Workin' for Obama
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- ItTango
So a few friends and I decided we'd put in some time for the campaign by driving over to Valparaiso, Indiana to talk with some undecideds and get the word out about early voting.
I realize now, that I was wrapped in the "All Is Full of Love" aura of the Obama ads and beautiful open air rallies... because ringing doorbells in a place that was clearly the inspiration for the film "Deliverance" was the scariest shit I've ever done in my life!
I knocked on the door of a house with cracked windows, torn shades, a screen door with no screen or glass, cats everywhere, and a pick-up truck with no tires on the front lawn.
The woman who answered the door had no top teeth. She took one look at my Obama stuff and grunted "I'm votin' fo McCayin!" and slammed the door.
Across the street, a man in a "wife beater special" just stood on the remains of a front porch staring at me. Creepy bastard.
The whole day was like that.
I swear Obama better f*ckin' win!
- Jnr_Madison0
Good intentions versus harsh reality = scary.
- ukit0
Indiana's a scary place.
- October0
funny story. someone send it to a mom that likes to forward cute bunny pics and hopefully it'll flood the interweb.
- ItTango0
I really wanted to ask some of them "Why when you appear to have NOTHING..." but we all decided that wouldn't turn out well for us.
- SteveJobs0
We named the dog Indiana!
- +10IamND
- hahaComplexfruit
- you are named after the dog?mcLeod
- IamND0
it was prob one of those no teeth mf's banging on my door tonight looking for one of my no teeth neighbors -- ugh
i try - but i still hate them
- jonatne0
What's the point of that? Making fun of hicks?
Stating that you're obviously better than them.. And of course you are! You're an Obama supporter!
You don't want their stinky vote anyway.
- vcr0
should there not be a election thread ?, surely that if anything is important enough tobe out of the politics thread..
I cant start it because i am too unpopular !. But someone else should..
- ItTango0
Making fun is the popular thing to do, but the truth is closer to what Jnr_Madison said: "harsh reality".
When you live inside intensely Urbane environments like many of us on QBN do, it's easy to forget that just outside of your little world (especially in the US) is the town of Mayberry.
You painfully realize that logic and reason are purely optional. Time has stopped. The Civil Rights act is still up for debate, Pro Choice is just "baby killin", and interracial relationships are against God.
Joe the Plumber is about as real as Lewis Carroll's "March Hare" and yet, these are the people who spontaneously genuflect at the mention of his name.
Valparaiso is a stone's throw away from Chicago, and it's another world.
Harsh Reality.
- SigDesign0
"I was born in a small town" in Indiana... It has its scary areas, but what I've realized is... EVERY state does... Michigan has those crazy people in the thumb who went and bombed the Oklahoma Federal Building. I've even heard people on Staten Island are racist... certain areas are rough, but there are also always great parts to every state, and intelligent people living in the country as well as the city.
- zenmasterfoo0
I've been to a few of these towns myself, and you're right, some of these folks are backwater and scary. But, it an easy thing to generalize based off your one experience. You know who you want to win, we all know who you want to win and that's cool. But don't put people down just to make yourself feel better about your own choices. Remember, these are the folk Obama himself uses in his advertising. The middle America where everyone needs hope. Check yourself in the mirror before you mouth off about how other people look, or act, or choose.
Wow...apologies for the lengthy rage. Now I go to the weekly company allocations meeting. Talk about toothless jabbering.
- designbot0
Interesting, thanks for sharing.
Have any pictures?I don't know...a part of me thinks that you could argue it the other way too. The people that are not in more urban areas haven't been subjected to as much propaganda as the rest of us either....instead of people telling them "how it is" it seems to me they would be more inclined to live by what they know. They are not being bombarded with information like the rest of us either, which often times clouds issues that would otherwise be clear. To imply that someone who lives out in the sticks is any less intelligent is pretty ignorant imo (maybe I read too much into what you said) To me I really do see abortion as "baby killing" it's as clear of an issue to me as racism...which is obviously wrong. Wonder how some of us would change if we were taken out of our environment and placed somewhere else...how much our surroundings influence our beliefs. More importantly, how in the "information age" do we even discern truth.
- they don't have tv in rural areas?DrBombay
- sure, if they can get it to come in :) But that is only one source of info. I don't think it's as intrusive as other forms.designbot
- like what, radio?DrBombay
- Internet. A lot of these places are stuck on dial-up, so it isn't a very common thing. Even in my town...ismith
- megE0
i grew up in one of these towns in Ohio... good 'ole Ostrander
- SteveJobs0
so did you manage to 'reach' any of these RFD citizens, or was it mostly knock and walk?
i'm just curious, because i know many of them can be a bit reluctant to heed the proclamations of a bunch of young city fella's interested in putting a black man in office.
and yeah, i'd love to see some pics of these gun-totin', religion-havin' country bumpkins as well.
- SigDesign0
I made phone calls in WV for Obama, and heard some pretty racist people... and a bunch of really stubborn older women who weren't voting for Obama, cause he beat Clinton.
I tried to appeal to people simply by saying if you were happy with the last 8 years, then vote for McCain.
- Were they like "oh Obama....he's that black guy right?" Like that has anything to do with the election.designbot
- ItTango0
Don't get me wrong, both of my parents are from small southern towns. I actually enjoy my visits... short lived. The operative word here is "from". They left.
I think mobility has allowed people to not simply live where they can, but to live where they choose. That choice is often based on lifestyle, or the belief that a city or neighborhood is populated with 'like minded folks".
How many of us would willingly leave London or New York, even though living in either place can be a financial blood letting? A friend of mine, former CFO for Travel and Leisure magazine told me: most New Yorkers have no idea why you would ever live anywhere else. He then pointed out that most of them have never been anywhere else. But that didn't matter.
So, no. I don't believe everyone in these small towns fits the earlier descriptions. But I do believe folks choose comfortable or familiar environs.
We visited about 40 homes that day, most of them in horrible shape. Half of them with McCain signs in front even though they were listed as Undecided. Several slammed doors. Many more "get the fuck outta' here" looks. I tried to keep and open mind (obviously), but I was really disturbed by that experience.
Or maybe I just need to get out more.
- SigDesign0
Designbot, I mostly got vague "I could never vote for that guy" stuff... but another person there who was making calls for Obama said people straight up said "I could never vote for a black man."
Also... when I asked people who they were voting for, sometimes I'd get "that's none of your business." Tried to be polite and happy, and for the most part people were receptive, and sometimes I could argue with them... like one guy was like, "I think McCain would be more able to take care of terrorism." And...all I could come up with was, McCain would be more likely to use our military first and ask questions later... but that's kind of weak... it's not easy...
- DrBombay0
Terrorism in WV, these people are fucking brainwashed.
- totally... I'm fixing to get out of here... I think people watch too much Fox News...SigDesign
- lol @ "fixing"sputnik2
- Exactly my point. You're leaving. I think those who stay, probably like it just the way it is.ItTango
- WV exports its talent to other places... and I'm just a transplant...only been here 6 monthsSigDesign
- sputnik20
i've been asked by both camps who i'm voting for, and seriously, it's a very impolite question. it's like asking what religion you are, or how much money you make. i know there are very few lines left to cross in our society but i politely let them know that it's a private thing.