So, I went to a GOP "Independence Day" BBQ Yesterday.....

[djAdvocate]

as many of you know, i was once registered to the GOP.  that ended in November of 2016, when it was clear who would win.  i did not want my name associated with a party that would elect that clown, ever....again....

if you are wondering why i got the invitation, it is because apparently they don't update their emails for voter registration.  if you are wondering why i went, it is because i was curious.  and i love BBQ.

so, several superficial things about this gathering.  it was about 100 people.  with the exception of a couple of Latinos (who are technically "white", if you must divide using the false construct of race), it was 100% white.  i would say 75% or more were boomers.  and i would say it was majority female.  

this was a pretty MAGA crowd, but only about 10% wore the MAGA garb, and nobody really used that phrase.  Keep America Great was more common.  a tacit admission to how well Biden is doing, i guess?  

they don't know what BBQ is.  BBQ is not hotdogs and hamburgers.  that is fast food.  BBQ is slow food.  and there was none of it.

having expended with the superficialities, the substance was conveyed by the many candidates for office that spoke there.  there were several repeated themes.  first of all there was the debate performance.  one of the candidates expressed a perspective that i didn't expect- and that is the the Democraxx Party (to a PERSON they used this epithet.  it has taken over the GOP slowly but surely in the last 75 years) has been LYING to the public about his condition, as everyone can now see.  so that is a difficult thing to dispute.  i am not even sure that Democrats should try, honestly.  so, that was a thing.  the second thing i noticed among the candidates and many that i spoke to at the gathering is their concern over a bucket of "family" issues.  in fact, inflation, household income, affordable housing, religion, marriage, divorce, birthrate, and a dozen other issues you can think about are ALL thrown into this bucket.  and the GOP has an extreme advantage to people that actually care about these issues, or consider them a higher priority than any other.  there was an undertone of religion to the gathering.  in fact, it could have been a Church Picnic, and one could scarcely have told it from what it was.  which was unnerving to someone with a Church allergy.

i think the energy level was pretty low, but there are two things these folks all have that Democrats generally don't.  the first is a whole lot of rage.  there were few, if any, happy smiling faces, even though they have had a very good couple of months.  the second is a sense of common purpose.  they see Democrats as the source of their troubles, and there was no real argument to contravene that.  and i was not there to make that argument.  finally, they are getting cocky.  they think that Democrats are done for.  i think the opposite is true for every office except the presidency.  they are likely going to get their asses kicked down ballot.  every candidate that spoke there will probably lose.  particularly the boomer in the cowboy hat that seems to think he is going to unseat a popular incumbent Democrat that has held that seat for two decades.  he didn't really make a case for how he plans on doing that, he has no resources, and nobody knew his name.  he had no lawn signs, no campaign materials, etc.  

i think the GOP in my neck of the woods (N Cal) is lazy as hell.  and they are not playing for Democratic votes, even though they desperately need them.

summary: the debate has them all pumped up about Trump's chances, but they are taking the foot off the throttle for downballot.  if Biden was a political genius, sandbagging the first debate was a great move.  but only if he has a plan for how to overcome his own dismal performance.

[djAdvocate]

there was one other thing i did while i was there that was kinda subversive. i will tell you about it later. but i have to pack up my computer and head out. my work day just ended.

[toomuchreality]

Thanks for this info and update. It sounds pretty much like what I would have expected. Although I would have thought there would be a lot more cheering and the like.
(Maybe there was?)

Did you find it interesting, or boring? (just curious)

I hope you are well.

[NastyWoman]

Jul 7, 2024 20:00:28 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

there was one other thing i did while i was there that was kinda subversive. i will tell you about it later. but i have to pack up my computer and head out. my work day just ended.

Now you have me curious. Make sure to come back here and update this thread

[toomuchreality]

Jul 7, 2024 20:52:53 GMT -5 NastyWoman said:

Jul 7, 2024 20:00:28 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

there was one other thing i did while i was there that was kinda subversive. i will tell you about it later. but i have to pack up my computer and head out. my work day just ended.

Now you have me curious. Make sure to come back here and update this thread

Agreed!

Where's your update? Curious minds. 😊

[Opti]

Have fun DJ. American BBQ sometimes is just hamburgers and hotdogs which is not my thing. More comments on this later, hopefully after COB today. 

[djAdvocate]

Jul 7, 2024 20:41:37 GMT -5 toomuchreality said:

Thanks for this info and update. It sounds pretty much like what I would have expected. Although I would have thought there would be a lot more cheering and the like.
(Maybe there was?)

Did you find it interesting, or boring? (just curious)

I hope you are well.

i found it interesting in that it resembled a Church service.  substantively, it was not very interesting.

[djAdvocate]

unfortunately, i don't have time to comment further right now, either. i have to pack up and go. busy day for me today and tomorrow. will try to get back to this thread during that time.

[djAdvocate]

ok. so my subversive act.

there was a guy there from the "Voter Integrity Project", so i signed up for "training". but in addition, i told him i wanted to be a poll worker. the reaction was interesting. because those assholes are WATCHING the poll workers, who i think they assume are generally Democrats. having one of their own wanting to do this job made him quite uncomfortable.

but i was serious. i want to work the polls this year. i don't care what risks it entails. i have a feeling that being a Republican will shield me. and in any case, the experience, particularly this year- possibly our last election ever.

[billisonboard]

Jul 8, 2024 16:17:48 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

ok. so my subversive act.

there was a guy there from the "Voter Integrity Project", so i signed up for "training". but in addition, i told him i wanted to be a poll worker. the reaction was interesting. because those assholes are WATCHING the poll workers, who i think they assume are generally Democrats. having one of their own wanting to do this job made him quite uncomfortable.

but i was serious. i want to work the polls this year. i don't care what risks it entails. i have a feeling that being a Republican will shield me. and in any case, the experience, particularly this year- our last election ever.

It would be interesting to go through a partisan training. I am signed up for our county's poll watchers orientation on Thursday.

[djAdvocate]

PS- i will let you know if "training" involves being strapped to a movie theatre chair with my eyes propped open.

[happyhoix]

I admire your subversive act.

Mine is more subdued. Hillsdale college keeps sending me ‘survey’s in the mail, with a request for donations at the end. I complete the surveys like I’m a crazy ass psycho. Once, I did one in crayon. Never sent a donation, but they keep sending me more to fill out. I don’t think they’re actually reading what I’m writing.

[toomuchreality]

Jul 8, 2024 20:48:39 GMT -5 happyhoix said:

I admire your subversive act.

Mine is more subdued. Hillsdale college keeps sending me ‘survey’s in the mail, with a request for donations at the end. I complete the surveys like I’m a crazy ass psycho. Once, I did one in crayon. Never sent a donation, but they keep sending me more to fill out. I don’t think they’re actually reading what I’m writing.

🤣🤣🤣

[billisonboard]

I was thinking on this. My orientation is for monitoring the counting process, not the polls. Duh, since we we are 100% mail in voting.

I was also thinking about why the guy was uncomfortable with djAdvocate's signing up for the training and saying he wanted to be a poll worker. It would be like saying I want to be on an independent commission to monitor police activity for abuse and I also want to become a police officer. If I were selecting the commission, I would be hesitant to put him on it. There is an inherent conflict.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Jul 9, 2024 7:37:43 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

I was thinking on this. My orientation is for monitoring the counting process, not the polls. Duh, since we we are 100% mail in voting.

I was also thinking about why the guy was uncomfortable with djAdvocate 's signing up for the training and saying he wanted to be a poll worker. It would be like saying I want to be on an independent commission to monitor police activity for abuse and I also want to become a police officer. If I were selecting the commission, I would be hesitant to put him on it. There is an inherent conflict.

How so?

[billisonboard]

Jul 9, 2024 12:24:47 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Jul 9, 2024 7:37:43 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

I was thinking on this. My orientation is for monitoring the counting process, not the polls. Duh, since we we are 100% mail in voting.

I was also thinking about why the guy was uncomfortable with djAdvocate 's signing up for the training and saying he wanted to be a poll worker. It would be like saying I want to be on an independent commission to monitor police activity for abuse and I also want to become a police officer. If I were selecting the commission, I would be hesitant to put him on it. There is an inherent conflict.

How so?

A police officer can have an interest in not seriously questioning another police officer's decisions so they are not seriously questioned themselves if they are facing an inquiry.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Jul 9, 2024 12:34:15 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

Jul 9, 2024 12:24:47 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

How so?

A police officer can have an interest in not seriously questioning another police officer's decisions so they are not seriously questioned themselves if they are facing an inquiry.

Then if someone was monitoring something for abuse, wouldn't a coworker not stopping abuse be a great example of exactly why you would need a monitor there, and an example of what not to do?  That is, if someone was truly invested in bettering police action.

[billisonboard]

Jul 9, 2024 13:29:06 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Jul 9, 2024 12:34:15 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

A police officer can have an interest in not seriously questioning another police officer's decisions so they are not seriously questioned themselves if they are facing an inquiry.

Then if someone was monitoring something for abuse, wouldn't a coworker not stopping abuse be a great example of exactly why you would need a monitor there, and an example of what not to do?  That is, if someone was truly invested in bettering police action.

Well, there have been plenty of examples of police investigating police in the past with very few cases in which the findings were abuse. The conclusion some have drawn from that is it is the example of what not to do.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Jul 9, 2024 13:49:46 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

Jul 9, 2024 13:29:06 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Then if someone was monitoring something for abuse, wouldn't a coworker not stopping abuse be a great example of exactly why you would need a monitor there, and an example of what not to do?  That is, if someone was truly invested in bettering police action.

Well, there have been plenty of examples of police investigating police in the past with very few cases in which the findings were abuse. The conclusion some have drawn from that is it is the example of what not to do.

Thats police investigating police, not the scenario you described.

[billisonboard]

Jul 9, 2024 15:54:54 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Jul 9, 2024 13:49:46 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

Well, there have been plenty of examples of police investigating police in the past with very few cases in which the findings were abuse. The conclusion some have drawn from that is it is the example of what not to do.

Thats police investigating police, not the scenario you described.

Hmmm. A wannabe poll worker being trained to be a poll watcher. Close enough for me. YMMV

[djAdvocate]

the indication was that they would rather the pollworkers be the enemy, and that me being one of them meant that their training might be adversarial to my pollwork.

what was also interesting is that the local GOP has some say in who works the polls. they can recommend people. so they COULD help me get that job. whether they WILL remains to be seen.