Ugh. I just found out that my father voted for Bush.

He's very, very conservative, and our views have always been diametric.

During the 2002 elections, he was incredibly unhappy with Bush because of Bush's wild spending and his extremism. He was so unhappy with Bush and the direction of the Republican party that he (so I thought) disowned them. I liked to think that our discussions had something to do with the switch.

Well, apparently, he's reverted to the views of old (assuming he ever changed in the first place). Like many Bush supporters, he couldn't give me a reason why he voted for Bush. In fact, his overall impression of Bush is very poor ("he hasn't accomplished anything"), but he voted for him anyway.

This is the kind of stuff we're fighting. When we can't even get our own family members to see the light, it makes it all the more difficult to convince others.

Sorry - just needed to rant. I'm almost as disappointed that my father voted for Bush as I am in the election result itself.

My in-laws, the people I most respected, moved away and became right-wing religious fundamentalists, and voted for Bush.

Oh, well. Make sure to spend most of the time with those who are philosophically similar.

I'm not saying become completely unaware of the other side's views.

But we certainly do not have to wade in shit all day long.

which is ok most of the time - my parents divorced when I was very young and I didn't see him for years. Our contacts are still pretty sporadic.

We've previously agreed to not discuss politics, but he made it a point to note that he voted for Bush and that he "was going to gloat, but then thought better of it".

I said, "Hmm...seems as though you just did it anyway."

I can handle him. It's just disappointing that he's reverted to the dark side. That makes him one of the 59,000,000 American idiots that blindly follow Bush. I thought he was smarter than that, but it seems to be about more than intelligence.

she does not care about what Bush is going to do.