Rural Alabama, a little bit less crimson.

[Clio the Leo]

Well, let's not kid ourselves, Alabama will ALWAYS be crimson as it should be ..... but that is due to the #9 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide! (ROLL TIDE!!!!) .... but it is also a deep shade of crimson when it comes to politics. Despite the joke that Alabama went for Obama in the primaries because folks got confused and thought his name was "Go Bama," there is NO way that McCain will lose it to Barack. But my immediate family has just had a bit of a moral victory.

Thought you all might enjoy this story.

My mother is the youngest of five. She grew up during the height of the civil right's movment, the theme of her high school prom was "Them Ol Plantation Days," and the junior classmen wore black face to serve the seniors. This is the kind of people I'm talking about.

My oldest uncle, I dont know exactly how old he is, but he returned from fighting in World War II two weeks before my mother was born, so you can do the math. I have openly heard him speak with disdain about interracial couples. This is something we just deal with, he's too old and set in his ways to try to change his mind now. Living in the south, it's just how things are.

Now these people are not rednecks. They are what you would consider to be upstanding members of the community and one uncle is fairly well off. I mean, they dont play the banjo and they have all of their teeth, ya know?

So off my mother goes into the heart of Alabama farmland yesterday for a family visit (we live in an urban area in TN.) We'd given her a pass to REMOVE the Obama magnet from the back of her car. She wasn't gonna accomplish anything and it would just lead to grief for her.

Well, my mother returned home today and said to me, "are you sitting down ........ you will not believe what your oldest uncle said..... He said that ... unless something happened to change his mind .... he would be voting FOR Barack Obama ......... the BLACK dude. He said that he thought 'anyone who would vote for that Sarah Palin was a fool because there was no way John McCain would live for the duration of his term and that nut case Sarah Palin was in NO way qualified to be president!'"

Oldest aunt also said she would vote for Obama "because I'm a democrat, I always vote democrat, why would I vote for a republican now?"

"I cannot BELIEVE anyone would vote for that Muslim..." another uncle apparently said, about to have a coronary over the notion that a family member had just amitted to voting for Obama. "Daddy be quiet, we're trying to watch TV in here, go in there and watch yours and leave us alone!" my cousin apparently told him.

"Well, that Muslim IS the smartest man I've ever known to run for the presidency ..... I know that."

Not EXACTLY the kind of progress that we're looking for, but it's progress none the less. Every vote counts right? ;)

[holiday]

1. yes, although I would love to see the dems take some red

states eventually. they got to think a strategy up that will accomplish that

[JustFiveMoreMinutes]

3. Maybe in another 50 years, attrition of the older set will give way

[JustFiveMoreMinutes]

2. Every vote would if not for the Electoral College

So whether 95% McCain and 5% Obama in Alabama or 52% McCain 48% Obama....

Them thar electrical college voters will go wid McCain.

<wink>

[Frances]

4. Great story

What part of Alabama was your mother in?

(I grew up in Clarke County, about 85 miles north of Mobile.)

[Clio the Leo]

6. Other end of the state, outside of Huntsville. NT

[Cha]

5. That's just

so sweet, Clio. Thanks for the report from Alabama!

[morillon]

7. That's an awesome story!

I'm from a small town just over the border from Alabama, so I know exactly the kind of folks you're talking about. I'm going to a family reunion in a few weeks, myself, and we're planning to go in two cars and get there early so both Obama stickers will be visible to everyone else. My fingers are crossed that we'll be able to change some minds, ourselves. :-)

[yellowdogintexas]

8. I'll be parading all my DU/Obama/local Texas Democrat stuff all over Western KY

next week. This should be fun. Good on you for your great report.
(gave her a pass to remove her Obama magnet....:rofl: :rofl:

my husband was born in Anniston AL. Son of a Marine Corp lifer, veteran of the USNavy, with one brother who served in the US ARMY. Out of the five kids, my husband and this brother are the Democrats. We are the outcasts at family parties.

[Clio the Leo]

9. But my mother didn't even try to change their minds, that's the beauty of it...

... being the baby she just sat there prepared to say NOTHING. (My father, former member of SNCC and self proclaimed socialist specifically DID not go with her because he knew they'd talk politics and he wouldn't be able to stand it.)

JOHN McCain and his weak pick for VP changed their minds!!! LOVE IT!!!!