(Crossposted on MyDD)
A few days ago, things were looking pretty bleak (I know for many of you they still are). The Republicans had a solid convention. Palin seemed to be grabbing a lot of attention, and it seemed like perhaps this would be Bush again, none of the obvious lies, contradictions, and problems sticking. Polling was looking worrisome (still is); despite my own feelings about what was going to happen, I was nervous as heck about what the state polling may show.
We've all seen the new state polling, which to me at least says that we who weren't jumping off ledges were more right than the doom-and-gloom crowd about how this was going to play out. But this diary isn't about that, it's about much smaller things that paradoxically give me a lot more hope than do even positive changes in the top-line numbers, whether nationally or state-wide.
First: the very personal. Sunday was Grandparents' Day, and at dinnertime we called my parents so that the kids could talk to their grandparents for a while. They had a great time with it. After the kids were done talking, I got the phone back. The first thing my dad said was, "So, what do you think of the Sarah Palin pick?".
Now, you have to know who my parents are, to know how I felt about the question. My parents are 81 and 75 (Dad and Mom, respectively), dyed-in-the-wool Republicans. They were Republicans back in the 1960's when they moved to Texas and the state was a solid Democratic machine state. They were Republicans in the 70's. They were gleeful Reagan supporters in the 80's, Bush supporters, and they never had much use for Clinton. They were Bush supporters in 2000 and (somewhat grudging) Bush supporters in 2004. They weren't ever strong McCain supporters -- they liked Romney -- but last I'd talked to them they still liked McCain a lot more than Obama. They were hoping for a Romney pick for VP and expected (and would've been pleased with) Lieberman.
Socially, they're pretty conservative, though they've never believed that the churches should tell you how to vote. They're weakly pro-choice, on a limited-government basis, but anti-abortion. They're more in the fiscal-conservative side of the party than the social side, but they love reformers and mavericks and outsiders.
And they know nothing of the internet beyond that it's out there. They have no computer, they've never been online, they wouldn't know anything about blogging, and if they've heard of the blogs at all it's the "Daily Kooks" sort of comment. They're fairly well read, follow newspapers and news magazines, listen to TV and radio, but it's all MSM.
So, I approached the question with trepidation... "Well, as an Obama supporter, I like the choice, because I really don't think she strengthens the McCain ticket", figuring if they like her I can talk about how it dilutes the experience message (that was their big thing, last time we'd discussed the election in general).
Then, totally unexpectedly, out of my parents' mouths, came everything I'd say myself about Palin if I were making the arguments; if anything, things I wouldn't have gone to myself. She has poor judgment. She lied about that bridge. She's too rigid. Her social positions are too far right (including on abortion). She's vindictive in how she manages people. She wanted to ban books. How could McCain possibly pick her? How poor is his judgment? How could he expect anyone to vote for him now?
After I picked my jaw up off the floor, I of course agreed, and we discussed the various issues a bit. My dad did mention that he wasn't sure he was seeing things right, because "all his conservative friends" think she's terrific. But he did think a lot of them were saying it with a bit of an obligatory tone.
There are two points here. First, she's turning off people that should be solid Republican votes. My parents were going to vote Republican. That was a given. Now they're (at best, for McCain) not going to vote at all, and there's a reasonable chance they'll vote Obama. I didn't even have to work on them to get this to happen. Sure, it's two Republicans in Houston in a pretty red state; what's McCain care? But how many other people who've been Republicans for years are feeling the exact same way? How many moderate, business/economy/good government Republicans are privately distressed by the way things have gone and are just waiting for a nudge?
Second: they got all of this from the MSM. The things we want out there are out there, outside the echo chamber. The word's gotten out. That's amazing, frankly, and extremely encouraging.
So, that brings me to the second smaller thing that's got me feeling a lot better about things. I live in the suburbs of Austin, which is a pretty blue city in a red state. I'm in a red county; we're working to turn it blue, but it's a long struggle. I've seen a lot more (LOT more) Obama signs and bumper stickers and the like than McCain, but I'm not letting that get me too optimistic on its own -- McCain's essentially the default in my neighborhood, after all.
But: on the local mainstream newstalk station, they've got a morning show. There's a nominal liberal (who's at best a Blue Dog most days), an "independent" (who's probably between center right and just plain right) and a pretty solid right-winger. They talk about the news, occasionally debate things a bit, that sort of thing. They're relatively grounded in reality -- two of the three thought Wright was overblown, for instance -- but at the same time, collectively it's a pretty solid right lean that reminds me of the Fox News sort of "balance".
For the past week or so it's been non-stop (even from the nominal liberal) what a great choice Palin is, how bad this is for the Democrats, how those Hillary voters will be swayed, how McCain's going to clean up, etc.
So this morning, you can imagine my surprise when they played first the latest McCain ad (the one about how they're both mavericks and fighting for change), poked holes in it, then played the Obama "No Maverick" ad and pretty much agreed with it. Then they launched into a discussion of Palin's lies about the Bridge To Nowhere (even saying "and she kept the money!"), and from there right into the latest mini-scandal about per-diems.
This is as mainstream-media as it gets, folks. And these guys are NEVER going to be mistaken for "the liberal media unfairly attacking Republicans". This is mid-sized city local talk radio; they've leaned a bit right for years (after all, the liberals are all listening to NPR anyway, right?). They often rant between themselves about the biased liberal media.
And they're criticizing Palin. On the issues. For the right reasons. These are people who were talking a week ago about how unfair the media was being to her. They're criticizing McCain's ad and giving Obama's ad a boost. Things are unraveling fast if it's gotten to this point under a week after her big speech.
Like I said in the title: Hope comes in little things. Little cracks in the facade. A couple voters who've made a completely unexpected change in direction. A few morning hosts who just can't ignore the constant drip-drip-drip any more.
Of such little things is one very big thing comprised. This isn't a call to get complacent, to believe it'll all work out. This is a call to get active, to add your own cracks to the facade, to get the word out there, to swing some voters just like my parents who've had enough and just can't take this anymore, to swing some voters who've suddenly heard their trusted voices in the media expressing doubt in the McCain message.
A few little bits of hope can turn into a lot, and a lot can turn into a flood.