I posted this this morning...Snafoo accused me of making it up, but julie pointed out that I live in Texas, lol.

I still need help in how on earth to counter a claim like the one described below:

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I walk my dog every morning. Sometimes, we run into a neighbor, also walking her dog...she brought up politics for the first time today, saying she was watching both conventions, etc.. She started in about black welfare moms "breeding" more welfare recipients so they don't have to work, and that she's afraid that we're raising a generation of kids who want to say "It's not my fault". I had no time to dispute or argue about THAT point, so I said, well, one of the many things I love about Obama was that he will be such a positive role model, and he is all about family, mothers and fathers working together, and that it is NOT up to government to resolve certain issues (turn off the TV, read, set firm rules, etc.). She said, "He SCARES me!". Why? I asked. "Well, he says Africa is his homeland, for one." I laughed and said, no, he's never, ever said that. She replied, "Oh, yes, he HAS, I watched him and heard him with my own eyes and ears say that!"

So....here I am, Googling, YouTube searching...I can find nothing. Now, if he had EVER said such a thing, you KNOW the rightwingnut blogosphere would be pushing that video or audio 24/7.

So...how does one prove to such a person that she is "misremembering" something like that?

...I told her not to be shocked when she noticed my Obama yard sign going up soon (I've ordered it, should be here in a week or so). To her credit, she said, "That's your right as an American." (duh).

I also told her that Obama will be elected and that I believed that after he's in office, he will most assuredly allay any "fears" she ever had about him.

She said, "I don't think he'll get the chance, because somebody will 'pop' him, and then we'll have race wars like we have never, ever seen."

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Oh, My. God.

How can I prove to this woman that she is delusional?

alone....she sounds looney and you can not negotiate with looney people, it can't be done....may be she heard him say Africa is the motherland...which to many feel it is in a archeological sense

Howdy

Your neighbor has some disturbing views, and may in fact harbor bigotry.

If she is a bigot, you can not prove anything to her, and you may endanger yourself by trying.

Speaking of 'pop' -ing a presidential candidate is not an invitation to debate and persuasion, it is usually a reason a secret service officer should be interviewing someone.

Oh, My, God is the right statement. You can't tell this woman anything, her mind is closed.

I am afraid to get Obama signs. In 2004, I kept putting out Kerry and Murray signs (I worked for both candidates) and they were stolen every night.

I'll try again, but will take them in at sundown.

There is a very conservative college a mile from my home which has a very active young republican club. At the caucus in 2004, a fellow democrat told me that his son "infiltrated" this club. This is what he observed. "You take all the signs from Francis to to Hastings, and we'll take them from"....well, you get the idea.

Keep walking your dog but ignore closed mind people on the route.

Yes, you're likely correct. I just get so frustrated and, yes, very sad.

I was able to keep a Kerry sign through the entire 04 election - I was surprised....

I thought you lived in the Seattle area, tap? And I thought that general area was more Dem leaning than con...in any case, wherever you DO live, obviously it's not a liberal enclave, lol.

I can't ignore her - the neighborhood is just too small and she lives 7 houses down from me. I intend to tell her that I searched high and low for any reference to what she "saw and heard", videos, audios, text...and could find no evidence. Perhaps she heard Obama say, "My father's homeland is Africa?" She will dispute me, and then I will smile and say, OK, perhaps we can just agree not to discuss politics if we run into each other during our walks.....

It is just so frustrating!

some of that delusional thinking may have been spurred on by Jon Stewart's Daily Show.

I remember one of his bits which revealed Obama's plan

TO ENSLAVE ALL WHITE PEOPLE.

LOL....perhaps that's what she saw?

It never occured to me that she could be a danger to me or mine, but....these people ARE nuts!

I know...nothing I can do...

But, some cons here on this board have made ominous statements about Obama, i.e., "He will NEVER take office I can guarantee that." I reported them to the fray editor but the person is still posting.

And, as we've all too sadly seen before, cons and bigots just don't get satire....

I don't live in Seattle. I live in eastern Washington, and we are 30 miles from Idaho.....a very red state. It is quite conservative, much to my chagrin.

Ah, I see.

I can honestly say I really, REALLY feel your pain here, deep in the heart of Texas

Tell her that you have it on good authority (the same show on which she saw Obama proclaim Africa to be his homeland) that McCain was brainwashed at the Hanoi Hilton and programmed to destroy the U.S. government. Why else would he have left the Navy and run for office?

BTW, the commander of the HH remembers McCain fondly and said he would vote for him were he a citizen of the U.S. That was in the papers and on the net sometime in the last six weeks.

I might actually try that!

I might also need to expect burning crosses in my yard soon after...especially when my yard sign is out front.

Incidentally, the statement by the Hanoi Hilton CO, Tran Trong Duyet was made to BBC o/a 06/25/08. He said that he now considers McCain a "friend" and if he had the chance would vote for him for president.

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Tran Trong Duyet also told the BBC that McCain was never tortured.

Perhaps he's lying to protect himself...

Somebody is (lying).