No, I don’t have any photographic evidence to prove that Satan’s inferno suddenly has been transformed into a winter wonderland, nor am I meaning to suggest that the threat of global warming has abated. But it’s evident to me that there has been a climate shift of cosmic proportions.
Let me explain. My mother, an octogenarian who’s voted Republican her entire life except in 1960 when she elected to support JFK because he shared her Roman Catholic faith, revealed to me on the telephone yesterday that she’s voting in Kentucky’s upcoming primary for Barack Obama!
This is no minor transformation, and it began as a direct consequence of the Bush administration’s war policies combined with the emergence in power of the evangelical community.
Earlier this year my mother shocked me by stating unequivocally that she would never vote for a Republican again. "They’ve lied about this war from the beginning, and they continue to lie about it," she complained. "They’re bankrupting the country so that their cronies in the oil industry can walk away with billions of dollars, and they don’t care that they’re ruining America’s standing in the world."
Perhaps even more damning was her assessment of the Bush administration’s allegiance to intolerant, fundamentalist Christians. "I remember 1960 and how these fundamentalists tried to portray Kennedy as un-American because he was Catholic," my mother recalled. "He was a god damned war hero who risked his life fighting for America and they tried to say that because he was Catholic he couldn’t be trusted."
She had much more to say about the issue, largely focused on the danger of injecting religion into politics. "They’re no better than the people we’re supposedly fighting," she said. "They want their extreme religious views to be imposed by law and they’ll stop at nothing. I may not be perfect, but I’ll be damned if I’ll let them be the judge of that!"
When I inquired at the time as to whom she’d be voting for I expected her to respond, "John Edwards". Instead, she surprised me once again.
"Hillary," she said. "It’s about time we had a woman running this country. Right now we need someone with a woman’s instincts, who can bring this country together."
"We’ve had too many men prancing around trying to prove how big and strong they are, convinced that the best way to govern is by intimidation," she observed. "Right now, more than ever before, we don’t need a bully in the White House, we need someone willing to listen and govern with grace."
When I suggested Barack Obama as a possible alternative, citing his call for unity and his opposition to the war from the beginning, she promptly shut me down. "This country is not ready for a colored man to be president," she stated emphatically.
As always, I immediately recoiled at her less than subtle, if not virulent racism. "Tell me mom, is it that the country is not ready for a black man, or is it you?" I asked in an accusatory tone.
Without pausing, she quickly rose to her defense. "I’m part of this country too," she insisted angrily. "And no, I’m not ready for a colored man to lead this country. You can’t push these things too fast, it will just drive the country apart."
All of those fears seemingly evaporated over the past couple of weeks as her recent phone call startlingly revealed.
"I’ve change my mind and I’m voting for that Barack fellow," she barked over the phone, pronouncing his name Baa-Rack.
Trying to conceal my shock, I calmly asked her "What changed your mind, mom?"
"I’m so angry with Hillary," she almost yelled. "She may be a woman, but she’s certainly no lady."
"She’s behaving just like an angry man," she continued. "I can’t believe how nasty she’s been in the way she’s attacked Barack, and how she’s making all of us in Kentucky seem like a bunch of racist dummies."
"And she’s willing to blow up the whole god damned world," she raged on. "Maybe she has grown balls and her mind is clouded by testosterone."
Not ever for a loss of words, she continued her anti-Hillary rant for several minutes, claiming among other things that Hillary’s gas tax moratorium was just another way to reward the oil companies. "You know, none of that money will ever make it into the pockets of working families," she insisted. "The oil companies will just jack up their prices and keep it all."
As to her belief that the country isn’t ready for a black man? "Well, you know, he’s half white," she pointed out, as though that was some special revelation. "Maybe that’s a good thing, to have someone who can see things from the point of view of black people and white people."
"You know, he’s part Muslim," she added knowingly, if erroneously. "And that Reverend of his is a nut case, so I expect that he understands better than anyone how foolish it is to let religious nuts govern the country."
Now, I’m not going to say that I defend all of my mother’s reasoning, nor at this point am I willing to argue with her about how she’s reached her conclusion. Suffice it to say that I’m glad she’s thought deeply about her decision, and somehow settled on Obama as the best candidate for the presidency. And for that to have happened, despite her history, innate prejudices, and very real fear of change, I know that something profound has occurred.
Maybe Hell hasn’t frozen over, but you can bet that if there’s a Satan, he’s feeling the chill!
UPDATE: I must confess that I’ve been stunned by the impact this diary has had on both me and the Daily Kos community. Initially, I was reluctant to write it, unsure that it really fit the definition of what a diary should be. My mother’s decision to vote for Obama certainly isn’t earth shattering news, and I doubt that it will have any impact on other voters.
What finally persuaded me to write it was my own frustration with Kentucky as I knew it as a child and as a young adult. I’m not foolish enough to believe that my mom’s shift in attitude represents any significant trend in Kentucky, yet it has given me hope that things can, and are changing, albeit slowly. Mostly, I wanted to share with you that hope.
Having monitored the comments all morning and early afternoon, I’ve been moved beyond belief by your responses and overwhelming consideration for my mom. Indeed, nearly all of you have been far more kind in your regard for her progress than I would have allowed myself to be. Your generosity of spirit and willingness to forgive while not overlooking or excusing her intolerance is a gentle reminder that I too have much to learn.
So I thank you for your comments and for having recommended this diary. It’s the first I’ve had appear on the rec list, and while I’m surprised, I admit I’m pleasantly so.