be educated where you can at least speak intelligently about the issues. I hate when it gets into the name calling and just plain slurrs against each party. Grow up people! Sheesh