I know from where Obama speaks.....

[WCGreen]

When I was running for state senate here in Ohio back in 1996, I was a regular at Union Halls all across Northeastern Ohio...

I needed there support and came out 100% for Union Rights...

My dad was in the Union...

He worked his but off and because of that Union, he was able to afford to get a toe hold on the American Dream...

I knew how important the Organized Labor was to the Middle Class...

That was the Glory days of Organized Labor, my dad's day, before RR demonized Unions and put a very large segment of the middle class on the defensive...

By the time 1996 rolled around the Unions had lost much of their power for organizing. Consequently many workers who were lucky to still be in a Union Workplace were forced to hunkered down just to preserve their own job. Forget about someone elses job..

They felt safe in their jobs but also knew very well that the threat was out there in the form of jobs migrating overseas, across the border or down South to non Union Shops in so called right to work states...

When I was campaigning, at almost every Union Hall, at least one member would come up to me and say "I ain't voting for you because your gonna take my guns..."

There were also people who told me they couldn't vote for me because I was Pro-Choice...

This was so frustrating since I knew, and they did too, that Ohio was hemorrhaging jobs...

And yet they put those two issue over the main issue that they should have been concerned with and that was protecting the viability of the working men and women in our state...

They were willing to overlook what was crumbling down all around them by focusing on Guns and Religion...

Finally I became so exacerbated that I lashed out at one gun owners comment by telling him I would work hard to keep Ohio's workers from losing more economic ground that that was my number one issue. I said I don't understand why your gun is more important than your job...

He smirked and then said to me...

If I lose my job I can still hunt for my food...

You really can't argue with people like that...



My opponent went out right before the election and blasted gay marriage...

He was ahead of his time...

Curiously, I finally caught on about how to deal somewhat with the Abortion Issue...

Since I was pro-Choice, the Catholics occasionally wouldn't let me in to campaign at a Bingo Game or a Church Carnival...

Finally I asked one of the priest why are you so supportive of this guy (my opponent) and he said because he support a pro-life agenda....

I replied to him that he had been in office for over 16 years and not once had he done anything but blather about advancing the pro-life movement...

I said Father, maybe he is just gaming you and not really doing anything to advance your cause...

He looked at me and then decided to let me in to campaign...

[livetohike]

1. We need to tell our (W. PA/Ohio/W.Va) stories now

Obama has listened to us. It is the way it is. :hi:

[TwilightGardener]

2. Some people will always vote cultural issues over anything else, because

it's all they understand. They don't understand how economics work, how foreign policy works, how FAIR trade can be GOOD for your community, how an influx of immigrants keeps America vital and competetive. All they know is that gun laws are bad, abortion is murder, and Mexicans are coming to steal your jobs. Tired of this segment of the population dragging the rest of us down, frankly. This is why we're losing our edge globally--we elect the most dishonest candidates (ALL of whom are educated or priveleged "elite") who pretend the hardest to be like the beer-drinkin' redneck gun-nut creationist NASCAR morons whose votes apparently are the most sought-after in every election.

[WCGreen]

3. It's because they vote...

[TwilightGardener]

4. Yep--the lowest common denominator always seem to be the most

fired-up. They feel like their "way of life" is under chronic assault, when in fact, they are the group MOST pandered to--well, they and the elderly.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. These people vote against the things they don't understand...

Not realizing that they are shooting themselves in the foot by doing so...

They're voting against their own self-interests...

And it's a damned shame...

K&R

[TML]

6. This stuff happens in California, too

I have close friends that vote Republican who will not vote for Obama or Clinton because they DO cling to their guns. A lot of guns.

Never mind the fact one of them is jobless and the other is struggling to get by.

[sellitman]

7. The repiggie's are always gaming their constituents on abortion.

If they were to loose that platform what would they rail against? Gun & Gays isn't enough.

[WCGreen]

8. They get elected...

and just do symbolic stuff...