I touched base with my folks yesterday. I probably talk to my Mom (sometimes my Dad though he’s not much of a talker and never really has been) once a week on average. They travel during the summer (since living in a dessert gets really hot during the summer) so it may be slightly less during the summer.
When ever politics come up, my Mom wants to shut the conversation down right away. This means that we have never really had a substantial or meaningful conversation on politics.
I suspect the reason has 2 major parts. First, on subjects that I am informed, I can be a persistent debater.
Second, my parents approach on politics is that they are emotion based and don’t get a thoroughly fact based understanding of the candidates (this gives a person an insecure feeling on their choice). I don’t think my parents are unusual in their approach and have seen evidence that people in all demographics follow the same approach.
I am far from an expert on politics or any particular candidates but I do follow various political sources. When the election closes in, I do further research especially for candidates that I have yet to have enough data to push me one way or another.
I’m a Barak Obama supporter at this point. I like his position on Iraq, Afghanistan, Energy, Taxes. I’m luke warm on his Health Care position. I’m down right upset over his position on Security (specifically his vote to support the Domestic Surveillance bill which included telecom immunity). I am a bit concerned about his experience but feel that he is intelligent and can work through it. During the primaries, I never felt that Hillary’s claim to have more experience was false since I don’t believe that being a First Lady is experience valid for being President. I do tend to think that Governor’s have a more valid basis for experience than do Congressmen.
I do not like John McCain. I admire his service through elected office and especially his service during Vietnam (I was young enough not to have an opinion of that war though after the fact, it was clearly a bad choice for our country). I did like his previous approach to the Presidential campaigns though what I have seen is not the same approach for this election. I do not like his positions on Iraq, Taxes and Economy, Security. I’m uninformed on his Health Care position. It seems that he has flipped recently on Afghanistan and Energy which can be ok but in this case seems like he doesn’t really know the topic or maybe just is going with a more popular position. I think as a senior Senator, he has potentially more knowledge than Barak Obama on a variety of topics but given his support (nearly blind support) for Bush and Bush’s policies, he seems weaker.
I would have enjoyed the conversation with my Mom – maybe she’ll read this (or not).