A friend with long experience in politics once told me, "Don't waste your breath trying to convince those who won't listen."
A guy came to my house last week working for a company we hire to wash our windows. He spoke very good English with a heavy Spanish accent. It turned out he was from Cuba. I asked how he got here. "On two tractor tires lashed to a couple of sheets of plywood with my buddy for 12 days. No food and water after the first few," he told me.
Wow, I thought, this is a great story! I asked him why he was willing to take that chance. "For a better life, and freedom!"
What was life like in Cuba, I asked? "Very hard. All the housing is bad, the cars hardly run. Everyone is very poor. My Mother is there still, and though I've applied twice, they won't let her leave and join me."
How does she get along, I asked. "I send her money."
And they let you do that, I asked? "Yes," he said, "they take $20 out of every $100 I send, but they let me do it."
So, they're holding her hostage, then? "Yes!"
Wow, I thought, I hope this guy votes! Was he a citizen, and registered to vote, I asked? Said he, "Oh, yes, I'm a Democrat!"
Treading carefully, I said "Really?"
"Yes," he said, "It's hard to know politics after being here for only a little time. My uncle tells me I should be a Republican, and can't understand why I'm not."
Carefully again, "Well, do you know that Democrats' root philosophy of progressivism is very similar to socialism, and that Republicans mostly believe in individual economic liberty?"
Shocked, he said "Socialismo?"
"Yep," said I. "Do you want to own your own business? Be a boss? Have employees?"
"Oh, yes", he said.
"Then you are a Republican at heart," I said.
As he went about his work, washing windows, I heard him talking on his cell phone to his wife. The word "Socialismo" kept coming up.
Sometimes it seems like you're blowing against the wind, but you keep the faith, pick your spots for persuasion, and fight when you have a chance of winning.
