Reverse Psychology

I just got a strange call that was pretty obviously paid for by the Republican candidate for Texas House of Representatives. Or at least, some local branch of the Republican party. The interviewer, who didn't seem too thrilled to be interviewing me (I think he had a cold), asked first about how well I knew the candidates at a federal and local level, which ones I would likely be voting for, and which issues I valued most. Normally, I consider myself to be a fairly liberal guy. I'm not a hippie, and I like to think I have a relatively decent view of the world, I'm not just an idealist, but I am at least somewhat idealistic. I'd like to think that those of us who have more should give to those of us less fortunate. I think nothing of pulling $10 out of each pay check to go to my company's United Way fund. I'm not going to miss that $10, and it could make a huge difference in the lives others, so I give it freely. 

Anyway, long story short, I'm a liberal, and currently I'm voting democratic because I'm very displeased with the way the Republican leadership has sent our country since, well basically, since I was born. Interestingly, if the election were held tomorrow, I said I'd be voting for Libertarian Bob Barr, not because I want him to be president, but because I feel like our country needs a legitimate third party and the only way we're going to get one is by supporting one. Since Texas is pretty much an electoral shoe-in for Republicans, voting for a Democrat won't do much besides skew the numbers a bit. But it could be a big boost to the third party.

Then, after me telling the guy that the two biggest issues I have reguarding Texas politics were improving traffic conditions and improving public education, he proceeded to list me several facts lifted from the public record about the two candidates for the Texas Legislature in my district. It didn't take me long to notice that he was practically reading a Republican ad at me. I answered truthfully that each of the facts he read made me less likely to vote for the Democrat and more for the Republican (I can't even remember their names...), but at the end I told him, no, I'm still voting Democratic, just because this call is such a blatant waste of my time and insult to my intelligence.

Now I'm kinda wondering if that was the point all along... Maybe it was the Democrats trying to make me agry at Republicans... /shrugs

The point is that none of the facts outweighed my initial reason for voting (D) in the first place: I don't want the Republicans in power. I'm sure that by herself, the republican is a nice woman and would make an excellent representative, but she's not by herself.

I don't get angry at people. I get frustrated with things.