My father has always been politically independent but has tended for the last several years to vote Republican. We've actually gotten into some pretty heated arguments over such matters because, frankly, my father doesn't deal well with dissenting opinion (but that's another thread altogether).

Tonight I spoke to my parents to plan holiday travel when my mother said "so what do you think about Bush speaking tonight?" As a reflex, I shut up quickly. You can't imagine how surprised I was to hear my father say "I don't want to hear him unless he's talking about the economy." My father actually said that he was going to vote straight Democratic in the mid-term elections because he feels that Bush is just using Iraq to keep the Republicans rolling and not having to answer for the economy. You have no idea what a monumental statement that is. My father probably last voted straight Dems when JFK was on the ballot. No exaggeration.

My point is this, maybe there is some hope. If my father can see through his crap perhaps more people will protest that I'd been anticipating. I'd like to think my years of spouting liberal BS at my father paid off. Unfortunately, I think was merely the power of Bush.