A Political Discussion in Black and White w/ Poll
Sun Feb 24, 2008 at 11:09:25 AM PDT
A little information first, to set the scene.
The Northwest corner of Indiana, once a booming steel-making hub, is now an economically depressed region with no immediate prospects of decent renewal. The neighborhood in which I work, is a racially mixed area. It's located at the nexus of working poor black, white, and hispanic communities. This is a prime location for the payday loan store where I'm employed. (And, yes, I do bemoan the fact that it's a growing industry and the apparent necessity of their services mostly due to our economy. But, that's another diary...) The reason I point this out is to highlight the broad cross-section of folks I get to interact with on a daily basis and, more specifically, how I came in contact with 'Mr. Casey'. [ed - name changed for confidentiality purposes]
Details over the fold.
Mr. Casey is the manager of exclusive club situated in one of our local casino boats. His work brings him in contact with folks from all walks of life and various ethnic backgrounds, although the economic bracket of his clients is probably in the top 10%. (Michael Jordan is a member, fer cryin' out loud!) It was this similarity in our work lives that prompted some small talk about dealing with the public and which morphed into the political realm. (He mentioned quite a few well-known politicians are members, too.)
He asked 'So, who are you voting for?'. Mind you, I won't start a political discussion with a customer, but I will respond.
He said he was impressed with Hillary's experience and thinks Barack is running too soon. I'm impressed with Barack's credentials as a Constitutional professor and community organizer (for starters).
We engaged in some back-n-forth on various policies w/agreement we'd vote for whoever the Nominee is in November. He, not being as firmly pro-Clinton as I seem to be pro-Obama, appeared to hesitate in his choice when I explained that I wasn't too keen on 8 years of Bush, followed by 8 years Clinton, 8 horrible years of another Bush... do we really want possibly 8 MORE years of another Clinton? I could see the 'gears' turning. He admittedly hadn't thought of that aspect and would consider it!
Oh, and as to what made this conversation so very interesting? See, the Hillary supporter is a black man and this Barack supporter is a white woman! So much for demographics, eh? Regardless, I just thought it was encouraging that we were able to have a civil discussion about some very volatile topics and part with a better understanding of the other persons perspectives and cultures. That's progress!
As a final parting gift, I slipped him the website addy for the WexlerWantsHearings Petition to share with all his contacts at the Club. I'm pleased to say he left with a twinkle in his eye and a bounce in his step!
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