Yesterday I accompanied very left-leaning friend to an Obama rally, to watch Bruce Springsteen play a short acoustic set on the Oval of the Ohio State University. Politically, I trend middle-of-the-road. I’ve made my decision how I will cast my vote based upon issues that are important to me, but I respect others who reach a different conclusion by prioritizing issues differently. When she found out yestreday that I will not be voting for Obama she went ballastic. Even bystanders were visibly surprised/amused at her reaction.
She told me she didn’t she could be friends with someone who would vote for Republican candidate (“the party of racism and KKK”). She said she could help but feel digust when looking at me, knowing that I’m voting with the knowledge that McCain could die and Palin could become President, a SCOTUS justice could pass away, Palin could appoint a conservative justice, that justice could let personal ideology interfere with the adherence of constitutional law (my words, btw, her rant was nowhere near as coherent), Roe v. Wade could be brought to challenge, and it could be overturned. She asks: knowing that possible (though in my view, improbable) scenario, how *could* I vote for McCain and still sleep at night?
When I told her I felt McCain/Palin admistration wouldn’t be as “horrible” as she fears, Obama wouldn’t be as wonderful as his supporters “hope”, and that we have more meaningful opportunities to improve our own lives every single day, she became completely unglued. When I suggested that, if she could not accept or respect my decision, we could continue to be friends by simply ignoring our differening preferences in the politics, she shouted “how can we ignore politics?? Politics affect EVERY SECOND of our lives!” (ironically coming from someone who did not know the name “Nancy Pelosi” when I mentioned it 9 months ago)
I was patient until the end of the conversation, repeatedly and calmly encourage her to adopt a tolerance of diversity of thought, and a respect of other people’s opinions, prioritizations, and decisions. But when she respond that I would need to respect her decision not to be friends with someone who voting for the “the party of bigotry and ignorance,” I lost it. I told her I was disappointed by her intolerance and ignorance of those unlike herself, her discrimination against those who hold differing beliefs, and that she couldn’t understand my point of view was a shortcoming in need of improvement on her part, not mine. I told to have a nice day and walked away.
On my way back to my motorbike, one of the bystanders pulled me aside, saying he sees hostile people arguing bitterly like that “all the time” in the dorms… and by and far, they’re Obama supportors. I’m sure there are advocates Hillary and McCain who get just as ugly — and disappointing to think this sort of interaction and treatment of others has become socially acceptable.
It’s sad to think someone would toss away the benefits of a real-life friendship for an empty suit politician (/any/ politician) who makes a job out of telling people what they want to hear to get elected. I thought the acrimony of the 2000 and 2004 elections were unique many people didn’t personally like Bush, his decisions, or what they perceived him to stand for. I thought 2008 would be much more civil because, regardless of who is elected Bush is leaving office and the Bush haters be at peace with with their discontent. But I’m realizing it’s not the political positions of the candidates that causes such vitriol during the campaign season, but the personalities of people within the general population and lack of respect exhibited by many toward those unlike themselves.
