My 85 y/o mother - lifelong, money-giving democrat who

[Mind_your_head]

bucked my republican father (which caused MANY arguments in the house) is "gonna stay home" ~ she's so racist and afraid of a 'black-man' as president, she won't cast her vote for Obama. She is adamant AGAINST McCain....so she won't vote for him. There is no reasonably viable 'third-party' to vote for, but her racism is THAT deep. She can't say anything bad about Obama either. When I ask her, "what do you think would happen/life would be like if a black man were elected president?" She doesn't/can't/won't answer. She just said that she's glad Obama didn't pick another black man for VP. Biden's okay. *sigh*

Just *reporting*

Hope Barack gives a magnificent speech on Thursday. Change is not always good - just look how much has changed in the past 8 years! Not many people would call that 'good'. How will Mr. Obama's "changes" HELP THE COUNTRY ~ THE WHOLE, not *me*....because if the larger "whole" benefits than *I*, as an individual can figure out how to best benefit/balance my own life/resources. If the *whole* declines, than so do we all.

M_Y_H

[Stand and Fight]

1. Yawn. n/t

[Mind_your_head]

2. Sorry to have bored you.

g'nite.

[Frances]

3. Does it matter to her that Obama's mother was white?

I have a cousin who could never vote for Obama because of his color, but she is so scatter brained that she may forget to vote anyway.

[dysfunctional press]

18. it probably sickens her on the outside...

and titillates her all the more on the inside.

[beac]

4. Wow, that must be insanely frustrating.

Well, at least she's not voting for McCain, so that's something.

Maybe remind her that his white mother and grandmother raised him? Not that that makes a bit of difference in non-racist reality, but maybe it would make a dent in her world?

[peacetalksforall]

5. I appreciate all the testimonies. I welcome learning how others think.

Ignore the rude guy.

Good luck getting through this. Thanks for posting.

[sharesunited]

6. It is a problem some white people are still having.

But I just encourage them to vote for Obama to shake things up!

If they are silly enough to think it means the end of the world, then I say appeal to their inner anarchist.

[SeattleGirl]

7. Tell her to vote for the white half of Barack.

[Mind_your_head]

10. Once we trust the black half (unjustified mistrust of that half)

it could all "be good".

[alittlelark]

8. I know 3 women in the age/race demographic you describe

Not one will vote for McCain. One may not vote, but she is a Hillary supporter and has senility issues.

[sharesunited]

9. Oh that's gonna come back to bitecha.

"...she is a Hillary supporter and has senility issues."

[alittlelark]

12. It's what it is. She is actually very sweet.

She cannot differentiate granddaughters, and is always asking 'what were we talking about'?


In defense, she was a librarian for 38 years and a strong feminist throughout her life.

[Mind_your_head]

13. My mom loves Hillary too!

Hillary has been a ground-breaker in many important ways that often/usually aren't acknowledged/realized.

Thank you Hillary!!! :-)

[The_Casual_Observer]

11. It is supposed that voters who feel that way will be offset by students

and other new voters. It's probably going to work out that way.

[TreasonousBastard]

14. Can't get away from it-- race is a still a problem in...

the US. If they haven't learned by now, it might be too late to teach them. At this point, we just have to see how it plays out. At least there are no signs of blood in the streets-- we've at least come that far.

I'm glad to have seen in my lifetime how we went from Jim Crow to a black President, but as good as that is, we still have a long way to go.

[hfojvt]

15. what about the Senate, the House, the state houses?

It's possible to vote on election day without casting a ballot for the President. Does she want those other Republicans to win?

I also spoke with an older woman who said she probably could not vote for Obama. I said I understood because I myself might not have been able to vote for Hillary. I also said it does not matter since there is a 95% chance that McCain will win Kansas anyway. She too has been a Democratic activist and donor.

She, however, did not say anything about race, only about qualifications. That might be a cover story.

Another guy was in our Democratic headquarters today saying that he had voted against George McGovern in 1972 because of the war issue. It happens.

[JDPriestly]

16. I'm hoping that Obama will define the change he is promising in

very clear terms tomorrow night.

You just can't change elderly racists. We just have to make sure that we replace every racist Democrat who stays home with two voters who are not racist and who have not previously voted.

[TexasObserver]

17. You could get a guardianship to make sure she doesn't vote.

Or, do you have a large, fluffy pillow?

[Vinca]

19. Tell her she can vote for his white half.

You might also mention we're all pink beneath our shell of skin.

[seabeyond]

20. bigots are such non thinkers. all emotion, no brain power. he will hire all blacks

i have heard that from more than one. the first few times i was surprised. well lets see, he gets in whitehouse so he will only hire blacks... so unfaaaaiiiiiir. they say this with a straight face. for 232 years white males have hired only white males.... are these people for real? ya they are, but stupid.

[Papagoose]

21. My Grandparents were Democrats

In fact, on his deathbed, my Grandfather admonished my Grandmom to always vote Democratic. Living in Philadelphia, a very Democratic town, she voted twice for Wilson Goode, a black man, for mayor. To her last day on earth, she refused to admit that she voted for "one of them". Her racism ran so deep to her core that she couldn't even accept the truth. Racism is an ugly truth - especially in older generations where people grew up being taught racism at home and in school. Combating it in the elderly seems often to be a pointless exercise.

[ColbertWatcher]

22. Does she have any interactions with African-Americans at all in her daily life?

I find it hard to believe that even in this day and age that racist people have no contact whatsoever with the targets of their hatred.

Maybe she should write him a letter, letting him know why she hates him so much.

[enough]

23. I feel for you, M_Y_H.

My parents were always far-left democrats who voted democratic in every national election, even though the candidates were too "establishment" for them. They were very progressive and active. When my mother got into her eighties, she became horribly bigoted against just about everyone -- blacks, latinos, muslims, gays. It was shocking to hear her talk. I don't know what she would have done in this election. She died last year at 87. I have come to think of that bigotry as a form of dementia. That's certainly what it was for her, but I could never figure out where it came from.

The only hope I have is that as that generation passes on, perhaps their ingrown prejudices will pass away also.