So we're finally back in front of the 21st Century Idiot Box (the computer) after spending the day with my mom and thanking God tonight we pulled her out of West Palm Beach last May - as well as giving a lot of thought about the horror that happened in Russia. As I said - too many kids deprived of their childhood, and in too many cases, their lives.
Which makes what I experienced today seem so petty, yet it still pissed me off.
Before getting Mom, we went to one of the many weekend farmers' markets LA is known for. The one we go to has had Kerry people there for many months, first fundraising for the campaign, then registering voters became the focus after the convention. I'd always drop a ten-spot in their tin cup every week.
The Bush folks showed up with their own table about a week before the Dem convention, so I kicked up the weekly contribution to $20. There was hardly any animosity between the two tables - at the very most there was good natured ribbing, but nothing nasty.
Today, I was talking with the Kerry folks, when we were approached by a matronly grey-haired woman, sporting a Bush-Cheney sticker on her purse (of all places), who shouted, "I don't know how you people can support that jerk."
Now Kerry may be a lot of things. Veteran. Career politician. A face that's an editorial cartoonist's dream. But "jerk" doesn't really come to mind. But there it was - a judgement call by this woman who might otherwise be a very nice lady. For this moment, something set her off to become a loud cranky name-caller. And naturally, after tossing this verbal hand grenade into our group, she ran off.
I shouted something so completely forgettable at her that I can't even remember it myself. I only know it wasn't rancorous or obscene. And - naturally - since then, I've been writing responses in my head that would have been more effective - and a lot more memorable.
But the overriding fact is that this really steamed me, and I'm not sure why, considering I was dealing with such a - well, jerk. I'm not sure if she was spurred on by the Zellfire and brimstone of the convention, an overdose of Limbaugh and his son Hannity, or if she's just nothing more than an angry crazy lady. But I spent the better part of my downtime trying to analyze what would bring someone to tell us we were supporting a jerk before making a hasty departure into the crowd.
One of many things that sets our side apart from the wingnuts is that we really don't mind getting into a reasonable discussion with these people. But for the most part, they'll pull attacks like this and end the conversation before it could get past her salvo.
How do you engage these people in discourse? How do you reach them at all? I know, I know. They're not the ones we're trying to reach, and they're not worth the bother. I guess I'm bugged most by the fact that this is what politics has degenerated to.
It's been cheapened by the lopsided POV in the only two-way medium accessible by most of America - talk radio. During the era of the Fairness Doctrine, political discussion - I'm sorry for sounding codgerish here - was so much better. Liberal hosts got an earful from the right. Conservatives got an earful from the left. Call it what you want - too balanced, too structured, too whatever. At least both sides were represented, and the listener could decide. Hey...catchy slogan.
Today, we can't even BUY our way on the air for our point of view without being trashed from twelve different directions for it. Just ask MoveOn.org. Hell, just ask Air America, which had to debut by buying time on radio stations - and even that was met with brick walls.
As a result, we have a legion of Hannitized Dittoheads who think John Kerry is a "jerk," a "traitor," a "flip-flopper" and dozens of other uncontested pejoratives.
We can only hope outlets like Air America will find their way into the national playing field before November 2nd. Even then, there's absolutely no guarantee they can build a following or awareness in time to make an impact on the fencesitters.
Which makes the name-callers that much more irritating.
