MY DEBATE WITH A REPUBLICAN

I was chatting with a guy at a bar, and from out of the blue, he steered the conversation to the subject of politics and how much he hated Obama.

The following is a paraphrased account of what happened.



HIM: Things are only going to get worse with Obama in charge. Obama is an Obamination (i.e. abomination). I cant stand that guy.

ME: Why do you hate Obama so much? Because he wants you to have healthcare?

HIM: Forcing people to have healthcare is wrong.

ME: The government can force young men of a certain age to be drafted into the army. How is that any different?

HIM: Well. . . yeah, but . . . only in a war.

ME: Yeah, so? We are in a healthcare crisis. Even the people who COULD afford the corporate-care were going bankrupt and dying. The corporate system was corrupt.

HIM: [makes a sour face] Eh. . .

ME: Well something needed to be done; that is the bottom line. It was a system that was designed to make the fat-cats at the top, loads of money, at the expense of innocent people. It was wrong, and the Republicans, who were taking kickback shut-up money from these companies, weren't doing anything about it. At least the Democrats are trying to reform it. Also, if we Progressives had gotten what we wanted, there wouldn't have been any individual mandates! What should have happened was single-payer universal healthcare. What we got was actually the Mitt Romney healthcare plan! [laughter]

HIM: Raising my taxes in order to pay for it isn't right!

ME: [laughing] Your taxes were not raised!

HIM: Yes they were!

ME: [laughing harder] What are you talking about?! Obama actually LOWERED your taxes!

HIM: Bullshit. It is a fact that Obama raised taxes. That's what Democrats do!

ME: [At this point, I looked him in the eye and calmly said:] Sir. . . you have been misinformed. Obama actually lowered your taxes.

HIM: [smiles]

ME: The problem with you guys is that you watch too much Fox News and listen to too much Rush Limbaugh. You aren't getting the facts! You are getting brainwashed into believing things that are not true! Snap out of it!

HIM: I'm not brainwashed. The rest of the news channels, like CNN and all the rest, are all just a bunch of liberals! I cant watch that crap. Maybe YOU are the one who is brainwashed.

ME: So just because they are not propaganda tools for the Republican party they are liberal?

HIM: No. Not at all. You know what I mean. They have a liberal bias.

ME: There is no way that you can compare those radical cartoon characters on Fox, to legitimate mainstream news media. No frik'n way! The only news channel that really has a liberal bias is MSNBC.

HIM: I don't know about MSNBC. I only watch Fox News. It's is the only channel that is fair.

ME: [laughing hysterically. By now, everyone in the bar is looking at us] You mean to tell me that you don't know that Fox News is a Republican propaganda machine? [more laughter.] You mean you don't know that they outright lie! You should watch Jon Stewart's show. He is always exposing their lies

HIM: Oh come on. Fox has liberals on it too.

ME: Yeah, like one girly-man in a room full of bully Republicans. Come on.

HIM: [He goes back to his beer. Thinking a little more, then turns back to me an says] All I know is, that Obama is an anti-American socialist, and as far as I am concerned, he is one of he worst presidents this country has ever had.

ME: Better than Bush.

HIM: Obama said that he would reduce the deficit, but now he is spending MORE than Bush.

ME: That's not true! A majority of the debt occurred under Bush. Obama is now forced to prevent a full scale economic collapse by keeping the pillars of the economy intact by spending. This was not his economic policy to begin with, but he was forced into it. If a company is "too big to fail" then it is TOO BIG! We need regulation to prevent Too Big Too Fail, but Republicans are against regulation! Oh, and by the way. . . Obama's getting all of his bailout ideas from Bush's guy, Ben Bernake. That's why all I see when I look at the Tea Party, is hypocrites. Where was the outrage when Bush was handing out checks?

HIM: So where are you getting all of your information from? The liberal media?

ME: Oh no, not this again [laughter]. Two of the sources that I check is FactCheck.org and Politifact.com. Those are NON PARTISAN sites who call out anyone who does not get their facts straight; both Republican and Democrat. A good site to check is also MediaMatters.org. They are constantly exposing FoxNews and Rush Limbaugh's lies.

HIM: MediaMatters is a liberal site!

ME: That's true, but you should check it out anyway. You should hear the other side of the story sometimes. You know. . . to make sure that you are not getting brainwashed.

HIM: Oh yeah. So what about you? Do you listen to the other side of the story?

ME: I am an ex Republican. I know all of their points. I know all of their stories. I know all of their tricks. I used to be a big Rush Limbaugh fan. Every now and then I still try to tune into Fox and those radio clowns, just to see what they are up to. I just cant take it anymore. I end up yelling at the TV and radio. The hypocrisy and the lying has gotten out of control.

HIM: Lying huh? Yeah right. So I guess liberals never lie, right? Okay, so what made you change sides?

ME: I saw that the Republicans were nothing more than tools of the corporate wealthy elite, and the so-called 'conservatives' who were on their side were some of the most narrow-minded, ignorant, and mean-spirited I have ever come across. I have no respect for people like that.

HIM: Oh come on. Like the Democrats don't take corporate money too.

ME: That's true. They do. But they are still more likely to regulate and tax them fairly anyway. Look at the record. Everything that is related to human rights and fairness has been brought to us by the Dems . Everything that is related to corporate kickbacks and pollution has been brought to us by the Republicans.

HIM: Democrats got dirt on their hands too. Don't fool yourself.

ME: Well, I'm not saying their perfect, but at least they are making more of an effort to care about their fellow man, the hard working middle-class, and the environment.

HIM: Don't even start with that environmental global warming crap. That's a proven hoax.

ME: You say that you aren't brainwashed but everything you are saying is right out of the Republican playbook. They want people to disbelieve the overwhelming scientific evidence so that they can keep the factories running and keep the money rolling into their bank accounts. Its all about the money. Not the truth.

HIM: Oh please, Al Gore is in it for the money. He is so self-serving. He is a tool of Green industry. Give me a break.

ME: [laughing] Ohhhh, So it is Al Gore who is in it for the money! So it is Al Gore who is a self-serving tool! So what about the Big Oil companies and the tree choppers? They aren't self-servers who are in it for the money? There is no way that you can compare tiny green industry with the giant industrial monster that is Big Oil and the rest. No frick'n way! Maybe it is YOU who should give ME a break!

HIM: [Laughs a little.]

ME: But let me ask you this., in regards to pollution and global warming. . . what is the harm in being safe rather than sorry?

HIM: Uh. . . . well. . . I guess because it hurts the economy.

ME: Where there is a will there is a way. Green energy could become a huge and profitable industry if the corrupt powers that are holding it back were put in jail where they belong. Ever hear of that documentary: Who Killed the Electric Car?

HIM: No.

ME: Check that out.

HIM: I have to admit, I wouldn't mind seeing us get off of oil. If everything could run on corn or something, that would be fine with me.

ME: Hey! We agree on something!

HIM: [Nods]


We continued talking for a little more until he excuses himself. It was getting late and he needed to get back home; but, not before we shook hands.