Sunday, March 16, 2008

Family Politics

Very interesting exchange between Eric Zorn and the eldest (and liberal!) daughter of conservative Jim Oberweis. Excerpt from Jenni O. [Oberweis] Roberts:

Being the daughter of Jim Oberweis has not been easy in the last few months. Some might think that would be related to the differences in our political beliefs (I am very liberal in a family that thinks liberal is a bad word). Others might think that it's never easy being his daughter, according to what has been published about him. Still others would assume that my life has always been easy and I just don't appreciate that. All those assumptions are wrong.

Any of you who think your dad is a great guy, please try to imagine how it would feel if people who share your values continuously berated hm and made comments about "hating" the "Milk Dud". If you had a heart, you'd probably feel the need to stick up for him.

I must preface this by saying that I realize my dad put himself out there. I also realize that he has some political views with which you--and I --disagree. That being said, you don't know my dad. He's a good person with a lot of integrity about doing the right thing.

He and I don't always agree about what the right thing is, but he can debate his position with logical, fair arguments. So can I. So we don't frequently change each other's mind. But we do help the other see both sides of issues more clearly.

I was raised to stand up for what I believe in -- even when that meant standing up to him. And today I am standing up because I believe in him. I believe that you don't know him like I do, and that news coverage has made him seem to be a lesser man than I know him to be.

The personal attacks serve no purpose, and I promise they are hurtful to his family. And how do you make a case to stop the political negativity when the press generates such personal negativity?

Go read the whole thing, it's well worth your time.

Political divisions within families are always tricky but when one of the family members is running for office it makes things particularly difficult. I'm glad I'm not in Jenni's situation.

I personally loathe the politics of many of my family and friends, but I love them all the same. Even for political junkies, people are more important than positions.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

"A NEW ELITE GROUP HAS ORGANIZED WITHIN THE GOP"

Tell me why these elite Federal government officials have been allowed to evolve in congress to a number that they are destroying our county. They block impeachments of those who have committed treason and they block bills that would eliminate wrong doings. They interfere when they are on committees and insist on directing large contacts to substandard and even sham government contractors. It is at a point where congress can't conduct business.

Tell me why top state and federal officials who are members of this elite group have a greater alliance to the body of this group than they do to the constitution of the United States?