I wanted to write a personal story about some things I've seen in my life during this election cycle. I am dating someone that I plan to marry who is so apathetic about politics that any time I have had a news show on, when political or governmental matters come up, she has no idea who or what they're talking about. I have a brother 9 years younger than I who just turned 18 but was raised mired in the reactionary conservativism of our hometown (a town that was full of Katherine Harris supporters, if that tells you anything). Yet as this election draws nearer, I have seen some very encouraging things that make me firmly Obama will win. More below for those who might be interested in my personal story.
I have read Daily Kos on a daily basis for years now, but have never posted a diary or even a comment. As I've seen lately some things going on in my life, as well as hearing stories from the lives of others, I felt compelled to write this diary.
I was raised in a small town in the bottom part of the Bible Belt, and was raised by two Republican parents who come from conservative families. I have been a follower of politics since around the time I was able to register to vote. Instead of just registering as Republican since my parents are registered as such, I decided to do some research on the issues, and having come from a middle class family in rural America, I couldn't see why I would be a Republican. The 2000 election was the first one I voted in, and the result of that election - coupled with the fact that I am from Florida - was very disheartening. I have many friends who voted in that election and were then turned off because it made them feel their votes didn't count. I continued to care. I have always talked politics and have always been one to start debates and arguments and make sure I have my facts handy. But I don't push. I try to respect my loved one's positions and beliefs, and I try to simply give facts and policy positions and not make it too angry and whatnot (I'm more than happy to get in screaming matches with strangers or acquaintences). For the sake of family unity, I haven't pushed the issue with my folks. I only see them four or five times a year. And I've always felt that voting is a privilege, and a responsibilty, but a very personal thing, and haven't felt comfortable pressuring my girlfriend to vote. That all being said, I've noticed something interesting lately.
First, my girlfriend. She's thoughtful and intelligent, but might be one of the most apathetic people I've ever met in terms of politics. She comes from a very conservative family as well. She had no idea who any political figure is nor how any of the process works. She declared to me, when we first met, that, her knowing that I am very politically active, she would never vote nor be interested in politics. I love her, and this has been okay with me, though obviously I'd like her to vote and to care. We moved in together a month ago, and so of course she comes home and I'm watching political news and whatnot. She slowly started asking questions. I'd answer them and try to nudge it further. We'd watch political shows and she'd start to learn things. She'd be watching something and I'd fact-check it if it was incorrect. She started picking up on things and learning who was who and what was what. (And thank God for Keith Olbermann, who makes his show interesting enough that my girlfriend enjoyed it - it certainly made certain stories and happenings accessible to her.) I warned her before the Convention that I would be watching it those four days and I could watch in another room. To my surprise, she said she wanted to watch it with me. We watched all four days together. She got seemingly more interested with each night. She missed a couple of speeches, and the next day came home and was talking about a speech she missed. I knew she missed it and asked her how she had seen it, and she said she'd gone to YouTube to watch it. By the fourth night, she turned to me and with a look on her face that seemed to be saying to me that she was just as surprised as I was that she'd be saying this, and told me that she was very excited about the election. We then had a conversation about early voting and how to register to vote (she had never registered) and when the cutoff date was. And she came home the other day knowing all about the Palin pick and even some details she'd read that I hadn't yet! We've now incorporated KO and some other political shows into our nightly "cuddle time."
If Obama and the Democratic party can excite someone that apathetic and disinterested, I truly believe he is going to win.
As for the rest of my family, my baby brother, being a teenager, has always seemed to be easily swayed by the opinions and climate of those around him, from my parents to extended family members in the area to his girlfriend and his church. I always engage my brother in debate (I'm very hard on him as I want him to be more thoughtful and do "better" than I did at his age) and, though I respect his own right to believe whatever he wants, I try to get him to think. A year or so ago, he was deep into his relationship with a girl he dated for years, and was going to a very conservative, End Time-preaching church in the area. As he got closer to his 18th birthday, he would engage me more in political - and, incidentally, religious - conversations. He started paying attention to Obama's campaign. He started telling me how, after hearing and reading some stuff, he noticed that the GOP and conservatives seemed simply intolerant. In the past few weeks, he's been sending me text messages incessantly and long emails complete with political junkie statistics and data and is firmly in the Obama camp, and is completely psyched to vote for Obama in his first election.
Obama and the Democrats have reached a kid about to vote for the first time in the Bible Belt who grew up in a conservative family and area.
My parents are the types of conservatives who just hate the Clintons. I once saw Hillary speak on the way to visit my family and my Mom forbade me of speaking of it to my Dad for fear of starting a huge argument. My parents are smart, very caring and thoughtful middle class people who started out together very poor and have worked for 30 years to have what they do have. Yet they, like many others, vote against their own self interests. But this cycle was different. My Father, or course, was fearful of Hillary becoming the nominee so he wasn't too pleased with the Democratic party during the early stages of the primaries. But one day he told me he liked Edwards. I still don't push too hard, but from what I hear, he's liking Obama now and it seems he might vote Democrat for the first time probably since I've been alive. My brother, now armed with enthusiasm and facts, is working on my Mom and she's becoming more receptive the more she sees the idiocy and wrecklessness of McCain's campaign and sees the ispiration of the Obama campaign.
These stories are small, very personal ones in one little guy's life. But these are obviously not the only ones out there. I can only imagine how many more people are being swayed from voting GOP or being brought out of apathy by Obama's campaign (as well as McCain's pushing them away). If people from my little conservative hometown are switching sides, and if people who have never cared less about politics or even actively disliked it are getting interested, I think Obama is going to win this thing. I hope someone can gain some inspiration from this diary. The work the Democratic Party, the Obama campaign, and everyone on sites like Daily Kos are doing is working some magic. Just wanted to share that.