Addressing the Elephant in the Room

                                                                        

                                                                        

I had a picnic lunch with a very old and dear friend the other day. Friends since junior high, apartment mates in college--we were in each other's weddings.

She's always been pretty religious and for some time her political views have skewed right. So, when we do see each other, religion and politics have been a no-go area. 

Until now. 

I, and a lot of folks like me, have wondered how supposedly nice, decent folks can support the Former Guy--especially now that he seems to be operating sans filter, and more and more members of his former administration have been revealing unpleasant and disturbing things about him.

So, I thought, while munching on the very good chicken sandwich she'd brought, here's my chance to find out.

We'd been talking about the hurricanes and FEMA and disinformation in general and seemed to be on the same page. 

I leapt in and asked who she was voting for.

Long pause. "You don't want to know."

I assured her that I did--that I wanted to understand the mindset of a devoted Christian and really nice person who would vote for someone like the Former Guy. I suspected that abortion would be the main reason, but she said she also liked the GOP's policies better. She also more or less discounted the FG's words, as in, he won't do a lot of the things he talks about.

"It's Vance that worries me too," I told her. "Him and Project 2025."

She told me Vance didn't have anything to do with Project 2025 and was surprised when I told her he'd written the foreword.

There was more back and forth--still civil but going nowhere. I told her that if I prayed, I'd pray for her-- and that opened up another can of worms. She hadn't realized that I was no longer the church-going believer I'd been sixty-some years ago. 

But we hugged and parted amicably--each shaking her head at the folly of the other.