I see sunshine, lollipops and rainbows.
My brother in law is a rabid Republican. In his house it is Fox News 24/7 unless there is football on the TV. He's that kind of Republican. Over the past 4 years there have been some "unpleasant" discussions, which I normally end by saying it's time for me to go home.
Don't misunderstand. He is a great guy in many other ways. He is always willing to help, generous with his time and physical labor. He is a retired cop from Miami. He is fairly racist, although he wouldn't think so. But all around he is a very nice guy.
My partner and I were invited to dinner across the road at their house last night. It was a wonderful dinner, as always. We had very pleasant dinner talk and enjoyed it very much. After dinner the smokers (I know. . .don't get into it) went out on the back deck to have a smoke. Eventually brother in law got around to something political and I just couldn't keep my liberal mouth shut. The thing is, he and I have several areas that we can mostly agree on, but when it comes to the Faux News lies and talking points I get pretty gritty and down right stubborn about facts and truth telling.
We live 80 miles East of Yellowstone Park and it is one of the most fabulous places on earth. Everyone here loves it. So when he started in on we have to let the Oil Companies have their way with the National Parks and drill, drill, drill, frack, frack, frack, I got very sarcastic and said I couldn't wait to drive through the park and see it spotted with oil wells and mining equipment. It would add so much to that pristine beauty. He asked if I really thought they would go into Yellowstone. I guess he was thinking it is all right if they go into some other National Park as long as we still have our Yellowstone.
Hell yes they want to go into Yellowstone. They have been pushing that for more than 30 years! Look it up, research it. . .that's what I told him. So then he moved on to the damn tree huggers and their alternate energy crap and environmental craziness, and how Obama's plan hasn't worked and won't work. I agreed it won't work unless we give those in alternative energy research and development the same BILLIONS of $ in assistance that we have given and still give the oil companies.
Then he jumped to Obamacare. I knew I had him then. I expalined how the Republican congress said NO to everything Obama's administration offered, so with absolutely no cooperation the Dem's offered the Affordable Care Act based almost entirely on the same health care act that Romney passed when he was governor. I explalined it was almost totally written by Republican Think Tank. . .was it the Heritage Foundation? Told him to look that up and do some research as well. He knew about Romney care but he had no idea about the think tank.
After that, he thought for a few moments and then said, "Here's what I'm going to do. I am going to vote for every person that is a challenger for office, not the current office holder regardless of who it is." This is a guy who always votes straight Republican.
Pretty stunning from my view point. Of course he will not vote for Obama, he is after all the wrong color. But even the thought that he will not vote for incumbent Republican's is a huge shift in his thinking.
Of course, who knows who he will actually vote for when he gets in that voting booth but surrounded as I am here in the Middle of Nowhere Wyoming by radical, totally misinformed Right Wingers, this is huge movement.
To say it gives me some hope that people in general are just really unhappy with our elected officials and the state of our politics is putting it mildly.
It may not seem like much of a victory to you, but it is huge movement from my perspective. And I've got 2 more months to keep bringing up the facts to him.
As an aside, my partner and her sister scurried off the deck when the politics started. They huddled in the kitchen waiting for the fireworks they didn't want to be a part of. No fireworks. No raised voices. No disrespect was experienced. We actually had a discussion.
My partner is as strong a liberal as I am, though she hates getting involved in political discussions with the wingers. Her sister is Republican and generally goes along with her husband, but when I have sent her fact based information and links to things she can verify for herself she has agreed that she was misinformed about the topic.
One person at a time, face to face. That's how we influence this election.
Thanks for all the wonderful researchers and fact finders here at DKOS that keep me so fully informed and able to have these discussions with those who don't really know what they are talking about. You all Rock!!!
9:44 AM PT: Really? The rec list? Thanks everyone.