I have been very outspoken in my belief that the Obama campaign doesn't need to condense the message into soundbites, but today, I had an experience that changed my mind completely. I was having morning coffee at our local diner along with some of my friends. One of them I knew was virulently anti-Obama due simply to the fact that Obama has darker skin than she does. Another one is an EMT, who I have always considered to be an intelligent person. The third is my best friend, who has always been on the fence politically.
Friend #1 started fussing at me for having an Obama bumper sticker on my car. I told her that I have no problem supporting the candidate I believe in. She got upset and asked me if I had noticed that Obama was a "N----er". I told her that she had known me long enough to know that I don't judge people based on the amount of melanin in their skin, but by their words and actions. Then she started in on the "lipstick on a pig" thing, to which I responded that McCain had used the exact same terminology in describing Clinton's healthcare plan, and had recieved virtually no flack from anyone about it. Then she asked our EMT friend who he was voting for, and he said, "I'm for Palin." I said, "Oh, great...let's just set women's rights back 100 years." All three of them looked at me funny, and I went on to tell them about how Palin, as mayor of Wasilla, had charged rape victims for their rape kits. Friend #1 said,"Well, rapists should be charged for rape kits." I said,"She was charging the victims, not the rapists." My EMT friend said, "Are you sure? That doesn't seem right." I told him it was a matter of public record and that Wasilla was the only town in Alaska where this practice was used, and that the state legislature had banned the practice specifically to prevent this from being done in Wasilla. I then went on to tell them how Palin had left the town of Wasilla $20 million in debt, even after sending a lobbyist to Washington for pork money, which she spent on building a sports complex. Even after all of this, the Emt said, "Yeah, but all Obama has done is write two books...he hasn't authored any bills or done anything notable in the Senate." When I told him how many bills Obama had authored or sponsored during his time in the Senate, he said, "Then how come the news isn't saying anything about it? All the news stations are all supporting Obama...Fox is the only one that supports the Republicans at all."
I couldn't think straight after he said that. I mean, this is a guy who is a decent person, who cares about the environment, works in a profession where he helps people in need, and is fairly intelligent, and yet, even he has bought into the Republican lies. I had to leave, because I was on the verge of blowing a gasket, which I knew wouldn't help my case for Obama at all.
I have now changed my mind regarding my belief that people in the US don't need everything condensed into "sound bites", because, apparently, this is exactly what is needed. So, mea maxima culpa to all I have disagreed with on this issue.