We just won my father. Ohio voter. Self declared independent Republican.

[YOY]

Two time Bush voter and swing voter. (Financial conservative...not social.) This is a man who was banking on Romney as an economically sound VP choice for McCain. Sarah Palin was the last straw. He is neither a fundie lover nor a war porn nut. Wharton educated and knows his numbers without being a blue blood insider. Much like myself, I consider him a "good MBA". Catholic too.

His kids have been working him over (all 4 of us) for the past 8 years and the economy is the final straw. He's finally listening to

-his older son's repetition of how the Republicans are NOT good for the economy and the need to invest in future industries and infrastructure and NOT THE MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX,

-his younger son's screaming of how they are trying to bring about a Christian fundamentalist state,

-his older daughters' pleas to keep abortion safe and legal,

-and his younger daughter's sad stories about the state of the medical system that she must work in every day.

We can turn the non-family values financial conservatives. They are the ones who will listen. They are the ones who are finally able to see the truth. They can be reasoned with. (For the record I am the older son.)

To seal the deal I'm going to tell him about the man I saw in the Metro today.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=7106889&mesg_id=7106889

on edit: Oh yeah...I gotta Mama for Obama as well!

[David Zephyr]

1. That's interesting because I spoke with a Republican in Palm Springs who had supported Romney

and he and his wife are voting for Obama BECAUSE they like Joe Biden.

So, there are some curious dynamics going on.

I think your dad's change of heart along with this couple I spoke to in Palm Springs last weekend reveal that there may be some opportunities with Romney supporters.

[Doityourself]

6. I agree. My boss and his wife both repubs are not voting McCain/Palin

Strange election.

[madmax]

2. I'm in love with Dad

I don't cry easily and I don't know why your post made me cry. I dunno, but thanks for posting.

[YOY]

4. Because we can do it. We can win the reasonable Republicans over.

My father is a good man. He just made some dumb choices in the past.

Reason enough to cry.

I'll cry when we win this.

[David Zephyr]

11. I like that about you.

:thumbsup:

[woolldog]

3. Send him this NY Times article also:

which shows that, historically, the economy fares better under Democratic administrations:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/31/business/31view.html?_r=1&em&oref=slogin

[Hamlette]

5. I've been screaming this for 4 years

there is no way we can get the religious nuts but there are lots of republicans who are just as freaked out about the GOP turning into a religious crusade as we are.

My dad was a republican until Reagan (he objected to his reckless war mongering talk...although Reagan didn't do anything about his threats, I think he set up the Cheney mentality that led us into Iraq).

That might be why I read so many "turncoat" blogs. Andrew Sullivan and John Cole who are both HUGE Obama supporters. Sullivan was sickened by torture and even though the any gay stuff bothered him, he says it was the torture. (I think it was the 2004 convention and the purple bandaids. Even though that was after the big torture stories, he still said nice things about some republicans UNTIL the convention. I think he saw the GOP as completely unserious after that.) Anyway, for Cole it was Terry Schiavo.

I think if we listen to ppl like Sullivan and Cole and your dad and mine, we can open our tent. For my dad it was all about fiscal conservativism (its hard to argue against government waste) and a strong military BUT only as a deterrent. For your dad it sounds like fisal irresponsibility and a lack of seriousness.

It seems to me, we should be using those things to get more to peel off. Our wedge issues should be issues that impact REAL people. War, money, health care. Not gays, guns or abortion.

Congrats to you and your dad. If he's like my dad, in 20 years he'll be more liberal than you are. For my dad I think it was he felt betrayed by the GOP and completely swung around because of it.

[progressivebydesign]

7. Yay Family!! Now, can they vote early? ;) n/t

[YOY]

8. Yeah...they inadvertently raised a bunch of liberals.

My siblings and I turned out pretty liberal for a bunch of Catholic midwesterners. Hell...the three that are married (one soon actually) are married to a Jew (1 BIL), a commie (me), and complete hippie (2 BIL.)

I think the icing on the cake would be if my brother came out of the closet and married a black dude. :evilgrin:

[gulfbreeze]

9. I had the same experience with 2 friends from Arkansas

last night. They are both Democrats but have been voting with the Republicans in the last 2 presidential elections. I was surprised that they even brought the subject up. They asked who we (my republican husband and I) were voting for. After discussing the current economic fiasco, they both said I had changed their minds. They are voting Obama Biden!!!

[Psst_Im_Not_Here]

10. Just like my parents!

Wow! My siblings and I worked them over good too! My brother spent an entire day working on my mom this past weekend. He has been mostly successful, she won't vote for McCain, but, not sure yet about Obama.

Dad doesn't like Obama Capitol Gains Tax increase, is not sure about the healthcare plan, and says that Obama will raise taxes for retired folks. I told him of Obama's plan for Seniors, if they make less than 50K, no taxes. But, I'm not sure about anything else regarding seniors and taxes. Anybody got any info on that handy-sourced of course?

[PlanetBev]

12. You just made my heart sing, YOY

Thanks to you and your brothers and sisters for never giving up on your dad.

[YOY]

14. We can't give up on him. I won't

His father was a sweet old man at the end of his years and a die hard self made millionaire Republican. I miss him despite all that. He had a "good heart"...but not a good heart.

His death turned into a debacle as a pack of vultures from his second wife's family scrambled over his corpse to get his money. Basically, as my family did not want to become as sick as they were and fight over the bones of the beloved old man, they got almost all the money...my father said with wet eyes to the (extremely nasty) niece's face that "all the money in the world could not clean her soul of it's blackness". The thought of my family turning into those kind of "people" kills me.

My father has always quoted that "we will inherit a large sum of money when he passes." I told my father that his investments mean nothing if it's going to end like that. I am my own man and can make my own money to take care of my family. I refuse to fight over his corpse with my siblings as it would drive us further apart. (We have similar political views but are 4 very different people who very little resemble each other save in the obvious manner.)

Once people get money in their sights they often develop tunnel vision. It's the next thing I have to work on with him.

[vinylsolution]

13. If Mama is for Obama.....

.... then Papa usually isn't far behind.

[Eurobabe]

15. Excellent news!! Good goin'

:thumbsup: :applause: