So, I got my good news for the day

[quakerboy]

My father is somewhat of an oddity. He only listens to Public radio, and doesn't watch anything on TV except star trek, MASH, and Perry Mason. He is a Pacifist and an NRA member. He is a lifelong republican who believes we need to remove all borders and have one world government.

During the primaries he was his own own little one man operation Chaos. He was sure McCain would win, and had "great respect" for him, as a fellow vet, and wanted Hillary to win because he felt that was McCains best chance of winning.

We exchanged some heated emails back at that time, and I left it knowing that at least my mom would cancel his vote with hers.

I was just talking with mom, expecting to have to reinforce her that its ok to be an Obama supporter, and do dispell whatever my dad has been telling her. Turns out my father has recently admitted, somewhat abashedly, that he will be voting for Obama.

But he still hopes that they are framing Stephens in Alaska, because he really likes him.

I believe I may have identified where I got my crazy.

[madmax]

1. lol well at least he's voting for Obama n/t

[crim son]

2. quakerboy, I'm happy for you and envious.

My father voted for Bush... twice. He regretted the second vote but I haven't enough confidence in his judgement to ask him who he's going for this time around. Your father may be an oddity, but he's not a fool.

[quakerboy]

8. Im pretty sure

mine did as well. Bush that is. 2000 was odd, because for 6 years he had been calling Clinton the best Republican president of his life, but he was very dubious of Gore.

[crim son]

10. Yes but old habits die hard.

My father, after 2004 and the war waging on and all the other bullshit, said to me, "How could I have predicted?" Dad is a well-read, highly educated retired physician who still lectures on history. He would have known if he hadn't chosen to be blind. Your father has obviously made the choice and I commend him.

[elleng]

3. GOOD

boy!

[BrklynLiberal]

4. Does it matter that McSame was in the Navy, not the Air Force..or is it the same?

Glad your Dad finally saw the light..

[quakerboy]

9. I think that my dad,

just had in his mind "he served honorably" conflated with "he is an honorable man".

I think I may be misremembering, because for all that I interpret things differently, my father is usually fairly accurate. I must have assumed it was an AF thing, rather than just a service thing.

[Gregorian]

5. This is happening just as I imagined.

I think we're going to see the Obama Effect. Sort of a reverse Bradley. He's attracting more people that I know have only voted republican their entire lives. I predict that instead of a closing of the poll numbers there will actually be a widening.

Good news indeed. Unity is a good thing. Glad you can feel some.

[quakerboy]

13. Its been a good week

last week all my aunt would say about politics was "I just cant get excited about any of them"

Today I got "Im still not excited about any of them, but I was listening to the news, and that lady Palin said she will balance the budget immediately. Either she thinks we are idiots, or she is an idiot". Another voter picking a side. A little more work, and I hope to give her some enthusiasm.

If I can convince my drunken Uncle to vote Obama, I will know we have hit the jackpot. Perhaps I am reading to much into it, but someone stole his McCain Yard sign recently, and he has declined to replace it.

[Gregorian]

17. Your aunt sounds like mine. Same exact situation.

Always voted republican. My dad has been working on her for years. Today he said she's not voting McCain. And she's looking into Obama.


Yes.

[No Elephants]

6. Link your Dad to www.votevets.org

[Ikonoklast]

7. Your dad is all over the map.

Talk about a walking contradiction.

But, if the path he took leads to a vote for Obama, then it's a journey well traveled.

[quakerboy]

12. You have no idea

He is a Pacifist who has stated he would not lift a hand to a home intruder even if our family was threatened, but believes we need Guns so that we can protect our liberty from the government. The same government that he faults for closing our "artificial borders" and for not giving us universal health care.

[progressoid]

18. Yeah, that's quite a mixture of viewpoints.

Must make for some interesting "discussions"

[asdjrocky]

11. Your Dad is not alone.

I've met a few older citizens casting Democratic for the first time or for at least the first time since Carter. It's a sea change, let's hope we do better with it now than Regan did with it in the eighties.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

14. Greatest Page for your excellent thread!

K&R

:patriot:

:kick:

[quakerboy]

15. well thank you

I do think thats a first for me. For some reason my post about the better qualities of toe jam didnt make it.

[d_b]

16. F stevens

he's done. We need Begich in the senate. Sorry dad :-p

[beac]

19. I believe we call that "crazy in the GOOD way!"

Hurrah for Dad of quakerboy!

[krkaufman]

20. "somewhat of an oddity" would seem to be an understatement, given your description in the 1st graph.