"EXCUSE ME! DO YOU HAVE ANY REGRETS?"

[byronius]

says the fifty-something lady with the crazy eyes in the late model Toyota who has pulled up next to me at the light in my lovely blue, blue town of Davis.

"Uh -- not really," I reply, thinking back along my life. "About?"

"VOTING FOR THAT SOCIALIST OBAMA! HE'S A MUSLIM!" she shouts as the light turns and she pulls away. Now I get it -- my Obama '08 sticker. Usually they just tailgate on the freeway, always before they see I'm a large male and speed off -- conservatives are always cowardly if they are anything. Not this lady, though. She's going to publicly shame me for that black president thing. 'Muslim' and 'Socialist' used as epithets. Just Wow.

I turn left and then right into my driveway, where my neighbor is standing with his two kids in front of their Bernie sign. He's smiling, having heard the exchange.

In Davis. People like that don't usually don't hang out in Davis long; this town is as liberal as they come. Most everyone is smart and well-read; we get maybe two right-wing signs out of a hundred during election seasons in my neighborhood. This year, none so far. A lot of Bernie signs, though. Every block has at least three or four.

Maybe she's visiting from Kansas, I think, here to suffer through Easter with her lesbian sister and social worker brother. Maybe it's the Trump phenomenon; she now think it's okay to drive through town, come out of the dark closet and proudly shout her mental illness at strangers because -- Trump Trump Trump Trump.

In Davis! Holy cow. She must be driving around just shouting at everybody, if an Obama sticker will get her riled like that. What she must think about all the actual socialist stickers -- every other Leaf and Prius in Davis has a 'Bernie -- Because Fuck This Shit' sticker on it.

We all wish we'd had a quicker response, don't we? Mine would have been something like 'I'd like him even better if he was a Muslim Socialist, lady!"

Strange Times. Even in Blue Blue Davis.

Wow.

[narnian60]

1. How friggin' rude of her.

Sheesh.

[dorkzilla]

10. I was chased recently for the Bernie magnet on my car

Guy screaming at me about the "commie". My husband took it off my car. I feel defeated but I've not been well and I can't run that fast anymore.

But it was the second incident in a month (the other guy just gave me the finger and a thumbs down). They both happened in a community in Westchester county NY that was infamous for having a large communist contingent. Go figure.

[Lucky Luciano]

28. I grew up in Yorktown Heights - people there are pretty conservative.

The FB feed has been pretty apolitical this time around so far though - the conservatives feel like they have nowhere to turn I guess. Only one guy bashing Bernie's socialist agenda with anecdotes of friends visiting socialist Norway having to spend $90 for pizza and a couple beers. The blue collar conservatives - i.e. the ones that never left Yorktown have said almost nothing during this election though - in 2012, they were trashing the entitlement president and using fog whistles all over the place.

[dorkzilla]

33. Ha! I grew up in Yorktown too!

No one I went to school with (Lakeland) can afford to live there anymore, they all ended up north of Poughkeepsie. I never kept in touch with any, but my brother did, and they're just what you describe. The harassment I mentioned happened in Croton, even though that's where I see most of the Bernie bumper stickers. I'm betting the guys who were harassing me where from Mahopac.

[awoke_in_2003]

42. With the amount of gun nuts in this country

it doesn't pay to have stickers on your car

[dorkzilla]

47. You sound just like my husband

He said "too many guns, not worth dying over". Trump seems to have empowered these people.

[AlbertCat]

15. How friggin' NUTS of her.

Call a doctor!

[DesertFlower]

2. not very nice of her, but when

you display your political views you have to expect that. i'm in phoenix and in '08 i only saw one obama sign on a car. saw lots of McCain/Palin.

[byronius]

6. I expect it everywhere but Davis.

Maybe from a hardcore lefty angry at Obama for no public option, but that's doubtful.

Lefties usually don't try to publicly shame for positive political expression. Perhaps they should.

[virgogal]

41. Lefties certainly do publicly shame.

I live in MA and it was quite interesting around here in 2000 and 2004.

Lots of yelling at Bush supporters---bumper stickers torn off etc.

[byronius]

23. PS: I came of age in Tempe.

Fought that battle for too long; left me quite scarred. I voted in the Mecham recall election before I left.

Bad cops, bad people, bad city management, bad bad bad. I'm a little bigoted about the place, if you can't tell.

But Tucson -- Bisbee -- Flagstaff -- fine.

[Marbgd1]

30. Conditional

I drove around the PHX metro area (mostly East Valley) with an OBAMA 08 sticker from spring of that year onward. Even added the OBAMA/Biden 08 when that happened.

Not too many issues, but that might have something to do with my Veteran's license plate and the Marine Corps sticker on the back window of my pick-up next to the "muslin-comnist-athiest" magnet. Being male and of an unfriendly demeanor might be a factor.

I'll admit some trepidation as my 17-yr old drives her car ( a VERY safe European brand) around town with her (not Trump) political pick displayed. As she has already collected 2 speeding tickets, and completed a performance driving course with full marks, I'll give her odds to get away and re-assess the invulnerability (and passionate enthusiasm) of youth. Yes, she waited 3.5 hours to vote.

I don't underestimate the crazy. Here in the Valley more than 20-years and work in construction. I just deal with it when confronted.

Good luck to all.

[Rex]

3. Yes, of course! All those Marxist Muslims running around...scarrrrrrwwwyy!

Just pity the fool that says it and move on, is what I do.

[Akamai]

16. Very cute videos! Don't know how you get the cat to do that thing with its paws so often, but GREAT!

[Wounded Bear]

4. Don't know about the "Muslim" part...

but when some RWer (usually on the internets, of course) starts calling the Pres a "Socialist" my response is usually, "I wish he really was."

[SammyWinstonJack]

8. "I wish he really was"....so do I.. Go Bernie!

[Wounded Bear]

13. If more Democrats were half as "socialistic" as Faux Noise calls them...

this country would be a lot better off.

True deal.

[daleanime]

9. +1

[Akamai]

20. Wounded Bear -- You bet! I really think Obama has done a good job, but I wish he was more socialist

as well.

E.G., when he ran the first time he said that he wanted to take the cap off Social Security Taxes (FICA) and he hasn't talked much about it since, or when he said he would renegotiate trade deals such as NAFTA (and instead he is promoting TPP), or his lack of nailing the lying Wall Street people responsible for the 2008 debacle (look at Michael Moore's latest movie, "Where to Invade Next?" to see how Iceland easily solved the problem and incarcerated a HELL of a lot of miscreants [ a "miscreant" means "a lousy bastid what don't care about nobody else" -- this is a "term of art], not calling the bastids out for the 2010 elections and thereby letting the freaking Republicans make incredible inroads into the state and national elections, etc.

But really, given the incredibly implacable resistance he faced on every freaking issue [look up the "caucus room conspiracy"], Obama has done very, very well. No, very, very, very, very, very, etc. well.

Go Bernie!

[hfojvt]

5. I do

Sometimes I think Hillary would have been better in 2008. She might have fought harder than Obama did. We ended up with the stupid insurance mandate anyway, even though Obama ran on NO mandate.

Then we could be electing Obama now instead of Hillary. Bernie probably would not get traction against Obama either, so there would be no chance of Berning down the Democratic Party.

Nice of you to take a swipe at Kansas too. Where is Davis? In Californication?

[byronius]

7. Yes.

More masters degrees per capita than any city in the world except Cambridge. The best schools, the best city council, the best mayor, greenbelts, environmentalists everywhere, a ban on nuclear anything, police required to have graduate degrees --

I love this town. A lot. Raised my kids here. It's the best place I've ever lived.

[brer cat]

11. Just curious...

are there any minorities in your best of everything blue blue city?

[AlbertCat]

17. are there any minorities in your.....

Wait.

WHAT?

[elljay]

18. Your answer

Davis was 65%white in 2010. The rest is your typical California mix of ethnicities. Nice town if you can deal with the summer heat (which I cannot!)


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davis,_California

[brer cat]

43. It is interesting.

Most of the non-white population is Asian, only 2% AAs. Hispanic/Latinos are included in other races but make up about 12%. It is more diverse than some places I have known with highly-educated populations, but there seem to be few with a significant number of AAs.

[byronius]

21. Davis gets called a white enclave, and a wealthy enclave.

But I've lived all over, and this is a normal mix, all ethnicities, all income levels. It's actually part of city planning. Takes all kinds of lefties to make a Davis.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

36. wow

You are so rude

[truebluegreen]

31. Um, "either"?

[hfojvt]

38. seemed like the right word at the time

although I guess it could be taken in another way than it was meant.

it means "also" as well.

As in "we ALSO would not have all of this "feel the Bern" b.s. threatening to destroy our party - like we do now.

Bernie is gaining a fair amount of traction from the Clinton-hating wing of the party. If he was running against Obama he would not have that wind fanning the flames.

[Archae]

12. Funny thing about Socialists...

One of Milwaukee's mayors was socialist, and the first thing he did?

Closed down the "red light district" due to the rampant disease there.

The previous mayor got lots of bribes to keep it open, from local Madams and pimps.

[Akamai]

14. About a year ago, a white male yelled at me about my Obama sticker, yelling that he was the biggest

liar ever. This was in Portland near the MODA center, where Bernie's bird landed two nights ago. I waved him off and am glad I didn't respond too much. My car is a Civic Honda, a little car.

Whatta freaking jerk! I attribute his anger to the fact that he was a SKINNY white male. Now if he were chubby -- I mean STOUT -- like me, he would mellow out and listen to the real facts.

I mean Obama followed W Bush, for Spaghetti Monster's sake! Talk about freaking liars -- freaking Bush and the freaking Repubs.

I attribute the stupid beliefs of so many Americans to the almost total lack of progressive radio available to American citizens.

I sure wish progressive radio was available to all. People don't have to listen, but at least they should be given the opportunity to listen.

Go Bernie!!!

[scottie55]

27. I Love It When Righties Complain About Obama

I tell them "If you can name one thing Bush did a better job of than Obama, I will give you $20 cash right now". They look at me and always, and I mean always walk away. If I am in a bad mood, which I usually am, I say something like "You can't even defend Bush for money, what does that say?".

I have done this like 20 times.

Makes me feel good.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

39. He did a much better job at destroying countries and killing people

That's how they'll try to get the money. But they really have to sell their soul to get it.

[Akamai]

44. Wow! I am going to carry $20 in my pocket and practice your

wording. My hat is off to you!!!

Go Bernie!!

[Iwillnevergiveup]

19. Funniest thing I've read all day

"come out of the dark closet and proudly shout her mental illness at strangers because -- Trump Trump Trump Trump. "

[byronius]

22. A reference to that beating at the gas station.

Terrible video, that. That's what the guy was shouting, over and over: Trump.

He's bringing them out of dark holes everywhere.

[bluestateguy]

24. It's not patriotic to be going against the president

There was a terrorist attack and we all need rallying around our president like good Americans.

[scottie55]

29. No Matter How Many Warnings He Ignored (On Purpose)

EOM

[MisterP]

25. hey, by 1988 they were saying Ronald Reagan was a bit pink and definitely a Soviet stooge

[HassleCat]

26. Imagine her stress level.

Even if she's only visiting Davis, it must be bad. If she lives there, it must be through the roof. Surrounded by commie Muslim lovers! She probably falls on her knees every night and prays to God for some righteous smiting.

[scottie55]

32. Actually She Is A Rightie

She's praying all right, but it is not to god.....

[Rex]

34. The only regret I have is that some of my parents generation became intellectually lazy.

And voted for Reagan...best reply yet.

[SheilaT]

35. I have never put a candidate sticker on my car.

Except my own back when I ran for office.

I lived for 18 years in Kansas, although I left in 08, before it got totally crazy.

However, after 9/11, I started ordering my own stickers through Makestickers.com, and put those on my car. I've forgotten most of them, although my personal favorite was: He wasn't elected on 9/11 either.

I got some snarky remarks, but more often people stopped me to say nice things. I carried extras in the glove box and cheerfully gave them away.

Here in NM I could plaster my care with Bernie stickers (or Hillary, for that matter) and doubt I'd get anything other than a friendly wave.

What's genuinely distressing about this story is the complete ignorance displayed by that woman. It's one thing for her to not be a fan of his, to be a conservative Republican. I can pretty much respect that. But to say socialist muslim is a sad indication of the genuine lack of knowledge of so many in this country.

[MuseRider]

37. Huh,

I live in Kansas and have all my life. I bumper sticker up my car and my horse trailer and have never been yelled at. I have never heard anyone yell about Muslims or socialists or communists. We do have Phelps but that is about the extent of it, ministers with a bad attitude about gays or abortion. I had one incident when someone keyed the back of my new truck after popping off my Spaghetti Monster medal. I still have Kucinch stickers on my truck and Cindy Sheehan stickers and even one that says Frodo failed Bush has the Ring. Never have I been yelled at about any of them. I have been asked about them, maybe a funny look or two but never yelled at.

Odd how bad Kansans act outside their own state.

[Kalidurga]

40. No regrets...

Seriously who regrets a vote? We vote based on the best information we can get. And Obama was and is the best that was available. McCain, puleeze he picked a ticking time bomb for a running mate. And Mr. 47% of a brain, um no. So, while I don't agree with everything Obama has done at least Iran is still intact and we don't have to listen to Mitt's State of the disUnion.

[cry baby]

45. Davis sounds like paradise to me.......

I live in east Texas.

[byronius]

46. I was born in Bryan.

My dad was an Aggie. I have relatives in Houston, San Antonio, Austin --

Yeah. Texas. Love the weather and geography, generally fear the people, but it might just be PTSD.

My two extremely feminist liberal aunts live in Houston.