My sister and brother-in-law have voted for mainly social issues for the past decade and a half. They attend a Baptist church here in Central Wisconsin and voted for Bush twice. I know, GAG (the Bush part)!
They are avid church goers. They volunteer for many church-related things and send their kids to Bible camp every summer and also have them enrolled in AWANAS. I mean, they are your Bible-thumping Conservatives without the rabid Evangelical touch from Dobson and the like.
Well, this past Sunday my family and I went to their house for a Labor Day get-together and I asked her: "So, what do you think about McCain's pick for VP?" She said: "Where did she come from?" I said: "Out of Rove's playbook." I asked: "Will you be voting for McCain this year?" She said: "NO!" I said: "???" She said: "This country has gone downhill over the past several years and McCain looks a lot worse than Bush." I said: ":0" She said: "Healthcare, the wars, the economy, decency, integrity, and all social issues like poverty all went out the window and hadn't heard one thing from McCain that would be any different than Bush."
I was stunned. I was ecstatic. Then I started talking about Obama. Everything I've learned here and his website and others I repeated. Facts, statistics. I talked about Biden and did the same thing. I said (because my sis and BIL are very pro-life) that Obama wants to make it where abortions are way down rather than make the choice for women. I said everything I could to reassure her and my BIL and probably made them dizzy from hearing everything I had to say, but I never felt so good speaking the words to them. I just wanted to share this news because to me, it's one of the most stunning things I've come across personally this election.
One more thing, McCain and Palin may incite their base, but Obama and Biden inspire voters beyond their base.