"I Love Waxman! (Although I Can't Explain Why. . ."

A Pol Only A "True Believer" Could Love

One resident of Santa Monica felt somewhat menaced when I approached him about the Congressional contest in the 33rd Congressional District.

"I am voting for Waxman," he snapped at me after I introduced myself, the district, and the challenger.

"May I ask why you are voting for Mr. Waxman? I have not intention of changing your opinion, I just want to understand your point of view."

"No!" He huffed at me, then returned to reading his newspaper.

The older gentleman whom I had spoken to earlier was more congenial, even if he remained a staunch liberal in the face of my argument for ending the 38-year tenure of the LA-area Congressman.

"I love Waxman!" He responded, smiling at me. "He's tough! A lot of people don't like him, but he's just great!"

"Why do you like Mr. Waxman?" I continued, as he was inclined to talk to me without being threatening or rude.

"Well, it's hard to explain. . ." he responded.

This refrain has been a constant with self-avowed Leftists and liberals. They find themselves at a lost for word when trying to explain their support for Waxman. Still, the man persisted.

"I have free health care because of that man! I love the guy!" He then mentioned Socialist-Independent Bernie Sanders. "I would vote for that guy.

I shared some facts and figures with the man. He was really impressed. "Wow, you really know your stuff!" Then he agreed to take a look at what I had shared with him. "The choice is still up to me, you know. You cannot make me vote one way or the other. But I'll take a look. . ."

A victory, in my opinion. Getting a conversation started is much better than leaving two people with different points of view stuck in their own set ways and means.

A few days later, I had the interesting fortune to run into a resident of Santa Monica in Lomita. When I started talking to him about Waxman, he responded:

"Oh, I'm voting for Waxman!"

The obligatory "Why?" followed, to which he responded:

"He gets things done! Someone had a problem with his social security, and Waxman took care of it.

When I told him that Waxman declared in open committee that this nation is "not broke, the Santa Monica resident responded:

"So? What do you want to do about it?"

When I explained Independent Bill Bloomfield's fiscal policies for restoring this country back to balanced budgets without the partisan gridlock, he answer:

"What makes you think that that is going to make any difference?"

The deficits and debt are unsustainable, I explained.

"Then raise taxes", he answered.

I then told him that raising taxes 100% on those making $250,000 or more would add but a dint to debt reduction. Unpersuaded, the Santa Monica resident went back to eating his lunch.

The exchange was a healthy one, at least, although he refused to give me any reason beyond the witness of one voter. I wonder how the Santa Monica resident would have responded had he read today's post that Social Security recipients are now destined to receive less than they put in (http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2012/aug/06/reality-check/)