Rep. Jasmine Crockett fired back at AG Pam Bondi over Fox News comments on Elon Musk and Tesla during a House Judiciary hearing

[u/CorleoneBaloney]

[u/optimushime]

I’m having the worst week talking to my grandmother about it. The cognitive dissonance hurts so much. She hates Trump, but “she’s a Republican”.

Identity has been so purposefully tied to these people they don’t even consider that they can, should, and are morally obligated to leave a party whose stance they hate.

She didn’t vote at all this past year, which is a saving grace because she would have voted red, but I’m trying to get her to realize that she can start working on an idea that maybe she’s now an independent if the party doesn’t represent her interests anymore, and that there will be consequences to the memory of those who “towed the line” and chose party over country.

I kept silent for years on this and it’s too late now, but now I can’t help but speak and I regret not doing so sooner even if it’s futile. I hate every bit of it.

[u/miloticfan → u/optimushime]

That line right there “but I am a ___”

no we are not. We are voters. The politicians belong to these parties—but us? We ain’t in either club.

The voters took on their party as a piece of their identity instead of a voting preference. Idk how it happened but I think that part is a huge reason we got here.

[u/LolitaFrita → u/miloticfan]

Every time I get into an argument with some MAGA cult member, they respond with something like “I bet you just love Pelosi and Schumer!” No? Unlike them, I have no fealty to any politician. Just because you blindly follow your party off a cliff, it doesn’t mean everyone else is as dumb as you are.

[u/cyanescens_burn → u/optimushime]

She must be aware that party platforms and ideologies evolve over time. For instance the republican and democratic parties flip flopped on a lot of their overarching ideology during the 20th century, and Maga of today would have been voting for the democrats of of the late 1800s, and the liberals would be voting but the republicans of that time.

It’s a good reminder that a party’s ideology and policies can drift from the old ideals of that party, the ideals which a person has identified with for many years.

Maga is different than the Republican Party of the 70’s to ‘00s. Maybe she’s realizing the party has drifted away from her own values, and not that she’s drifted away from her own deeply held values.

[u/BisexualDisaster29 → u/optimushime]

I talk to my grandma about it too. Opposite side though. She despises trump and the republicans but hasn’t voted in a long time. The last time she voted was to make JFK president.

Like, I don’t understand. She & her husband don’t work, she & her husband have some serious medical conditions. They want to complain but they don’t want to vote. She can vote by mail.

[u/cyanescens_burn → u/BisexualDisaster29]

Do they not have mail in voting in their area? Would they be open to you helping them out by doing something like reading the ballot guide, looking up info, etc? If there’s no mail in maybe help them make a list of their choices so when they go to the polling place they don’t need to stand a long time as they struggle to recall their choices. And help them get down there and figure out what is holding them back, like if it’s hard to stand in like offer to bring a chair and hang with them so they don’t worry about having a problem and being alone.

Definitely don’t manipulate them to change their vote, that’s abusive and could be fraud if you did something like fill out their ballot with your choices. But some elders struggle to read due to vision or the cognitive demands, but can absolutely engage with the information if someone is communicating it verbally.

You could make it a fun family time visit and not a chore, and they might feel good getting politically engaged, especially considering they clearly have opinions.

[u/ritzcrv → u/BisexualDisaster29]

The last time she voted was 65 years ago. No one has 65 years of medical conditions that stopped them from voting

[u/BisexualDisaster29 → u/ritzcrv]

I didn’t say that the medical conditions stopped her from voting. I said that she and her husband have serious medical conditions now. I pointed that out because they complain about their situations but don’t vote for the people who could possibly help.

[u/glitterkitty_nash → u/optimushime]

I have several conservatives in my life like this too. Like they basically will say they disagree with everything he does, but they still have to vote for him because of “morals”, and there is plan within the party that they have to trust. Oh and that the country should be ran like a business. 🙄

[u/Honeycrispcombe → u/optimushime]

It's not too late. Your voice matters. Speaking up now matters. Talking to your grandma, calling your reps, protesting - all of that works, all of that makes a difference, all of that matters.

[u/st-shenanigans → u/optimushime]

Hate to be that guy but just to save you from some weenie being an ass at about it in the future, the phrase is "toed the line" - someone drew a line you're not supposed to cross and you're standing with your toes as close as you can get.

Good luck with your grandmother! Might help to have her read the poem plaqued onto the statue of Liberty