I spent the day with my 82 year old father yesterday, my twice-Bush-voting Old South WWII-vet registered Democrat father. He hasn't voted for a Democrat since Roosevelt, so we've argued about politics, sometimes viciously, for 35 years. In 2004 he got onboard with the Swift Boaters and wouldn't listen to any argument whatsoever, just kept saying that we needed to support our commander-in-chief in times of war.
I need to mention that his sources of information are limited to the stinkin' Richmond Times-Dispatch, occasionally Rush and network news, plus the gang of ultra-reactionary fellow geezers he hangs out with. Also at his age he's more interested in going to dinner parties than reading a lot of bad news, so he's skimming at best anyway.
On the flip, I'll give you his take:
Cheney? Hates him. Says he's brought shame to our country. Libby? Obviously covering for Cheney. "The government is rotten from the top," he said (I nearly pitched out of my chair). Having just read Jane Mayer's excellent
New Yorker article on the torture memos, I gave him a summary -- he was so appalled and upset we had to stop talking about it.
I'm writing the diary to say this: if my father isn't buying the spin, GOOSE COOKED.
Anybody having similar conversations?