Eric Dondero: Obama Hater's Lonely Life

A probably very lonely Eric
Dondero

A man named Eric Dondero has made a splash of himself in the news by announcing far and wide he will have nothing to do, ever, with anybody who voted for Barack Obama or whom he suspects voted for him.

"Everybody who voted for Obama is dead to me," Dondero says.  I've seen more rational temper tantrums among three year olds, but what do I know about childcare?

It's perfectly understandable that people who voted for Romney three weeks ago are still disappointed that their candidate lost. It's also perfectly understandable if they remain somewhat annoyed with people who didn't vote for Romney.

But talk about ruining your own life with your own temper tantrum! Dondero takes it to a new level.

He won't ever speak to his brother again, he vows, because said brother is a suspected Obama supporter. He won't talk to any coworkers who are Obama partisans, he won't work for any Democratic employer, would spit on the lawn of anybody who is a Democrat, would divorce his wife if he learned she was a Democrat, and won't speak to anyone unless their worldview matches his.

Phew! That has to be exhausting!

He'll spend so much time trying to avoid Democrats and Obama fans he'll have time for nothing else. What will he do if he goes into a store to buy something? Grill the owner on his or political leanings? That'll take forever. And what if the business owners keeps his political leanings close to his chest, just to avoid offending customers?

I'll bet his Thanksgiving day today will be lonely. Who would invite him over? Does anybody want a powder keg like Dondero at the table? What if someone lets slip that they don't think Obamacare is that bad?

So he'll sit along in his room, eating his Hungry Man turkey TV dinner. He can't even watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. Many of the performers in the parade are probably liberal. And    Santa Claus, who makes his annual appearance in the parade, gives gifts. Isn't gift giving Obama-esque in Dondero's mind?

If Dondero is invited to a party, chances are there will be a Democrat there. Will he cause a scene big enough to offend the (Republican) host of the party?  Even the most hard core conservatives would find Dondero exhausting after awhile.

All this work Dondero created for himself will accomplish what, exactly? Somehow, I don't think Obama will resign because Dondero continues his temper tantrum. Life will go on, right past Dondero, whoever runs the country.

I know there are limits for everyone as to who they'll have conversations with. I probably wouldn't associate with, say, a white supremicist who burns crosses for a living. But really, writing off a bit over half the U.S. population over a presidential election?

Yep, Dondero sure is pissed. But the thing is, there's a fine line between anger and fear. Sometimes they're one in the same, and I think that's where Dondero is. Yeah, I'm playing armchair shrink here, but I wonder if he's afraid of exposing himself to ideas that he disagrees with. What if the person he disagrees with has a point? He'll have to change his world view a bit. Would that be too traumatic for him?

Like most people, I have conversations all the time with people whose political leanings I disagree with. Sometimes the conversation is a bit boring. Sometimes I find a talk with these people incredibly interesting and enlightening. Every once in awhile, they persuade me to think a little differently on a topic.

What that happens, the world doesn't end. I just end up a little smarter than I was before. And the problem with that is.... what, Mr Dondero?