the mom and dad take

[pop goes the weasel]

I just had a nice visit with my low-income white Texan working-past-retirement-age parents, who have well-off staunchly Republican friends. They say several of their friends have announced that they are fed up with Bush and want to see someone else elected.

My parents, who are liberal only in comparison to their friends, seem to think that Edwards or Clark would stand a good chance in gaining these disaffected Republicans' votes. My folks have also completely bought into the media take on Dean, don't think Gephardt can win in a right-to-work state and, while willing to listen to me say flattering things about Kerry (I'm a DK supporter, however) find him so unpleasant that they won't listen to Kerry himself. As for Kucinich, sadly, they seem to be waiting for him to have a radio show. They will listen to him, agree with him even, but are not considering voting for him.

My folks and their friends are the sort of voters that the Democratic Party is trying to get back. Back to the party, in the case of the friends, and back to the polls, in the case of my parents. Right now, if what's going on with them is at all an indicator, I think things are going to go well for the Democrats. So, how is it with your parents?

[wuushew]

1. I just don't believe 2004 is the year of the swing voter

Victory will come from mobilizing the angry base of the Democratic party combined with stay at home conservatives angered over immigration and fiscal matters.

[pop goes the weasel]

4. why?

Are you seeing no evidence of party-switching in your neck of the woods?

[wuushew]

7. My neck of the woods is an apathetic college environment

Not very representative, however I am hearing a lot of I will not vote for Bush this time rhetoric.

[pop goes the weasel]

8. I'm thinking some

of the conservatives who are vowing not to vote for Bush this time around, might vote for a few other Democrats. Who knows--they might even come around and be Democrats now that they have seen what the Republican party has turned into. After all, it's the Democrats talking fiscal responsibility, from DK on the left to JL on the right. That has got to be drawing some attention from traditional Republicans.

[Nay]

2. Well, my parents are both dead, but

of natural causes. They would have killed themselves before voting for a Republican. They were the original lower-working-class dems, and they would happily have voted for just about any of the dems except Lieberman, who would have been too Republican for them.

[DU9598]

3. Aunt and Uncle

My parents have always been party line voters for the Dems, but my uncle who worked for Chevron has always voted repub, as has his wife. Surprisingly they called today and asked if we are supporting Edwards for President and asked us to caucus for him tomorrow. I was blown away - especially since I was already on board with Edwards for tomorrow. But, they are from California and are really upset with the economy out there and embarassed by their new Guv.

[pop goes the weasel]

5. that's great news/nt

[lovedems]

6. My parents are divorced and my mom and step dad are hard

core democrats. My step dad is a union worker and my mom is the local precicnt committee woman for the democratic party.

My dad, that is another story. He is a republican trial lawyer. Try to make sense out of that one! However, he is not a pigboy republican. He is the old time fiscally conservative, not particularly religious type of republican. He lives in CA. and was for the recall but anti Arnie. I haven't talked bu$h with him yet, but knowing my dad, I don't think he would like the direction the party is heading. When I talk to him this week I am going to ask him because I am dying to know.

(However, he wanted to be an astronaut and was heading in that direction but he was told he was to tall (6'4 1/2") so he might be all for * and his space plans.)

[DoctorMyEyes]

9. You should buy your dad

a copy of the Suskind (O'Neill) book "The Price of Loyalty" - he sounds like just the type of guy who would really appreciate it - and be affected by it.

[lovedems]

13. Yes, he would understand the economics side of it too. He was

a finance major in college. His birthday is next week and I bought the book for myself last week and finished it. I have been considering being a "re-gifter".

[Devlzown]

10. My parents are swing voters.

They voted for Nixon, Ford, Reagan(twice),Bush, Clinton(twice), and Gore. The main reason they voted for Clinton the first time is because they were against the Gulf War, and they'll most likely vote against Dubya because of the current Iraq war. However, we all live in Mississippi, which voted about 60% for this Bush, so the whole family could vote for the Communist Party and it wouldn't make a dime's worth of difference.

[DrBB]

11. My conservative parents dislike Bush, but...

...they could not vote for most of the Dems. Except Clark. Had a big talk with them at Thanksgiving about it. I usually avoid the subject of politics with them, but found myself helplessly going off on the Chimp. To my surprise, they mostly nodded and agreed. All the reasons I despise him--not "hate," but despise; there's a difference.

Anyway, they were talking about Dean, the only one making enough of a media dent at that point for them to be really aware of him. Saying "But we couldn't vote for Dean." Why? Because he is very much defined as the "counter-culture" candidate for them. a "protest" candidate. The "anger" thing is just another word for it, I guess. I defended Dean, said there are any number of things to BE angry about, and anyway he's a centrist, policy-wise. But it didn't make a dent.

Talking about Clark, on the other hand....

It was a MUCH easier sell.

[Ilsa]

12. I'm in Texas, and Clark is definitely the man for Texans...

A few musings... unscientific, but to be considered...

Our newspaper ran an internet poll. Yes, it is notoriously undependable, but Clark cleaned up at about 35% to Dean's 22%. Sharpton got 13%, but I think the poll was locally freeped for Sharpton per Tucker Carlson.

Also, Texas has a very large Hispanic population. (Maybe this deserves its own thread.) IIRC, Hispanics have a higher percentage of military service compared to other ethnic groups. I believe many will be more than happy to vote for an honest and good former general, especially one that speaks spanish. Clark's spanish is not as fluid as Bush's, but I've been told that Bush's spanish is trashy sounding (figures).

Texas Democrats are not all extremely liberal people. Many are very moderate in their views: e.g., they don't like abortion, but they hate the govt telling a woman what to do about it even more. Texans appreciate libertarian philosophy. My Congressman, Ron Paul is R, but was a Libertarian first for many years. He just couldn't get elected as one so he switched parties.

Clark has the appearance of being a rational person because he has some experience with corporate America but hasn't been bought out by it. His military experience is a plus with all the military bases we have here also.

I think Clark is a Democratic candidate who might actually be able to beat Bush in Texas. Edwards would have a tougher time. Texans just put the screws to trial lawyers and their evil excessive judgements for medical malpractice (don't get me started).