Really weird. Overheard my Republican coworker's conversation

[PretzelWarrior]

on the phone. He's a pretty nice guy...been a successful commodity buyer for years...and has been a Republican for a long time. The funny thing is...I haven't gone out and talked to everyone at work about politics so he and I don't discuss this.

But he actually told his friend on the phone that he was so frustrated with the continual screw-ups of the BUsh administration that he switched his registration and became a registered Democrat. He is planning to vote for Kerry this fall, and you can bet I will be working the topic into our conversations now.

What I'd really like to do is see if he can have some conversations with friends of his who aren't quite "converted" yet.

I was really heartened by this. He doesn't seem the type to do rash things on principle. In fact, he thought about switching to an independent because the Dem label is kind of too much for him at this point.

Can you believe it? HE is part of the Republican majority in this county I live in...I'm in Oregon.

Looks like Oregon is going to be much stronger blue state than 2000. Thanks for your dickishness on "Death with Dignity" Asscroft. You are helping deliver this state to Kerry.

[GreenPartyVoter]

He's the guy to make the conversions all right

Just feel him out, see if he knows anyone who is appalled or frightened by the idea of $hrub for another 4 years.

[PretzelWarrior]

2. I will definitely be doing so. He and I go to lunch with some others

we will have to see how it goes when we start talking about the election and political ads, etc. Once I get him ratcheting up the rhetoric about why he is disillusioned...I will find out the points that he would perhaps feel comfortable sharing with some of his fellow churchgoers and others.

WE CAN DO THIS!

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. Churchgoers are tricky

Lots of them are one-issue voters and will only check off Repubs because of abortion, no matter how badly the candidate sucks in all other areas. :(

[PretzelWarrior]

I think he goes to a "moderate" church. not all are nutjob fundys

you know?

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. Heheh. I know *l*

Unfortunately I can't say that I go to a "moderate" church. Yes, women can wear pants and make-up. Yes women can preach. But beyond that, it's a little bit stuck in the dark ages. (And NO I didn't pick the church out. My conservative hubby did.)

Would Jesus love a liberal? You bet!
http://www.geocities.com/greenpartyvoter/liberalchristians.htm

[Wapsie B]

12. And even if it is a fundy church,

not all of them are going to be knuckle-draggers. I've met S. Baptists and Pentecostals who wish to stay within the religion they grew up with and help it change a little bit at a time. Just like the Darwin fish. Evolve.

[Hokie]

1. I hope he converts all his friends

I love hearing these stories. It almost makes you think there is hope for America.

[PretzelWarrior]

16. it's great. You are right that we are seeing things looking up

even the firebrands who say anything good about Bush are starting to clam up and realize things are a mess.

[phaseolus]

4. Wish my coworker was as thoughtful...

This morning he was talking friend on the phone and said something like 'with all those Ay-rabs in Dearborn you probably have an Al-Qaeda sleeper cell or two ... they should deport all those guys.'

He's the same guy who told me with a straight face that the U.S. soldiers who gave their life in WWII were fighting for white, european culture. (Silly me, I thought that was the other side who thought that...)

[Fire Bush]

6. I think there's going to be a lot more of that

And I think that's another reason Bush is toast barring massive voter fraud or some other colossal event. I think there are a lot of republicans out there who when get a call from a pollster, blurt out a knee-jerk "Bush". I think come November many of these people aren't going anywhere.

[bushwakker]

7. Handle him carefully

don't spook him. don't shatter his world. just gently tell him how right he is.

[DaveSZ]

8. Jesus

Jesus was downright socialst!

:P

[amandabeech]

9. My retired teacher Mom is active in her Methodist

church in rural Michigan. For years she's been the only Democratic voice among the senior crowd and many of the other ladies have been one-issue anti-abortion voters forever. This year, she says, they are all furious at Bush for Iraq, the budget deficit and economy and that lousy prescription drug bill (lots order scripts from Canada).

However, they don't know if they will be able to vote for Kerry. The Bush ads are getting to them. The ad claiming that Kerry voted against money for the troops troubles them greatly. I explained the situation to her, and she may be able to convince them. Unfortunately, she gets TV from right-wing Grand Rapids, and a couple of stations in the northern lower peninsula. I think that Kerry could actually pick up a few votes from seniors in conservative areas if he'd get out some rebuttal ads or other materials.

[loudsue]

10. I got a call from a Dem friend of mine who works in a REAL conservative

company...a big electric utility company in North Carolina. My friend is always considered the "rebel", because he's liberal.

He said on the phone today: "Nobody's talking up their cowboy these days! You don't hear a WORD out of them."

That, my friends, is a HUGE sign that a BIG part of the South may be either staying home or voting for Kerry this time around. I used to work for this same company, and I know those people: 90% of the employees are the extreme Southern Baptist Convention types. Just the fact that they're keeping "quiet" about all things bush is .... well, it's a miracle. It's a miracle because the media is still so venomously right wing most of the time. But even these people can see through what's going on, and they don't like it.

:kick::kick::kick::kick:

[NewYorkerfromMass]

11. It'd be something if Kerry could bring in Baptists

He could make an effort using his Catholicism to his advantage.

[Alerter_]

13. most decent Republicans are fed up with Bush

I know plenty of conservative and Republican-leaning people, and plenty of them are fed up with this Bush crap. Aside from his wingnut choirboys, most Americans want him gone.

[emulatorloo]

14. This proves that THERE ARE NO SAFE STATES! Pls remind the Nader Voters.

Sorry to yell and to be so blunt. But this election year feels really different to me. Every Dem vote has the potential to count big in the so called "red" states.

[Fleshdancer]

15. My in-laws, both republicans, will be voting for Kerry in November

I would get in arguments with my father-in-law over the Iraqi war and now he's as furious as I am over all of it. He really believed in the whole WMD and imminent threat thing and so now that he knows it was all crap, he's furious. He bitches about Bush just about every time I talk to him on the phone these days.