Folks it is time to start eroding McCain's base with our secret weapon. We'll use their family against them. You see, the demographic in which John McCain enjoys his largest margin is the one into which my parents fall. I will be 34 this year. I am the very proud father of a 3 year old son and a 2 year old daughter. When my parents look upon my children they swell with such pride that they almost swallow their own ears grinning. That's something very powerful. If you are like me and have parents who are in the age demographic that McSame is doing so well in and you also have children whom your parents just adore, then it is time to talk to your parents about the sort of a country in which you would like your children's lives to play out.
Please join me over the flip for what I think can be very helpful. (+bonus photo of damn good looking kids)
You have an advantage that nobody else has. They're your family. Obama and McCain are limited in the depth of a conversation that they can have with potential voters. So are their surrogates. So is talk radio, newspaper, or phone banking. You can say: "Mom, Dad... we need to talk about my future and your grandchildren's future. This is very important. Can we please have a conversation?"
That is just what I did. It's what my wife intends to do this week. My parents and I talked about climate change. We discussed the almost unanimity among climatologists (with actual science degrees) that we need to get serious now about it. We discussed the very real prospect of climate change drastically and negatively impacting my life to some degree and my children's lives to a far greater degree. We discussed how the GOP is clearly in the pocket of big oil. We talked about Bush and Cheney both being oil men. We talked about Palin who's husband is a big oil man, wants to build the pipe line and "drill baby drill". We agreed it's clear that the GOP isn't going to take renewable energy seriously ever.
At this point in the conversation I saw an opening. I opened a discussion with them about Barack Obama's plan to get us off of foreign oil completely within 10 years. I told them that his plan not only addressed climate change, but that it was good for national security and the economy as well. That basic argument is as follows:
This one is a big seller in that it addresses 3 birds with one stone:
National Security - Every time you buy gas you are sending money to a portion of the world that hates us. My children are 2 and 3. If we are off of foreign oil in 10 years then that portion of the world will not have the resources to cause strife in my children's adult life. My son has to sign up for selective service eventually you know.
Climate Change - This one is pretty obvious. Climatologists are almost unanimous in the assessment that we need to get serious now or it's too late. Our children could see world wide resource wars as sea levels rise and swallow up farming and grazing land around the world. That's not my opinion. That's the Pentagon's assessment.
Economy - Getting serious about renewable energy means the creation on good jobs that cannot be sent overseas. There will be jobs manufacturing components, jobs installing components, jobs maintaining the machinery, and jobs building infrastructure. Barring the use of one really really long extension cord, those jobs cannot be sent to India or China. If americans come up with the solutions, copyright them and then make the technology available on the international market, this country could become a worldwide leader in trade once again.
I used the energy argument because I knew it suits my parents way of thinking well and it is relevant to my children's future. I am not saying that's got to be the best argument for your parents. To the contrary, I say that's part of the beauty of you as a secret weapon against McSame's base. You know what will work better then anyone else. They're more inclined to have a real conversation with you than anyone else.
I talk to my parents about how this election will determine a great deal of that which will define my children's lives. I talk to them about which direction things are headed compared to what is clearly possible and undoubtably much better. I talk to them about how much it could mean to their grandchildren should they be brave enough to vote their hopes instead of her fears. I reminded them of how many times they told me as I was growing up that they "only wanted the best for me" and I asked them to please back that up with action and vote based on hopes for the best.
My parents have promised to vote for Barack Obama. I don't know if yours will, but shouldn't you at least have the conversation? I mean a sit down at the table and talk to them in the way that you would during a family crises conversation. This is that serious. If they won't promise to vote for Obama, try to get them to promise not to vote for McCain. If they won't do that, ask them not to contribute any money to him. Even just get them to agree not to forward out shit headed viral emails on his behalf.
Obviously the most important things for our side right now are to win more voters and to GOTV, but eroding even the littlest bit of McCain's base helps too.
Peace,
Daddy
as promised