Exercises in Utility and Futility
I've been doing a fair amount of phone banking, calling people who are registered Democrats in the region and asking them who they're going to vote for on Tuesday. (Pennsylvania's primary is on Tuesday, for those of you reading this in the future.) I broke the 500 call mark yesterday. That's a lot of people, and I've talked to a lot of Obama supporters and Clinton supporters.
We're given a script to use as a guideline, and I use it as a guideline, but since I am a human being who is trying to talk to other human beings and not treat them like a faceless name and number who I want to buy a product, I have to be off script quite frequently. Once I've reached someone, I always tell them my full name and say right up front that I'm calling as a volunteer for the Obama campaign. Some people cut me off and say "I'm voting for Clinton" and hang up immediately.
You know what?
I can respect that. Everyone in PA is talking about the election and the ads are everywhere. If people have made up their own minds, and they don't want to hear my argument, that's their prerogative. I cannot make anyone listen to me, but I can only try to be civil.
Now, I'm very unhappy with some of the tactical ploys the Clinton campaign has employed, particulary the quote about Weathermen member Ayers in the New York Times. Ayers' interview was published on September 11th, and conducted prior to then. The Washington Times (cue the Haman graggers here!) then reported on the NYT's story on September 12th. So Clinton is attacking Obama for having associated with Ayers in 1996 and cited Ayers' comments as reported in the WT on 9/12/2001 as damning association, in particular criticizing Ayers for being particularly insensitive and wrongheaded in the context of speaking out immediately after 9/11.
The Clinton campaign is lying through their teeth and misrepresenting the truth. They're picking the lowest of the bottom of the barrel to dredge up here. And it all links to guilt by association.
But I will vote for Clinton if she were to get the nomination. Because she isn't that bad a candidate, she has decent policy positions. I just hate the way she's ran her campaign, pulling stunts like that, and don't think she can do nearly as good a job as Obama when it comes to rallying Americans together to face our shared problems. Which is why I am doing what I can to help Obama's campaign out.
With that being said, I ain't going to tell people who are voting for Clinton because they like her that they're doing the wrong thing. I don't have the authority to tell people how they should think.
So I'm calling an older woman who tells me she's going to vote for Clinton because Obama won't hold his hand over his heart during the Pledge of Allegiance.
Me: "Ma'am, you've seen the photo in the paper or on the news with him, Clinton, and Richardson, I believe?"
Her: "Yes, that's correct."
Me: "If I were to tell you that the photo depicts them present at the playing of the National Anthem, not the Pledge of Allegiance, would that change your perspective?"
Her: "What does that have to do with anything?"
Me: "If I were to tell you that while it is customary to hold one's hand over one's heart during the Pledge, but that it is customary to remove one's hat and either hold one's hand over the heart or sing the Anthem, and that in that photo Obama was in fact singing, would that information change your perspective?"
Her: "No, because he was disrespecting the American flag and that's wrong!"
I don't particularly enjoy arguing with people who are my elders when it comes to opinion versus opinion. I don't have the right to undermine someone's beliefs for the purpose of making them uncomfortable or angry. But I do have the right to correct factual errors. That's a teacher's duty. And I was extremely polite and courteous in this conversation. And this woman simply wouldn't listen to what I said.
It was a very frustrating situation, but it reminded me that instructors can only do so much to inform people. When the mind's closed, there's no way to get the other person to listen. And so I try to keep my mind as open as frequently as I can, and to be conscious of the situations where my natural inclination is to shut up and cover my ears. Because I do experience those moments, and denying it would be compounding my ignorance.
On the other hand, there are Clinton supporters who I talk to who are more than civil. If they tell me they are going to support Clinton because they don't like Obama, I often thank them for participating in the political process, even if we don't agree, and that if Obama wins the nomination, I would still ask them for their support in the general election. One particular guy said "Well, that's awfully kind of you to say so, and if Clinton gets the nomination, would you support her in turn?" I said "Absolutely." He said "Fair deal then, and it's a pleasure to have talked with you." Even though we disagreed, we had held a discussion, shared a degree of empathy for each other and left the conversation in better spirits than we came in. That's a very validating experience.
Winning is important. However, the manner in which you play the game is just as important. That's one of those morals my parents and grandparents imparted upon me that is great to see in action.
We're given a script to use as a guideline, and I use it as a guideline, but since I am a human being who is trying to talk to other human beings and not treat them like a faceless name and number who I want to buy a product, I have to be off script quite frequently. Once I've reached someone, I always tell them my full name and say right up front that I'm calling as a volunteer for the Obama campaign. Some people cut me off and say "I'm voting for Clinton" and hang up immediately.
You know what?
I can respect that. Everyone in PA is talking about the election and the ads are everywhere. If people have made up their own minds, and they don't want to hear my argument, that's their prerogative. I cannot make anyone listen to me, but I can only try to be civil.
Now, I'm very unhappy with some of the tactical ploys the Clinton campaign has employed, particulary the quote about Weathermen member Ayers in the New York Times. Ayers' interview was published on September 11th, and conducted prior to then. The Washington Times (cue the Haman graggers here!) then reported on the NYT's story on September 12th. So Clinton is attacking Obama for having associated with Ayers in 1996 and cited Ayers' comments as reported in the WT on 9/12/2001 as damning association, in particular criticizing Ayers for being particularly insensitive and wrongheaded in the context of speaking out immediately after 9/11.
The Clinton campaign is lying through their teeth and misrepresenting the truth. They're picking the lowest of the bottom of the barrel to dredge up here. And it all links to guilt by association.
But I will vote for Clinton if she were to get the nomination. Because she isn't that bad a candidate, she has decent policy positions. I just hate the way she's ran her campaign, pulling stunts like that, and don't think she can do nearly as good a job as Obama when it comes to rallying Americans together to face our shared problems. Which is why I am doing what I can to help Obama's campaign out.
With that being said, I ain't going to tell people who are voting for Clinton because they like her that they're doing the wrong thing. I don't have the authority to tell people how they should think.
So I'm calling an older woman who tells me she's going to vote for Clinton because Obama won't hold his hand over his heart during the Pledge of Allegiance.
Me: "Ma'am, you've seen the photo in the paper or on the news with him, Clinton, and Richardson, I believe?"
Her: "Yes, that's correct."
Me: "If I were to tell you that the photo depicts them present at the playing of the National Anthem, not the Pledge of Allegiance, would that change your perspective?"
Her: "What does that have to do with anything?"
Me: "If I were to tell you that while it is customary to hold one's hand over one's heart during the Pledge, but that it is customary to remove one's hat and either hold one's hand over the heart or sing the Anthem, and that in that photo Obama was in fact singing, would that information change your perspective?"
Her: "No, because he was disrespecting the American flag and that's wrong!"
I don't particularly enjoy arguing with people who are my elders when it comes to opinion versus opinion. I don't have the right to undermine someone's beliefs for the purpose of making them uncomfortable or angry. But I do have the right to correct factual errors. That's a teacher's duty. And I was extremely polite and courteous in this conversation. And this woman simply wouldn't listen to what I said.
It was a very frustrating situation, but it reminded me that instructors can only do so much to inform people. When the mind's closed, there's no way to get the other person to listen. And so I try to keep my mind as open as frequently as I can, and to be conscious of the situations where my natural inclination is to shut up and cover my ears. Because I do experience those moments, and denying it would be compounding my ignorance.
On the other hand, there are Clinton supporters who I talk to who are more than civil. If they tell me they are going to support Clinton because they don't like Obama, I often thank them for participating in the political process, even if we don't agree, and that if Obama wins the nomination, I would still ask them for their support in the general election. One particular guy said "Well, that's awfully kind of you to say so, and if Clinton gets the nomination, would you support her in turn?" I said "Absolutely." He said "Fair deal then, and it's a pleasure to have talked with you." Even though we disagreed, we had held a discussion, shared a degree of empathy for each other and left the conversation in better spirits than we came in. That's a very validating experience.
Winning is important. However, the manner in which you play the game is just as important. That's one of those morals my parents and grandparents imparted upon me that is great to see in action.