just another vet

Talking with fellow citizens about BHO

One of my favorite things about being a Deaniac back in 2003-2004 was getting to meet so many different people who were as ready for change as I was. We all wanted to feel like we were part of something bigger then ourselves. And we were. We kept the country from sliding into total war mode by challenging all the lies being told to us by our elected officials. We forced the Democratic Party to acknowledge it's liberal roots, which is why you hear our candidates talking the way they do now. We the people fought back, and even though we didn't get our candidate elected we did inject reality back into the conversation.

Most of last year I wasn't on the BHO bus. I was holding out for my "dream candidate"; someone who could fit perfectly into my ever changing definition of perfection. What I failed to realize then was that it wasn't the person that I was searching for, but a message, something greater to rally around. And when I finally gave BHO a chance, what I heard was music to my ears.

So now comes the fun part, sharing his message with those around me. For me, it's easiest to talk about civic duty and unity. I try to focus on reminding people that we citizens are the real fourth branch of government, and that we are responsible for electing fellow citizens who will represent us, not divide us.

I started this past week, slipping in a little Obama-rama into conversations at work. Call it testing the waters. And I got some decent responses. People are paying attention, real attention, which is inspiring to say the least.

Some people were skeptical, which is to be expected. It's hard to care when you have been let down so many times in the past. I reminded them that we can't quit fighting for our republic because if we do there is no one else out there who will.

And it's not always about talking your candidate up. For instance, I told a very religious republican coworker that BHO was a little chuchy for me, but that I know religion is important to most Americans so I can overlook that part of him. This threw the guy for a loop because he hadn't heard a liberal ever call a Democratic candidate too religious before. I responded that I would meet religious America in the middle because saving our republic meant that much to me. By saying all this I was trying to overcome the frame of Democrats being anti-religion. Did it work? I don't know, but it did disrupt one person's perception of what a Democratic candidate represents. And with that seed maybe, just maybe, I can get the guy to give BHO a second look.

I have also been working on my parents. My father is a long time republican supporter. But he is coming around because of BHO's message of hope and duty to country. My mother wants to vote for HRC. She didn't say so directly, but I could see it in her eyes. I understand this, and I will not push the subject because I don't want to alienate her. But I will keep talking up BHO the best I can to show her why I support him.

This is how we do it, talking with those around us, sticking to our strengths. I can't talk up religion because it's not my thing, but I am sure some of you can. I can talk about duty because of my miitary background, and this gives me some street cred with people who normally wouldn't even bother to hear what I have to say.

I read the other day about the Obama mom and dads out there working other parents at the playground. Perfect! That's what we need, and that's what seems to be happening all across the country. It's like a wildfire.

Hope is as infectious as doubt. When you talk with someone and you are filled with hope, they will want that too.

We have to be a constant and consistant voice. But more importantly we have to be honest. People know when they are being fed a party line. So we have to find our best subjects and stick to them. I didn't lie about BHO's religious attributes not being my favorite part of him as a candidate, and I also made the republican rethink why he wouldn't vote for a Democrat. I chipped away at a brick in his wall. And that's all we can do individually. What really makes us powerful is when millions of us are out there every day chipping away at millions of those walls, challenging misperceptions, not letting others frame our candidate.

We can't just sit back and expect the party or the campaign to reach those around us. We know the people around us best. And we have the best chance of reaching them, of bringing them into the fold. This is how people powered politics works, one person at a time.

Posted by monkey at February 2, 2008 10:57 AM