Every time there was a debate, MSNBC and CNN did that thing. They took some undecided voters, put them in a room on an awkward sofa, strapped a sensor to their head, gave them some Cool Ranch Doritos, and then asked them questions. It's always exasperating, watching them parse words and declare, "I really need to know more about their positions on immigration before I make up my mind," as if BarackObama.com and JohnMcCain.com don't exist or as if they couldn't just ask the 15 reporters who are poking them with sticks.
It's even more exasperating because the conversations lack honesty. Nobody wants to go on MSNBC and say, "I'm not sure because he's black." Instead it's, "I still don't know from the debate if I can trust him to keep us safe," etc. They don't want to sound impolite; after all, MSNBC gave them all those Doritos.
The reality, though, is that there are plenty of undecided voters out there, even as polls harden and Election Day gets closer. We all have them in our families; we may even have them oh hell no! among our friends. So what do we do?
From now until Election Day, Pinko Magazine, along with Huffington Post's Off the Bus Project, will share some case studies of friends who are trying to "turn" a loved one, and the strategies they're employing to swing fence-sitting friends and families away from the dark side. We'll call it Swinging Grandma. First up: Claire.
THE VOICE OF REASON: Claire Cox, 28, New York, High School Teacher.
THE NOT-YET-BELIEVER: Claire's 94-year old grandmother, retired nurse, San Diego.
THE CHALLENGE: In a tight-lipped, non-confrontational family, how does Claire help swing her uncommitted Grandmother? "She's 94," Claire told me, "and this could be one of the last elections she votes in, so I'm not gonna waste it."
THE APPROACH: Claire decided to write her grandmother a long, awesome letter, like she often does. She writes about her life, what she's up to, etc. Then midway through, she goes for it, connecting what's going on in her life to the election and going after McCain over an issue important to her grandmother: the sad state of the middle class and the price of groceries.
THE LETTER: Here is the election part of Claire's letter.
"...And I always feel intense when there's an election. Four years ago was such a disappointment - we went knocking on doors and made tons of phone calls, and we had, I believe, the highest voter turnout our Philadelphia precinct ever recorded - and Kerry lost. Four years later, the situation seems more dire than ever. The country's in debt up to its eyeballs; the middle class is shrinking, and I feel no closer to entering it than I did when I was on food stamps; people everywhere are losing their homes to foreclosure and can't afford gas or groceries; our schools are pitifully under-funded. I hope I'm not crossing a line here by talking politics, but honestly? John McCain and Sarah Palin scare me to my core. He's a mean-spirited, petty double-talker who lies through his teeth, and she can't name a single newspaper she reads or a single Supreme Court case, other than Roe v. Wade, that she has an opinion on. Her experience is embarrassingly minimal. She did not give one straight answer to Charlie Gibson or Katie Couric in those TV interviews, not one. (The idea of Palin as President is...absolutely chilling.) It's like she thinks it's a big joke. They are the opposite of inspiring. I was inspired when I watched Obama's speech at the convention in August. In tears. I have never, ever, in my life, felt this way about a person running for office. I know they end up disappointing us on some level or another, but no one has ever come close to truly inspiring me about our country and its possibilities."
PINKO/HUFFPOST OFFTHEBUS ANALYSIS: Very smart! It's not quite "do this for me Grandma," but that's implied. It's passionate, personal, respectful, and short. It's far more reasonable than that time I asked my mom how she would feel if my sister got raped and had to pay for the rape kit. DON'T DO THAT. Claire spoke truth to Grandma.
WILL GRANDMA SWING: Well, fortunately, she's in San Diego, so it's a pretty blue state. But still. We think the odds are good! Claire will update us next week.
Suggestions? Would you do anything different? Have you reached out to friends and family? Share your stories with us! Write them up, and send them to campaigntrail@huffingtonpost.com with "Swinging Grandma" in the subject-line. Ben, the editor and writer of this feature, may just include them in Volume #2.
Between now and election day Off the Bus will cross-post a series from Pinko Magazine called "Swinging Grandma," looking at various person-to-person tactics readers are using to "swing" their fence sitting friends and relatives. Pinko is an online journal of progressive politics and culture. This is the first in the series. Come back here to my blog for the next in the series.
Hers may not be an issue-based vote, but persona counts too. I'm giving her a ride to the Am Legion Hall to vote on Tuesday. I take it as a good sign that she's not asking her son to take her!
Gable/Astaire '08!
and my other grandma sent me an email about "WOW! Obama's flag beliefs"..... and something about how I have to read before it is too late.
I responded with "flag worship is not the issue for me. The economy, affordable health care, ending the war in Iraq and keeping religious fundamentalism out of my kids' school are the issues for me. This is why I am taking my chances on Obama and Biden. So is Colin Powell it turns out."
I did a "reply all".
I still felt bad.
Why?
Why is it so hard to disagree, even kindly with my grandparents? We live in Idaho! It is not like the state will turn blue with my grandparents changing their minds. Why can 't I just let them be?
It feels too important to keep quiet. Even with them.
I reminded grandma that Eisenhower warned against the Military Industrial complex stealing from our children's futures. I said to my religious grandma, that Jesus said to love your enemies. I don't see how talking about Obama's middle name in a such a way as to say he must be Muslim which means he must be a terrorist is anything but hatred and fear in a way that is blindly bigoted.
Why did I feel so bad saying this to my grandparents?
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. And of course you quickly learn to love his smile. Throughout your life you and your husband teach him all the important values you share, and this brilliant grandson of yours learns the lessons of hard work, community service, and takes hold of the great opportunties of our country.
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. Already recognized on the world stage for being one of the greatest achievers ever in history of our country.
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!
I'd say you're doing nothing but spewing out GOP horse-puckey concerning Resko's deals in Chicago. The only dealings Barack Obama had was some assistance in buying a house which came with a neighboring parcel of land in the deal, which the Obamas couldn't afford at the time. They were in no way responsible for what Resko did in other real estate deals.
Obama's economic plans aren't welfare; the intent is to give tax relief to the WORKING poor who already pay taxes, but need assistance to stabilize their situation.
As for being cosy with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, there are folks in the McCain campaign whose job was lobbying HARD for Fannie and Freddie. So I'd say that John McCain's camp is more tarred with the subprime mortgage collapse and subsequent financial downturn than Obama ever has been.
By the way, when talking about people being "power-hungry", Dick Cheney has won THAT dubious title hands down with his shadow government and distortions about WMD and "the last throes of the resistance""----in 2004! Because of power-tripping neo-cons babbling about the "slam dunk" and "cakewalk" invasion of the sovereign nation of Iraq, five years later we're still fighting there. What of the tragic cost :over 4,000 US troops wouldn't have lost their lives; three times that number now are seriously wounded in body and spirit?
And what have YOU done lately to ease the painful struggles of your fellow citizens?
Obama will give them a tax credit on money they dont pay. Therefore they will get a check in the mail...aka "welfare"
Claire's letter to Grandma is passionate and articulate. However, I'd venture that Grandma - like my 96-year-old mother - is probably difficult to move. It might be more effective to point out that during the past eight years, her healthcare costs have almost certainly gone up in record figures. Also, food expenses (however she lives - nursing home, assisted living, etc.) have become worrisome; in fact, all living costs are high.
Surely Grandma knows families who have lost loved ones to the Iraq War. While she would undoubtedly be a supporter (as am I) of those brave souls who willingly offer their lives to defend our nation's causes, Claire should remind her that we STILL HAVE NOT ARRESTED the man who was the designer of the 9-11 attacks, Osama Bin Laden.
Finally, I would point out the vicious nature of the McCain campaign. Send her copies of McCain-Palin ads and statements, along with a few thoughtful articles from progressive publications.
If Claire's grandmother is anything like her, she may change her mind. Kudos to Claire for recognizing that old doesn't equate dumb. Good luck!
Grandparents are the best!
I told him that I'd decided on BO based on my top five issues.
Healthcare, Education, Veterans, Foreign Policy/Diplomacy and Iraq
It was the veterans that made the dent. I told him as a granddaughter of a vet, I was very unhappy with McC's record. He told me that McC was overwhelming loved by the Vets. I told him it wasn't true. Told him several vet groups gave him "D" grades whereas BO & JB got "B". Told him how McC either didn't vote for or failed to vote at all on GI Bill, mental health care, expanded hospital funding, expanded shore leaves, and better armor for soldiers and vehicles.
He looked it up right then and said "Oh, I didn't know that. Wow, I would've thought McC would always support the vets and the troops." All I had to say was, "Nope. Not always. "
Don't know if he's converted but will keep looking for the next issue that'll sway him.
It's not only hope we are voting for, but better a life for everyone. One not tainted by dependence on foreign oil. Or how about the fact that for the money spent on a pointless war we could be free of foreign oil dependence and have health care for every American citizen.
Thanks, but no thanks. I'm voting hope.
Our troops join the military because they want to make a difference in the world and they are doing that right now in Iraq and Afghanistan.
And where do you get that Hope means respecting all the people of the world?...if you are inferring that President Bush does not, you are completely incorrect.
How did I do it? I educated myself and then talked to him non-stop.
I will admit, John McCain himself helped me out a lot. He has made such an @$$ of himself, that now, every time my husband hears him talking on television or the radio, he starts shouting expletives and asks me to turn it off.
By the way, before this election, I hadn't voted since 1992. I was so disillusioned with our political system that I had written it out of my life. Because of Barack Obama, I not only re-registered to vote, I made my first-ever campaign contribution.
Obama/Biden '08
I'm not a retired Marine, but I am a former Marine with seven years to my credit. One thing I don't let stand in the way of my judgement is preconceived notions about the "Band of Brothers" thing. One War is not like another war, and one era is not like another. We didn't have that Band of Brothers thing going on during Vietnam as much as some like to create those myths. There is also a big divide between servicemen from different branches as well as some types of units within a branch. In my estimation all things are not equal when it comes to some experiences and I have found that making hasty judgements regarding someones ability to lead can get people killed. McCains experiences show me only one thing and that is that he is good at crashing and burning. I wouldn't want to be aboard any plane he was piloting.