Ran into him at, of all places, a local hamburger joint with our respective kids.
He says I challenge him.
Accept or not? And what’s the hilarity factor?
So what kind of person are you, and what kind of person do you judge him to be? Attorneys are famous for being able to fight like pit bulls in the courtroom and be best of friends at the bar. Is that you? Do you think it’s him? Because a good debate and stimulating conversation is a wonderful thing, but you have to be able to separate person from ideas in order to do it. Attorneys have their courtrooms and their barrooms, and to borrow a phrase from Full Metal Jacket “this is for fightin’ this is for fun” and never the twain shall meet. If you think you can develop that kind of relationship, it could be a great thing. It seems you’ve been enjoying the back and forth, and it could even be good for the community if you two worked out the rough edges of your next round of letters to the editor in person before submitting them.
The guy may never come around to your way of thinking, or vice versa, but unless you think he’s likely to turn violent or get all personal if things don’t go the way he intended, this could be the start of a beautiful thing.
Enjoy,
Steven
Who is Obama=Hitler guy?
You know who else invited people to lunch?
Go and wear a mustache.
A Hitler mustache
Joseph Stalin?
Do you know German? It would be cool to go to lunch with him and reenact one of those Hitler Rants videos with the waitresses in on it and crying at the end. Draw maps on the dinner mats, start shaking, and then just flip right the hell out. He wouldn’t give you any shit after that.
I’ve been silently following your posts Mr. Chance.
Both of you seem to be sentient human beings who are at opposite poles, politically. So what? Some of my best friends are at the other end of the spectrum from me. We have a great time discussing things; perhaps you will too.
Go for it, and let us know how it went.
Do it, but don’t talk about politics. Nobody tolerable talks about politics during lunch. Not even the president. It’s like drinking- too early signals you have a problem.
A bit of history for those who feel the need:
Obama = Hitler. Is this columist plagiarizing?
Obama=Hitler Guy is back! I need some criticizing help.
Obama=Hiter Guy: The local paper printed my response
Obama=Hitler Guy: The Saga Continues! He responded to my response
To answer the statements, Lady Chance is amused at the suggestion that I accept and discuss anything except politics and economics.
Look, I’ll accept his invitation. I told him to pick a time next week and we’d meet. Someplace prominent so we can be seen. That’ll make it even funnier.
He’s a fairly well-spoken guy and leader of the local 9-12 group (and therefore a proponent of Glenn Beck). I don’t assume under any circumstances that I can ‘convert’ him or otherwise make him see the light. My main argument with him is that he subscribes, as so many do, to what I call ‘revealed wisdom’. Someone prominent, that he respects for whatever reason, says something is true and therefore it is true. He believes this, and is willing to espouse it, even when 10 minutes worth of research will reveal cracks in the belief. It’s one of the reasons it’s been so easy to undercut his arguments: they’re untrue and finding that out is simple.
I’m sure I, at least, will be cordial. Both of our Q-ratings are going up through this and I figure that’s not a bad thing if I wish to run for office again in the future. But the main thing will be to make it clear to him that I’m better versed in what he wants to write about than he is and that he’d better step up his game if he wants to play.
Personally I think the suggestion to not talk politics is a stroke of brilliance. I would absolutely do that. Not only to show him that there are more important things than politics(a good meal for one) but to help set the tone for future interaction. Polite society requires us to be able to engage as people, not just representatives of various ideologies. Stress during mealtimes hinders digestion and the place for political battles is a council chamber room, not a dining room. This guy has chosen to make politics his religion and about the best thing one can do with a zealot is show them people who are unmoved by their holy fire.
Enjoy,
Steven
Ha! Why, oh why, will this joke never get old with me? Never, I say!
Anyway, I’m glad you’re going to lunch with him. Should be a hoot. One bit of [del]nagging[/del] advice: Don’t be smarmy with him, the way you have been in your written exchanges. While they were very amusing to read, he was gracious enough to invite you to lunch, so even though he’s wrong about everything, be nice. Sometimes I have to remind myself that not everyone who disagrees with me is a vile moron (though there is a strong correlation between being a good, smart person and agreeing with me;)). This probably doesn’t apply to this fellow, as he is Glenn Beck fan, but the lunch invitation was a stand-up gesture. Have fun, and I look forward to the update(s).
I definitely agree with the crowd here (as well as lawyers, politicians also seem to be best of friends outside the houses of power where they yell at each other all day long). I’m just wondering that since your common interest as it was is politics and economics (you wouldn’t know each other were it not for that), what would you talk about at lunch if that was off-limits? Ten minutes of awkward silence followed by … “so, how bout that local sports team?” (funnier if “that local sports team” is the actual phrase used).
Well, if you’re doing this in public, then that changes things. But if it’s really just the two of you, then make sure you know you won’t change his mind any more than he’ll change yours. (Can’t use reason to get someone out of a situation they didn’t use reason to get into, etc.)
So don’t try. Even if he wants to debate issues, don’t – neither of you will get anything out of it. Just see the lunch as at best a chance to study this strange phenomenon of willful denial, and understand why he wants to believe this. Figure out what’s really going on and what he really is worried about. Won’t help with him of course, as I’m sure he’s too committed to his public stance, but it might help in talking to other people.
Just cut to the chase and tell him to register for the dope. Tell him you’ll post on free republic for a week (or until you’re banned in two minutes) if he posts a thread here.
I say go to lunch. If things go badly you have a built in excuse to vomit on him.
Skip the kids (why the fuck would you want to bring your kids anyway), just meet him, go to a hotel and have hot passionate sex with him.
You’d be surprised at how hot it is to fuck with someone who’s your total political opposite,.
I should know, I banged Hitler.