As a good number of my close relatives are Republican, it is, unfortunately, impossible for me to avoid them during the holidays. I make it a point to avoid talking about politics, and I don't challenge them even when they say stupid things. What can I say? For me, it's a reflex to avoid conflicts in general, but in particular with family and close friends. So we talk about important events in our lives and mutual acquaintances.
In any case, I was gratified when members of my sister's family made disparaging remarks about Sarah Palin. These Republicans are not on the side of the raving loonies. (My brother-in-law, as a fairly prominent accountant in the Baltimore area, is a pro-business Republican, and two of his three sons have followed his lead. But no one in my family finds the conservative social agenda of the GOP particularly appealing.)
But then there is my oldest friend. She is a conservative Republican. I've known her since high school. We've managed to preserve our friendship for 35 years (Has it really been that long?) despite the fact that we do not agree on politics. However, this week, during our annual visit, she admitted that she has had to reconsider some of her politics recently.
First, before I forget: HAPPY NEW YEAR! I wish good health and good fortune in 2011 to all who have come to read and comment in this New Year's Eve TC diary.
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Like many of the Republicans I know, when I consider many of her social positions, it does not make a whole lot of sense that she is a Republican. She is not rich; indeed, she is far far from being rich. She is pro-choice. She is not a racist. She is not an Evangelical, and she is distrustful of Evangelicals. Her daughter came out as a lesbian a few years ago, and my friend fully accepted her, as well as her girlfriend.
However, she is very easily swayed by emotional influence. (For example, back during the Iran-Contra scandal, she was in the thrall of Ollie North when even her husband, who was in the military at the time and is significantly more conservative than her, knew that Ollie was full of shit.) Her principal source for information is Fox News (of course), and she listens to Rush Limbaugh. She does not agree with the President's policies and believes that he is damaging the country (though not for the reasons that progressives think the same thing). But considering her opinions on abortion and other elements of the GOP's socal agenda, I had wondered how she managed to withstand the cognitive dissonance is beyond me. Recently, that cognitive dissonance has managed to fracture some of her previous conservative beliefs.
This came about due to my friend's love for literature. A few years ago, she started reading the works of William Faulkner. It occurred to her that she could include the reading of some of Faulkner's short stories in a project designed to help teach about human diversity to the students in the public middle school where she teaches. However, reading Faulkner raised question in her mind that lead her to other reading, particularly toward African American writers in general, and Toni Morrison in particular. She said that consideration of the questions raised in these books always led back to slavery. And so she began to study slavery and the civil rights movement, which caused her to reinterpret much of what she had already read.
After attending a conference on Faulkner and Morrison this past fall, she said she finally "got it," "it" being the relative situations of white and African Americans, and white privilege. She said she had previously considered herself "colorblind," but she now realizes that such a claim bespeaks lack of any consideration for cultural sensitivity. She said she now understands why Michelle Obama said "For the first time in my life, I'm proud to be an American," a statement that she had previously judged as outrageous. She said she now regrets having moved to a homogeneously white suburb, meaning that her daughter had essentially no interaction with children of other races at school.
While she still listens to Limbaugh and watches Fox News, she no longer watches Glen Beck, and she's started listening to National Public Radio. (Yeah, standards at NPR have dropped over the years, but they're still miles ahead of Fox.) It's a start. Maybe, if she could just be persuaded to perceive the racist dog-whistle slant of Fox News, she might seek other news sources. I honestly don't think she'll ever jump ship and become a Democrat, but she is at least starting to think for herself, and is less susceptible to swallowing all information from these right-wing sources. Sometimes, progress is made in small steps.
On to the comments!
From Purple Priestess:
This comment from Gooserock in Jed Lewison's front page diary about KO and Fox is both funny and true
From Seneca Doane:
From comments to my diary on Michele "The Minnesota Goofer" Bachmann slagging Gore Vidal's brilliant book "Burr," I love vets74's takedown of her here. Perfect!
From BlueJessamine:
Today was a very nice day in jotter's High Impact Diaries with some of the finest of the finest making some comments.
First up, blueyedace2 took us on a beautiful foggy winter walk . A walk which he descibed as "wonderful and intoxicating, like walking in a cloud."
Second, Eddie C shares a fitting song with us "same old lang syne"
Next up is Land of Enchantment who posted a video that "Guaranteed Laughs"
Catchy tune. After I watched it, I was singing, "stupid country, reallly dum, really dum..."
Last but not least, navajo posted several photos of her beautiful grandsons over the holidays . The second photo is probably one the most adorable photos that I've ever seen on Daily Kos.
Thank you Top Comments Crew and Happy New Year!
From belinda ridgewood:
I must doubt I'm the first to submit this thread in Bob Johnson's diary recalling the year's banned and GBCW diarists -- gladkov discloses her/his true identity, prompting a lengthy exchange bringing to mind the classic "Four Yorkshiremen" sketch. RadioGirl is revealed as a disadvantaged molybdenum miner and appropriate New Year's wishes are offered. Do not drink beverages while reading.
In fact, belinda, you were the first to submit this! smileycreek also submitted this comment. - ed.
From WiseFerret:
A gem from Addison in the GBCW from the errinF wannabe AnotherObamaGirl. Something that should be said to everyone about the beating of dead horses.
Goes for the multiple copycat diaries that seem to be a popular pastime too.
From your humble diarist:
This comment by juliewolf in indiemcemopants' recommended diary One word I think established a new standard for mixing metaphors.
Many thanks to bronte17 for wrangling Top Mojo:
Top Mojo (cskendrick/sardonyx-style) excluding search-identifiable tip jars, first diary comments, Cheers and Jeers, and various pootie/wozzle diaries::
1) The Lounge Is Open by TexDem — 81
2) Thanks you. This is important. by blue jersey mom — 80
3) Thanks For Stopping By by TexDem — 76
4) CC Is Watching by TexDem — 75
5) Happy New Year by TexDem — 74
6) Mojo Friday Wants You by TexDem — 73
7) This is not me and I'm not here by LaFeminista — 72
8) Ancient America by Ojibwa — 71
9) hAiL! by rkelley25 — 71
10) You won!!! First post by donnamarie — 69
11) I have that sinking feeling of impending doom by Poycer — 67
12) pimpage by anotherdemocrat — 67
13) Happy Mojo Friday by niteskolar — 66
14) Did you hear about the dyslexic rabbi? by Timbuk3 — 65
15) Don't forget to REC the diary by VClib — 65
16) Our hero and fellow kossack Sherry in by navajo — 65
17) Last Mojo Friday of 2010! by byteb — 64
18) I'm 99 % sure by rkelley25 — 64
19) I find this diary flippant by gladkov — 64
20) Top of the heap by donnamarie — 64
21) Happy by Jimdotz — 64
22) Tarheels Win! by TexDem — 64
23) Happy New Year!!!!!!! by VClib — 64
24) A farmer got pulled over by a state trooper... by Timbuk3 — 64
25) jotter's HID is on Rec list and we're not by TexDem — 63
26) Happy Mojo Friday by VClib — 63
27) Holiday Today by VClib — 63
28) Will my 2010 Mojo roll over tomorrow? by Mother Mags — 63
29) TexDem, on a side note, I am sorry about by beantown mom — 63
30) Even More by TexDem — 63
Top Mojo with No Exclusions:
1) Go read Burr by Seneca Doane — 255
2) Tip Jar by Poycer — 232
3) Tip Jar by indiemcemopants — 232
4) Tip Jar by GlowNZ — 194
5) Tip Jar by Bob Johnson — 189
6) Tip Jar I am exhausted by our blind by LaFeminista — 183
7) Damn elitist ivory tower liberal socialists by Edger — 164
8) Tip Jar by Ojibwa — 145
9) Tip Jar by juliewolf — 140
10) Please let me know in the comments if by navajo — 134
11) Tips for the real issues. by twigg — 128
12) Can I has fries with that? by Patric Juillet — 101
13) Mojo Mug by TexDem — 94
14) Scritchie Jar by triciawyse — 87
15) The Lounge Is Open by TexDem — 81
16) Thanks you. This is important. by blue jersey mom — 80
17) Friday Tip Jar????????????? by Bill in Portland Maine — 79
18) Tip Jar by Haole in Hawaii — 76
19) Thanks For Stopping By by TexDem — 76
20) We must all hang together.... by plf515 — 76
21) CC Is Watching by TexDem — 75
22) "All come to look for America" by Eddie C — 74
23) Happy New Year by TexDem — 74
24) Mojo Friday Wants You by TexDem — 73
25) This is not me and I'm not here by LaFeminista — 72
26) Ancient America by Ojibwa — 71
27) hAiL! by rkelley25 — 71
28) You won!!! First post by donnamarie — 69
29) Tip Jar by webranding — 67
30) pimpage by anotherdemocrat — 67