Every time I have a conversation with a Republican voter, the first thing they do is get angry with me for voting Democrat.  The second thing they do in the conversation is itemize the lies and myths that they hear on pundit talk shows and the “news” networks.  Their third action involves calling the President of the United States not-so-nice names. 

    With their illusions and myths collected from their favorite so-called pundits, many Republican voters head out into the world uninformed, disrespectful, and hating others who do not vote Republican.  This is becoming the norm in my experience and though the bigotry and disrespect bothers me, the lies that people recite is what gets me down the most. 

    Recently, a Republican voter told me that President Obama is the reason for the high gas prices and that he is an obstacle toward America’s energy independence.  This is not true.  First, the President of the United States does not control gas prices—Wall Street is in control of gas prices.  Second, Obama’s strategy is for America to take control of its energy future and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.  In fact, since Obama took office, oil and petroleum imports are down an average of more than 1.5 million barrels per day and domestic crude oil production has increased by an average of more than 720,000 barrels per day.  Don’t take my word for it, look it up yourself.   

    Another lie circulating among the Republican masses is that President Obama is to blame for the state of our economy.  What?!  Is this a case of memory loss or selective memory?  Our economic crisis happened under George W. Bush.  In fact, for years under Bush the economy was slipping.  Since Obama took office, there has been steady growth and recovery with almost 4 million jobs created in the private sector.     

    Ever since I decided that I was a Democrat, Republican voters have told me that Democrats hurt the economy by raising taxes.  This is another great lie.  President Obama cut taxes for 95% of American families and for small businesses to help stimulate our recovery.  Considering that we have been recovering it is safe to say that tax cuts are good for the economy—Republicans and Democrats are in agreement here; however, there are many Republican voters who believe otherwise.    

    The last example that I will use about lies and myths is that “Democrats want big government.”  Those who make this statement have been manipulated by the Republican and corporate spin-doctors to believe that any form of protection, regulation, or oversight of government and corporations is “BIG government.”  For example, Republicans want less regulation on Wall Street while Democrats want more regulation.  Republicans argue that regulation adds to the size of government and they use the term “regulation” as some Nazi idea of running the country.  The Democrats stand is that regulation is needed to protect citizens and the economy.  I only need one example of why we need regulation: “The 2008 economic crisis.” 

    Aside from voters being misled and under informed, the most upsetting thing about all of this is that people are voting against their favor.  For example, I know of a few retiring Republican voters who will be dependent on Medicare and Social Security when the time comes.  When I ask them why they support a Party that wants to eliminate Medicare and Social Security they have no answer.  Instead, they avoid my question by changing the subject to socialism, “big government”, high gas prices, and taxes.  My plea to them comes with genuine concern as I tell them that it seems oxymoronic to be dependent on Medicare and Social Security while voting Republican.     

    I would have more respect for the Republican Party if they and their pundits ceased with their prevarications and stopped taking advantage of their fellow citizens’ inherent gullibility.  The right-wing fabrications are believed to be true without warrant by Republican voters and this is the real problem—“without warrant.”  These same voters then set out into the world feeling informed, only to get angry when they meet people like me who try to save them from embarrassing themselves.  It’s ok though, it has been pounded into their heads that all Democrats lie and that Barack Obama wants to destroy our nation with the evils of taking care of the sick, creating peace in the Middle East, and drilling for our own oil.     

    The toughest part about confronting these lies and myths is that humans come with an ego, which must be defended.  As soon as we decide that something is true and we make our stand, it becomes more difficult for us to see the truth when we are wrong.  Moreover, it appears that many of us have been following the manipulation machine for so long that our ability to distinguish fact from fiction has been washed away.  No one ever does the research for themselves, while at the same time no one wants to be a fool—where’s the wisdom in this?   

 ~ John Debar ~
Conscious Observer

Obama does not set the gas prices:
http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2012/03/19/447095/the-charts-that-prove-obama-doesnt-set-gas-prices/?mobile=nc

From the US Department of Energy:
Independent Statistics & Analysis from the U.S. Energy Information Administration

Oil imports report:
http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=5450

Domestic oil production report:
http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/PET_CRD_CRPDN_ADC_MBBLPD_A.htm

The reports from the US Department of Energy do not support that Obama is the reason for increased oil production and decreased oil imports.  I was called out on this---and I am still looking for a sliver of third party data that links Obama to these numbers.  So far, I have found nothing.