There's a place in the universe that is the opposite of DU

[undeterred]

Not a "right" to oppose our "left" but an "I don't care about politics" to oppose our caring desperately.

I was trying to collect signatures for my candidates nominating petitions. In Wisconsin you don't have to be registered and we have no party declaration. Signers just have to be potential electors.

Going door to door was yielding few results and taking a lot of time. So, I had the brilliant idea of going to a trailer park. I thought I'd meet working class people and get my list filled out much faster. This is what I heard:

"I don't know anything about politics".

"My wife usually makes those decisions about a week before the election. Can you come back then?"

"Sorry, we're not political".

"Whatever you're selling, I'm not buying".

"I'm not signing anything".

"I never heard of either of them." Not my candidate nor the 28 year incumbent.

"I don't vote".

"I'd really rather not".

And so I moved back to the other neighborhood. There was a woman out gardening, and her car had this bumper sticker: "If you want peace, work for justice".

She signed my petition but told me she has never voted Democrat! (Do Republicans really work for justice?!) I told her a little about Kennedy, and she said, "Well, I guess it is time for Sensenbrenner to go"... That was the most encouraging comment I had all day.

I also met a Methodist clergywoman (who I would expect to be liberal) and she said, "Well, I'll think about Kennedy, but Sensenbrenner's really not that bad". I asked her if she had ever helped an illegal immigrant and that if she knew S would make that a felony... she didn't know.

Wow, tough district.

:banghead:

[Ron Green]

1. What you did is you stumbled into America in the 21st Century.

[undeterred]

3. There was a voice in my head that kept saying

You're not in Madison any more.

When I suddenly started seeing Feingold and Kerry bumper stickers again I knew I was getting back to reality a la Madison!

[acmejack]

7. Unfortunately, Madison is not reality

What you left was & that is our problem. We live in our little enclaves of academia and educated professionals and all the while the ugly reality is out there, the reality where 70% don't know and don't care who the Congress person is. Apathy kills, just as surely as hopelessness.

I throw the hopelessness in to remind myself, because I certainly become consumed by it sometimes. one occasionally really must wonder if these oblivious dullards don't actually deserve a totalitarian government of oppression, hell, they would probably never even notice! I might not care, except I would have to endure it also...

[CTyankee]

11. This is my pain in New Haven

so I guess we have the same angst.

Okay, I am escaping once a year to Europe. I can't take too much. This is an anodyne, I know, but it truly helps.

The difficult part is that I have grandchildren, 3 girls and 1 boy, the girls are in Boston and the boy is in Los Angeles. I cannot abandon them.

I have some independent income and could leave. But I would also leave so much of my heritage and so many of my family members.

What to do?

[undeterred]

12. and I don't hide the fact that I am from Madison

or pretend to know something about these little towns. Its not hard to find someone who will tell you what a town is "about". But its not the kind of place where grassroots democratic support is going to spontaneously rise up!

The truth is these people don't think our political situation is so bad. No one from their city has died in Iraq. They want a Walmart because there aren't enough nearby jobs or shopping. They feel stranded and isolated and they don't want to have to drive to liberal high priced Madison or Milwaukee to shop. They trust what the Catholic church tells them. They want to spend their lives in the same town they grew up in. They don't use the internet for information or listen to Air America. They don't watch much news. They don't need to. Life is good in small town Wisconsin, leave us alone.

[Henny Penny]

13. Most people who are not formally educated to a high level

receive their education informally through TV.

So when tv doesn't cover issues such as stolen elections, 9/11, the health of the dollar etc, those people are left in the dark about what really matters.

They are however really well educated when it comes to trivia such as Brad and Angelina's baby, the state of Brittany's marriage and so on...

Its not that they are dullards.

The question is how can we get through to them given our obvious disadvantages re control of the media...???

[GreenCommie]

14. Brad and Angelina had a baby???

That's shocking! That's amazing! That's.... wait, when did they get together?

[Henny Penny]

15. Its shocking ...its amazing... and its news. apparently. n/t

[Jackpine Radical]

17. Who are Brad & Angelina?

I never hear about these things. I'm in small-town Wisconsin. Well, not actually. Sort of near a small town in Wisconsin, surrounded by woods, fields, cows & corn. I think we have a TV somewhere, but I don't know how to turn it on. My wife's too busy (upstairs somewhere working on a paper she has to present at a psychosynthesis conference in Kentucky next week) to tell me who Brad & Angelina are, if she knows. I bet she doesn't. I do think she knows how to turn on the TV, though. I came home & found her watching it once.

[acmejack]

19. I don't think we can-until things get really bad

It is easy after the fact.

[derby378]

2. A lot of Americans have been anesthetized...

...by mindless TV programs, news media that insults our intelligence, etc.

[blm]

4. Thankfully, you stay true to your name.

It really isn't easy. I believe the use the media exactly for this outcome - the dumbing down of America and the deliberate rise of apathy.

[undeterred]

5. "Over at the town funeral parlor, that guys a democrat."

You should go talk to him.

:rofl:

Actually, that was the funniest line all day!

[tjwash]

6. Yeah, but I bet every single one of them could tell you...

...who was on top on "American Idol", who won "The Amazing Race", and who was fixing to get kicked out of the "Big Brother" house.

Priorities you know...

[The_Casual_Observer]

8. That's why jr is the president.

[CTyankee]

9. OTOH, I collected signatures for Ned Lamont in CT

In Joe Lieberman's neighborhood no less! I got at least 15. Only a few declined, saying they were friends and went to synagogue with him. But they were uniformly nice. They didn't sign my petition to put Ned on the ballot, but they were the most gracious people, really nice and wonderful. I am proud to live in the Westville section of New Haven, CT!

[upi402]

10. Thank you for your service work

:patriot:
People at my door always try to conceal the fact that they want my money for free.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

16. I salute you. You are a real foot soldier

Willing to dedicate your time in the realist way there is. MOST people are apolitical. And the apolitical are the most "sheepable". I'm thinking politically relevant romance novels is the way to go! Handsome union organizers who look like Fabio, desparate housewives, . . . you get the idea.

[undeterred]

18. thank you

it is a lot of hard work and rejection, punctuated by occasional exhilarating moments!

[treestar]

23. Good idea, or maybe get a soap opera to deal with the election

[bobbieinok]

27. politically relevant romance novels ...... most are conservative

especially very anti union

(I read a lot of them, Harlequin up to near main stream .... most don't have much about politics; those that do tend to be quite conservative)

[mortlefaucheur]

20. I do the opposite of what you do when I'm home:

When someone cold calls at my door or makes a delivery, I make them wait just a few seconds, apologize for making them wait, but I was busy reading DU, and have they ever heard of it(?)!
Even some of the progressive kids fundraising for Sierra Club and Clean Water Action hadn't heard of DU; they may be posting/lurking here now.
As to your post, it's probably for the best that those kinds of people just remain ignorant. Some day, they'll protest "But we didn't know!" or "we were just following orders...".

[undeterred]

21. I don't know- their votes count too

I think we have to try to inform people, bur we can't force them...

[scarletwoman]

22. "their votes count too" -- not if they don't vote.

And, to be quite honest, I think it's better if they DON'T vote. If they're so uninformed, what kind of choice would they make? The right wing appeals to the most ignorant and non-critical thinking part of the populace.

Seems like it would be preferable to keep them away from the voting booth altogether. They'll do far less harm just voting for "American Idol".

sw

[undeterred]

25. I know what you mean

But I don't think we've ever tried to appeal to them. I'm going to try an experiment and never miss a trailer park in any of the little towns I go to... I have a feeling both parties skip over these, and then the only contact they have is Fox TV or the Catholic Church. Maybe if they heard from the Democratic party that we represent their interests they would be willing to give it a listen.

I said maybe.

[scarletwoman]

26. Thanks for replying -- and my apologies for my cynicism.

You make an excellent point -- and brava to you for being willing to engage these people!

Thank you so much for the hard work you are doing. If you can overcome the apathy of just ONE single non-voter, you've done a hell of a lot!

Bless you!

sw

[bigtree]

24. thank you for your efforts

politicking isn't easy.

now, get back out there and kick some republican ass :hi:

[Poiuyt]

28. You might have better luck if you start out by talking about Favre

[undeterred]

30. then I'd really be faking it!

as I have no interest at all in football, which I know is against state law! I could probably fake it enough to get the conversation started.

[Tesha]

29. And this, friends, is why Republicans get elected.

The people who ought to be on our side are too stupid or
too lazy to bother to learn about any of the issues and vote.

This is why the American Democracy is dead.

Tesha

[Stinky The Clown]

31. I'll bet a dollar to a dount if you were canvassing for the next Idol

You would have met with more understanding and more signatures than your trip yielded.

A sad but all too true commentary on today's apathetic citizenry.