Andrea Batista Schlesinger

What your in-laws are thinking

There's been some great comments to my post, which I cross-posted on The Huffington Post this past weekend. I was content to let them live there, but Tom Watson prodded me into blogging about them because they tell the story of the critical questions that we face (or, as Tom put it, "it's the real battleground there - economic self-interest vs. brainwashing.")

To people like nottoworry, the issue is that Roberta has been brainwashed by the propaganda:

My oldest son is the Roberta type and it could be a nightmare, but we just don't talk politics.

I know he is below the level in income to be a republican. He, and your Roberta are like small size dogs, who never see themselves as "small size dogs". Size is not relevant to dogs, big or large.

Roberta and my eldest son work so hard and such long hours, they have no opportunity to read or become well-informed on economics or government. When the Bush admin says "we have cut taxes", they actually think their taxes were cut. When the Bush admin says "we have a roaring economy" they believe it because they are working long hours.

Tackora also sees the problem as close to home:

I think I know Roberta. More precisely Roberta is like my wife's mother. She is 71, her husband is 75. They live in Pennsylvania. They have to sell their house so that the $60,000 equity they have in it can pay for a few more years of life. In spite of their situation you would have a hard time finding many people with less understanding and more disdain for the poor and people in need. For them there is no better human being than George Bush and there is no worse evil than Ted Kennedy. Workers in unions are commis. I am afraid it is not only that they have pride. It may be that they are brainwashed beyond repair.

Then there's the flip side. Collin wants me to note that all taxpayers got a tax cut, and runninute noted that consumer confidence is "now at its 20 year average" so things can't be all bad.

And DocTwain has some advice on how to make the case to Roberta and everyone else's inlaws.

Check it out here:

Andrea Batista Schlesinger: Author Bio | Other Posts
Posted at 3:40 PM, Aug 14, 2006 in
Permalink | Email to Friend