Like some of you, I have been volunteering registering people to vote during this election season.  This involves mailings, phone banking and my personal favorite method, canvassing…which resulted in the exchange I had this past weekend.

I spoke with a woman who admitted to leaning towards Romney, and we discussed the issues from the Romney camp that most appealed to her (I stopped asking about policies because few that support Romney can name a single one).  Her response was the “deficit” and the “focus on the family” (conservative research groups have to LOVE her).

In discussing the deficit, I mentioned former Reagan advisor Bruce Bartlett’s reviews of the Paul Ryan plan and Romney’s support of the extension of the Bush tax cuts, concluding the two would increase our debt (Bartlett has already assessed the Bush tax cuts with interest are responsible for $3.2 trillion currently).

She invited her husband over, whom she claimed had a better understanding of the situation than her (seriously, why would you want to learn anything new anyway?).  When I mentioned Bartlett’s conclusions, the husband (who we will call “Kodo”), argued these are “tax cuts, how would tax cuts add to the debt?” (said to me as if I were the fucking idiot).

I explained the revenue generated by the cuts would have previously gone to paying down our deficit (a move economists agree would help our economic recovery).  Naturally, Kodo claimed the Democrats would not do that even though the Democrats and the President have been saying that is exactly what they would do for a long time now.

Moving on from taxes, Kodo brought social issues front and center with the subtle topic of abortion.

Kodo and his wife (who we will call “Podo”) revealed early on that they are against abortion.  As soon as Podo revealed it was their religious stance that determined their reasoning, I explained due to the establishing clauses of the First Amendment, religious views have no bearing in our legislation.

Kodo, after watching me school his wife on the intentions of the Founding Fathers, declared it wasn’t religion that shaped his views; it’s simply how he felt (which is complete and utter bullshit).

Kodo disagreed that an egg became a zygote and embryo and preferred to refer to it as a baby at all times, erasing science completely from the equation.  He then proceeded to give me some of the most illogical hypothetical questions I have ever heard.

• “If I were to take a gun and shoot my two year old, would you have a problem with that?”
• “Do you think rapists should go to jail?” (equating abortion with rape)
• “If an 8 ½ month pregnant woman wanted to get an abortion because she found it more convenient than having a baby, would you be okay with her killing that baby?”

This last one mentioned took up a majority of our time.  I had to admit, I have never heard or read of an instance of a healthy woman that late in her pregnancy, seek an abortion due to an act of “convenience.”  Simply, one of the most preposterous hypothetical situations I have ever heard.

Of course, Kodo had read of numerous reports and when I asked for his source, he named a pro-life site that I fail to remember the name of (another reminder you’re at Drinks and Wings, not NPR).

When I asked Kodo, “Why do you feel it is okay to force your decision on an entire gender of the population?” he responded back with the mature “Why do you think it is okay for you to force your decision on people?”

Defending the right to choose is not forcing a decision.  It’s protecting choice.  The opposite view however, is very clearly removing choice and making the decision for you.

Jon Huntsman’s worst fear is coming to fruition.  The GOP is becoming the anti-science party.  Whether we are discussing stem cell research, medical science or global warming, the real world problem solving capabilities that science offers us are seemingly no longer on the table with the Republican Party.

It doesn’t stop at science.  At no point does initiating more tax cuts make any sense in paying down our deficit; it can only add to it.  While explaining who Bruce Bartlett was to Kodo and Podo (who had no idea), I also shared it was disappointing.  Bartlett is one of the most intelligent minds when it comes to economic issues, yet I’m sure you recognize the name Michele Bachmann instantly.  Kodo responded, “He’s old.  He is like the carton of milk in the refrigerator that is a week expired.”

The new milk is more spoiled than you know.