A Visit From My RW Relatives Last Night

[Steely_Dan]

About five years ago I remarried into a family that was definitely "right of center." I think one of the reasons my new wife was drawn to me was because I spoke a language that she was not used to hearing. A language of tolerance and inclusion. Prior to meeting me, she lived in an environment that was pretty typical of those on the right. I'm not saying that they were (are) wingnuts...far from it. However, my inclusion in this family has been interesting to say the least.

Anyway...
My step-daughter and her husband came by to pick up their two toddlers that we were babysitting. The conversation eventually got into politics. I think it was an extension of our touching on the fact that they homeschool their children. This got us on the whole public school system and then quickly into President Obama's presidency.

I must tell you that I surprised myself on how passionately critical I was of the Obama Administration. I was a strong supporter of Mr. Obama and during the campaign contributed both time and money to help him obtain the presidency. I maintained my lonely position as the only "liberal" in the family. However, it was hard for my "right" family members to deny a lot of what I was saying.

The conversation started to get a little heated as I began to express how disappointed I was that our president had (in my opinion) folded on so may issues that were important to me and to a majority of our country. I expressed that my cynicism was complete. That I would no longer trust ANY politician...they are (as most already knew) lying SOB's that have little in common with those of us struggling for justice and a sense of fair play.

It scared the hell out of me that I sounded as angry as I did. I mean, I just became unhinged at the thought that I finally tied my star to someone that I truly believed would at the very least stand on Democratic principles and not, no matter how tough the fight, betray (our) convictions.

I hated...I mean I simply hated to be placed in this position with people that I had long tried to convince of the importance of getting a Democrat into office. It was like my whole relationship with these people was undermined. This angered me more.

As I realized that I was sounding more and more like them, I desperately tried to gather whatever remaining dignity I had and stated something to the following:

I have very little in common with my RW friends. However, I KNOW where THEY are coming from. Nothing they do surprises me because I know who they are. What hurts worse is when my own party abandons the basic tenets that have made the Dems the Party of the People.

I regained my balance and made it clear that I would NEVER vote for a republican.

I'm sorry that this sounds so depressing. I'm an "old" Democrat. I pride myself on upholding what I truly believe in my soul is the "right thing to do." If that now makes me some sort of radical...then I proudly wear that badge. I refuse to be put out to pasture by those who have never known an FDR or a JFK...Their world starts with Reagan and ends in Bush...with a moderate Dem sandwiched between them. How can they even begin to understand?

I remain a man without a party...

-PLA

[Vickers]

1. Great post.

I just hope people do not interpret disappointment with the current administration as the other side being correct.

K&R

[Steely_Dan]

2. Exactly...

Now you know why it scared me so bad...I hated every minute of it.

[Morning Dew]

3. Exactly.

I'm comfy being critical or expressing disappointment here or with a few close friends.

In public, though, these lemons are tasty lemonade!

[Jackpine Radical]

4. Right. As I have commented elsewhere,

I lay out and express my problems with Obama only in certain places, and not where anything I say might be construed as an attack from the right. With pollsters, for example, I'm solidly behind Obama and think the country is on the right track.

[donheld]

22. spot on

[Gman]

5. Good post and a nice rant. And it echoes what I learned many many years ago

never fall in love with a politician. They will inevitably break your heart. One's love affair with a politician should be nothing more than "marriages of convenience", "one night stands", etc. There is not true love when it comes to a politician.

But the biggest thing when you have someone like Obama you're pissed with is that you may think he's an SOB, but he's all of our's SOB.

[Steely_Dan]

7. I Hear You...

and I understand, Gman. I'm just so angry right now. This administration has almost insured that I will not live long enough to see our country turn around.

I hate to succumb to this cynicism....I simply hate it. I have always been an optimist. It is what has allowed me to live this long. I am caught in the middle....My optimism remains. However, for the first time in my life my feelings of cynicism has gotten a foothold in my life. My equilibrium is out of balance.

-PLA

[L0oniX]

6. I am of the party of FDR.

[Fumesucker]

8. This is exactly the reason I have quit talking politics down here in my red state hell..

I talked up Dems in 2008 big time, ended up losing some friendships over it.

The reality of a Dem president turned out to be far less than I had anticipated.

Not once in my life have I been blindsided by being overly cynical, every time it was by taking people at face value. I'm going to try hard not to make that particular mistake again.

[Steely_Dan]

9. I Lost A Few Friends As Well...

Where am I to turn now....?

[NNN0LHI]

10. So you are saying the constant barrage of anti-Obama propaganda has worked on you?

Was it the Joker signs the teabaggers were carrying that did it or was it something else?

Don

[eleny]

11. No, he clearly pointed out that it's the policies of the president that disappoint him

A quote from the OP:
"I began to express how disappointed I was that our president had (in my opinion) folded on so may issues that were important to me"

[Steely_Dan]

12. I Don't See That It Is....

necessary to be so snarky. If you wish to discuss the issues, I'm here. If you feel it necessary to belittle other people and not offer a defense of you position. Well, I think you get he point.

-P

[Steely_Dan]

13. Hello...Are You There?

Do you not have the courage of your convictions?

[NNN0LHI]

14. Little edgy there ain't ya?

Sometimes people need to go take a piss.

Geebuz.

Don

[Steely_Dan]

15. Uh....Gee You Continue to Demonstrate...

an unwillingness to support you position. I'm sure that you have more than this, don't you?

-PLA

[ConservativeDemocrat]

16. Here's the thing... there's nothing to debate...

You haven't specified a single thing in your essay about what you think the President' hasn't done, aside from "folding" on unspecified things.

You haven't shown any indication that your expectations were reasonable, or that the President actually campaigned on what you want.

You don't appear to acknowledge that often, the public opinion (for better or worse) is dramatically on the other side of the position that the President is pushing for. Or that many of these things are works in progress. Or that these things you want will be stopped entirely if teabaggers show up at the polls and you do not.

So there really isn't anything to debate.

[Steely_Dan]

17. Thanks...

I actually thought that there was more than enough posts going over very specific items. I didn't realize I would have to go over each one again.

But perhaps you are right.

[mnhtnbb]

18. Disillusionment can be very depressing. Hubby had hopes that Obama

would turn out to be more progressive than expected--I had no illusions from the beginning--
and he's gotten very negative and cynical. He's practically ready for the apocalypse.

I've decided to do what I can in my little corner of the world for whatever time I have left.
How bad it's going to get--I don't know. I don't have a crystal ball.

[customerserviceguy]

19. What you are dealing with is disillusionment

The reason that McInsane lost two years ago was because his base became disillusioned with the establishment of the Republican Party. Clearly, they were dismayed about the bankster bailout, and I have a feeling that the attitudes of Dubya and McCain regarding amnesty was a pressing concern, as well.

They may simply have held off on voting at the Presidential level, or voted for a third party, or maybe even voted for Obama as a placeholder to allow them to clean up their party. We're starting to feel the same sort of thing, and I expect it will reach a fevered pitch in a few months after the midterms. The President will see people in his own party call for him to step down from running for re-election by New Year's Day.

The question is, do we jump, lemming-like, off the same cliff the GOP base did? Believe me, they're going to have their act together by 2012, and defeating the President with ANY Rethug will unite them like we've never seen.

[SoxFan]

20. .

[deaniac21]

21. Sounds like you're reelin in the years.