She's running for congress. I met her today. I was downtown with a friend to go shoe shopping, and stopped by the festival in Heritage Square. It a marijuana legalization event and it was was fairly dead.
I stopped in to see who was at the Ron Paul desk and she was there. She was warm at first but quickly became aggressive and argumentative. She kept telling me things that sounded sketchy then saying "Did you know that?" I asked her what she thought of the new Immigration legislation in Arizona and she said that it was basically exactly the law that is on the federal books but unenforced. Is that true? I don't know. She used that law to make a stand for states rights, and said that according to the constitution each state should govern itself as if it were a separate country. When I brought up the point that the United States is a nation with national borders, and that national borders are of national interest and hence a matter for federal government, she disagreed, saying that the feds should get out of state affairs. Her position made no sense to me. If the United States of America is UNITED in the least, then we have common borders to maintain, and all those difficult questions to share.
Then I asked her what she thinks of Obama. She said right up front that he is a liar, no better than Bush. I was shocked. The issue that she brought up several times is that Obama apparently said that new laws would be posted on the internet for all to see and read, before he would sign them into law. She was calling him a liar because he did not do that. I had not even heard about that supposed campaign promise, but I can forgive him a few promises because when you're in the presidential hot seat, you have a lot to do. When I stood up for Obama, saying that he is an excellent leader with his heart in the right place and a brain as sharp as the two of ours put together, she disparaged him. When I said that she had lost me, because I vote for people who bring civility to the public forum, she looked a little sad for a moment. It's the first time I saw her be human. I tried to explain to her that we need to contain our emotions enough to have conversations with our enemies, enough to respect their positions....but another woman joined the conversation to say that "if you're not mad you haven't been paying attention"....Well. It could have gone on forever.....that argument. I am mad, and I have been paying attention, and I know full well that we have big problems in government and it is time to make major changes. I also know that the crucifixion of Obama for the loss of our democracy to business is foolish. Why should we tear him limb from limb when the problem was well entrenched long before he arrived? He is simply the latest guy to sit in the hot seat. He would make larger changes if he could, but frankly I am impressed with what he has been able to do so far working inside the system. There is a big difference between having passionate concerns about issues and publicly despising the president because he symbolizes something to you. Of course the president symbolically represents the government in the public mind. And the government (esp congress) has sold out to multinational corporations. It's not Obama's fault. I want to elect new people to congress, but I don't want to elect spittle spewers who say Obama is a Liar.
Delia Lopez could choose to be respectful to those she disagrees with. Then maybe she will have my vote. She definitely has the sort of feisty nature that seems to be required in politics today. I just wish all that fight were tempered with a bit more compassion. Perhaps it is impossible in politics today. She says she is endorsed by Ron Paul. Now she needs to be trained in how to tell it like it is without unfair personal attacks. If she is ever elected, she'll be lucky if the biggest "lie" her opponents can pin on her is something like failing to post stuff on the internet.