Last night, I went over to my Grandparents' house for a visit, but I really didn't expect what would end up turning up as what dominated the conversation. My Grandmother, a fifty-nine year old who's voted Democratic in every year but 2004 (in which she voted for Bush for a ban on Gay Marriage), was fired up about the financial crisis.
Apparently, my Grandmother had been talking with my virulently Republican great grandmother about the thing, who kept blaming it all on the Democrats for whatever reason and she got mad enough about it to leave and come home. I was really amazed, and she went on, telling me all about the conversation they had, and then started talking with me about the bailout, etc.
When it was all said and done, she looked at me and smiled. "You know, I think I've changed my mind. I will vote this year."
My Grandmother is a Conservative Democrat. She's pro-life and anti-gay marriage, but she's a fierce populist on economic issues and says she's ashamed for voting for Bush in 2004, not to mention the fact that earlier, she said she wouldn't vote for Obama (because he was a scary muslim, of course. Thank goodness I was able to convince her otherwise) or McCain (which I pretty much convinced her was a third term for Bush yesterday). This all really, really brightened up my day, especially coming from a woman who cast her first vote for George Wallace in 1968.
My Grandfather is in the same boat. Union pipe fitter (Never ever voted Republican, only voted non-Democratic in 1968, for Wallace), doesn't really care about social issues, extremely anti-DLC and economically populist to the core. He entered the discussion coming home from work, and when he enters a political discussion, it usually ends pretty quickly with his hard-hitting or witty remarks about the GOP and reminding anyone who supports them of the crap the GOP put them all through years and years ago.
My grandfather, who said that he would "Never vote for a Goddamned N*gger or a Woman" is now in the Obama camp, thanks to my efforts of getting through to him. It does help a lot that he already likes Joe Biden, but all her really needed was a final push on the economic issues to get him to get out and vote come November.
Next up is getting my evangelical father and stepmother for Obama. I think I'm making ground there too, and I'll give you all an update as the situation progresses!