Oh.my.god. My dad is voting for a Democrat for President for the first time in my lifetime!

[wicket]

He said he's had his doubts about McCain for months, but the Palin pick pushed him over the edge. Said McCain has "lost it" and he has no idea who this guy is any more. He is usually a one issue voter - GUNS. He is a contractor and is telling everyone he knows that McCain is unfit to be President and to vote for Obama!

I'm so proud of my dad!!!

[Demi_Babe]

1. woohoo...he'll feel great after doing so tell him ;-)

[occe]

21. So cool

Wow very good :) Thanks for sharing.

[wicket]

35. He even called McCain John McSame

HAHAHAHA! :rofl:

[babylonsister]

2. Yea, wicket's dad! The thinking Americans are ... thinking! I love it! nt

[OneGrassRoot]

7. And I'm so sad that no one in my family thinks. :( BUT....

my lifetime rethug voter boyfriend IS thinking, and over the weekend admitted he's voting Obama (and is pissed at the McPalins stealing all my signs...lol).

PLUS, his son -- 22-year-old Republican, following in family footsteps -- called over the weekend and they talked politics. Lo and behold, the son sees Obama has the intelligence to deal with the mess Bushco has created, not McCain and CERTAINLY not Palin (though he thinks she's "hot"...ugh).

The youth, perhaps more than ever, can save this country by rejecting politics of the past and voting in their best interest, which is the best interest of this country.

[babylonsister]

10. You're not alone.

I have two brothers, a stepson and his wife, and some friends who will be voting (R).
The stepson is a born-again and he is a one issue voter, i.e., pro-life. There's no swaying him.
The rest are rethugs through and through, and I don't quite know how that happened with my brothers; maybe living in the south too long? :shrug: Actually, that's a lame excuse. I just don't know.

[OneGrassRoot]

12. The pro-life thing....

Perhaps your stepson is genuine, and is truly pro-life, but I find myself confronting every fundie who is in my face (I'm in the south and there are a LOT of them all around me, telling me I'm going to hell...lol), asking if they support this war (they do) and if they are for the death penalty (they are).

Then I say, "Well, you aren't pro-life, you're pro-birth."

I learned that from another DUer and it's one of the most brilliant things I've learned here.

Shuts them up every time, and I believe truly makes them think about that issue.

[babylonsister]

18. I've pointed that out to his wife; her response

was that she believes life begins at conception, and started telling me how and why via a doctor who gave her steps on what happens from the first day of pregnancy. She never did address the killing of grown-ups though. Very odd, too, because her brother is in the Navy. Her husband has a debilitating disease that could benefit from stem cell research, but his current line is God has blessed him with this disease.
I just don't get it, but have stopped trying to.

[wicket]

37. Thanks so much!

I'm shocked and psyched beyond belief! :woohoo:

[voteearlyvoteoften]

3. Here's a shout out to your Dad

Whooo Hoooo

[wicket]

25. Thank-you!!!!

:D

[Avalux]

4. Feels good doesn't it? Both of my parents are too.

First time for them; they are in rural PA and have always voted Repuke (gun issue a biggie). Not this year!! :bounce:

[wicket]

30. These are exciting times we live in

Never thought I'd see the day....but enough is enough! :woohoo:

[elocs]

5. There is no reason to believe that this is not happening all over the country.

That there will be voter who for the first time will vote for a Democrat for president, or that there will be Republicans who simply refuse to vote for McCain.

[wicket]

32. I've always said the moment the GOP loses my dad, they are done

And it's definitely happening all over the country! :woohoo:

[Tommy_Carcetti]

6. My parents voted for Kerry in 2004 and will be voting Obama in 2008 after a long recess for Dems

Being strong Catholics, they were less than thrilled with social issues and hadn't voted for a major party since Dukakis in 1988, but the Bush regime has been so bad that there is no question about who they want to see eleected.

[1776Forever]

8. On The Issues Quotes from Obama on Guns - I support all his proposals - Hunters should too!

http://www.ontheissues.org/domestic/Barack_Obama_Gun_Control.htm

Q: You said recently, "I have no intention of taking away folks' guns." But you support the D.C. handgun ban, and you've said that it's constitutional. How do you reconcile those two positions?

A: Because I think we have two conflicting traditions in this country. I think it's important for us to recognize that we've got a tradition of handgun ownership and gun ownership generally. And a lot of law-abiding citizens use it for hunting, for sportsmanship, and for protecting their families. We also have a violence on the streets that is the result of illegal handgun usage. And so I think there is nothing wrong with a community saying we are going to take those illegal handguns off the streets. And cracking down on the various loopholes that exist in terms of background checks for children, the mentally ill. We can have reasonable, thoughtful gun control measure that I think respect the Second Amendment and people's traditions.

[benEzra]

19. As long as they do not try to ban nonhunting guns...

since 4 out of 5 gun owners are nonhunters. The "assault weapon" bait-and-switch needs to die, and stay dead.


----------------------
Dems and the Gun Issue - Now What? (written in '04, largely vindicated in '06, IMO)

[1776Forever]

23. Quote from Obama - "I think there is an individual right to bear arms -subject to - regulation Link

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8UQTAS80&show_article=1

"I think there is an individual right to bear arms, but it's subject to commonsense regulation" like background checks, he said during a news conference.

[benEzra]

31. I don't think anyone would disagree with that. It's the "assault weapon" thing

that created the "Dems'll-take-yer-guns" meme in the late '80s/early '90s, not background checks and whatnot, not background checks.

What I hope to avoid is a repeat of September 1994, when the White House, House of Representatives, and Senate were ALL blue, and then the DLC threw Congress away over silly bans on popular and rarely-misused rifles.

More Americans lawfully own "assault weapons" than hunt, and two or three times as many own handguns as hunt, but many party strategists seem to believe the issue is somehow about hunting or hunting guns, and that is a problem.

[1776Forever]

47. I know what you are talking about - I worked with two guys in FL that had huge gun collections

I think one of them even had a bazooka type weapon that didn't really work but he kept anyway. If they don't "use" them and just keep them I don't think anyone would think the government would come into their homes and find out what they do have. I think most people that do have these keep a pretty low profile and should not have an issue with it.

[benEzra]

49. By "these," what are you referring to?

I think most people that do have these keep a pretty low profile and should not have an issue with it.

By "these," what are you referring to? Restricted NFA Title 2/Class III weapons (bazookas, howitzers, machineguns), or civilian NFA Title 1 "assault weapons" like mini-14's and AR-15's?

"Assault weapon" owners aren't hiding in their closets; on any given day at my local shooting range, more than half of the rifles on the line are the "black rifles" that the repubs at the Brady Campaign wish to outlaw. My wife and I are also "assault weapon" owners, as are most of the gun owners I know. They DOMINATE centerfire target shooting in the United States.



FWIW, this is an "assault weapon":

[1776Forever]

50. I have no idea what they were - I am not an expert - you seem to be - fine with me

I am all for the 2nd amendment.

[wicket]

26. Oh absolutely!

For too long, my dad bought the line "Oh my god, the Democrats are going to take your guns away!", especially after AWB, but he has admitted he is wrong.

[Pirate Smile]

9. My Dad is voting for Obama. He is a Republican leaning Independent.

The last Democrat for Prez he voted for was LBJ.

[wicket]

27. The change is coming....can you feel it???

:D

[Scurrilous]

11. I just got an email from my Cuban-American BIL...

..big Reagan fan, voted GOP for years.

Now he's voting for Obama and encouraging everyone on his email list to do the same. :thumbsup:

[wicket]

28. WOO HOO!!!

Things like this warm my heart :)

[progressoid]

13. Cool! I have an aunt that is doing the same!

It's a great feeling.

[wicket]

34. It really is!

I'm so excited! :woohoo:

[Courtesy Flush]

14. Congrats. I'm still working on my wife's vote. n/t

[wicket]

44. Good luck - hope she comes around!

:D

[Abacus]

15. I'm envious

[QueenOfCalifornia]

16. Buy the guy a gun

and tell him thanks.:D

[wicket]

33. Hehehehe :)

He's got plenty, but I will definitely go shooting with him to thank him :D

[flpoljunkie]

17. Good on your dad!

[wicket]

43. Thank-you!

:hug:

[mtnsnake]

20. I love how Obama told everyone that he is not going to take guns away from any responsible gun owner

I don't like guns, but Obama framed it perfectly and clearly.

[wicket]

38. I think that aided in bringing my dad over to his side

That and McCain is acting batshit insane! :crazy:

[codjh9]

22. It's heartening - we're sure hearing a lot of these stories! n/t

[wicket]

39. It's great!!!

So proud of my dad and my country!

[Imagevision]

24. Ask your Dad, you may learn something?

[wicket]

40. Ask him what?

Sorry if I'm being daft here :/

[mscuedawg]

29. Send me some of your "dad voting democratic vibes"...

I'm working on my diehard Repub dad!!!! He has no internet...so I just printed off 80 pages of Obama/Biden's website with his policies...per dad's request!!!

:hi:

[wicket]

41. On the way now!

:hi: :D

[mscuedawg]

48. Thanks bunches!!!

:hi:

[wicket]

52. You betcha!

(with no apologies to Sarah Palin ;) )

[Spritz57]

36. Congratulations to you both!

BTW is he adopting?;-)

[wicket]

42. HAHAHAHAHA!!!

I understand the feeling :P He's a self described "hillbilly", and the GOP is looking more and more like toast!

[Eurobabe]

45. Awesome!!

My husband's Repuby acquaintance told him he is voting Obama too, and this guy is a bit of a racist (long story, I almost threw him out of our house last year when he visited, because he was spewing the usual RW talking points about who is usually on "welfare")

I feel there is hope. Palin has pushed many a person over the cliff.

[wicket]

54. There definitely is hope

The Palin picked really opened peoples eyes. With McCains faili g health... she cannot be allowed to become President.

[stillcool]

46. Congrats to both of you!

[wicket]

55. Thanks so much!

:loveya:

[Blue_In_AK]

51. Great news == he's not alone.

[wicket]

57. Great pic! I love it.

Thanks for sharing! :hi:

[TooRaLoo]

53. Awesome!!! My mom, too!

You coulda' bowled me over with a feather. She's coming over for the debate tonight.

[wicket]

60. Great news!!!!

Such a wonderful thing. Hope she enjoys watching Obama taking McVain down a few pegs :evilgrin:

[No Elephants]

56. I was born to a Dem Dad and had Dem aunts and uncles. Good for you for seeing the light on your own

[wicket]

61. Thanks so much!

My mom is also very glad he's seen the light :D

[beac]

58. We have A LOT to thank Governanchor Palin for!

I'm hearing more and more of these stories that SHE'S become the 'one issue' people are voting FOR Obama on!

:bounce:

[wicket]

62. She's the gift that keeps on giving!

;)

[crazy_vanilla]

59. wooo hoooo

:applause:

[wicket]

63. Thanks!

:thumbsup:

[dana_b]

64. good for him!!

your dad sounds like a reasonable guy.