Help, my Dad has been brainwashed by Fox & WLW

[maxsolomon]

I really had no idea my elderly (76) father felt this way, but today he cross-posted from a RW-Idiot Forum to Facebook this lovely comment:

"Our half white, half black, red diaper baby President, raised by communist parents, grandparents, mentored by left wing socialists, came into office with no qualifications, no experience at running anything, and 4 years has proved it Someone who hides things, e.g. college records, has something to hide"

Now, that's all sorts of misinformed. And bigoted, offensive, and more than a little cliched. But what to do? Confront? Persuade through sincere engagement? Ignore, and preserve the family peace? It's too much to think I could get him to cast his swing-state vote for Obama.

I did send him a message suggesting only that he may want to uncheck the "post to Facebook" option.

[chowder66]

1. If that was my dad I would say

Who the hell are you and what have you done with my father?!?

[TeamPooka]

2. good luck, similar problems with my mom...

after 10 years of crazy inserted by Rush and Fox we don't talk politics because the last time we did I told her she should look for some different news sources so she wouldn't sound like an idiot around educated people.
I love her but I'm also glad we live on opposite sides of the country.

but it comes from how much time they spend listening to RW radio and Fox.

[maxsolomon]

5. We, too, live on opposite sides of the country

He just left after a visit, during which an African-immigrant Costco worker asked him where he was from, and then told him, at length, how important it was that he vote for Obama in his swing state.

The wife & I had a guffaw over that.

[abelenkpe]

38. Wow same here!

My mother, brother, uncle are all birther, tea baggers influenced heavily by FOX and free republic. It's a bummer that her politics keep her away from me and my young kids. We live on opposite sides of the country too. She's always making plans to visit, then at last second picks a fight over politics and cancels in a huff. I blame FOX news.

[dennis4868]

3. My dad...

was a hardcore Democrat for many years and just recently became brainwashed by some of his friends and FOX News...he basically feels the same way as your dad. It's all based on a fictional Obama character...nothing to do with reality or the facts. If your dad watches FOX News, there is no way you are going to be abke to change his mind and make him see the facts. i know from my own experience with my dad. It's such a shame what FOX News is doing to our democracy. People go into the voting booths with a fact free belief of politics and the candidates. This is what Romney is hoping for.

[progressivebydesign]

20. there's a lot of hidden bias in the older generation. Fox News counts on it. n/t

[Indpndnt]

4. Tell him you're very worried

That whoever sent him such garbage obviously doesn't know what a smart man he is who can see through such racist lies. "Someone who hides things has something to hide." Really? Willard gave 23 years of tax returns to McCain when he wanted to be his VP candidate. He must be hiding something important if he's hiding all of those from us.

[sarcasmo]

6. I'M so lucky both my parents are left of center. The spouses family, they are crazy wingers.

[SoapBox]

7. Oh ya...my brother in law, my niece's husband, co workers...

They are proud to say they ONLY watch ClusterFuksNews.

Nope...none of that liberal lame mainstream media for them.

And they are batshit crazy.

[lpbk2713]

8. Complaining about Obama's qualifications is pointless.

G W Bush proved anyone can be President.

[Jennicut]

9. My Dad is 65 and the same way. I just see him as delusional.

He is fairly nice in all other aspects but his political views are head scratching. My mother is a little less worse as a moderate Repub. Sometimes, it is too late to change people's minds, even your own parents. My Dad won't change his mind and neither will I so we "keep the peace." We have arguments but it is more like political debates then any outright anger or hatred.

[DLine]

10. Makes me thankful for my parents.

My dad is registered Independent and my mom is a registered Democrat, though neither are very politically active. Both of them are definitely on the Liberal side though and will be voting for Obama again. They probably worried about me as I thought I was a conservative Republican in my early to mid 20's. But I came around.

[schmice]

11. I lostmy wife to the dark side too.

[maxsolomon]

12. I can't imagine anything worse.

Or how that's even possible.

That's WAY worse than losing your father to the GOP. My condolences.

[progressivebydesign]

19. Wow.. that's sad. I can't imagine being married to someone without enough sense to see thru that.

I don't mean to be rude, but I sincerely don't understand how someone could listen to that stuff and believe it, especially with their beloved spouse disagreeing with it. Because it's not like it's just a matter of opinion, the dark side is based on lies.

[abelenkpe]

40. I'm so sorry!

That has to be rough.

[Tom Ripley]

43. On the bright side, it will be easy to step out on her if you're so inclined

[zbdent]

13. explain nicely to him why you are now putting him in a nursing home

for the mentally unbalanced.

[hay rick]

14. If he isn't senile, nice is over-rated.

Tell him, not too nicely, that you don't agree with his opinions, but more importantly, he is demonstrating ignorance, he's being mean-spirited, and you don't respect his political opinions. Tell him you will always love him as your father and if he loves you he should not share his political opinions in your presence because you find them repulsive.

I went through something similar with my parents. The thing that hurts isn't straightening them out on where you stand so much as hearing them regurgitate that garbage in the first place.

[riverwalker]

15. tell him to sell his house

Now, and give you the money. Because under the Ryan plan, Medicaid will go after the childrens assets to recover what they spent on his nursing home. Tell him it's a retroactive loan.

[Richard D]

16. Sadly . . .

He and my brother would probably get along.

[DemKittyNC]

17. Dunno,... :(

Still having problems with my parents falling for all the FOX News lies and deceptions. I have tried everything, even throwing holly water on them, nothing seems to work!!! Might try silver bullets next - especially before they vote this November

[progressivebydesign]

18. Hard to say. My family is close, and we can tell each other anything. I'd absolutely say something.

I know it sounds strange, but I'm always surprised that people have parents and siblings that they just can't pick up the phone and go "Dad, really???" and then not have a parent or sibling that would listen to you about these things.

What he crossposted is so offensive. Really. I don't believe in the whole "family harmony" thing, myself. My family is very straightforward, and unless it was some cousin or aunt that we never see, we would absolutely speak up. Often it's the family member that gets through to these folks, otherwise it goes unchallenged.

Talk to him. Let him know how offensive that was, and ask him some questions about where he got the info that makes him believe that stuff.

[Douglas Carpenter]

21. it used to be possible to converse with most Republicans - but now with their alternative universe

of Fox News and other sources - some of which make Fox News look liberal in comparison - most of the right-wing simply lives on cuckoo bird island. How can anyone talk with people who are absolutely certain of things that are simply not true and completely crazy. A group that used to be the fringe of the fringe of the Republican Party now dominate the Republican Party and a tiny extremist fringe media now is agenda setting media.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

22. Thanks for your opinion Dad

but I don't feel the same way.
And let it go at that................

[nebenaube]

23. My dad was too..

But it was easier for me... He was a lifer, spent most of his career in West Germany where he took me to see every concentration camp we could visit there. After Bush left office, all I had to do was ask him when he became a fascist. He's not fully deprogrammed but things are much better now.

[janlyn]

24. I know how you feel..

My father is 79 yrs. old and is set in his ways..as much as I love him I am disappointed in him for his views.He recently came out and said to my face that he IS prejudiced and not ashamed to say it.

I told him "Dad I love you,but I sure am glad that Mom didn't raise me to be that way!! And by the way how did you reconcile the fact that mom's family were jews from spain?"

He said" well that's different"

At that point I knew it was a lost cause and told him that I would not try to hide my beliefs and we would just have to agree to disagree!!!

Sometimes you just have to love them,despite their views!!

[HopeHoops]

25. So has my mom.

[reflection]

26. My dad is brainwashed as well

although I can say honestly that his views don't flow from hate, and I take some comfort in that. He truly believes what Fox News tells him, although he rejects the hateful aspects of it.

Ironically, this has made it harder for me to get through to him, maybe because I don't have enough practice countering hardcore RWers who aren't consumed with anger.

He is Southern Baptist, super religious, and is really a nice guy who cares about people in a micro sense. It's the macro he struggles with. I'll keep working him over with facts and just keep at it.

I hope you make some progress - engage him the next time you're alone with him and see if you can penetrate the wall he's built around himself.

[Initech]

27. Red diaper????

[maxsolomon]

34. It means

the child of Communists. As in, his absent Marxist father & mother were Communists.

pretty common RW Glenn Beckian hater insult.

[Initech]

37. Never heard that term before today. Sounds pretty disturbing.

[Tom Ripley]

44. It's a 50s Cold War term; I guess even the loonies are into the retro thing

[flyguyjake]

28. Most of my damn family too!

[ErikJ]

29. My strategy now

with a relative.
I have established with her that the Bible says it is a sin to lie. John 8:44 Satan...is the Father of Lies.

Now I'm bombarding her with what total liars Ryan and Romney are. I doubt if it will work but its my last hope.

[EC]

30. If it were my Dad, I'd tell him honestly

that he is making a fool of himself and off his rocker. And that all college students records are private. And to secrecy and hidden records, ask him why Mitt Romney bought all the hard drives(his and his crews) and had them destroyed from his Governorship and the Olympics.

[Johonny]

31. Tell him Romney wants to privatize his social security and medicare

he wants to give it away in the form of coupons. So if he wants that than feel free to vote against the black guy and for the white guy that hates old people.

[n2doc]

32. You need to confront in some manner

The biggest problem with the lies is that no one bothers to push back. Tell him how stupid he sounds saying such things. He needs to know that it isn't acceptable in polite society. If he wants to engage in a debate, fine, do so without calling his President ( and Obama IS his President) childish names.

[Old and In the Way]

33. I'd recommend 1500 mg of windowpane or blotter...

Sorry, just kiddig...sorta.

[spanone]

35. how's about someone who hides his taxes???? selective outrage, eh ?

[denverbill]

36. You might mention his grandfather fought at Normandy on D-Day.

[Arugula Latte]

39. Ask him about people who won't reveal things, like tax returns.

See what he has to say about that.

[corkhead]

41. A Jacob's Ladder in his basement will take care of the WLW AM 700 problem.

http://deskarati.com/2012/02/03/the-physics-behind-the-jacobs-ladder/

[Tom Ripley]

42. Offer to drive him to the polls on November 7

it's what any good son would do

[LaydeeBug]

45. Has something to *hide*? Where are Romney's college transcripts? Or his TAX RETURNS for that matter.

It is a national security issue on those returns, btw.

[Baitball Blogger]

46. You absolutely have to see Ellen Barkin in the New Normal.

She is going to do what Archie Bunker could not do.

[brooklynite]

47. FWIW: "Red Diaper Baby" suggests he's listening to Michael Savage

You might try asking him which private sector industry has the Obama Administration been taking over?

[Zoeisright]

48. There's really not much you can do with someone like that.

That's real bigotry.

You might ask him about Romney hiding his tax returns. What is HE hiding? But it will probably bounce right off.

[snot]

49. This is why who owns the media MATTERS. DU'er's should be fighting tooth and nail to

restore restrictions on consolidation of media ownership and to protect net neutrality . . . but how many of us even subscribe to the Media group?

For those who care about this issue but don't know where to start, here are some organizations to check out – at least get on their list for updates:

Access Express - https://www.accessnow.org/
Center for Media and Democracy - http://www.prwatch.org/cmd
FreePress.net - http://www.freepress.net/
Media Channel - http://www.mediachannel.org/
and of course Electronic Frontier Foundation - https://www.eff.org/