My apolitical coworker said to me "Bush is an idiot" today...

[Sir Jeffrey]

totally unprovoked. We were talking about gas prices and she said "I don't know if you like him or not, but Bush is an idiot".

Silently, I cheered.

Then I started asking her some questions about the world in general. I mention this to you because she isn't very educated, doesn't pay attention to politics, and lives and works in a Red State. I think this may give you some insight into what appeals to Red Staters and why they have such strange opinions and morally incompatible beliefs.

SOme highlights:

1. She didn't even know we were planning on attacking Iran. When I told her this, her jaw dropped. She asked me what would happen with gas prices if that happened (no mention of deaths, just WHAT ABOUT MEEEEEEE?!). I told her gas would probably be between 5-6 dollars a gallon because 40% of the world's oil flows through a small waterway next to Iran. They'd shut it down. She wasn't too happy.

2. She said our troops should be brought home TOMORROW. They've been over there for long enough and it is only getting worse. She had no idea how many troops died (I told her over 2700) but she was visibly upset when I told her that between 40,000 and 100,000 Iraqis are estimated to have been killed since we went in.

3. She forgot that WMDs were the "reason" we went to war in Iraq. Completely forgot it. She thought it was because Saddam Hussein and Bin Laden attacked us on 9/11. Thank you Fox News.

4. She thought we had more troops in Afghanistan than in Iraq. She didn't believe me when I told her we had about 140,000 troops in Iraq and about 20,000 in Afghanistan. She didn't understand why that was so.

So what should this tell you? Propaganda works, but people respond to the truth when you speak it and cut through the bullshit. I suppose I was inspired by the Clinton interview. We all should be. People are pissed off right now and we need to get our message out. Clenis, either intentionally or inadvertantly, gave us our marching orders yesterday and showed us how to do it.

[babylonsister]

1. Good job on edumicating her! Now you need to encourage her

to vote! :toast:

[Sir Jeffrey]

7. One step at a time, friend...

but I'll bring it up tomorrow, m'kay?

:D

[ceile]

2. Well, it definitely sounds like there's hope for her.

It sounds like it was a positive, eye opening conversation for her.

[mazzarro]

3. Bravo! good job indeed. n/t

[nam78_two]

4. I find the "what about MEE" part of her world view the most depressing/nt

[Sir Jeffrey]

6. I did too...

but that was about as inadvertantly honest an answer as you'll get. That's one reason why I pressed the issue with her...to see what we could do to reach someone like that.

[nam78_two]

8. good that you did your bit

:toast:

[irislake]

14. In her defence

She was upset about the numbers of Iraqi dead.

[Sir Jeffrey]

16. Great minds think alike (see post 15)...AND...

Welcome to DU irislake!

:hi:

[dkofos]

5. Sounds like there is hope for her

[SammyWinstonJack]

13. She cares more about the price of gas then she does about innocent

Iranians that would be killed if pResident Warmonger decides to attack. Hope for her? I don't see that.

[Sir Jeffrey]

15. Not necessarily...

Remember there isn't much made of civilian casualties..."We don't do body counts" and all that.

I think what is more telling is that later in the conversation, when she asked me how many troops have died, she was upset. But when I told her about how many Iraqi civilians were estimated to have died, she reacted as if she had never even heard a number before.

A significant percentage of Americans are typically "me-firsters"...now at around 42% right? My point was that when you hit with the facts, and hit hard like Clenis, you break through to people like this.

[orpupilofnature57]

9. Bill owes MSM a kick in the crotch, You owe your coworker this.

http://users.tpg.com.au/users/tps-seti/baloney.html

[Sir Jeffrey]

11. If I thought she'd read it, I'd give it to her n/t

[cool user name]

22. Carl Sagan was a great man.

He's probably rolling in his grave at the situation that's going on right now.

May he rest in peace soon.

[NewJeffCT]

10. I'm guessing the gas price reaction is most people's first reaction

It's been a good part of the 10-15% swing in Bush popularity over the past year.

[sandnsea]

12. I thought it was sound bytes and rants

I recall some people saying we needed to hit hard with the facts - but others kept saying we needed sound bytes and rants and riots in the streets. :shrug:

[Sir Jeffrey]

18. Hmmm...

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article15103.htm

"President Hologram and the Triumph of Public Relations"

snip

"This is nothing new; there’s a long tradition of inflating the virtues of the “Dear Leader” while exaggerating his manliness and steely resolve. What is new, however, is selecting a character who is entirely excluded from the policy-making apparatus and then using him as a mere vehicle for ideological extremism."

My two cents: this article is spot on...it is merely coincidence that it came out today. When your enemy is better at sound bytes, rants, and propaganda in general, you don't fight your enemy on his strengths. You fight your enemy on your strengths. You're right in that a lot of people want to "out-soundbyte" the Repubs. I think that strategy is wrong given the times we live in.

Riots in the street would be just fine with me so long as nobody gets hurt, and you may see that if we go to Iran. Maybe a general strike would be better than riots. When gas is $6 a gallon, you can't afford to work. When you can't work, you have nothing to lose.

[jbonkowski]

17. If she doesn't vote...

...it doesn't matter what she thinks. Not even a little.

jim

[Ino]

19. Sure it matters what she thinks!

Maybe she'll influence someone who DOES vote. But if not, any little shift in public opinion can be the tipping point the country needs to get back on track. One more unsettled mind means a little more outrage.

[gratuitous]

20. Visual correction through application of facts

Better than prescription eyeglasses, a few facts can help someone see much clearer. Keep up the good work; stay in conversation with your coworker. Make sure she gets correctives to her shuttered world view. You don't have to beat her over the head, just like you wouldn't beat a near-sighted person over the head -- and you didn't. Good job. Stay on target.

[Sir Jeffrey]

21. ty ty n/t