My Encounter With a Lifelong Republican

I don't post very frequently, but this story is a must-share.

I lived in Phoenix for a few years, and just recently moved back to Cincinnati. I know, out of the fire - into satan's asshole.

My wife and I were enjoying a nice Sunday afternoon out, the first in a long while. My mother-in-law had our kids for the afternoon.

We had decided to go for the coveted cheese fries at Outback Steakhouse, (a request from my wife who is now well into our third pregnancy).

We arrived about 10 minutes before they opened, so we sat in the parking lot chatting about the election. What happened next was something that has me believing that Ohio will be blue come November 5th. A man in his early 50's walked past our car and yelled "Obama Biden '08!!"

The reason for this was in reaction to the Obama/Biden car magnet on the back of our car (which ironically is directly to the left of my Arizona plates, which generates enough curiosity and questions as is.). I replied to him, "Right on!! Let's make it happen!!" He stopped, and walked back to the car. This is where my beloved, yet socially challenged, wife began to panic. What came out of his mouth was something much more shocking than anything we would have guessed.

This man of his early 50's, a resident of the Mason/Landen, OH area (one of the richest suburbs of northern Cincinnati)begins to speak of the change he has experienced in his own life over the last year. It turns out he has been a lifelong long Republican. He has voted for Reagan, GHWB, GWB both times, and has now come to realize what has been done to this country. He went on to explain that a lot of people in his family, also lifelong republicans, have begun to really absorb the damage in it's entirety as well.

He said he simply could not, in good conscience, vote Republican any longer. He attended a rally earlier this year, and again at Ault Park, (where I had the pleasure of seeing Obama as well) and said that it helped him realize just how bad things have become.

He works at a Ford plant in Sharonville that was rumored to be closing, until sizeable donations from the States of Kentucky and Ohio, led by Strickland. This was his personal issue that lead to his revelation, and subsequently lead to his newfound love of the Democratic Party. He asked rhetorically, "how much more would the republicans have allowed to happen to us before it was all over?"

This question resonates louder for me now than ever before. How bad would they have really let it get had we not acted and fought back this time? It boggles the mind that a lifelong republican could actually come to the same realization.

We finished our chat, which was quite pleasant and refreshing considering some of the other disasters with republicans I have experienced before. They opened the doors, and we had our cheese fries. The discussion between the wife and I was that of electricity at the thought of Ohio turning blue. I have goosebumps just thinking about it now. My wife asked, "it's really going to happen this time, isn't it?" To which I replied, "yes hun, it really is going to happen this time."

Thanks for sharing it!

i don't know about everyone else, but i have been having a lot of run-ins like this lately.

i'm not sure how to react. after the last 8 years i'm used to being accosted for being a lib.

i guess this is what it felt like to live in the Age of Enlightenment. lol

That was a very uplifting, hopeful story! Thank you for sharing it here!

i just sent my wife the link so she can check this out.

you guys rock!!

reading your reactions just might make my wife tear up too!!

Thank you for sharing.

there I go crying again. :)

Thank you for sharing your story.

Good luck with your third baby...and keep posting.

out of the post-modern Dark Ages into the light.

What a wonderful little story.

i'm left to assume you are being cynical.

that's okay, and i totally understand cynicism.

but... you had to be there. it was genuine, and you could see the humility in his face when informing me of his voting record. it was enough to make anyone feel awkward.

i don't what else to say, but i hope that we all take these kinds of run-ins seriously. i could have been a jerk and made fun of him for being a moron for the majority of his life, and thanked him for a quagmire(s) and blamed him for the economy, and torture, etc. What would that accomplish though?

again, i'm not sure what you meant in your post, but yes, i believed him.

kinda the same reaction... very sobering and uplifting. To change your views, especially political views, is very hard for people.

I'm glad that he has, far too late, come to realize that he has been supporting the murder of the nation I'm certain he claims to love.

What I wonder is what these essentially unthinking jungle-law advocates will do once things have quieted down and they are able to return to their "I've got mine, fuck you" attitude? Will this just be another episode of bringing in the thoughtful achievers to clean up their mess and then it's back to the robber barons and banksters running us off the next cliff in their endless pursuit more?
:kick: & R

first, i'd like to say kudos to the Kucinich pic!

also, i see your point as far as "What I wonder is what these essentially unthinking jungle-law advocates will do once things have quieted down and they are able to return to their "I've got mine, fuck you" attitude?"

for a lot of these people i strongly believe they have seen the errors of their ways. i think it's taking a lot in them to be able to admit that. if you have these RWers who are usually so adamant and narrow minded actually do an about face, and admit it in public, i think that speaks volumes.

i will embrace anyone who can admit that they were wrong, duped, and blindly followed before, but now can make an educated and informed decision.

let's grow the party larger than we ever imagined!!! let's not let the last eight years happen again!!! woo hoooooooo!!!

I can see how, if the tent is too big, the problem becomes one of "what do you stand for?" We have factions within the party now that call themselves Democrats, but are really Republiks of the 50s, 60s, & 70s, IOW they do not agree with the traditional goals and beliefs of the Democratic Party (pro-working class, restrained capitalism, pro-Miranda, etc.) but don't agree with the religious/racist/sexist nature of the post-Raygun Republik Party.

Just wondering.

:kick:

(that is a fact) customer. But he's being extremely nice to me. Why, because we both volunteer for Obama. He's a 25-year long true blue repuke. Until McInsane/Palin.

Now he's voting Dem.

that's exactly what i'm talking about.

McFailin is an excellent reason why repukes are waking up! this match-up was a joke. i think most republicans knew it as over the moment Palin was announced as veep pick.

this election is pivotal. it's America's second chance to right the wrongs. let's just hope we don't waste it.

yesterday I went to a wendys near the Denver county republican party...

upon my arrival i got out of my car and opened the door and held the door open for a group of 5.
at the counter i ordered off of the .99 cent menu. I started paying with quarters nickles and dimes. one of the group said "yeah thats the change we will have with Nobama" I spun around and said "hey I am a landlord and this is how I am treating myself to a cheese burger as this is how shitty this economy has become under your boy bushy." "I realize you are paying for your meals with the plunder from the national treasury, must be that haliburton stock? your parents own..." they were dumbfounded one started to approach I said "I love this country enough to die right here... I will take at least two of you with me..."
with that they just stood there silent. when my bag of food came the counter person winked at me
at my car i found in my bag, two TRIPLES and two LARGE fries. (my order was two double stacks and a small fries.;))

I then heard the republicans walking across the parking lot complaining that their orders were messed up and "what do you expect from minimum wage earners."
I gave them a "bird" as I drove past them.

...at least it turned out nice!

i wish i had the moxy that you have!!

deserving a thread of its own.

You always think of the right comeback. I'm so envious.

:hug:

lovely creature?

It is hard for all of us because we think there are better ways but they have left us no choice!!

I hope you enjoyed your burgers!!

Both this and the OP stories are awesome. :rofl:

edit: oops this was supposed to go under the OP. Soilent Brice is an excellent username, glitch is just okay.

"How much more would the Republicans have allowed to happen to us before it was all over?"

Somehow that kind of brought home to me how much we've lost and how much more we would have lost if they were given four more years. He sounds like he feels betrayed, like a loyal dog who's been kicked... I don't feel betrayed because I never trusted this administration to govern for anybody's benefit but their own, but I do feel excited by the idea that our government is going to be on the people's side again.

I know several former Republicans who have had it with the GOP.

year), because all he did was these vanity runs, to prevent fine Democratic candidates from having a wide enough margin to prevent election theft (I am quite certain that Kerry actually won in 2004, and we know that Gore actually won in 2000). Nader made no effort in-between presidential elections to fix anything.

But he was right about one thing: letting the Republicans have complete control of the government made things get so bad that it actually woke people up about how bad our government really is in the hands of the bought off corporate bootlickers.

thank you for sharing and expressing yourself so well. and mazeltov!

those f***ing Outback cheese fries are AWESOME :thumbsup:

My wife asked, "it's really going to happen this time, isn't it?" To which I replied, "yes hun, it really is going to happen this time."


Now...I'm in tears....It's real......it's real.....OMG!!!!!! We're going to do this!!!!!

The question isn't whether Ohio will "turn" blue.

The question is, will the R's steal it again?

Nice post, regardless.

The United States is a LIBERAL Country.

:dem:

-Laelth

I wish someone would collect them all and post in one place. At least this Republican appears to be sincere.

There have been so many prominent ones who have anticipated the power-shift in the country and have cynically jumped ship for political reasons or taken down their Repug flags and started calling themselves "independent." Even McCain himself tried in vain to disassociate himself with Bush, and probably grimaced when hearing of Cheney's endorsement of him.

Be that as it may, to all the bandwagoners, I say the more the merrier. But we need to keep a wary eye on some of the prominent, politically active turncoats who change colors only when it's politically expedient.

We didn't have a meeting of the minds, but there was a victory: He said he's not going to vote. He said he's just not feeling at all motivated by the GOP ticket this time.

What a great story, and certainly a nice encounter with a former Republican.

And as a mom with nine babies, I think it's great that you are so willing to indulge your wife's cravings. Believe me, it is very much appreciated by pregnant women! :D

Thanks for sharing!!