I work with a "rocker-chick" republican......*help me*

I don't know what to make of this young woman. She's dating a woman, (she doesn't describe herself as a lesbian) she says she's not a feminist, she looks like a cross between Melissa Etheridge and Chrissie Hynde (kinda hot actually) and she said that she worked for the GOP but she calls herself a "libertarian".

She's young, attractive, confident, hard-working, but DAYUM....worked for the GOP and brags about it?!?

I don't understand, and I don't really want to talk politics with her 'cause I don't want to blow my top on her at work. She graduated from a small private woman's college--I think her degree is in history (my degree too).

Am I a coward for not wanting to trek into her Ayn Randian polluted mind?

She was raised republican. She was raised selfish. Oops, that's one reason, not two.

There could be more, but those would be my guesses.

And no way would I engage her in a political discussion. I don't think politics belongs at work, especially in this day and age where politics os so darn divisive. No good can come of it.

You have time. Go slowly. You might start out with something "nonpartisan", like the voting issue. Since it's so important. Our votes are not absolutely guaranteed. And that's actually worse than going to your atm and leaving without any knowledge that the money you just deposited went into your account. Of course, it's a partisan issue since the companies are primarily owned by Dorks who are cheating to get votes to the Dork party.

Then there are the Democratic points. I want to say talking points, but the Democratic issues are actually issues that human beings desire. Normal people are Democrats. I hate to put it that way. And I don't know how to logically get across the idea that the republican agenda is contrary to the Constitution. It's not for the people. It's for the corporations.

I am really bad at opening my mouth and talking and convincing and arguing. That's why DU is so good for me. I can sit here for half a day and get my brain to function, and then say something. So it'll be interesting to see what people say, for advice.

It's pretty hard to talk to someone who had made up their mind, and is not interested in changing it. After all, the economies under republican presidents have sucked. Even Reagan was blown away by his own economic failures. He declared an end to debt, and was then told by his advisors that he was actually headed for greater debt than all combined presidents before him. And the illegal war in Iraq. And the environment. And ad infinitem.

I remember Will Pitt saying something that made sense. It's the republicans who are going to swing, that will make the difference.

So feel out how her flexibility is. If she's rigid, it may be impossible. But there is nothing more fantastic than that perfect argument that brings even the most stubborn to your side. I wish I had any advice at all. I don't. Facts. That's my advice. And that means studying. Yuck.

Get your say by being active in a precinct where others are getting active on the issues.

Libertarian - A man, or woman, voting Republican while living Democrat.
Denial - A man, or woman, voting Republican while living Democrat.
Bushtard - A man, or woman, voting Republican while living Democrat.

When I student taught, the fad for bi-sexual braggin rights hit the upper middle class WASP high school I student taught at.

Bi Until Graduation/Gay Until Graduation

I noticed that sort of thing (amongst the teenagers) since I was teaching Journalism and Psychology.

But I know someone like this also. She's pro-choice, a feminist, well educated, well travelled, pro-environment, yet a knee-jerk Republican voter. Her reason? She "hates hippies". A lot of people like this have one reason (and usually not a very good one) for their affiliation and can't be budged. But I would still try with your rocker chick friend.

Please sign our guestbook: www.ThankYouRFK.com

Don't they call themselves Southpark conservatives?

Never quite understood that myself.

I knew someone the exact same way. He went to an ivy league school, smoked lots of pot, lived with a woman without being married, pro-environment, and jewish.

Voted republican because he hates hippies and new agers. Real good reason, huh?

Southpark definitely influenced him.

I used to be fans of Parker And Stone until I realized just how much influence they had turning kids away from progressivism because they hate hippies and "being PC"

Smart people, but stupid is as stupid does, I guess.

:wtf:

Pot-smoking, tree-hugging Jewish Ivy League grad shackin' up with a woman?

This guy is a hippie.

For the irony of all ironies...

At that time, he lived above a record store on the corner of Haight and Ashbury. Directly across Ashbury street from Jerry Garcia's old place.

and have been getting some traction from, of all places, Hollywood. Through the South Park egotists. And the frat boy Vince Vaughn types -- lovable conservatives who embrace Bush but aren't cranky old men but huggable, beer drinkers who get hot women.
I agree, though, with Janeane Garafolo. To be a conservative who backs Bush these days is to have a character flaw. It's that important. Our country is in the balance.
We're facing global warming, record deficits, invasion and occupation of sovereign nations, the murder of civilians, prison abuse, and the termination of our civil rights.
Supporting this administration is not simply a choice. It's throwing yourself in league with people who are destroying America. Really. Our administration has lied to the world, imprisoned people without due process, carried out domestic spying, and killed thousands of Iraqi civilians.
It's not cute. It's not edgy. It's not cool.
It's self-absorbed selfishness and greed.
I find these people as attractive as Nazis. Which is to say, I find them loathsome. Repellent.
For your own sake, stay away. You don't need their bad karma.

first of all - she needs to come to terms with her sexuality.

...can you spell "Conflicted"? I'm curious about "She's dating a woman, (doesn't describe herself as a lesbian)" Does she describe herself as hetrosexual? Bisexual? Ambisexual? Is she dating a woman just to be fashionable?
Personally, I'd steer clear of this little number - so many self-loathing people project an image of confident, hard-working normalcy until someone questions their delusions. Then is when you see the AK-47s. And, personally, I'm getting tired of seeing news interviews with neighbors: "She seemed so NORMAL."

there really ain't much difference between a liberal new england puke and the dlc.

The New England Repuke is more progressive.

:toast:

We are pretty much one big party... with liberals and libertarians on the outside or fringe...

A lot of Dems voted for Bush though.

One of those people who deliberately cultivates an avant-garde persona. It's like "See, you expect me to be a liberal because of my lifestyle but I'll show you what a rebel I am!" My suggestion is to not even waste your time on her because all you'd be doing is giving her the attention she craves. If she wants to work for the GOP, then that's her stupid choice. They will never accept her or invite her into their fold. She will not "change them from within" as so many before her have foolishly thought. In Blinded by the Right, David Brock (who is a gay man), described his eventual realization of how the movement he had carried so much water for would sacrifice him in a minute for political expedience.

She seems to take great pleasure in surprising people.

Back in 2004, I made the mistake of assuming one of the sales clerks I met at Hot Topics was a liberal and anti-Bush. The young woman I met was similar to the one described in the OP. Boy, did she prove me wrong! As I sat there with my jaw on the ground in surprise at her support for Bush & Co. -- her reasons were unclear and I thought at first her blind support might be related to her religion, that maybe she was a Fundamentalist Christian Straight Edger or something -- I realized her "non-conformity" was also about seeking attention was really part of the whole package.

Your post explains it much better, though.

I suspect that she is one of these individuals who grew up in a fairly comfortable household and was sheltered from reality. At the small women's college, she probably did not experience much homophobia or sexism first hand. She probably does not think that she will be affected by the GOP's more extreme policies such as the attacks on gays and reproductive freedom.

I think that you are behaving professionally by not talking about politics with her at work.

Is she a church goer?
She sounds like she missed that class about critical thinking!
Check this out! Maybe it will give you some talking points!

http://www.qando.net/blogs/punkrock.aspx
"Christian Punks Are More Punk Than ConPunk (part 1)"
"Let me elaborate on that...
What I mean to say is this: Christian punk bands (as a collective unit) have more in common
with today's punk rock establishment than does the Conservative Punk movement.

They are more left-wing than you may think.

A LOT more."

Wow!! :shrug:

I just read : "The Gospel of Supply Side Jesus" (at the above link)
snip-->
"Being that I am of both the Republitarian persuasion and the Christian persuasion,
I have been wanting, for quite some time now, to write a post dealing with the
correlation between my faith and my politics....." <--snip

;)

Perhaps she is confused.

I would engage her on specific issues to assess where she stands. If she is indeed a libertarian, she has to acknowledge that the fascist regime today is seeking to squash civil liberties.

But then again I am assuming that reason actually registers with some people. In that regard, I could be mistaken.

I had a lot of hippy friends in college and they were some of the coolest & non-judgemental people I've ever known. Also, they knew where to get the best weed, which is a plus. I miss sitting around in a drum circle with my old hippy pals.

I say just bag her and then toss her aside like garbage.

:)

I'm in a relationship. I've just never met a creature like her before.

Maybe Ill give her my Ksec special.

...and that if somebody dared give her a college degree, considering how stupid she is, she should sue them for "malpractice".

I do mind my own business. Always.

Have a nice day.

Edit to explain: We work at an establishment owned by two lesbians. I have no reason to be closeted. She brought in her girlfriend and introduced her as such. Talks about her often. As I talk about mine. Since we both hold degrees in History, we joke about working in a bar getting the most of our education. I said I'd love to be the next Lillian Faderman (historian who has written about lesbian history in the US) She didn't know who that was and I explained it to her. She said, "Oh, I don't identify with lesbian/feminist politics. I'm a Republican. And I worked for the GOP as a volunteer."

I said nothing. How's that for minding my own business?

I truly was not trying to be rude, just thought maybe you were busying yourself about someone's business that wasn't yours.

Your further description explains your conversations with her and that she's talking to you, so were I you, I'd tell her precisely what you think.

Again, apologies for my misunderstanding.

and whether there is a repub or dem as Governor. Most libertarians want balance since both parties tend to have their own special interests that clash with libertarian ideals.

As I have said several times before, all politics are local.

A Libertarian is a Republican who smokes pot.

Of course, I describe myself as "left-libertarian", so that may account for the difference...

oddly extremely exercised about things like "political correctness" and affirmative action and the banning of smoking in barrooms but seem to care nothing about the right's war on civil liberties and their war on sexual freedom (abortion, birth control, gay rights etc).

it's hard for me to take these people seriously since they're so selective in how they'd like government off their backs.

i consider them gopers who are ashamed to admit it (i don't put you in this category).

I'm much more Libertarian than Democratic, but vote mostly Democratic.

The looney LaRouche gang gave us a bad name, IMHO. No, I'm not selective about how to get the government off our backs, I want them off our backs and on the corporate backs.

-Hoot

On one hand, they declare themselves conservative. But, not liking the unhip sound of the word, they bend over backwards to appear hip and as radical as anyone.

They're lots of fun until you hit the right nerve, then they explode.

Based on what you said she seems to be vain, selfish, and like someone who lives for attention.

If I were in your position, I would completely ignore her except for an occasional "good morning," and if she tried to talk to me I would answer using one syllable words in a flat, emotionless tone. :D