Why McCain Fails My Mom's Test
My feisty 94-year-old mother has no patience for John McCain. "He's too old," she says bluntly, and "his ideas are out to lunch." That probably is to be expected from a woman who hasn't voted for a Republican since Eisenhower. But her opposition to McCain isn't really based on his politics. She just thinks his candidacy is an open insult to her intelligence and the intelligence of every American voter.
At 94, she doesn't claim to be an expert. She'd rather watch Wimbledon than a political debate. Her subscriptions tend towards health care and investing newsletters rather than political magazines. Her reading features schlock novels rather than the latest Bush expose. She follows fashions and styles, but isn't exactly au courant. "Is it legal to show this stuff?" she asked in a stage whisper in the midst of Sex and the City, cracking up the folks around us. But daughter of an Italian immigrant, raised in Milwaukee living above the family's corner store, she has a growing concern about the country she loves and her four great grandchildren will inherit.
That's why she thinks McCain is just insulting. He says he'll balance the budget while promising to cut everyone's taxes. "That's just nonsense," she says. "We've heard these promises before. Does he think we can't remember what Bush did and what Reagan did?" Then he says he'll stay in Iraq, increase spending on the military, and take the cuts from domestic programs. "Doesn't he look around at what is happening here? It's time to take care of this country now." She thinks his support for privatizing Social Security will just hurt the most vulnerable seniors. And his health care plan just makes her mad. "He keeps talking about more choice, and having people deal directly with the insurance companies. He's been on government health care all his life. He has no idea how complicated this is." My mother earned her PhD after raising her children and prides herself on her independence, managing her own finances, balancing her own checkbooks. But even she had to give her medical bills to my sister to manage.
After nine decades, my mother doesn't expect much from any politician. She knows strong families are the foundation of this country, and she built one with love and wisdom. But she isn't a cynic. And she wants straight talk to be more than a slogan. After a severe stroke, she left us yesterday. Her spirit lives in the hearts of the loving family and friends she touched so deeply. McCain is lucky she won't be here to cast her vote in November, because he already had lost it.
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Sorry to hear about you losing your Mom. She sounded like a very feisty lady. I hope she enjoyed doing things her way ("My Way" was my grandmother's favorite song -- couldn't tell her anything either).
I am so sorry about your mother. She sounds like a wonderful wise lady. She lives on in your heart. Peace and love.
Robert I am sorry I forgot to tell you I am so sorry about your grandmother
she sounds she would be a girl after my own heart. Take it one day at a time.
Sorry for your mother! She must had been like my grandmother who is 96 year old. She was born in 1912 just before the beginning of the Balkan war (I am from Bulgaria). My grandma had been a domestic servant in her teen age, later she migrated from the village to the big town and now she spends her last days at village. She has only elementary education but she speaks some thruths. She speaks that this is the century of lies and liars and that`s why some things don`t go well. People at that age know life at different dimentions from us. ! God rest your mother`s soul!
God bless you and your family at this time. I love that you appreciated your mom's spirit and wisdom, as so many don't value our elders simple contribution of conversation. We always learn and keep so much when we do....
She was right on and she knew it!!
What a loss to you and your family. I'm so sorry. She sounds like my grandma and I know her ideals will live in all of your hearts. What a terrific lady she must have been!
Sorry for your loss. What a great lady! Her spirit, thank goodness, will be alive in November. John McCain and the Republicans will have no rest.
Robert, my sincere condolences, but your column is a touching tribute to the hero your mother will always be. My 27-yr-old daughter forwarded this to me, with the comment that your mom reminded her of MY mother--who died two years ago at the age of 83. Pelagia was also an amazingly intelligent woman who grew up speaking only Spanish, only went through 8th grade, but loved her family and her country, and mourned what the Repubs since Reagan were doing to it. The saying is "from the mouths of babes," but when it comes to what is best for the U.S.,in so many cases we need to listen to "the mouths of our elders." They who struggled through poverty and chaos brought about by true elitists of the early 1900's and then saw the progress brought about by The New Deal--the power of the common citizen--ARE the voices of reason. They can see/ or saw through the hype and spin that our current media-driven generations cannot always do. From their mouths to God's ears...we were blessed by their lives!
Your 94 year old mom went to see Sex and the City with you? That is just adorable! Sounds like you've had a wonderful bond that will carry you and your family on throughout your lives. My sympathies for your loss.
I'm sorry for your loss. She sounds like she was a great lady.
I laughed reading your quotes of her. She was so on the money. mccain has been on government health care all his life, hasn't he?!
My Mom is 75. She feels the same way. She knows first hand that mccain is too old and not fit for the job. She's told me, once you hit your 70's the energy, the mental endurance, and physical ability just is not there for that kind of a job. We're not talking about active retirement, or holding down a board position...it's the Presidency. Everything else aside, his doddering foolishness included, the man just isn't capable.
If he was truly patriotic and put country first -- he wouldn't even be running.
very sorry for your loss. my mom and you mom could have been sisters.
My condolences. Now that I'm nowhere near 20 anymore, I listen hard to my elders. They just know more by living longer.
Your mom is right, but there are a lot of stupid, ignorant, unknowing, uncaring wastes of time, living in the good old U.S. of the 4th Reich. There are people who don't even know Bush has 35 articles of impeachment on him now, and they think he is doing a good job. I'd like to know, based on what is he doing a good job? Also, the flag you see in court rooms with the yellow fringe, isn't the American flag and you don't have Constitutional protections in those court rooms. Now, get this, the judges in those court rooms don't even know what the flag means, and the lawyers probably don't know either! http://www.apfn.org/apfn/flag.htm < see for yourself.
My prayers and sympathy goes out to you and your family.
Please,Please listen all you young people out there who are reading this article:
"It was not the PhD she recieved that made her smart and very wise.It was her
extraordinary wisdom that gave her the desire to get the PhD".
My grandmother,[i'm 66] once said :"Education,without Common Sense is a waste
of sense".
THEY DON'T MAKE THESE KIND OF PEOPLE ANYMORE.WHAT ARE WE GOING
TO DO WITHOUT THEM,IF THE LESSONS THEY TAUGHT US ARE NOT UTILIZED?
Your mother is a very wise woman. I wonder if she would be willing to do a commercial for Obama?
Umm...kindly re-read the article.
A beautiful tribute to a wonderful woman. Thanks for sharing her political wisdom with us.
your mother sounds like she was part of what makes this country great. even though i believe that our identities are inherently transient and that death is "the end" for ourselves as such, people can still live on in a sense through the karmic ripples of their actions--i'm sure she would be proud of you for helping her to live on in this way. i hope this piece gets picked up by someone else: more people should read it.
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