I live in Florida, a purple state suffering under tight Republican control thanks to years of gerrymandering, and with very close Senate and Governor's races in progress. I have lots of very liberal, highly educated friends who worry about the election. They constantly complain about our gun-loving tea party congressman and the MAGA idiots who keep voting for him. They don’t understand why the Republicans keep winning elections. They think it's completely obvious that the voters should kick out the Trump party.
So I ask them what they are doing to help make that happen. In virtually every instance, the answer is a blank stare -- they are doing nothing. They don't donate, they don't canvass, they don't have yard signs, they don't go to candidate events, they haven't voted yet. A lot of them don't even know what's on the ballot. I decided a few weeks ago that I just can't listen to their bullshit any longer.
Last night my wife and I ran into one of our liberal friends. The friend immediately started fretting about the election. I just had to cut her off. This is how it went:
[Me] Have you voted yet?
[Friend] Not yet. And I was on the phone with the elections office this week, trying to get them to rush a ballot to our son in Europe. But they aren’t set up for that.
[Me] Oh no. It's already mid October. That's not good.
[Friend] Well, like he says, his vote probably won't make a difference.
[Me] Don't say that. Florida is always close. George W. Bush only won Florida by a couple of hundred votes, if that.
[Friend] Oh yes and that's how we got the Iraq War ... (launches into rant about Iraq) …
[My wife] … (Interrupting the rant) I'm going canvassing this weekend. Do you want to come with me?
[Friend] Oh I can't do that. When people hear my accent, they don't even think I should be voting!
[Me] You could work at the polls on election day. That's what I'm doing.
[Friend] Oh those election workers. They are such idiots. One time when I went to vote, they looked at my ID and they said ... (begins to tell story)
[Me] ... (cutting off her story) You could donate to a candidate? Write a Letter to the Editor?
[Friend] You know, I'm soooo busy these days.
[My wife] It really helps to canvass. And it's kind of fun.
[Friend] But I don't need to canvass. I already talk to LOTS of people.
[My wife] Who do you talk to?
[Friend] My other friends. They all hate Trump. They're all like me.
[Me] (sigh)
