Tuesday, October 19th, I sat next her on a bench. We were both waiting for the Tri-Rail train heading north. Tri-Rail is a commuter train serving Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade Counties in Florida. The train was delayed so we started talking. She had just returned from New Jersey and had taken the airport shuttle to the Tri-Rail station. She told me a little about her children and grandchildren. Her son had cancer on his lip and had surgery. Although his lower lip had to be removed, the prognosis was good and the plastic surgery went well. She was still upset at her son’s girlfriend because the woman seemed more concerned about when her son could return to work than his overall health. She said that just talking about the subject caused her to be angry once again. I said I understood about how talking about or thinking about things can get us upset. Then she said, “And don’t even get me started on Obama.”
Our conversation turned from family to politics. She said she had been registered as an Independent for many years but finally registered as a Republican because she would never vote Democrat. She also said that some people will only vote along party lines. She liked Donald Trump and had planned to vote for him until he made those negative statements about George Bush. She really liked George Bush.
When I told her I am a Hillary Clinton supporter, she immediately brought up Benghazi. When I told her that embassies were attacked during the Bush administration, she said all she knew about was what happened during the Clinton administration. I think she meant while Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State. She also said she really didn’t see the need for a woman to be President. She went on to say she was more “traditional” even though she could have done whatever she wanted. I presume she meant that she believed in some sort of division of jobs based on gender, some jobs women ought not to do or want to do.
She was quick to blame President Obama for everything that was wrong with the country. She said that Republicans had tried to pass bills but President Obama prevented them from getting anything done by vetoing and/or threatening to veto everything. She stated that President Obama said he said a pen and a phone. I explained that the President vetoed and/or threatened to veto legislation that he believed would do more harm to people.
I asked her whether she only listened to Fox News. She said that she watched two different stations because she was an Independent and wanted to get both sides but never said what two stations she watched. Nor did she deny watching Fox News.
I asked her if she was receiving Social Security. She said “Yes.” I asked her if she was aware that there would be no raise in her benefit and that her Medicare payment would increase. She said she knew and not only blamed President Obama, but said this was the third time he had done this. I explained to her that the Republicans were the ones responsible for that decision, not the President. Her response was, “Republicans and Democrats see things differently.”
I told her that I have a Bachelor’s degree in History, focused on Early American History and the Constitution, and I was sharing a fact with her that had nothing to do with being a Democrat. That the way the Constitution set up the government, the President cannot introduce legislation into Congress. But that really didn’t seem to matter to her. Nor, for that matter, did she care that President George H. W. Bush was the only President to cut taxes while increasing defense spending, thus creating a huge deficit.
She talked about her children having large student loans to pay off, yet she adamantly opposes a free college education. She worked two jobs and thinks the problem is that too many people get too many handouts, although she does think truly needy people should receive help. I didn’t ask her who she would consider truly needy.
The train finally arrived and we went our separate ways to get on board.
Moderately liberal, liberally moderate, American flag waving Democrat! Bachelor of Arts in History with concentration in Early American History and Abraham Lincoln
Graduate student pursuing a Master of Arts Degree online in American History at Southern New Hampshire University