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Dem_4_Life

(1,765 posts)
Fri May 18, 2018, 10:25 AM May 2018

My (Libertarian/Republican) neighbor....

He can't make up his mind which "party" he belongs too and is one of those people who have guns in every room in the house. (We all know the type)

Well he mentioned the other day how much he loathes Trump and how he is scared of Pence. He doesn't think Trump should be impeached since he feels Pence will be worst.

But the good news is....he announced he will definitely be voting for Beto O'Rourke in November since he HATES Ted Cruz with such a passion!!!!

I was so happy with this small change in his thinking and super grateful for one more switched vote in November!

27 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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My (Libertarian/Republican) neighbor.... (Original Post) Dem_4_Life May 2018 OP
Small victories... Wounded Bear May 2018 #1
We are often told that we shouldn't waste effort reaching out to the wingers... Orsino May 2018 #2
It seems this feller came out of the darkness. . . DinahMoeHum May 2018 #8
It is the job of the resistance to do the work, or to ensure that it gets done... Orsino May 2018 #9
It's the job of the resistance to be there when they start complaining. . . DinahMoeHum May 2018 #11
That's a lot of waiting. Orsino May 2018 #12
I agree pick your battles and turn one vote at a time. Dem_4_Life May 2018 #16
OMG. There is hope for my state after all. efhmc May 2018 #3
OMG I know I had the same thought! Dem_4_Life May 2018 #15
Small town in central Texas with a boss hog repug county chair. efhmc May 2018 #18
I feel for you .... hang in there somewhere out there is hope Dem_4_Life May 2018 #22
Can you tell me what part of Texas you are in to complete my efhmc May 2018 #4
I am in San Antonio Dem_4_Life May 2018 #13
NobodyLikesTed Cruz.com Stallion May 2018 #5
And, yet.. Cha May 2018 #19
Ugghhh, one of those BaronChocula May 2018 #6
Fortunately for us, PatSeg May 2018 #7
Continue talking to him vlyons May 2018 #10
He is training my dog for free so we have conversations every day. Dem_4_Life May 2018 #14
No gently work with him on the gun thing. Blue_true May 2018 #17
He is the type that is scared of losing property. Dem_4_Life May 2018 #23
He doesn't sound like a gun nut. Blue_true May 2018 #25
Sounds like he's more Cha May 2018 #20
He is which is refreshing Dem_4_Life May 2018 #24
Good to hear! smirkymonkey May 2018 #21
It's s miracle! MaryMagdaline May 2018 #26
A vote is a vote jes06c May 2018 #27

Orsino

(37,428 posts)
2. We are often told that we shouldn't waste effort reaching out to the wingers...
Fri May 18, 2018, 11:52 AM
May 2018

...but this ignores the fact that majorities so often hinge on just a few voters.

We don't have to turn them all into Democrats. We can just help Trump turn some of them off from reflexively voting Republican. In many cases, he leaves us with little to do.

DinahMoeHum

(21,737 posts)
8. It seems this feller came out of the darkness. . .
Fri May 18, 2018, 01:20 PM
May 2018
. . .on his own volition.

As the NY Times' Charles Blow has said:
If you are supporting Donald Trump, you are supporting Trumpism and all that goes with it. That means that you are supporting a modus operandi that attacks people of color on every term, but keeps white supremacists safe. You are supporting Trump’s demeaning of women. You are supporting his bullying. You are supporting his corruption. You are supporting his pathological lying.

It is not the job of the resistance to drag you out of that. It is the job of the resistance only to be there when and if you tire of the darkness and crawl out into the light.


https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/09/opinion/resistance-trump-virginia-republicans.html

Orsino

(37,428 posts)
9. It is the job of the resistance to do the work, or to ensure that it gets done...
Fri May 18, 2018, 01:23 PM
May 2018

...even when it's hard or distasteful.

DinahMoeHum

(21,737 posts)
11. It's the job of the resistance to be there when they start complaining. . .
Fri May 18, 2018, 01:41 PM
May 2018

. . .and express their dissatisfaction about Trump or the GOP rep/s. That's when we step in and offer alternatives.

Let them make that first move to the left.

Orsino

(37,428 posts)
12. That's a lot of waiting.
Fri May 18, 2018, 02:36 PM
May 2018

But it doesn't matter. We are not the monolithic entity that they try to be. Some of us interact with them daily, employ them or are employed by them, are married to them or find ourselves in a position to cooperate with them. To varying degrees, we let them know that we are not the ogres the fascists say we are, and in these moments, the fascists lose ground.

Dem_4_Life

(1,765 posts)
16. I agree pick your battles and turn one vote at a time.
Fri May 18, 2018, 05:57 PM
May 2018

They won't flip and vote DEM for every race it's the important ones that matter first and then the chips will fall into place to bring us back to "normal" at least.

Dem_4_Life

(1,765 posts)
15. OMG I know I had the same thought!
Fri May 18, 2018, 05:54 PM
May 2018

Plus we have a lot of people moving here to San Antonio from California and hopefully they will help balance the scales too.

What part of Texas are you in?

efhmc

(14,709 posts)
18. Small town in central Texas with a boss hog repug county chair.
Fri May 18, 2018, 08:42 PM
May 2018

WE have added a few new Dems but all the offices in the city and county are repugs.

Dem_4_Life

(1,765 posts)
22. I feel for you .... hang in there somewhere out there is hope
Mon May 21, 2018, 01:49 PM
May 2018

Do you have Dem groups that meet every now and then? In the smaller areas I have seen if there are groups then sometimes people come out of the shadows. There are probably more than you think that are afraid to "come out" thinking they will be alone. I saw this in deep red neighborhoods that we were block walking in. Some of them would whisper.."do you know where you are?" LOL

BaronChocula

(1,457 posts)
6. Ugghhh, one of those
Fri May 18, 2018, 12:40 PM
May 2018

He'll start hating Beto once he votes for him too. Sounds like a chronic middler. Knows nothing, hates everything.

PatSeg

(46,789 posts)
7. Fortunately for us,
Fri May 18, 2018, 12:55 PM
May 2018

Ted Cruz is SO easy to hate! Nice to know there is a tad of sanity amid all the insanity.

vlyons

(10,252 posts)
10. Continue talking to him
Fri May 18, 2018, 01:26 PM
May 2018

Get him to stop watching Fox News and switch to watching MSNBC, especially Rachael and Lawrence at night. Tell him that gov regulations are also protections for workers and for the public in general. Talk to him about climate change. Just keep talking to him, because he has family and friends that he talks to.

Dem_4_Life

(1,765 posts)
14. He is training my dog for free so we have conversations every day.
Fri May 18, 2018, 05:53 PM
May 2018

He always seemed like someone who would never be resistant to change. He is not the best listener so I keep mentioning little nuggets of truth and he is starting to turn around.

He is also the neighbor that talks to everyone so hopefully he will change other people's minds as well and turn my whole block blue. (except for the people with a confederate flag outside they are hopeless)

Hopefully as a bonus I can get him to vote for Steve Kling for Texas Senate (that would be a bonus cherry on top)

Blue_true

(31,261 posts)
17. No gently work with him on the gun thing.
Fri May 18, 2018, 06:24 PM
May 2018

First just softly ask why does he keep so many guns around, without sounding judgemental. Some people are real life gun collectors, a lot are gun nuts, two different types of people.

Dem_4_Life

(1,765 posts)
23. He is the type that is scared of losing property.
Mon May 21, 2018, 01:53 PM
May 2018

He tried to bring up the gun thing thinking I would freak out and I told him well that is your right and then told him a true story about a neighbor we had in Houston who had a gun and he scared off these guys breaking in to our house when I was about 8 and then calling police. I told him there is nothing wrong with protecting your property. He was surprised and thank God he is not the type to carry it on him.

Blue_true

(31,261 posts)
25. He doesn't sound like a gun nut.
Mon May 21, 2018, 10:03 PM
May 2018

I honestly would only have security around if I were married and/or had kids around. But there are many non lethal security options available. But good for him, at least he seems halfway rational about guns.

Cha

(295,899 posts)
20. Sounds like he's more
Sat May 19, 2018, 07:33 AM
May 2018

reality based.. not soaked in fuxnoise 24/7 like all the repubs.

And, he has killer instincts about t&p.

Good job, Dem_4_Life

Must be a good dog trainer, too.

Dem_4_Life

(1,765 posts)
24. He is which is refreshing
Mon May 21, 2018, 01:55 PM
May 2018

He did admit that he has voted for Dems before in the past and that he says he is a Libertarian just because he doesn't want to say he is a Republican. So with more "coaching" he can be turned around to see the light.

He is a great dog trainer. He used to train service dogs and would take his dogs to the elementary schools to do the read to a dog program. Dogs are his passion for sure!

 

smirkymonkey

(63,221 posts)
21. Good to hear!
Sat May 19, 2018, 08:31 AM
May 2018

Although people who have that many guns kind of creep me out. I'm glad I live where I do. I don't know anybody who has any guns and I certainly never see them in public.

jes06c

(114 posts)
27. A vote is a vote
Tue May 22, 2018, 02:30 AM
May 2018

Republicans are really good at this, they definitely have a "Just win baby" mentality. A Republican voter can have a clothespin on his nose and wearing gloves when he votes, but as long as he votes, that's all they care about. I think Democrats need to have the same attitude. Your neighbor may never become a Democrat, hell he may remain a right winger for life, but if he votes FOR O'Rourke and AGAINST Cruz, that's a victory. Period.

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