Red Grandma Blues: Readers Respond (with Great Ideas!)

On Tuesday we told you about Claire, who is trying to swing her 94-year-old Grandmother from a red Reagan Republican to a born-again blue voter. We asked you for your advice on how to "swing" fence-sitting friends and family around the country. Both at Pinko Magazine and here at OffTheBus we received so many great responses, ranging from anecdotes and proposed strategies to inspiring success stories. To all of you except that angry commenter who seriously hates Jimmy Carter, thank you!

Here were some of the most interesting suggestions:

CHANNEL KARL ROVE

Rovian tactics worked for Bush. Can they work for beleaguered lefties trying to swing their relatives?

* Over at Pinko, our friend Sandy went after a friend in Ohio hard, invoking a doomsday scenario with suicide bombings in the Middle East, the president stuck airborne on Air Force One, and the Vice-President running the situation room. "Who do you want in that room," he wrote, "Biden or Palin?" (We vote Morgan Freeman.)

* OTB reader LK chose to guilt her aunt from beyond. After trying to make a case on the issues, LK "[was forced] to tell her that her mother (my sister) would rise up out of the grave and smack her upside the head if she voted for McCain/Palin. This may not have helped to convince her since she is surrounded by conservatives and racists, but it made me feel better."

Pinko commenter Craig proposed cutting our losses and inducing a heart attack, which neither Pinko nor Huffington Post (or Claire's grandmother!) can endorse.

FORWARD THEM A STRANGE BEDFELLOW ENDORSEMENT

* Norma wrote that she was despondent her sister might vote McCain until she sent her the transcript of neo-con Ken Adelman endorsing Obama. "If he doesn't think McCain should be president because of his choice of Palin, she feels she has to agree!"

* A number of readers urged people to send fence-sitters the seven minute statement Colin Powell made on Meet the Press. "It's logical, eloquent, moving," said commenter WVMCL, "I don't think it would be possible to make the case for Obama better than Powell did."

* A lot of people suggested sending the Christopher Hitchens endorsement. Personally I don't have a lot of patience for Hitchens, but if that's what it takes, fine.

Some people instead plugged celebrity endorsements. Eastcoast1103 plied her relatives with everything from an Eve Ensler testimonial to sending interviews with Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel. Did it work on her brother? "It'll take more than aging rockers to get me to change my vote" he told her. Ouch. No movement there yet.

UHM ... REMIND PEOPLE HE'S HALF WHITE?

Huh. This came up a few times, some printable ... some not so much. But if we're in a do-whatever-it-takes election than maybe. (?) Mike made an interesting case:

I am 55 and from north Alabama, growing up in the George Wallace - MLK march years. My mom is 79 and at first when anyone mentioned Barack Obama she went a little goofy eyed, and said "I can't vote for a BLACK guy. We'll be going back to slavery and this time the blacks will be in charge!"

So I said "Mom, look at it this way. Barack is also white, if that matters. Imagine that white grandmother and if you were her. Your daughter comes to you and says I met this terrific man, and we are going to get married. He is a very smart man, with a lot of promise, but mom, he is from Kenya. And there is a baby boy. He is your grandson ... throughout your life you and your husband teach him all the important values you share ... Then, through his own vision and principles, early in adulthood, he breaks through one barrier after another to become the candidate for President of the United States. Would you then be able accept it one of your friends told you they wouldn't vote for your grandson because of the color of his skin?"

When we went to the polls in Florida on monday, mom voted for Obama

Well put! Vote again! (Don't vote again.)

BE REALLY EARNEST AND WONKY

This was a recurring theme at Pinko and OffTheBus. No gimmicks; no games. Lay out the facts and be polite.

* Jamie sent his Aunt Gwen in Santa Fe a very long, but very organized email broken into sections: character, Character; personal background; management style; etc.

* A few people mentioned The Talk, which is the Obama Campaign's official talking points to help people have "the talk" with their family members. I will spend some time on this in a later post but it's linked here and has been a good starting point for a few of you.

* Tomiko sent a calm, respectful email to his friends linking to The New Yorker endorsement and to politifact.org, so they could fact check the completely true, right? Obama-headed-to-Hawaii-to-destroy-evidence-he's-a-secret-Muslim smears for themselves. His email was smart and short.

* Commenter NancyOk is being bold, hitting "Reply All" on those crazy, Obama is a muslim emails. "Have I gotten a few hateful responses in my inbox...sure. But I've also gotten back 8 that have thanked me ... strangers in Missouri who have said my response really made them question all this nonsense they'd been getting.

The saddest email we got? A commenter whose parents had died. "I would have loved to discuss this election with my elderly parents as they were lifelong Republicans. They lived in Tucson, Arizona, but unfortunately they committed suicide together three months after 9/11, convinced that the country was about to be taken over by Islam."

Yes We Can!

The best thing about this entire project has been hearing from people who took the time to talk to their families about voting Republican and succeeded. From OfftheBus Reader Ellie:

My dad and his new wife live in Florida. He's a life-long Republican and has never cast a vote for a Democrat in his life. During my growing up years, we've had more than a few discussions where he would try to bait me with his semi-racist rhetoric. When we were very little, it was a huge moment when my dad allowed us to watch Bill Cosby on television. Even bigger when he bought the album. Now that my mom is gone (a closet Liberal) my dad has softened on all issues of race and wealth. He hears me tell him the heartbreaking stories of the children I work with in our poorest school in Maryland... Over time, I talked to him about the environment, about big oil and McCain's ties to W and big oil. He agreed. On September 20, 2008 my dad brought me to tears when he told me he was voting Democrat for the first time in his life. I was stunned. "You know Dad, so many people say they won't vote for a black man. What do you think about that?" My dad said, "Who gives a crap about the color of his skin? My doctor is black and he's a darn good doctor."

There was a Cosby Show album? We got this response from Barbara, an Obama supporter whose mother, a "lifelong blue collar Democrat" but die-hard Hillary supporter was leaning towards McCain.

I asked her to take a walk down memory lane as she had taken me on many times during my life when she discussed the transformative FDR administration that "saved this country". I also asked her to ask herself why she really questions Obama's patriotism and commitment to her and other blue collar white folks. Was it merely his odd name and fear of him being "Muslim? and an Arab?" And finally when I asked the ultimate question: whose philosophy and policies were closer to her hero FDR: Obama or McCain? After careful thought and some snide asides, she agreed it was Obama. "For the sake of the country I guess I have to go with the lesser of two evils. " The moral of the story is: Good people need to be reminded of who they really are at heart. We are better than the hate baiting Republicans think. (at least my Mom is)

After the jump over at Pinko (where we have a jump!) I'll publish some of these emails in full. More ideas? We'll be publishing the best right up through Election Morning. Write them up, and send them to [e-mail] with "Swinging Grandma" in the subject-line. And keep at it!

Comments

[planetjeffy]

I ask people who won't vote for Obama and dislike Bush, if they've heard of the Republican boycott of the election to protest the Republican's choice of McCain as a candidate. I tell them it's ok not to vote for Obama and it's also ok to stay home on election day.

[hollace]

I am a Canadian who has been talking to American freinds for 2 years if not more about what Canadians love about Barak Obama. We saw him at the dem. conv...and that is all we talked about for hours the next day. Bush had a profound effect on many of us who feel war affects the whole world,..my point is i am having no luck with two freinds from Miami. Need Help..need Latin fact check address or web site...sos

[dancingtortuga]

My dad did 28 years in the Navy and kept telling me "He's (McCain) a Navy man. I'm voting for him. " I brought up his voting record on veterans issues and he didn't budge. I talked about Palin. Nothing. I asked him if he he cared at all about his grandchildrens' education. He said "If Palin is in charge then they'll only need to learn the bible and they can ride dinosaurs to school." He can be funny when he's not being exasperating. I finally got him with "You know mom is voting for McCain." Yes, I pulled the crazy ex-wife card.

[badmama3]

I've convinced my mom, my dad, my sister and my husband, all of whom always vote republican. It really wasn't that hard - just remind them there is a very good chance Palin could wind up in charge....

[ladydriver]

My favorite lines:

"He's actually a Christian, just like me."

"Do you make under $250,000 a year?" If yes, "He's going to put more money in your pocket." If no, "All he's doing is letting Bush's tempory taxcuts expire, which will put your taxes back up the 3% they were before. Were you doing okay without that 3% before?" (I don't run into too many people that say "no".)

"Do you realize that Obama wants to do away with income taxes for seniors making under $50,000 a year?" That's somethings that people who only listen to FOX or the RNC talking points don't get to hear.

When confronted with someone who says they don't know about voting for a black candidate, I ask them, "And, just how well do you think the 'white guys' have doing running things these last eight years?"

[SharonAustinTX]

I would ask anyone if they were drowning, and a black man offered his hand to save them, would they chose to be saved or drown?

Common sense.

[ladydriver]

Whoa! Good one!

[Pdubya]

I typically aske them what issue is of most concern to them. Its usually the economy or the war, but sometimes healthcare or civil liberties. Its almost always one or two of those four.

Then I point out McCain's record on them and then Obama's record on them. Then they ask.....huh, they voted the same?

I then demonstrate through the votes on Iraq funding, Patriot Act, Military Commissions Act, imperialistic foreign policy, FISA, not challenging the Fed, or the Bailout that they may consider voting on principle.

I then point out statistics of voter ballots counted for third party has risen in the last 6 elections. Sometimes I turn a few given that the left and right of the independent tickets agree on the policies above from a constitutional standpoint: end the fed, process change, restore civil liberties, practice non-intervention.

We can only become intellectual voters through education.

[Ellieirish]

I wrote the item about my racist Dad and Bill Cosby. A reader asked, "There was a Cosby show album?" It wasn't the Cosby show my dad evolved to let us watch, it was seeing Bill Cosby on television doing stand up in black and white. The album was his stand-up act. You young'ens!

[ladydriver]

Some of us knew what you meant. My favorite comedy line ever, which I've used with my sons an many occasions, is from "Bill Cosby Himself": "I brought you into this world, and I can take you out!" Of course, both of my kids just laugh when I say it, but I still like it.

[Spesabsquemetu]

I think the best pitch to make is the one rooted in the truth.
Grandma has been around a very long time and she knows a thing or two about schlop when it's thrown at her.

So, just be honest. Talk about Sen. Obama's policies and his concerns for America and how his leadership could have a huge impact on whether Grandma is able to pay her medical bills, get the health care she is entitled to receive, and have a little extra saved so she can enjoy her grandchildren.
Obama's tax cuts provide a 3 to one advantage for Americans than McCain.
His concern for senior citizens has been expressed on numerous occasions.
He is committed to helping seniors live dignified lives that don't chain their valuable energy in having to fight with insurance companies over health care coverage and prescription drugs.

Compare and contrast with the real differences between McCain's policies and the HOPE that Sen. Obama's policies will offer to them.

Just the truth.
The whole truth and nothing but the truth.
That's all Grandma needs.

Other than this, you could bring over some belly dancing instructors and get Grandma and all her friends a - giggling and a jiggling while they learn about what HOPE can do for them, their grandchildren, and for America!

Personally, I'd use the belly dancer instructors and meet with Grandma with all her friends!

[homesteader]

Cosby made a wonderful comedian. Funny but not mean.

[Spesabsquemetu]

What a great article!

I had to laugh at some of your responses to the suggestions!
It is so true! You gotta do, what you gotta do, and sometimes, you just have to swallow your pride and put forth your best plea for logic using whatever means will help connect with the voter.

You just need to step up to the plate and do whatever it takes, so long as you remain grounded to Sen. Obama's standards of integrity and ethics, it's - to infinity and beyond - with the possibilities that can be achieved!

[Obama 08]

Wow!! all these stories brought tears to my eyes!! I have 3 mixed race kids (I'm hispanic and my husband's black/white)! With Senator Obama as President nobody could ever tell my kids they can't become President someday! My daughter is 17, President of the Young Democracts at her HS, and is planning on running for POTUS someday!! Thank you Senator Obama for openning so many doors for my kids!!!

[Strywever]

Hope I get a chance to vote for your daughter one day. You must be terribly proud. :-)

[ladydriver]

No matter what happens on election day, though I'm praying that Obama wins, nobody should ever tell your kids they can't be anything they want to be! I'll be looking forward to seeing your daughter's campaign someday in the future! Good for her! And, good for you and your husband!

[Pupadup4oBama]

IF she can dream it - she can do it!!!

[mikep007]

This was interesting

[mom2sons]

I spoke with a young lady last week at school and she said they sat her grandmother down and told her the reasons why to vote for Obama. Now she wears buttons to bingo and probably have flipped a few of her friends. She's an Italian grandma. I never knew my grandparents, but I know they and many others are smiling. LOL Very encouraging news on flipping grandma's, aunt's, etc. I know my Aunt Mary and my brother Jeffrey are smiling and they will be going to the heaven polls on Nov. 4. My Aunt Mary was smart as a whip and she would be cracking up big time by this campaign season! LOL VOTE OBAMA-BIDEN 08! COME ON PA!

[munki]

Touching stories...
Both my mother and grandma are in heaven...
When I see a family with their grandparents...
I wish... I had one... they taught me so much...

[owiseone]

You can still talk with them; they are very much with you.