I live in the RED, RED, RED state of Alabama. Before considering the possibility of betting on the electoral colleges here going to Obama, bet on something more reliable and winnable, perhaps on one of the education lotteries of any of the states adjoining us, or even in the casinos of our neighbor. Don't send any paid campaigners here, it will be for naught. For all of the Democratic candidates and hopefuls, take heed to the sign as you enter my state: "Abandon hope all ye liberals who enter here"
Just a back story, not a bio: At one, my father left my brother, my sister and I in the care of my mother. But I don't support Obama for this reason. I was a latch key kid, as we were called here and elsewhere in the country. My mother supported us three kids. We were very poor and very religious. We lived just minutes from the Florida, Alabama border, to give you a reference of how "Deep" south we originated. Throughout our lives she voted a straight Republican ticket, because that is what we were impressed upon by our church leaders, as to being the right choice. To this day, at 63, she works, without hope of retiring anytime soon. She is a proud and strong woman who refuses to be the ward of anyone, even family when she is old enough to draw social security. When asked why she works so hard, averaging 50 hours a week, her answer is rather simple: health insurance.
A few weeks ago during one of our phone conversations, I casually asked her for whom she was going to vote. She said she definitely was not going to vote for Al Gore because he "creeped her out", and that she would vote for whoever the Republican guy is this year. I spent the next few minutes updating her on the past 8 years of politics, specifically on how Al Gore was not a presidential contender.
After a few more minutes of talking about her about this year's election, her memory now jogged, she remembered a very brief clip about Obama. She said she wouldn't vote for him either because he was a "yellow dog Democrat". This term I have heard in conjunction with "bleeding heart liberal" most of my life, as I am sure she has. So rather than take a combatant stance I simply held a cordial conversation as to the platform he was running on and how he was trying to keep the focus on what mattered rather than dirty politics. She kind of listened and kind of spaced. With so many other concerns, it is hard for her to focus on national politics.
A few days ago, she called me somewhat excited and let me know that she had heard snippets of Obama's speech. She also heard snippets of McCain's and Palin's. She was excited about a female VP, but mostly interested in the Obama speech. I was really caught off guard, being prepared to hear about Palin for the next hour or so. She was really touched by just the few sound bites she heard and the hope for the future it inspired. She said that she remembered our talk from earlier and decided just to listen to him. She said, not to tell my older sister, but that she was going to vote for Obama. I was floored. Here was the "Wal-Mart mom/grand mom" solid conservative, going against the campaign of which she was the target demographic.
We continued to talk and I mentioned to her that there was going to be a Democratic campaign headquarters opening this weekend and I would come get her and drive her back if she would like to come and could get off of work (she works Monday through Saturday, 6 days a week). She said that she would take the day off, yet another shock for me, and drive up (it is a 4.5 hour trip from where she lives to where I moved after college). She was giddy in a way that, as a son, was somewhat uncomfortable for me because I have never seen her so excited. She said she had never been to anything like this before and wanted to know if she needed to bring her church clothes. I said if she wanted to it would be fine. Her reaction to being able to go to an actual event with more people who knew more about Obama, and could tell her more, was what I would have expected of her if I told her we were going to the White House to meet the President. She is coming up tomorrow to go with me on Saturday to the DNC's opening of a local, volunteer supported, office.
I asked her, "What did she hear in Obama's speech that could turn her from a lifetime conservative to, for the first time ever, vote for Obama?" She eloquently and simply replied, "Hope."