My brother has given up...

[SunDrop23]

his party affiliation that is.

He's a couple years younger than me and has been a registered repuke all his life. Although he's volunteered some of his time here and there to work for the party, I've never been convinced he believed even 10% of the crap they stand for. Perhaps he did, since we've never really talked about it.

So I don't turn this into a story of our lives...lol

He called a few minutes after * finished his dog and pony show tonight and basically said he is changing his affiliation tomorrow morning and that he wants me to go to the board of elections with him. He told me the direction, or lack thereof, of the repukes has been troubling him for quite a while and that tonight's mockery of a news conference pushed him over the edge...he actually expressed remorse for voting straight party repuke in the last election.

Just wanted to share that good news with everyone. It seems odd this would be the event that turned things around for my brother, but I'll take it.

[oldtime dfl_er]

1. does he live in a red state?

www.cafepress.com/showtheworld

[SunDrop23]

7. Yes, North Carolina

[Tigress DEM]

48. I know some good people in that state!

Republicans are not immune to thinking for themselves. They've been lied to and taken advantage of in worse ways than even the DEMs.

They lied to the people who voted for them and they have betrayed the very values that they claim to support.

I know when the truth gets fully out there will be a lot of Republicans who even if they don't change parties will make sure no rat bastards like this crew ever slink into office again without a knock down drag out.

Can you imagine if the situation were reversed and we had DEMs doing this to US? And Republican's like their guns so much...

Maybe they will just line up all the neo-con traitors in their party and march them onto a boat and send them to Guantanamo Bay to think about their mis-deeds.

[NoSheep]

51. Where? I live here and will personally shake his hand!

[yorkiemommie1]

16. my daughter has that bumpersticker

has gotten honks !

[Nite Owl]

2. That is such good news

There have got to be lots more like him.

[frankly_fedup2]

30. Yeah, I guess it's a blessing and a curse in the state I live. I live

in Virginia, and when we register to vote, we do not have to give a party affiliation unless we want to. It's great for some "covert" (lol) snooping; however, you never know what side you are talking to when you talk politics, that is until people start getting defensive.

[evlbstrd]

3. The straw that broke the camel's back, eh?

Good for your bro!

[tridim]

4. Awesome.. I wish my parents would wise up like your bro.

[SunDrop23]

11. My parents are the same as yours...they are brainwashed.

[BillyMtn]

34. parents

The fact that your parents have different opinions doesn't mean they're brainwashed.

[Rainscents]

36. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[Renew Deal]

40. No shit. But what do you know about his parents?

BTW, Welcome to DU! :hi:

[newyawker99]

50. Hi BillyMtn!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Rainscents]

35. They will when they find out they have to pay for their medical bills

You should send via email them medicaid program cut... and thell them, medicare is next.

[deadparrot]

5. Good to hear.

One by one, that's the only way.

[babylonsister]

6. Thanks, SunDrop23! Great news! Please

invite him to DU for further clarification! :evilgrin:

[SunDrop23]

10. Will do! Thanx!

[Extend a Hand]

8. thanks for sharing

The news of your bro's conversion and the discovery of an ivory-billed woodpecker is the only good news I heard today

:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

[Liberty Belle]

29. They found an ivory-billed woodpecker?

Thanks. I missed that story.

[Senior citizen]

52. Yup. All these years they thought they were extinct.

And now they turn up hale and healthy.

So it makes one wonder....is it possible that democracy in America isn't extinct yet either?

[pinto]

9. It sure was a mockery of a news conference. It was a stump speech,

interrupted by a few questions.

Kudos to your bro!

:kick:

[Cleita]

12. People are going into Republican rehab every day.

Everyday Randi Rhodes gets several callers who say that they can't accept what Repuke stands for anymore and they are unjoining the Party.

[SunDrop23]

14. I've heard a few on Big Ed's show.....he's a convert himself.

http://www.wegoted.com

[Virginian]

26. Ed replayed his conversion speech today.

Yesterday someone asked him about his conversion from Kool aid drinker to Liberal. It sounded like he is a recent convert. He agreed with everyone when they said, "Let's all get together and hate Hillary."

[FreedomAngel82]

25. Yay!

I love this! Did that happen any today? I'll have to listen to the archive.

[yorkiemommie1]

13. wow. that is great news

all i know is that my repuke husband didn't watch the press conference tonight and he is usually slavish on those. he's not listening to much talk radio any more either. sadly, he will never be as enlightened as your brother.

[SunDrop23]

15. Don't give up hope!

[MuseRider]

17. We had an

LTTE like that just this morning. It is nice to hear, thanks.

[BikeWriter]

18. It's good to hear he's coming in from the Cold, SunDrop.

I hope you'll invite him to visit DU. :)

[SunDrop23]

19. Will do!

[johnaries]

39. Makes me wonder if DU should have a "recent convert"

forum - where people who are just fed up with the Repugs could just spew. But, being used to a "ditto-head" mentality, they might not be quite ready for some of the open, fiery debates here on DU until they've had time to accustom themselves to - shall I say it - Independent Thought.

We want them to engage, but we don't want to scare them off.

I'm not sure I explained it very well - does anyone understand what I'm trying to say?

[chlamor]

20. Would he be willing to talk to others

of a similar persuasion, maybe people he hung out with, and explain to them his reasons for leaving the war criminals in the hopes of getting them to reconsider their affiliations?

[SunDrop23]

27. I'm going to encourage him to do so.

[ailsagirl]

21. Wonderful!! Wonder how many have left the GOP in

the last four years?? Guess there's no real way to track it.

Congrats on your brother's seeing the light!!

[spooky3]

22. It's nice for another reason--it will bring you two closer together.

[SunDrop23]

31. That's an excellent point.

[ginnyinWI]

23. that's a bit of good news

I hope it is being duplicated around the country tonight!

[FreedomAngel82]

24. Oh wow

I'm really surprised. I wonder how many other people have left the republican party?? Only thing now is to get people out to vote in 2006.

[SunDrop23]

28. Yes and we also need.....

We need to get them out to vote, but we also need to take the hijackery of the voting boxes.

[johnaries]

32. Yes! That's how we will win, one at a time.

We can't open everyone's eyes at once. We have to open them up to the truth one at a time.

The Repugs are doing most of our job for us by their own dishonesty. We just have to make sure we remain honest in our message.

[Swamp Rat]

33. In my neck of the swamp, I'm hearing this on a weekly basis now.

Thanks for posting. :)

[FreedomAngel82]

45. Really?

Where are you at? After the election I saw tons of W stickers (I'm in Tn) but now days I don't see quite as much. :shrug:

[Swamp Rat]

49. You mean, "way'at?"

:D N'awlins brah. ;)

When the draft is initiated, watch how many converts there'll be nationwide. :)

[Kerrytravelers]

37. Great feeling, isn't it.

I remember when my husband finally changed his registration. We were still dating at that point, but he;d never dated such a "firery liberal" before. He was already just barely hanging on rethug, but the day he said, "I'm going to change my registration," was such a great feeling. His parents are not happy- but mine are estatic!

Congratulations! And say "hi" to your brother from his new friends at DU!

[Kerrytravelers]

38. ... and tell your brother we're nicer than rethugs, too!

[roguevalley]

41. God bless him. Tell him people in Alaska are applauding him right now.

[Rainscents]

42. For older parents who are Repblicans... they will switch when they get

the wind of cut to Medicaid and Medicare. I truly believe, this will set them over the edge for lot of them. They know, when they have to sell their house to pay for their medical bills, this is not good.

[FreedomAngel82]

46. Yep

I think so too. My grandparents are republicans and voted for Kerry this past election. My grandfather isn't much of a Bush fan at all. He thinks he's a moron but he loves FDR. We visited them earlier this month and he talked about his memories of FDR as president and had sparkles in his eyes. ;) When he talks about Bush it's like a "good grief" type of thing.

[chookie]

43. I know a bunch of lifelong Republicans who hate Bush

The only people I know who still support Bush are nuts -- paranoids and authoritarians.

I know proud lifelong Republicans who recoil from him. Real conservatives who despise him. People of deep faith who are appalled by him. And they hate him with the same level of emotion that I have for the man. None of them voted for him in 2004, and curse themselves for having voted for him in 2000, but say the man they thought they voted for is not the man they actually got. None though, as far as I am aware, have changed party affiliation. They're intensely relieved when they find out exactly why I despise him, because they have made the same observations.

I've been wondering for a while -- gee, how did this guy win in 2004, because I know a LOT of Republicans who did not vote for him, who voted against him, who had voted for him in 2000. Aside from the issue of voting fraud, the only thing I can imagine is that the wackos did an excellent job of recruiting new wackos to vote for him to cancel out the Sane American vote.

What will bring Bush down: Sane Republicans. All it would take is a few of them. But they fear the same things Democrats do -- the reprisals, the character assassination, etc. That's too bad, because the rise of a moderate Republican at this point, standing up to Bush, would find himself riding a wave of popular support. Who's going to take the risk? I honestly don't think they're getting "good intelligence" about what the American people genuinely desire at this point -- they're getting fed bullshit by interest groups and their targeted political actions.

[FreedomAngel82]

47. I think so too

It's up to the sane republicans to kick out the neocons and never let them in their party again. And to not let the fundies go overboard with their power. Nobody challenges them anymore with their hate and bigotry.

[pgh_dem]

53. more than a few Nov 2 students think

that the sane ones already tried to bring bush down. All of us know a healthy number of *2000 reps who voted for Kerry, and stories of Gore 2000 to **04 voters are very rare. Yet somehow all over the US, Ohio particularly, heavily Rep districts got 90+% turnouts with huge margins for **. Guess ** voters were just realllly enthusiastic, just reallllly quiet about it before and after selection.
Check out Bob Fitrakis and Cliff Arnebeck's comments/writing on Hamilton/Butler/Warren counties.

[Boomer]

54. "how did this guy win in 2004..."

By outright thievery, that's how. It was a rigged election; he wasn't in any danger of losing, no matter how many people voted against him.

And until the voting machines are hammered into junk, there will be a Republican president in the White House.

[Tux]

44. Recommend Independant

That way if Dems piss him off he won't be a Rep again.