Not a one is a member of the Republican Party

[rpannier]

I was talking to one of my relatives in Pennsylvania and he told me that his mother (my father's cousin) was no longer a registered Republican. That, "She was the last of one of the older generations to cease being Republicans. Now, not a one is a member of the Republican Party."

Her rationale? "I didn't vote for that son-of-a-bitch George Wallace and his ilk in 1968 and I sure as all hell am not voting for his second coming today!"

That makes my father, his sister, their three cousins, all my father's uncles and aunts that have dropped their membership in the Republican Party.

To put this in perspective. My father's family have been Republicans since the early 1900's. One of my Uncles and his wife (in their 90's) started voting in 1936 and have voted for two Democrats for anything at the national level (President, Senate or House) and both of those votes were in 2010. (73 years and no Democrats)

Their politics have never changed. They believe in 90% of what they believed in when they first started voting. They're Old Guard Republicans.

It says a lot about how far the country has shifted when my aunt says, "Thirty years ago the things I believed in were considered conservative. Today, they're considered crazy, liberal ideas."

Will the Republican Party care? No. Most of these people will all be dead in a few short years. Although when they go fundrasing and find that the family company's coffers are closed to them they'll be a little peeved. But they'll make it from other businesses.

But, for me (the only lifetime voting Dem on that side of the family) I think it's interesting.

[Rhiannon12866]

1. My grandmother voted Republican all her life

(Including against FDR :(), but finally saw the light in '92 when she voted for Bill Clinton (and again in '96). People can change, but the times are changing faster. Kudos to your family... :)

[rpannier]

2. Politically my Grandfather was the most interesting of the group

He was the "bell weather" of the family. People in the family used to say, "Wanna know who's going to be the next President (Senator/Rep)? Ask George."

My Grandfather voted for the winner in every Presidential Campaign except one, he voted for Dewey in 48. And he voted for every winner for House and Senate except on three occassions. Hell of a track record -- he died in '67.

[Rhiannon12866]

3. Impressive record!

My grandfather was a Democrat, so my grandmother used to say that their votes cancelled each other out. However, he died quite young. :(

Your grandfather's record sounds just the opposite of mine. I never voted for the winner in a presidential election (starting with Jimmy Carter *sigh*) until Bill Clinton. I actually hesitated, was afraid I would jinx him... ;)

Most of my family are Republicans, followed the lead of my grandmother. When she called me to tell me that she voted for Clinton, I told her that I did, too, but there was no need to tell the others... :D

So sorry to hear about your grandfather, but at least he didn't have to witness eight years of Bush*. I often think of the man who was pretty much my step-grandfather, an old-time liberal who was a world citizen and worked for world peace and integration in the South in the '60s. He passed away in 1998 at the age of 101. I miss his advice on voting and politics and often wonder what he'd think of recent events in this country. But I'm afraid that 9/11 and the reign of George Bush* would have broken his heart. ;(