Another Turning Point for my RW father

[StellaBlue]

So you may recall, a few weeks ago I posted about my dad saying he would give Al Gore a chance and vote for him if he runs in '08. My dad has voted Republican in every presidential election since he's been eligible - starting with Nixon '68. Though not a wacko or a religious nut, he is predictably RW, especially on national security and social welfare types of programs. He cries when he hears the national anthem. He taught me the names of the entire Reagan administration when I was four, and how to properly burn a flag that has touched the ground. He was in the Army Reserves for 25 years, and state law enforcement for 22. He's a non-churchgoing Baptist and member of the NRA. He has a Confederate flag tattooed on his arm (though, in his defense, he is not a bigot - he got it when he was like 21 and now regrets it). And, he's a fifth generation Texan.

And today, talking to him on the phone, after he watched the Sunday morning political shows, as he has every day of my entire life, he says to me, "I've decided something, and I want to tell you about it. I'm tired of all this crap, and though I agree with some of the Republican foreign policy more, I don't want to vote for this crew who do nothing expect enrich themselves and their cronies, while ignoring the rest of us. I'm voting straight ticket Democrat."



:wow:

:headbang:

:kick:

Then he told me, even though I am a nonpracticing Catholic atheist Taoist, to be sure and go to church today. So I promised I would go and pray for him to continue with his epiphany and keep voting Democrat.

[annabanana]

1. Now that is sweet!

One at a time, we will get America back.

[TheFarseer]

2. my dad was telling me the other day

"Maybe you're right that we'd be better off with Al Gore. He couldn't possibly have done worse than this" ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ugh, the problem is it's not funny. I'm leaning hard on him to vote dem in 2006. Mom's a lost cause (total fundy)

[StellaBlue]

4. That's just what my dad said:

"I figure they've had their chance, had all three branches, and look how they screwed it up. The Democrats can't possibly be WORSE. We just can't keep doing what we're doing, as far as I can tell."

[MissWaverly]

3. Karl, they're waking out of their trance, Karl, help!

[salin]

8. This is certainly the case for the one part of my family

that had bought into the GOP spin machine. No more talking points, suddenly actually thinking about issues again - puzzled at motivations for the policies pursued by Bushco the GOP congress, Gov Daniels and the GOP statehouse. Not quite ready to impugn the intentions of those folks - but has reached the point of recognizing that through arrogance those folks are NOT listening to voters or acting on behalf of voters - and as a result is hoping for a big election upheavel to wake Bush and Daniel up. (like that will help the gop ;-) ) Big thing - is the sleep is being wiped out of the eyes and ears and the thinking is just beginning!

[MissWaverly]

11. critical objective thinking is their enemy

you ever notice how Bush answer questions with a non-answer, I remember when someone asked him
about the trailers sitting in Arkansas. He answered with (I am paraphrasing): "That's just the
question I asked Chertoff, Chertoff, Why are all those trailers still sitting there." and then
he just moved on talking about big government and how it was impossible to get things done.
I thought "What about the question, What are all those trailers doing still sitting there?."

[tulsakatz]

19. that's like when Helen Thomas asked......

.....why did he want to go to war in Iraq. He focused on one word......want!! He went into a long speech about how no leader wants war and he never did actually answer the question!!!

It's too bad no one else asked him a follow up question because we still don't know why we're there!!!!!

[MissWaverly]

20. that's it, how about we are going to rebuild New Orleans

whatever happened after that feel good moment.

[tulsakatz]

29. yeah, I had a feeling that would never happen.......

...even when he made that speech in New Orleans! It sounded nice but I just couldn't see Bush following through on that.

For one thing, he put Rove in charge of the finances for that project.

And if there's one thing that both Bush and Rove love more than anything else, it's money!! I just couldn't see them parting with that much money.

It's such a shame that crooks like these guys were in charge of trying to do something for the good of the country!!

[babylonsister]

5. Recommend for StellaBlue and Dad!

This is good to hear!:applause:

[Horse with no Name]

6. I've been noticing quite a few Democratic bumperstickers

in Paris, Texas lately. Maybe he isn't the only one that has had an epiphany.
Always makes me smile.:)

[StellaBlue]

7. OMG

You're in Paris?

I'm from Paris!

Said dad is in Paris!

:wow: again

[AspenRose]

23. Here's one I saw in Northern VA

"Bush made me a Democrat"

[StellaBlue]

26. Ooh, good one.

nt

[blonndee]

9. Good for him.

I think it takes a lot for most of these old-school, old-fashioned guys to admit they were wrong, let alone to have been open-minded enough to consider the possibility. This actually gives me some hope for my own dad, who sounds similar to yours--in almost every way you described him except that he's not from Texas, but eastern NM.

[Spazito]

10. That is so awesome!

It is stories like yours that make republicans' bowels turn to water. If they have lost honest folk like your father, they are headed for the dustbin, I can only hope it happens in time.

[dave123williams]

12. Yep; my Dad's begining to come around, too.

He's had just about enough of these jokers, and he's been voting GOP since the dawn of time.

[davidwparker]

13. Good for him. I think things are so messed up that I'll be voting

straight democratic for the rest of my life. *


*Unless the dems nominate Billary and s/he looses. Then, I'm Green. I'll write my name in before I vote for a Dem again. Why, oh, why can't the Dem leadership sound like a "Pap attack."

http://www.airamerica.com/ringoffire/

[IndyOp]

14. Why, oh, why can't the Dem leadership sound like a "Pap attack."

:yourock:

:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

[tulsakatz]

15. wow!!!

I'm impressed!!

Way to go!!

[Straight Shooter]

16. Tell him you'll go to church if he'll tell his friends to vote Dem, too.

;)

[StellaBlue]

17. Actually, he hangs out with a lot of local small-town attorneys

90% of whom are solid Dems.

They think he's the odd man out. ha!

[Deja Q]

18. That's great!

now let's hope, should the Dems win, that the shit everybody is tired of stops and things return to normal. Especially with the jobs, OUR economy, and national security concerns.

[Reckon]

21. WTG... One at a time!..

:headbang:

[AspenRose]

22. I think my husband's waking up too

He's not at the point where he'd vote Dem (yet) but I think given the choice between voting Republican and staying home, he'd stay home.

He's made very pointed comments lately about how unhappy he is with the status quo.

About damn time....

[BlueJac]

24. It is a start.....

It could be a tidal wave by the 2006 elections.


:woohoo:

[wellst0nev0ter]

25. I Know You'll Hate Me For This

I hate myself for this too. But I really can't deny my true feelings.

I'm sorry but when I hear about your dad, I say to myself "fuck him."

Fuck all the reich-wing enablers who brought us to this mess we have today. They choose to ignore history and the facts right in front of them, and now we are paying for it.

So FINALLY you're dad is "tired of this crap"? I'm beyond tired. Stick a knife in me, I won't feel a fuggin thing for these Johnny-Come-Latelies and Sorry Sammies who for the longest time put The Party over the welfare of this country.

Perhaps in more auspicious times I might share your glee. But right now I just can't give a fuck.

All right, end of rant, let the floggings begin :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank:

[StellaBlue]

27. No, I agree

We've been fighting about this since I was 15.

And I've been winning, only he didn't realize it, because like most RWers, he's neither well-informed historically nor a great wielder of logic. He is well informed about politics in his own lifetime, and an honest person who is willing to admit when he's wrong. But, like most Americans, his thinking has been poisoned by years of sub-par schooling, propagandized, whitewashed "history", fearmongreing, and being forced to sell out just to eat.

But, yeah, I'm with you. I was in the UK from 2001 til last summer. I am totally with you. In 2004, I shrugged and said, "Well, they deserve what they get, then."

[Reckon]

28. People are not infallible

and are easily manipulated by the media, etc, etc. I don't hold it against them. It's kind of like what you've been taught to believe all your life and wake up to find it's all been a sham. Let's just hope they keep waking up because this is not over by a long shot.

We need every vote, voice, dollar, etc, etc, we can get.

I'm in this thing to win, so I'll take it!