Funny story about a Low Information Voter

To start off with...and again for the fiftieth time...I said I would vote for either Democratic candidate in the GE.

With that out of the way...I'm a realist. It hasn't been difficult to see how this nomination was shaping up since super Tuesday.

I work in concert production. I'm a stage manager. We have a "Rock Doc" who comes to the shows. He's actually a physicians assistant who can write prescriptions. He was a medic in Vietnam. He usually brings things like oxygen for the acts. He's usually got loads of free samples of various drugs. I usually get allergy medicine from him. He really is sort of a god send in our industry since basically none of the hands have insurance. He allows us to come visit him at his office too...for a mere 20 bucks usually. He also gave me my medical card for my CDL-A.


He is a good guy. Unfortunately, he is THE low information voter. I've sparred with him over politics at shows since 2000. I warned him about Bush back then. He always would come up with the dumbest of the dumb talking points. The most easily taken apart. But he has always stuck to his guns no matter how much I put him in his place. I used to get angry with him. But then...in a way...I would lose because I couldn't keep my cool. And I could tell that it would re-enforce in his mind what he saw in me as a "raving liberal".

Needless to say...among the locals that work events...our little stand-offs have become legendary.

Well...with age has come wisdom. I have gotten much better at controlling the debates. At making see the light. I finally changed his view of Bush. Can't stand him now. I changed his view on socialized medicine by pointing out that all these people in production that he cared about didn't have insurance. I...amusingly...convinced him (because he hated the idea of socialized medicine ONLY because it had the word "socialized" in it) that, "perhaps we can have socialized medicine...and not use the word 'socialized'". He agreed LOL.



Well...he's been telling me how Obama is a "racist Muslim terrorist" and that Hillary was going to win the nomination. And he has stood by his guns all this time. He was really excited to vote for a Dem. So at least I felt like I had converted him over the past eight years. Though I have convinced him that Obama is not a "racist Muslim terrorist", he refuses to accept Obama...because now he just hates him because he's decided to hate him. Last night he was still saying that Hillary was going to get the nomination.

I've been offering him little bets that Obama was going to win it since super Tuesday. Lunch...dinner...food...that sort of thing. He refuses every time.

Well last night before the show...there's a dozen of us squakin' out back of the venue. And of course me and the doc are talking politics...and everybody is listening to us because our convo's are always interesting and humorous. Still convinced that Hillary was going to magically pull out the nomination...I pulled out the mother of all bets:

"Listen, Doc,....you are absolutely convinced that Hillary is going to pull out this nomination. Well...it's time to put your money where your mouth is. I will bet you..."

I paused for dramatic effect. Everybody go quiet.

"...if Hillary wins this nomination...I will vote anyway you want me to vote up and down the ticket. If Obama wins...you have to vote the way I want you to...up and down the ticket."

Silence. A look from the Doc like I was a CRAZED MADMAN (the look got muffled giggles from everyone). He just looked at me like that for a good 10 seconds....until the stagehands and various people had quieted again to see if he would actually accept.

Finally, he violently shook his head no. The crowd erupted in raspberries, laughter and cat calls. "Come on Doc.". Came from the crowd.



Anyway...I'm working on him. I think he'll come around for the general. I pointed out to him the other night how I've been right on all these thing since 2000...and he agreed. So I should have him in line by November.

:eyes:

And they don't even see it--that's the most telling part....

because in this industry....

public humiliation and having a good laugh at a friend...at THEIR expense is par for the course. And they'll do it to me later. That just how stagehands are. We forget about...and get even by doing things like cramming a piece of pizza up under the door handle on your car. That...or axle grease off the fifth wheel of a semi works even better.

And in the end of the day...we have humorous stories of how we "got even" with our buddies...the guys we go into battle with...the guy I rig with 60-80 feet in the air. And he laughs at it too.

You should be so lucky to have such close friends that clown and kid and prank each other constantly. This is my family.

I sympathize with you thin skinned.

Go back to your cubicle...nothing to see here. lol

the embarrassment of public humiliation about beliefs in front of friends and co-workers.

He sounds like some prominent DUers.

I'm just going to tell people here a couple things.

First:

Doc sees me at shows...and immediately walks up to me...gives me a hug...and starts talking politics. He is always the instigator. So don't talk all "poor Doc". I love the Doc. We don't agree on things. But he provides a great service to my brethren.

Second:

I work in this industry because of the way people are. They can smell bullshit from a mile away and will tell you to your face you are full of shit. That don't pussy foot around. They're hard core mother fuckers. They ride motorcycles...hang out with Hell's Angels...get tattooed...and do drugs. They smoke joints hanging off of steel 80 feet off the ground. They work 18 hour days...6 months out of the year. And then hang out with friends and drink gut rot the other 6 months. These people make sailors blush. But the love art...and music...and friends. And they're are more loyal than anyone you will ever...EVER...be lucky enough to know.

And guess what.

They all vote Liberal.


So here it is from me...on behalf of them (and I'll try to put in the way I KNOW they would). Get the fuck out of my face with your holier than thou bullshit pretending like you know my life or the industry I work in. These people would LITERALLY stiff arm you at a bar if you came with to them with type of talk.


But they're still going to vote for the Democrat in November.


Don't you just hate us? We look nothing like you. We smell. We work hard. We laugh. And we're tight knit and loyal.

God...what's not to hate?

I liked your story and um can ya get me into a show ? :P

Other than family.

Unfortunately...for years I got tickets for people...and the would usually not show up.

So instead of asking the boss for tickets and having to give me the look of "you want to let someone in for free" and having them not show up...I just don't get tickets for anyone....

except my wife. And I can just walk her in no questions.

now is the part where all of my friends in the industry would point at me, laugh, and call me dumbass.

lol

you would be shocked how often I'm asked the question about tickets.

And I have indeed been asked over the internet on numerous occasions.

So please excuse :)

I am sure you get it every day. I do computer repair and whenever I visit family on vacations I spend most of my vacations fixing everyones computers.

I am sure its the same with you and tickets. After a while the answers become reflexive.

Cool job though bet you have seen some pretty wild stuff.