Who knew it could be that simple? Well, okay. So it took a few more sentences than that. Along the lines of "These Republicans aren't made of the same cloth of the Republicans you remember," and "those Abu Ghraib pictures you hate so much - Republicans were responsible for that."
Mom equates the decay of the Republican Party with the deaths of John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy. That's when it started, she thinks. Is it true? I don't know. I'm sure someone with a bit more knowledge about political history could pinpoint the start of it. Maybe someone can jot me a note in the comment section so I can pass it on to her. It's enough right now that she knows the Republican Party doesn't suit her anymore.
Let's mosey a bit south here for more ramblings....
Mom's one of those people who have a party affiliation mainly for the primaries. Once she gets to the general election, she votes for who she thinks would be best regardless of party. Not to worry, I was quick to tell her that those would be Democrats from now on. ;) Or at least until the real Republicans wrest their party from the neocons and the Religious Right.
She gets most of her news from TV and what she reads when she remembers to buy the paper. Of course, now that she's home from visiting up north, she also has a certain someone issuing corrections when she brings up news' topics. Gosh, I wonder who that could be? <innocent look>
The way I see it, there are a lot of Republicans out there like my mom. Ones who were around when their leaders were sane and believed in the Rule of Law and the Constitution. But, as I told her, until the time comes when the Republican Party digs itself out of the morass and remembers what they really stand for - they're all Democrats now.
If you know someone who just can't bring themselves to use the D-word in regards to themselves for some reason, well, tell them they're an Independent then.
We'll take them all in, whichever label they choose. It's a really big tent. And there's a world out there that needs saving.