I've been phone-banking for Obama twice a week for the past few weeks and have gotten the chance to talk to a lot of my neighbors (relatively speaking--they don't live on either side of me per se, but they are local). The majority of my calls have been either supporters, whom I offer more info and a little push about early voting, undecideds, whom I also offer more info ranging from issues info to a simple, "well, I dunno if it'll change your mind, but here's why shy me is out here calling up my neighbors on behalf of Senator Obama..." and go into one of the many reasons why I think he'll make an awesome president. Occasionally, I'll get a McCain supporter, whom I thank for their time and hang up and cross off the list.
But yesterday, I got my first asshat.
I knew it would go badly when I identified myself as a volunteer with the Obama campaign and he responded with, "who kills babies?"
Oh crap, I thought, it's a wingnut. I said, "The senator's never killed a baby in his life. I imagine he'd be in jail if he did."
He then proceeded to describe in excruciating detail the whole "nightmare of partial birth abortion" and how little babies kicking their legs were cut up by heartless doctors for money while women did it for convenience--I'm sure everyone's heard the horror stories.
I told him that, gosh darn it, Obama wants to reduce abortions through providing more people health care, and more women prenatal care, and better jobs so they didn't have to feel like they couldn't afford another child.
He then proceeded to tell me that we already had the best healthcare in the world--I told him it didn't do any good if you can't pay for it.
He went through the talking points as if Fox News and John McCain were sitting right there with him--how businesses pay too much taxes and people whose 401ks have stock in Exxon should be happy when Exxon makes profits. I asked him if he filled up his tank recently and if he'd appreciate a tax break more than an Exxon millionaire.
Then he had the gall to tell me that life wasn't perfect and that some people had to suffer because they were wasteful. So I'm guessing that this crusader for the unborn really didn't give a shit about them after they came out of the womb.
Now I should have just shut the hell up, said thank you, and hung up. Or maybe not bothered with the thank you, but I'm one of those people who believes that being polite can make more of an impression than the actual content of the conversation, and that maybe someone undecided will remember that in the voting booth. Not this guy, but again, I'm one of those people who thinks maybe there's hope for everybody.
Mostly, though, I'm kicking myself for not having the right facts come to mind at the right time. Abortion is a bit of a hot button for me--it's a privacy thing, and just one of those issues where no good can come of a law about it. To my mind, I've already got accountants and actuaries making my medical decisions for me, there's just no more room for politicians or pastors. The only person allowed to lecture me on it is my dear friend who's the mother of four adopted children, and she's pro-choice (and would also like to see some streamlining of the adoption process that wouldn't nearly bankrupt people trying it).
This man lives in a world where the only people who do poorly "deserve it," and believes his good fortune is something owed him for some reason. He lives in a world where it is his right to dictate to others how they should live, but he bears no responsibility for their lives. I suspect even heaven would be a cold, dark, and tiny place for him.
Don't get me wrong, most of the people I talk to, even the ones who tell me their pastor says Obama's a terra-ist (and I forgot to ask that person who their pastor was, so that their church could start paying its fair share of taxes if it wants in on the political process), are still marginally polite and willing at least to listen. And I'm willing to talk, because at the very least, I want the polarization to just freakin' stop already.
And I was able to end my session with another, far kinder and more pleasant gentleman, who exclaimed, "Thank God it's the Democrats calling!"
Man, I so want to hear that at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
And PS, Mr. Crusader, twenty-five bucks goes to Planned Parenthood inspired by you.