People telling a person why they support a particular candidate....
I would like to rant about this today. Over the weekend was in Lodo bar watching football, as I'm a big sports fan. After a few hours of sitting at this table with about 12 people thowing back a few, one of my friends who likes to pretend that he likes politics now because for allot of people,( its the in thing to do) starts up a conversation about politics. The person he started this conversation up with is an Iraq war veteran. Myself being the only one at the table who truly follows this stuff and has taken down several conservatives when debating with them, whether it be at the strip club, the bar, or at a peoples houses, tried to stay out of it, because I knew the game that was being played. One of them wanted to start an argument, because well, they like to label people. My label is "MR. POLITICAL"....lol.
So back to this Iraq vet, who I dont really know all that well. He starts ranting about how it doesnt matter who gets in, "we are all fucked". He must have said that about 10 times, among several other things that well, pretty much indicate that there is no hope for the United States, that its over. He also started talking about Obama and his tax policy. Finally, after shaking my head at him, somewhat laughing because Im trying real hard to stay out of it, I correct him on how he would benefit under the tax policy and allot of other things he was wrong about. At one point I said dude, you sound like your just watching fox and spitting their talking points!
I know I'm making this to long, so in an effort ot cut this shorter, at one point he just looked at me with frustration, and this bewildered look on his face because I knew my stuff. How may I say this,..... ummm, after all this debate it finally came down to I'm supporting this guy because he's black. For those of you who don't understand how offensive it is to have to say things ( to your own peers sometimes) that hey, my first candidate of choice was John Edwards. To have to say things like that because people do not think you have enough common since to make an informed choice. What is sad is when the race was between Hillary and Obama, people on my side of the isle treated me the same way, yes, even those who post on TPM!
It's so tough because hell yes, you take pride in a person of color having a chance to be leader of the free world if you are a person of color! To have to be ashamed of that because people will exploit it, well is just tragic if you ask me. In addition for the white people who vote for Obama because of what he stands for, things that excited you like his steadyness, campaign preparing and executing, kindness, savyness, wit, principles,...ect..ect... To be told you support him so you can feel good about yourself, well you kind of know what Im saying.
Its tough. It hurts. I just wish people would understand how that feels when your that simple minded to make such an accusation! knowone asks Lieberman or assumes that this Democrat supports McCain because he is white! Hey mainstream media, that would be the equivalant comparison! I know this is on all the talk radio shows, blogs, and such about thats its ridiculous to suggest such a thing so I give all credit.
What I'm trying say how infuriating it is when someone says it to your face and you can't even have debate about politics/policy because in their mind, you just want to vote black and not vote common sense using informed opinion. Everything you say is reduced to that stupid ignorant, strawman thought that the person with the opposing view is starting with. Its wrong, it pains, and comes from both sides of the political spectrum, yet most cases comes from the right, just a little harsher and louder!
Fyi one last thing, in the "hood", allot of people still do not trust Obama, so for those that think everything is about race, check yourself!




