The doorbell rings. It is two fresh-faced young people, eager to enlighten me about the exciting candidacy of Lyndon LaRouche, and the Youth Movement devoted to him.
Now, I did not know until these fresh-faced folk showed up at my door that Mr. LaRouche was running for president. This fact alone leads me to conclude that his chances of actually being elected are reminiscent of the proverbial snowball’s in hell.
(Disclaimer: I knew the name, but nothing about the man. I have since Googled a bit. I wish I’d been able to do so before meeting these young folks, the conversation would have been completely different, running more along the lines of me bursting into hysterical laughter and shutting the door in their faces. As it was, I was operating from an ignorance which led me to give him, and them, the benefit of the doubt.)
I engaged in conversation with these kids, willing to give their idealism some attention. But I told them the truth: I will be voting for someone I believe is electable, and even if he were Christ himself, LaRouche wouldn’t be that person.
I listened, I praised their commitment and idealism, but I made the mistake of trying to educate them a little bit, since they seemed to be under the impression that if LaRouche could magially find himself in the White House, he could single handedly remake America. Big mistake. Before I knew what happened, the young lady who had been doing all the talking started telling me about all the conspiracies at work in this country, starting with its founding and right up to yesterday, mocking me as someone who “believed Oswald killed Kennedy”.
Now, whether or not there is any measure of truth to any such ideas… * you don’t try to win hearts and minds by telling people the craziest shit you have in your head. * I tried to tell her this. I kept saying to her, trying to get her attention: “Do you want to be effective?” I kept asking and asking, and she wouldn’t hear me, she just kept going. Finally I was practically yelling at her: “DO YOU WANT TO BE EFFECTIVE, OR DO YOU WANT TO HEAR YOURSELF TALK?” But she was “Telling the truth” - great. If, by telling the truth, you shut down the attention of everyone you are trying to reach, what the fuck have you accomplished, apart fromt eh ego-stroke of basking in your own righteousness, you stupid twit?
There’s a REASON that Mormons don’t start The Discussions by explaining tp you that you and your husband will be to gods of your own planet, ya know? They are smart enough to know that you don’t begin with the craziest shit you believe, you work your way up to it.
Sigh.
It would be more disturbing if these kids were out stumping for someone viable. As it is, having learned something about LL, their belief systems and tactics make sense.
I feel old anyway. To have such passion, such belief in your own truth, belief that you really can blow it all up and start over. Those were the days.
PS: To my many admirers who will come along and tell me about my own deficiencies in the “Do you wanna be effective” area, which I know you will do because you have before, I will point out what I have pointed out before: there is a huge difference between me venting in the Pit and knocking on doors stumping for candidates and causes. Sometimes I intend to persuade, and sometimes I intend to rant. If I were knocking on doors for a candidate, I wouldn’t be usinig it as an opportunity to rant. Duh.
