Mitt Romney’s 47% comment further revealed what the deep seated (rarely spoken in public) feelings of the Republican Party really are. I have news for him; in the 47% he speaks of resides a huge bloc of staunch Republicans. Even with this latest proof of contempt pointed toward them they will not change their minds. They will still methodically get up on Election Day, (probably get a ride) go down to the polls, and cast their vote for any Republican. Here’s why.
The right has an influence so great that no amount of fact or truth can breach their impenetrable consciousness. I know this because I have been trying for years to get through that force field. I like to think of this sustained effort as my adventures in right wing counter intelligence gathering.
Let me introduce you to the subject of my personal interactions and observations. She is my 78 year old mother-in-law, currently living in a spare room in my house; my daughters and I call her grandma. She receives about $11-12K per year in Social Security benefits, pays no income taxes, has Medicare, and is enrolled in Tri-Care Medical for veteran spouses. Last year grandma was diagnosed with an illness and is receiving $5-6K worth of life extending medicine monthly. These prescriptions cost ten dollars per month in copays. They are working wonders for her and we, (my wife and I) are grateful for the benefit.
She is very lucid and her mannerisms have not deviated in last ten years that I have known her. If she was not living in our home, I don't believe there is any way she could afford to be on her own.
The above description is included because she is a staunch, Fox News watching, talking point spouting, Tea Party follower. Anyone would consider her extremely poor, but yet she supports—and truly believes—the right wing propaganda machine.
My Sunday morning coffee and newspaper rituals are laced with;
• The need for more tax breaks for the wealthy Job creators
• The unions are destroying the country
• Government leaches (Medicaid, Unemployment, Welfare, and Food Stamps) abound
• President Obama is the reason for everything currently bad.
I have found these talks fascinating and I encourage her to expand upon certain points. I listen to the reasoning (calmly) and try to understand how and why she believes these things. I am both amazed and saddened that grandma has been literally turned against her own best interests by the right wing.
She does not believe that anyone speaking of the poor is referring to her. She does not think that she receives government benefits because she is not on welfare or food stamps. She does not believe she is poor because she is not living in a government poor facility (whatever that is).
Given all of the above I still love my mother-in-law, but it’s hard sometimes to be near someone who is so easily manipulated. Two days ago while talking; I told grandma that I found it sad she is supporting a party intent on reducing or repealing current social benefits.
Her reply;
“The Republicans are standing up for my benefits; it’s the Democrats that are working diligently to reduce Medicare and SS benefits”.
I sat there looking at her with my pie hole wide open, eyes as big as saucers, staring in unbelieving mute astonishment. There’s a little drool flowing out the corner of my mouth and a tear being born. Sometimes our exchanges cause me to scream really loud inside my head, thereby ensuring a headache later in the day. This was one of those times and I realized I need another outlet for my rants before my head explodes. Hence the essay you are reading.
More importantly, this is what we are up against, a profile if you will of the other side. This is a large section of that 47% Mitt was speaking of. Make no mistake most are sitting home watching that clip (like my mother-in-law) without any clue that they are included in the 47% of Americans that believe they are victims living off the government teat.
This is who goes to the polling places in the off years and votes Republican, giving them their supposed mandate to fight abortion. This is who attends tea party rallies and chants “Let the US default” and “No more spending.” This is what I have conversed with for the past four years, trying to talk facts. All my efforts at debunking right wing viral stories, creating charts, graphs showing deficits, and translating budget figures all to no avail. I am merely repeating government propaganda, President Obama’s propaganda to be precise. The only truth is at Fox News, and nothing, nothing at all can penetrate that barrier. Believe me I have tried.
What is scarier than anything else I have written is that even given all of these supposed republican gaffs and deep truths reveled, Mitt Romney will still receive almost half the votes this November. One of those will be my mother-in-laws (with me driving her), voting once again against her self-interests.
Sigh….