One of the difficult things about the Democratic party is that we are such a big tent and such a diverse group of people. That is why I enjoy reading about other parts of the country and other groups of people to learn more.
Well, today I received a lot of encouragement. To take a step back, it has been a shitty week for me. I've had pink eye (hopefully I didn't get too many infected before I realized this), and done my part time work/part time school in my last semester as a chemistry and economics double major. I received a call from my father after his truck had problems with his headlight switch. I came down, we bought a new part, installed it, and then he showed his thanks by taking me to the local VFW. While my parents have always been Kennedy Democrats, that certainly isn't true in the county I grew up in as a child in MN. I was rather cautious the last two cycles (sadly, the first two I was old enough to vote in) because the attidude was more of the same. People in 2002 and 2004 were tired of the Republicans, but they weren't ready to vote them out, at least here.
Fast forward to tonight. I met a couple of my dad's friends. Dressed up in full cowboy and cowgirl gear, and owning the typical Republican persona, they weren't the type of voter you planned to win. Add to the fact that they were rather wealthy and had a son in the military stationed out of Colorado Springs, forget about it. Well, I learned something tonight. These voters are tired of Republican policies, although it's no mistake that Bush took 68-70% in this county. But, they know Iraq is killing the future. They know China is finacing our economy- that particular fact is one that few people I have met seem to realize! They realize thatt the Democrats have better ideas on healthcare.
Obviously you can see from above these particlular voters have their doubts about the Democratic party, but this is the first time I have seen in a blood red county the change in voting.