How can I convert My Conservative Father to Repudiate *??????

[Pierzin]

Yes, my dad is a staunch conservative. There. I wrote it for all of you to see. I have told him how much I despise * for every reason. I have urged him to repudiate * because he led us to war under false pretenses, I have told him how * and his cronies are bankrupting the country, yet he still supports *. WTF else can I do???? He is hard core GOP, and always will be, God knows why, he's old, he's poor and white. Not really the demographic * favors.

[murielm99]

1. Does he get Medicare, or Social Security?

Can you tell him in simple terms what will happen to those things if * has his way, and if repukes continue to control congress?

Put it in terms of things he knows and cares about.

Good luck. My parents were union, and strong Democrats all their lives, until they got born again. Slowly, I am winning them back. They are not selfish or evil people. They are listening.

[JI7]

2. do you know why he is a Conservative ?

and why he supports Bush ? he probably has a lot of views that are based on lies about what the Republicans stand for.

but try to appeal to him based on his personal views. teach him, show him why he is wrong.

[snowbear]

3. My dad is a Rethug in Texas... but ....

I never see him.. :shrug:

Why not invite him over, fix him a dinner, then pop in the video of Fahrenheit 911?

Michael Moore is busting his arse on his next film, which will expose the problems with our healthcare system... The movie will be called "Sicko" but I'm not sure when that one comes out?

Watch the F-911 together, then just have a cordial chat..

[The_Casual_Observer]

4. Explain in simple terms that the sole mission of the republicans

is to take away his monthly check and his medicare. Everything else they do is in someway traceable to those goals.

[bliss_eternal]

5. Why convert him...?

While I get that it sucks to care for one that seems to have fallen for dishonesty and all the other things you may despise about this admin, but doesn't everyone have a right to their opinion and choice?

I ask because I can only imagine you may be upset if your father or someone else in your family was trying to "convert" you.

If it isn't affecting your personal relationship, does it really need to be an issue? :shrug:

Just some things to consider. :)

[Kiouni]

6. You can only lead him

to the right decision. I would recommend giving him quasi-nonpartisan literature and let him come to a rational conclusion. I recommend "American Theocracy." This book details the rise of Republicans and the fall of America. It is a great read and if he followed Republican politics for the last 30 or 40 years he should be able to relate to the concepts. Good luck

[aquart]

7. You can't.

But the day he does will be the day before Bush bids us all farewell.

At least, it happened that way with my stepdad and Nixon. Dinnertime was open warfare in our house. We fought over the war, everything to do with Nixon.

It was actually two days before Nixon's resignation that my stepdad admitted Nixon might be guilty...

Hardcore converts last, and reluctantly. Keep an eye on his opinions. Use him as a bellwether. Check him regularly for any sign of change. Stop proselytizing. He'll be so relieved, he might even express a doubt.

[Hippo_Tron]

8. If he is loyal to Bush just because he is loyal to the GOP...

Then perhaps you should explain to him about how Eisenhower is probably rolling over in his grave knowing what has become of his party. How Barry Goldwater called himself the liberal wing of the Republican party in the 1990's. How Nixon supported universal healthcare and created the EPA. How Reagan vetoed spending bills because of about earmarks and how Shrub won't touch his veto pen despite the 100's of earmarks in the spending. Also explain to him that as criminal as Iran-Contra was, Reagan at least took full responsibility for it and Shrub won't take responsibility for anything. Explain to him how Poppy actually got a coalition together before going into Iraq.

At the very least, maybe you can convince him that this President and this congress are just plain unfit to run this country even though past Republicans have been able to do so very well. Although I wouldn't agree with that statement completely when you're trying to convert someone you have to do it slowly. It may not work long term, but at least it might change his mind for this election.

[karynnj]

14. I second what hippo-tron suggests in looking at listening to defecting

Republicans. Reading his mention of Eisenhower, I remembered that Eisenhower's son wrote a wonderful endorsement of John Kerry in 2004. The parts relevant to your dad deals with many areas where he is uncomfortable with the Republican party. Unfortunately the Manchester Union Leader, where it was printed has taken it off their site. Using google I found it at Truthout.

"The fact is that today’s "Republican" Party is one with which I am totally unfamiliar. To me, the word "Republican" has always been synonymous with the word "responsibility," which has meant limiting our governmental obligations to those we can afford in human and financial terms. Today’s whopping budget deficit of some $440 billion does not meet that criterion.

Responsibility used to be observed in foreign affairs. That has meant respect for others. America, though recognized as the leader of the community of nations, has always acted as a part of it, not as a maverick separate from that community and at times insulting towards it. Leadership involves setting a direction and building consensus, not viewing other countries as practically devoid of significance. Recent developments indicate that the current Republican Party leadership has confused confident leadership with hubris and arrogance.

<snip>

Today many people are rightly concerned about our precious individual freedoms, our privacy, the basis of our democracy. Of course we must fight terrorism, but have we irresponsibly gone overboard in doing so? I wonder. In 1960, President Eisenhower told the Republican convention, "If ever we put any other value above (our) liberty, and above principle, we shall lose both." I would appreciate hearing such warnings from the Republican Party of today.
<snip>
The Republicans used to be deeply concerned for the middle class and small business. Today’s Republican leadership, while not solely accountable for the loss of American jobs, encourages it with its tax code and heads us in the direction of a society of very rich and very poor.
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/093004U.shtml

That said, I would make sure not to jeopordize your relationship, which in reality is more important than politics. Listen to what he has to say and identify what fears or reasons keep him in favor of Bush. Hearing where he thinks he disagrees with the Democrats, you may be able to find a non-confontational positive Democratic speech/interview/op-ed on the topic - showing that just because talk radio (or cable TV) say the Democratic position is soemthing, it may NOT be the case. (Although it may sound a strange analogy - Back when I was a kid, I played Beatles songs like Yesterday for my mom, who I wanted to convince the Beatles were great, NOT Why can't we do it in the road . )

I seriously doubt that F911 reached many people who respected Bush. This is in spite of the fact that I agree it was, by and large factual. The tone and the fast paced guilt by association part that showed the connects of the Bush family and the Bin Ladens. The sad thing is that those connections do exist and are troublesome for more basic reasons - that the BCCI investigation, at minimum, showed that a foreign nationals connected to drug money launderers and terrorists were able to buy some of our politicians (in both parties). In some ways the snarky Michael Moore way of handling this may have made it seem LESS believable. (In fairness, among the left it made the idea more well known, but without the factual backup or the fact that the 2004 nominee was the one man in either party with both the courage and moral/ethical values to stand against the entire Senate and GHWB to force this out in the open.)

[zonkers]

9. Can't talk politics w/ my pop. Some folks are just too set in their ways.

Save your breath. Avoid the aggravation.

[Stevepol]

10. You could use the Bible if he's a fundie or considers himself born again.

When people call C-Span and say, "God bless America. God bless Geo Bush," or when I see bumper stickers that way, "Support our troops," I can't help thinking of Christ's words in Matt 7.

He goes into how even we as humans wouldn't give our offspring bad gifts, if we're a father and our son asks for bread, we wdn't give him a stone, e.g. And we're caught up in all kds of envy and evil thinking. But if we would do that, then certainly God would give us what we ask for.

It's with that background that Christ says, "Therefore" (notice that word THEREFORE) "Whatever you would that men would do to you, do ye also to them. FOR THIS IS THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS."

Violence breeds violence. If we pray for one thing and do another, how can we expect God to give us what we pray for? If we really want God's blessing on our country or its leaders, we have to act and vote as we profess to believe. If we pray for God to bless Geo Bush and Geo Bush starts illegal and immoral wars, how will God react? Even we as humans can see that and we have a limited perspective, each of us has prejudices and weaknesses, etc. How do we expect God, with his supposedly unlimited perspective and understanding, to bless something that is so obviously, blatantly illegal and immoral? That goes for this whole administration, every part and parcel of it.

And you might add, THIS IS THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS." It's not something you invented, this law. It's written into the fabric of reality. We are already seeing the consequences of our actions all over the world. We need to make our prayers and our actions line up.

If your old man still won't have anything to do with it, then let him go. He's going to suffer for his opinions if those opinions conflict with reality. If he doesn't have something like Alzheimer's, he probably will before long. His thinking is part of the same law. Eventually, maybe his life willl bring him round to the obvious. But you didn't create this law. It just is. Nobody gets away with anything in the long run, not even Geo Bush with, what used to be anyway, the best and biggest army ever seen in the world.

[FormerDittoHead]

11. Good opening: Republicans are no better than Democrats...

ANY conservative will go along with that approach. It's a great 'gateway'...

"Dad, I really don't see how things are any better since the Republicans started running things...."

The trick is to put him in a position where he is expected to say positive things about Republicans (ahh! tricky!)

Be prepared, however. If they're a talk radio / Fox news addict, they'll ACTUALLY be able to give some 'examples' where the Republicans are doing a good job! (you people have NO IDEA how deep the propaganda / brainwashing goes!)

In any case, that's your best bet for an opening, simply because their actual "performance" (in quotes) is their most damning argument.

[elocs]

12. I have a man who is like a father to me who bleeds Republican.

He is 68 and retired and his youngest of 3 sons is a Liberal and he is also the son who is closest to his father and whose children are close to their grandpa. My friend grew up in Iowa with a working class father who hated FDR, so it is easy to see where he grew his Republican roots. We disagree vehemently and one in a great while have an argument, but we respect each others viewpoints. I respect him to much than to do something like bring over a dvd of Fahrenheit 9/11 and have him watch it with me and then calmly discuss it, like a 2 hour movie would change his lifelong beliefs. I certainly would resent if he tried to deprogram me using some RW slanted video. Life is too short. I am an example to him and so is his youngest son and maybe we can change him a little, but it will be his choice. When it comes to family and friends, I am not going to force by beliefs down anybody's throat when we all know where each other stand. Yes, we will sometimes discuss things, but I am not about to paint or argue my friend into a corner where he will refuse to change. When, or if, he eventually changes his thinking he will come to it on his own because nobody wants to have their nose rubbed into the idea that they have been wrong all their life.

[primative1]

13. Have Him Take the HomeDepot challenge...

Take him to home depot and defy him to find a single item that is not made in China. Then ask him if he understand what that means.
Stay the course and we wind up where?

[hadrons]

15. read this book

[blm]

16. Tell him to research two areas that are important for ANY American to know

so that they can better see that BushInc has loyalties other than America a t the center of their actions over the last 40 years.

Sit down with him at a computer and direct his search to Bush, BCCI, Pakistan, Bath, Kerry.

Then have him search Bush, Rev Sun Myung Moon, Tim LaHaye.

That should do it - or help considerably.

[MountainLaurel]

17. Torture him?

According to Bush, it's working for the U.S. government.

[Garbo 2004]

18. Well if he supports Bush, he isn't a real conservative. The current GOP

has repudiated traditional conservative values for a long time but I guess some folks can't or won't see it. And it may be, not knowing him or your relationship, that he doesn't want to hear how wrong he is from you. If he's as set in his ways as you say, and "always will be" GOP why are you trying to "convert" him? People don't change just cause you want them to.

I know some folks who have an ego/identity involvement with their GOP/anti-Dem orientation and it's not about logic or facts or even their own self-interest. If he's one of those I'd say you're wasting your time. But that's JMO not knowing anything about the circumstances or your father. If your relationship is otherwise good, enjoy it while you can.

[Zynx]

19. Bush has created the largest, most invasive, least efficient government

in history.

There.