My conversation with a business owner today about the election:

[silvershadow]

Last edited Wed Sep 26, 2012, 01:00 PM - Edit history (3)

So, I rarely even get out of the house due to my medical issues. By rarely, I mean I get out about twice a month or so now, and obviously this means I don't get to see friends and acquaintances like I used to. Anyway, I stopped in a busy auto repair shop owned and operated by my friend of 30 years. He and his lovely wife are very good people, kind hearted, and *very strong Christians. We caught up on the usual casual conversation stuff (I haven't seen him now for several years, face to face. Eventually led to the election. He, his wife (who works for a Catholic hospital), and his 20-year old son are all voting Obama! He doesn't like either choice this year, but this is the deal: Obamacare will allow him to retire (he is a sole proprietor), and will allow his kids to stay on his insurance until age 26. We also talked about how his retirement will open up a job for someone else to take, and help the unemployment and the economy. While he doesn't have a big fondness for unions, he still thinks the big money boys need to bring the manufacturing jobs back here for a living wage. We talked about the R primary and he knew, like I did and many, many others that it would turn out this way. He is not happy about the choices, but he said there was no question about his choice- it was clear and obvious. 3 more votes in Indiana. Indiana people need to turn out in masses, I think we might be a sleeper state.
(on edit): By the way, Early voting starts October 8 in my county, don't know if they're all the same, but our hours are 8-4, thru noon on Nov. 5. If you can vote early, not only will you be out of the way on election day, but you will be helping to reduce the waits, delays, problems etc on election day. By all means, vote early. I can only imagine the nightmare this one might be.

[Rider3]

1. YES!!!!!!

[boobooday]

2. Almost everyone has already been helped, or know someone who has been helped

By Obamacare.

I've talked to young Moms who now have well-baby visits free of copays, and elderly women who also noticed their preventative visits no longer have copays.

And personally, I sleep better at night because of Obamacare.

[momsrule]

4. Wish I could hear more of this in NW Indiana

Glad that some Hoosiers are discerning, but here there are very few who are open to talk of politics and the upcoming election. Seems they keep this hidden and very private in some circles.

[calimary]

10. Welcome to DU, momsrule!

Maybe they're keeping it hidden because they're secretly ashamed of it - and of themselves? They know what they want to do (vote GOP) - and I'll bet deep down they know how that makes them look (racist, extremist, willfully ignorant, deluded). I'd be in hiding, too!


Glad you're here - we need your help. Let's make sure we WIN in November!





Now get to work.

[boobooday]

29. That is so Hoosier

My Mom and Dad are still there. The last time I was visiting is when I had this conversation.

I totally know what you mean about the not-talking politics rule. But it's funny, my elderly parents have started one practice that I find delightful. When their elderly friends forward them anti-Obama, racist, or otherwise stupid emails, they have been responding with a "reply-to-all." My mother likes to fire back links from Snopes and other sources. They have a mixed race grandchild, and now they never fail to respond to racist emails.

So they have their quiet ways. My mother would NEVER argue politics in public, but she is passionate in private conversations. She is also a letter writer. And overall, having grown up there, I think they have a strong resistance to anything that looks extreme, and that is what their GOP senate candidate looks like this year. It could work in the Dems favor.

I want to add that it is a huge mistake for the Dems to write off Indiana. There are huge vestiges of people who are die-hard liberals and many who could be persuaded. President Obama found that out in 2008, when he won the state that everyone thought was so red. But it has a long history of union workers, and a culture in many areas that has come from Quaker culture. So it is the birthplace of the Ku Klux Klan, but also the home of what was known as "Grand Central Station" of the Underground Railroad.

I would never give up hope on the Hoosiers. And even if they're not talking, you can be sure that many of them are listening.

[abelenkpe]

3. K&R nt

[littlemissmartypants]

5. AMBER ALERT

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021414049

[silvershadow]

7. +1 for attention

[LittleGirl]

6. Hi - waves from here, another Hoosier

I'm happy to hear this. I do think Obama will win the state again like in '08. I think that Romney has screwed up so badly that unless completely anti-Obama, will be either staying at home or voting for Obama. His speech today was really good and I think that most educated and sane people know that Romney really failed his campaign or they failed him. Either way, it's a train wreck.

Hello from Indy!

edit - for clarity. sigh

[silvershadow]

9. Hello back from just north of you a little bit

I hope so. Nothing is guaranteed this year, anywhere. Hoping to gin up some enthusiasm in Indiana.

[LittleGirl]

13. Don't forget to ask them about their voter registration

They have changed some of the boundaries since the last election.
My husband just became a citizen so when we went to the DMV to get his new license, we registered him to vote. Well, 2 months later, he still had not received notification of where to vote or his voter card. So he went on-line and he wasn't registered! He did it on-line (deadline Oct 9th) and got his card in the mail 3 days later. Cheers!

[silvershadow]

24. Thank you for the reminder. I will. Early voting starts here also on Oct. 8, btw. n/t

[NYC Liberal]

8. Terrific!

Seems formerly GOP strongholds are slowly but surely turning a bit more purple. Or even blue. Indiana, Virginia, North Carolina. Montana was pretty close last time; Obama could probably win it if he spent a little time/money there but alas 3 electoral votes isn't worth it for now.

[silvershadow]

12. I agree. I understand why, due to the electoral vote issue.

The best I can do for the President is talk among my contacts. I can tell you, everyone I am talking to is asking what is wrong with Romney. Hope this translates to actual votes.

[DerelictDeminGA]

11. This is great news

I'm hearing of (and reading about) this more and more. I guess some of the doubters are becoming less doubtful. Huzzah!

[underthematrix]

14. Very practical family

So this family may not like either prez candidate but they are going to vote for the one who is working on behalf of peeps like his family. I love PBO but I don't think you have to love him to vote for him. You just have to love your family.

[mopinko]

15. i think all but the die hard racists are coming to their senses.

you have to be truly blinded by prejudice to not see what is happening, how hard obama is TRYING to help working people.

[jaysunb]

23. bingo ! nt

[barbtries]

16. i love these stories

they give me hope.

[ErikJ]

17. Any business owner who votes Romney must be crazier than an outhouse rat

In late 2008 and early 2009 the economy was in a tailspin until Obama kicked in his stimulus.
ROmney promises to double-down on what put us in a tailspin.
The Obama campaign has to put out massive reminder ads to the millions of amnesiacs voting for Romney.

[Skittles]

18. ok

so....these "very strong Christians" dislike Obama, are "not happy" about the choices but will vote for Obama anyways because it directly benefits them.

[silvershadow]

25. They grew up totally blue-collar. Unions and all. One still is a union member I believe.

They were raised in Union households. I have no idea if they're Democrats or Republicans. The point is, if you want Obama to win, you have to be happy to have their votes, whatever there motivations are. In this case, I was sharing with you some things they like about Obama. Your attempt to make it something it very well may not be is way off the mark, with all due respect.

[Skittles]

26. sorry; they sound like hypocrites to me

I call it as I see it

[silvershadow]

27. well, I don't know why you think that. I only know of their strong Christian faith more recently

as they have matured and evolved over the years. Other than that, nothing I've stated indicates anything hypocritical. I was trying to point out in my OP that we need to go out and engage people. I did, and this is only a single contact made. I reported what I found. Here's what I got from it: Don't make any assumptions. Turns out, just because they are strong Christians doesn't mean they aren't fools. He could have said, "I don't like Obama" (which he did) and then followed with "I'm just staying home" or "I'm voting for Romney" or "I'm voting for Johnson" or whoever the heck else managed to get on the ballot. He didn't. He shared with me that he doesn't care much for the choices on the ballot, but instead of flinging mud in his eye and calling him a hypocrite (he's not I know him), I engaged him a little and fleshed out all the info I posted in my OP. I thought others would like to know about it. And, as for calling it like you see it, that's kinda like shooting from the hip I'm guessing, as you have about 2 paragraphs to work from. I have 30 years. If there's something more you'd like to know about this family I will try to share with you.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

19. Thanks to Obama, he benefitted from at least 17 different small business tax breaks!

Glad he realizes who's on his side.

[SunSeeker]

20. K&R

[CindyinIndy]

21. Great news!

From one Hoosier to another! Hope there are MANY more.

[Indykatie]

22. Another Hoosier Here in Indianapolis

I have come across a few moderate repubs at the large company I work for that defected to Obama in 2008 and are sticking with him again. By few I mean 5 or so. One now identifies as a conservative Dem but liberal in social issues. There aren't many moderates left in their party. I'm not hopeful though that we will win the State though we have a very good shot at winning Lugar's seat.

[silvershadow]

40. Hi Katie!

[Brigid]

28. Another "hi" from Indy!

We really ought to head to the IN forum and plan a DU meetup!

[silvershadow]

31. Hello!

[The Wizard]

30. Indiana was the first state

to execute a white man for killing an Indian (native American).

[silvershadow]

32. I actually did not know that. n/t

[The Wizard]

39. I read it in a Vonnegut book

Kurt was always making a Hoosier reference in his books. He was born in Indianapolis.

[silvershadow]

33. R's now see Senate race in Indiana as must-win, race a tossup:

They're pouring money in here. I just noticed the Crossroads GPS ads flooding the airwaves now, too.

now a tossup, according to WSJ:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444083304578018751816216808.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

[Voltaire]

34. Another Hello From Indianapolis

While I am not sure if Obama can repeat here in Indiana, you never know. I'm only a common-law Hoosier (my born and raised Hoosier wife gave me that title) and I agree that many voters here will not talk much politics, but they ARE paying attention.

And an Indy DU meetup is long overdue. There are many DUers in Marion County.

[Duer 157099]

35. When I hear stories like this one

I just don't understand why "he's not happy about the choices"? Sounds to me like he's very happy with his choice, whey do they have to still pretend or somethng?

[silvershadow]

36. Well to be quite honest with you, I wasn't real thrilled with the President about a couple of things

or even a few, shortly after the honeymoon was over. Then things fleshed out for me and I dropped back into the fold, where I belong. Why does it matter? Do all 300 million of us have to think alike, or something? That's twice now DU'er have focused on this nearly irrelevant (if not so) snippet of fact I could have just as easily left out of the OP. The focus of my OP is the context of the OP in it's entirety. So, now I'm curios...Why exactly do you want to know, maybe I can ask him?

[Duer 157099]

37. Many of us have been not thrilled

with what he's done since being elected. But I would bet that the things we don't like are not the same things that the right-wing doesn't like. So what are the things that your friend doesn't like about what Obama has done? Not going far enough with health care reform? Not enough tax cuts? Too much spending? Not enough spending? I just don't know what the honest reasons are anymore.

[silvershadow]

38. It doesn't matter, it's a whole different game now that we are running against somebody that

needs an MRI or CT to prove what's really going on in his head. My post was about the home stretch of this election. We should all use it wisely. I have no intention of shooting us in the foot during these final 4 weeks. Get out the vote!

[stevend56]

41. Senate is important in Indiana

I have serious doubts about Indiana going D for president...but the Senate seat can be won.

[silvershadow]

42. Yeah, I have been looking at it since I posted the OP.

I must have been on a sugar high with that. I had been hopeful for several reasons, but I have been digging (I'm not an insider, so my OP was meant to be a man-on-the-street comment) and it appears Gregg for Governor has some ground to make up against Pence, so he's not much help right now. On the plus side, I saw my first Gregg bumper sticker yesterday.