To find out more about being a Barack Buddy, go here: http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/fredwhite/gGxffY
To join the movement, go here: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4g4qr
So, for my first update on being a Barack Buddy, I've decided to give an example using one of the two people I've decided to buddy with -- my mom...
Mom's an interesting case, and I think an ideal candidate for someone with whom to Buddy. She is the child of liberal parents from the northeast, voted for JFK, a teacher and union member for close to 40 years...and as of right now, she's thinking she should vote for John McCain.
I'm sure the first reaction is, "Huh?" And, you'd be absolutely right. There's no logical reason for mom to support McCain at this point, but far too often people aren't making their political decisions based on things like logic, reason, facts, etc. And, that's precisely why I started the Barack Buddy program. Because, it's going to take someone mom trusts, will listen to, and believes in to move away from a position she's holding for all the wrong reasons -- and a dispassionate fact-filled barage isn't going to change her mind, because it's not facts that got her to where she is.
My mom was married to a southern, racist, socially "conservative" Republican -- my dad (whom I love, but that doesn't change his belief system, unfortunately) -- for almost 40 years. She was programmed to believe that it wasn't even a choice for her any longer. The wedge issues of gay marriage, abortion, and other social "conservative" positions were used to convince her that the Republican Party had a stranglehold on morality. And, she was sold a bill of goods that played on the idea that if you even want to be "rich" (whether or not you really are or ever really will be -- or whether or not you, yourself, really do, just if your spouse does) that the Republicans are the only choice. And, since someone she trusted and loved was "selling" this to her, she bought it -- hook, line, and sinker. In effect, she became the kind of person who would look at the recent New Yorker cover and realize it was satire, but who would also believe some of the myths depicted on it, and not even realize how incredibly inconsistent that is.
My parents are now divorced, but my mom is as-of-yet not deprogrammed from decades of being fed, literally, the party line. And, she believes on many levels that her Christian morals are only being supported by the Republicans. So, she doesn't look at all the facts, she doesn't look at the current state of the Republican Party. She just holds onto something with which she's been constantly bombarded for over four decades.
My job, as her Barack Buddy, is to approach that with my eyes wide open. To understand that I can't just say A + B = C and think she'll come around that easily. I need to understand this is ingrained in her at this point. I need to understand that she probably doesn't even know herself why she thinks the way she does about some things. And, I need to work with her regularly and over time to help her break free of the propaganda.
The positive note here is that I actively and "officially" started being her Barack Buddy just over a week ago. This past weekend, we had our first discussion that she brought to me beginning with, "Is this really true?" about stuff she would've just taken for granted as "the gospel" a few months ago.
It'll be a slow process, and it won't be easy. But, I am confident and thrilled that by 11/4/08 my mother will be voting for Barack Obama for President. Count on it.
Yes We (All) Can!!!
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