Balding1

ScottBalding
2/7/2015
English2010,2:30T/H
Prof.Szalay
MyPoliticalGrandmother
Whosthemostpolitical,controversial,andradicalpersonIknow?Mygrandmother.If
youaskher,shellgiveyouanopinionaboutalmosteveryissuewhetheritbereligion,taxes,
politicians,etc.Consideringthatshesoldaged,fromUtah,andhasenoughantiquegoodsto
refurbishanoldVictorianmansion,youdexpecthertobeatleastalittlepolitically
rightleaning,right?Wrong.Mygrandmotherisahugeliberalwhoisntafraidtocriticize
Republicans,attackbigbusiness,orbuyorganicfoodonaregularbasis.Thoughmy
grandmotherisradical,herapparentextremismiscarefullyhiddenbehindherguiseoffreshly
madecookies,babyblueslippers,andasoftspokenvoice.Sincemygrandmotherissuchan
outlierinherdemographic,Ibelieveitsimportanttoseeherperspectiveasaliberalina
conservativestate.Sheprovidesuswithanoutsidersperspectiveonpoliticsandtheupcoming
electionthatisrarelyseenwhereshecomesfrom.WhenIaskedherforaninterview,shewas
busyknittingabrightpinkhatinhersewingroom.Anicecontrastofwhatwasabouttooccur.
Mygrandmotherplacesahugeimportanceonvoting.Itsextremelyimportanttovote,
shesaid,Becauseitgiveseveryoneavoiceandawaytobeheard.Avoicetocontroland
influencethegovernment.Mygrandmotheradmitsthatdespitethisbelief,itwasntuntilabout
theageof50whenshevotedforRossPerot:Anindependentcandidateinthe1992Presidential
ElectionwhoranagainstBillClintonandGeorgeH.W.Bush.Furthermore,mygrandmother

Balding2

wasneverreallyaspoliticalassheisnow,despitebeingliberalherentirelife.Yougetinto
politicsmuchmorewithage,asshesaid.Thatsafactthatholdstruetodaywhenolderpeople
votemuchmoreoftenthanyoungerpeople.
Mygrandmotheradmitsthatshehassomebiasedviews,especiallywhenitcomestothe
RepublicanParty.Ihateshehadtostopherselfandthinkaboutwhatshedsay,Well,Ijust
believethattheRepublicanPartydoesntworkfortheaverageAmerican.Theydancetothe
rich,onlyhelpthebigcorporations,andtheysimplyignorethemiddleclass.Whenasked
aboutthepresidentialcandidates,shebecamemuchmoredirect,AlloftheRepublican
candidatesareretarded.Well,notallofthem,butmostofthem.ImvotingforBernieifhegets
nominated.ImseriouslydebatingwhetherornotIllvoteforHillaryifshebecomesthe
nominee.Ifshedoes,Imayjustvoteindependentagain,ifthecandidateisviable.Asyoucan
tell,mygrandmotherdoesnttrustHillary.SheworksforthebigbusinessesandusesSuper
PACmoney.TheonlyreasonshedvoteforheristopreventDonaldTrumpifhegets
nominated.Despitehavingliberalviewpoints,whenaskedwhethershewasaDemocrator
Republican,sheanswered,Noneoftheabove.Ivotefortheperson,nottheparty.Democrats
sharesomeofmyviews,butnotallofthem.
InspiteofherharshcriticismsoftheRepublicanParty,mygrandmothercriticizesthe
Democratsaswell.Whenaskedaboutthem,shereplies,TheyrebetterthantheRepublicans,
butonlybyanotch.Theyrestillforthebigcorporationsandgovernment.Theyneedtobemuch
betterthantheyarenow.Thisisabigpartofwhatmygrandmotherbelievesin:Shethinksthat
theentireAmericangovernmentiscorruptandneedsimmediatereform.Shebelievesthatthe
governmentisinfluencedbyhugebillionairessuchastheKochbrotherswhohavetheagendato

Balding3

getricher.ThisideaisoneofherbiggestcomplaintsofHillaryClinton.Shebelievesthatthetax
codeshouldbesimplifiedtowhereyoudonthavetobeanaccountanttofigureitoutandthat
wemustgetridofSuperPACsinourelections.Someofthesethingsarentnecessarilya
Democratvs.Republicanissue,butratherabiggovernment/corporationsvs.theaverage
Americanissue.Theseproblemsshouldbelookedinthisperspective,ratherthanthetypical
leftrightwayofthinking.
Allinall,mygrandmotherdoesntalwaystalkaboutpoliticstomanyfriendsorfamily
members,butsheisheavilyinvolvedinitandvotesinbothlocalandnationalelections.She
isntafraidtovoiceheropiniononatopicthatshedeemsimportant.Becauseofthisdedication,
shesinspiredmetogetoutandvoteandtobeinvolvedinthepoliticalprocess.Inaplacelike
Americawherevoterturnoutissolow,Ibelievethatweallneedaradicallyliberalgrandmother
inourlives.Afterall,itallowedmetoseetwosidesofthesameissueandseethebiggerpicture
ofeverything.Whetherornotyoudisagreewithherisnotreallythepoint.Thepointisthat
beinginvolvedinbothpoliticsandelectionscanandwillimprovethegovernmentnomatterwho
orwhatyoubelievein.