"He's smart, I want someone who is smart to be President".

[livetohike]

A quick story from this evening. My husband and I live in rural PA. It's a small tourist area two hours northeast of Pittsburgh. While walking our dogs this evening up in the woods, we came across a neighbor who has a cabin nearby. This is only the second time we have met. Jack is 73 years old, worked as a brick mason his whole life.

We started talking about the economy. He mentioned his kids and grandkids and the tough time they are having finding work and paying for college etc. We talked about how manufacturing is leaving America, too many houses in foreclosure, etc.

Then he asked, "Who are you voting for this election?". We both said, "Obama." He smiled, extended his hand to shake ours and said, "He's smart, I want someone who is smart to be President."

So there you have it. In the middle of rural PA, one of the least likely guys you would expect demographically to support Obama and he is very enthusiastic about it. :-)

[DesertFlower]

1. thank you for sharing that story. nt

[livetohike]

6. I was really glad to have that happen here

I worked at the polls in April and the Republicans outnumber the Dems by nearly 3 to 1.

[DesertFlower]

11. i'm in arizona. it's a

very republican state. sometimes i feel "very alone". i'm originally from new york city.

[livetohike]

23. Oh, I know that feeling

We moved back home here from Oceanside, CA. Darrell Issa was our Congressman and the registration in my end of the county was 3 to 1 favoring the Republicans. I thought I landed in hell, lol.

[DesertFlower]

29. it's so weird.

i really love it here. it's beautiful and clean, but i can do without the people. we had a neighbor -- a former new york city cop and his wife. they loved it here at first, but then they had a child and decided they didn't want her raised here. they went back east.

[livetohike]

30. What saved me was I joined the local Democratic club

and became the Treasurer! At least I had people I could talk politics with and not get into a huge argument. Oh, that and finding DU back in 2004. I seriously would have lost my mind.

[DesertFlower]

32. i would like to get involved

with a club but i have severe chronic fatigue syndrome. sometimes i don't get out for days. DU has been a god-send for me too.

[livetohike]

33. Oh I'm sorry sweets.

:hug:

[DesertFlower]

44. thank you. i try to look at the bright side.

things could be worse.

[Catshrink]

53. Me too.

But I have my Obama sticker on my car. I see very very few McCain stickers -- in fact, more W'04 than McSame. Amazing, huh? This is his home state.

[DesertFlower]

63. i saw one obama sticker a few

months ago. haven't seen any McCain.

[texastoast]

2. Now there is some hope

I so want to believe that Americans are smart, smart enough to see that they are being played by the pukes.

Smart enough to see that Obama is genuine and really does love working with "the folks."

Thanks for posting.

[livetohike]

8. You're welcome. It made my day

:-)

[NotThisTime]

35. I so agree... thanks for posting this, it's so uplifting

[livetohike]

39. You're welcome

:hi:

[endthewar]

3. Great to hear!

:hug:

It's especially touching that he is thinking about his kids and grandkids when deciding on his vote.

[livetohike]

9. He's a really nice guy - sort of reminded me of my Dad

who is gone now.... :hug:.

[Captain Hilts]

4. Let's all say it together: "I want someone smart to be president." There, that feels better. nt

[livetohike]

10. It sounds like a good chant for Obama/Biden rallies

doesn't it? :-)

[Captain Hilts]

14. I think "Vote for the Smart Guys" might be easier. nt

[livetohike]

19. Much better!

:-)

[Muttocracy]

5. Love it! nt

[livetohike]

12. We've only lived here 1.5 years - it was good to meet

someone like-minded.

[Solomon]

7. Stories like these are my favorites.

Thank you

[NatBurner]

13. mine too

pundits are talking away my reality

[livetohike]

17. Yeah, same here - got to get out and talk to some real people

and if they are still on the fence, keep talking to them :-).

[livetohike]

15. You're welcome

Hope to have some more good stories. An Obama office is opening 30 miles from me next week. Going to volunteer once I get there on Tuesday :-).

[RollWithIt]

16. Smart..... it's such a small word yet it's so huge....

Obama is a very smart man. His skin color in the end only enhances his intelligence. Regular people watch him speak and their first thought is ALWAYS wow, that's a smart guy.

[livetohike]

20. He's pinpointing problems now too and giving specifics

His speech at the convention, I think got many people over to his side.

[jeffrey_X]

18. awesome!

eom

[livetohike]

24. It made me smile. You never know what your in for when

someone says, "Who are you going to vote for?".

[Kber]

21. Sounds like my dad

Rural Norther Michigan resident.
Served in the Navy 1969 to 1972.
Worked for the post office his whole life.

And prays daily that the nations is smart enough to elect Obama.

[livetohike]

25. A toast for your Dad!

:toast: Hope he can convert some of his buddies, too.

[Kber]

31. Every chance he gets

His wife was/is a strong Hillary fan (going to vote for Obama in the general of course). Last Christmas her sister in law, who seems like a real piece of work, declared that if we elected either Hillary or Barack that she's move to Canada. Needless to say, they've been working for the Democrats nonstop every since!

[livetohike]

36. That's funny! I hope the sister in law has lots of warm

clothes :-).

[provis99]

38. does the sister-in-law know Canada is more liberal than the US?

That's why liberals, and not conservatives, threaten to move to Canada. Right-wingers threaten to move to cabins in Idaho. But I suppose knowledge is something beyond all right-wingers.

[Kber]

43. Nah - sister in law doesn't know shit.

:)

[jazzjunkysue]

34. My Dad, too. Loved Reagan. Hates Bush. Voting for Obama.

Heard it at work today, too.

[livetohike]

37. We need all of these stories to be told

It was getting kind of grim around here all week.

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

22. There is hope. I used the same point with someone I was wooing today.

The fact that McMooseMuffins was 4th to last in his class is a shocker to some people.

[livetohike]

27. To quote a famous show "The truth is out there."

We just have to keep talking :-).

[Cha]

26. Yeah, when and where you least expect it..

an Obama-Biden supporter surprises you:party: :kick:

Thanks for your story, livetohike.

[livetohike]

28. You're welcome zidzi

:kick:

[ThatsMyBarack]

40. Well how about that?

Old people will vote for Obama! :patriot:

[Beartracks]

41. Nice! There's a shirt...

I like your neighbor's simple straightforward thinking, so I made a shirt:

http://www.cafepress.com/tulsatees/5950020

http://www.cafepress.com/tulsatees/5950020">


I hope you don't mind. :think:

[NYC_SKP]

42. Here's your shirt.

Also in black with white writing...

:hi:

[livetohike]

47. Wow! That is so cool

I'm going to show this to my neighbor this weekend. :hug: for doing this.

[krkaufman]

45. Almost had me tearing-up. Thanks for sharing. n/t

[livetohike]

48. You're welcome

:-) It's a big weekend up here, so maybe I'll head down to the river and hang out on the dock.

[NYCdem18]

46. lol

cool story


biden's smart too
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyEqyYUGk4I&feature=related

[livetohike]

49. Welcome to DU!

:hi: Yes, Biden is smart. I hope he comes up here to campaign, I'd love to see him (and Obama).

[DeschutesRiver]

50. It is happening all over

Talked to someone yesterday that I hadn't seen in years. We didn't have time to go into a lot of detail, but in a nutshell, the entire large family apparently switched parties because of increasing unhappiness with McCain, and Palin was mentioned as being the last straw. Hard core, very wealthy old school type republicans with a capital R. I didn't think it was possible for them to ever not vote Repub, no matter what. They tend to be loyal in all situations, even when loyalty is no longer deserved. Yet the Palin thing just crossed some line for them.

If they are losing this kind of supporter, the repubs are in serious doo-doo.

[livetohike]

55. I know the older generation is ticked over Palin as a choice

I spoke to my Mom (77 years old) and my m-i-l (82 years old)since the Palin pick. My m-i-l was at her monthly AARP meeting on Friday and said all of the members can't "believe how stupid McCain is". This is really good news here in PA :-).

[DeschutesRiver]

61. I heard the news from a younger family member

but the leaders of this family pack that are rejecting the Party are in their 60s, and the next generation up is in the mid 80s.

And I am glad to hear such good news from PA too! I am in Oregon, and am finding more folks being pro-Obama or leaning strongly (Independents), even in rural areas; of course, our cities have leaned democratic many years, so it isn't out of the question that they would go Obama. My fingers are so crossed for your state and mine!

[livetohike]

64. Keeping fingers crossed for you too

You live in a beautiful state :-). My husband has a childhood friend who has lived in Bend, OR for about 28 years. We visited him once and had a great time (back in the early 80's) hiking Mt. Bachelor and in the Sisters Wilderness.....and canoeing on the Deschutes of course.

[Kablooie]

51. If McCain becomes president, YOU'LL smart. But good!

[SDJay]

52. That's a Great Story

I have one of my own. I'm dog-sitting at my parents' house in Palm Springs this weekend, and yesterday I went to the gym on their community site for a workout. I wore my Obama shirt, wondering how the reaction would be in this obviously R stronghold. To my amazement, I got a lot of double-takes, but absolutely not one scowl or dirty look. Every single person who noticed my shirt smiled, and a couple of them even gave me the thumbs-up. Bear in mind that this is a 55+ community, and I'm 36, so I stick out like a sore thumb at this gym in the first place.

Two people came up to me and asked me about my shirt. One guy, in his 80's and named Tom, said, "You have a lot of guts wearing that shirt here. Has anyone given you a hard time?" I said, "no," and he smiled and said, "Good. If anyone does while you're here, let me know and I'll tell that fool where to go. I was a soldier in WWII, and I've voted R my whole life. I'm voting for Obama in November, though. I know what war is like - it's hell. I know how it feels to be sent off somewhere you've never been with your life on the line. In WWII, we knew it was the right thing to do. Now, the soldiers I talk to don't get to feel like they're doing the right thing, and they don't think the same way we did. It's a crime that they're sending these boys (I know, but he's an old guy and didn't think of 'girls') off to die for no good reason, and I'm sick of it."

The second guy basically asked me the same thing about my shirt. He said it was 'great' to see people being active. He's a retired CFP, and he said after a lifetime of voting R, he's voting for Obama too. His reason is that he feels that he understands the economy from an individual standpoint, and many of his old clients are calling him for help as their assets dwindle. He's scared that this economy will fall into a depression if the R's win again, and he's telling everyone he's connected with in the financial planning world to vote for Obama.

I found this stunning in a place that's about as red as red gets. Very reassuring and uplifting to see that for whatever reason, people seem to be looking past their long-held ideology and more towards what's really going on. Of course, on the TV's on the walls at the time was the story of forthcoming indictments (edit - I meant to write 'subpoenas') on Palin's cronies for troopergate, which was perfect, but I was blown away.

That's why I look at these 'polls' and simply don't believe them completely.

[livetohike]

57. Great stories! We need more of these and we need to

not be afraid to show our support for Obama and be ready to talk him up everytime :-). Good for you!

[Barack_America]

54. The election in a nutshell. "smart" vs. "not smart".

That's really what they mean when they say "elite" vs. "regular".

[livetohike]

58. You're right. I had an old neighbor of mine in CA

very conservative Rep. e-mail me that Obama's ivey (his spelling) league education doesn't mean he would be a good President. I e-mailed him back that what it means is he is able to think and process new ideas based on his knowledge gained from that education. Never heard back from the guy after that.

[kwolf68]

56. We had a lot of these same type of anecdotes

In 2004 and we still lost.

We'll have to hope no 'swift boating' comes up. I think without the heavy rotation of "Swift Boat Blues" all over every friggin news channel Kerry would have won.

That hasn't stared yet on Obama...rest assured they are trying to figure out a way to do it.

[livetohike]

59. Obama is a different candidate - they are trying to go after him

for being elite, but it isn't sticking - not the way Kerry was swiftboated. I'm encouraged by the other stories people are sharing, too.

[gulliver]

60. McCain: Dumb as Bush

If you're so dumb that you finish fifth from the bottom of your class at Annapolis (as John Sidney McCain III did), then how does your experience matter? The reason he makes mistakes all the time is that he's just plain dumb. Dumb and mean. Great qualifications.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srbX26vp57c

[livetohike]

65. Now that would be a good bumpersticker

Dumb and Mean.

[kwenu]

62. We all want that but RUNNING for the presidency is another ballgame if you want to win.