The Pork Chow Mein Primary (politics)

We stopped to see my mother over the weekend and she was surprisingly restrained in feeding us. She served us a main course (chow mein) and Chinese broccoli and even resisted dropping a freshly poached chicken into the mix. After she talked about their trip to Peru, the subject shifted to the presidential race. I wouldn’t say that my mother’s ever had strong political convictions. My father was a fan of the Kennedys. He broke with his own family’s support of Richard Nixon in 1960. My Grandfather thought that Nixon was more supportive of Taiwan because of his stance on protecting Quemoy and Matsu, islands between the two Chinas. My dad felt that one should vote for President based on more than one issue and he was one of many thousands of people who were swayed by JFK’s more vigorous appearance in the televised debates. My dad and I also used to exchange books about Robert Kennedy. My father died in 1978 which I now realize was just 10 years after RFK was shot.

After my dad died, she married my stepfather who had been a farmer and who believes that the Republican party supports business owners. My mom’s politics drifted towards my stepfather’s views and those of his friends. It didn’t help that they motor homed for several years. My mom started getting Swift Boat e-mails and Hillary jokes from various people she had exchanged e-mail addresses with from the world of motor homing. We visited them once when they were staying in a park in Palm Springs. The average age was about 70 and the hot springs pool was like a scene out of the movie Cocoon. While Hillary enjoys strong support from seniors, it’s probably not from the seniors who drive around the country in motor homes as opposed to the much larger number who fret about paying their rent vs. paying for prescription drugs.

I was more than a little surprised between plates of pork chow mein to learn that my mother had decided to support Barack Obama (at least for now). First she felt that McCain was too much in the thrall of lobbyists. I’m pretty sure that mom’s main source of information about political matters is the cable news networks and occasional chatter with friends their age. It also doesn’t help that she also thinks he’s entangled with certain lobbyists in ways that go beyond money. Second, she was very offended by attempts to twist Michelle Obama’s comments about being “really proud” of her country now. My stepfather remains mildly supportive of McCain. A few minutes later my mother said “We’re republicans.”

My wife and daughter are supporting Hillary Clinton. My daughter didn't say much.
She's one of these kids who eats bacon, but doesn't eat pork :} She spent much of the meal eating all parts of her grandmother's chow mein while laying strips of roast pork on the outer edge of her plate. My wife mentioned a couple times that she feels that Obama is promising too much while Hillary Clinton is both getting a bad shake from the media and the one who seems to be presenting realistic-detailed approaches to the problems. My mother apparently really does find Barack’s speeches about doing things in new ways and working together inspiring. No one mentioned the war.

As strange as this may sound, I said virtually nothing other than my usual I’m actually happy with either Democratic candidate vs. McCain. I read my own blog from time to time and I hardly seem like the sort of person who wouldn’t say something in one of these dinner table exchanges. Is Chancelucky really a different person from me? On the other hand, what sane person would take a side in a political discussion between his mother and wife at his mother's house unless he absoutely had to?
chancelucky