My parents live in a small, rural town in Northern Indiana that has traditionally been, and presumably still is, incredibly Republican. Local elections are held in the primary while the general election is a simply a celebration for the Republican candidate. The people there are patriotic, very religious, and socially conservative, yet also are very kind and sensible. Having never voted for a Democrat for President in their lives, both of my parents are leaning toward Obama. So are a good number of their friends. If you have been wondering why Indiana may possibly go blue this year, my parents represent a quintessential Hoosierness and it is no surprise to me why Obama appeals to them. I'll try to lay it for you, chronologically.
- Obama's speech at the 2004 convention. My mother loved the speech. She was truly inspired by it, and in an odd way, his words reflected a very Midwestern sensibility. Northern Indiana, though conservative, has something of a communitarian culture. I remember a Republican House member from Ft. Wayne once talking about the "small town socialism" of the grain belt of Northern Indiana. Churches and community groups do a lot of volunteer work, including my parents. Obama tapped into that "we are all in this together, we are not that different, let's work together" vibe that I think resonated quite well in the sort of positive, non-aggressive Protestant church culture of Northern Indiana.
- Obama's books. After the 2004 speech, my mother bought me Obama's book, and though she didn't read it herself, she would always ask me about what was in it. I told her about his background, about the work he did in Chicago. Unlike some conservatives who have mocked his community organizing, my parents identified and were impressed by this act of "living the faith" and doing meaningful work for little pay. They were both school teachers and have always placed a high premium on the quality of a person's profession over the sum of their salary. Learning this about Obama certainly softened them up to his message.
- His family. Obama is the embodiment of a strong father in a conservative family. His tough "don't badmouth my wife" pose combined with the obvious affection and love he has for his wife and children is a very powerful, subconscious reminder that this guy walks the walk. His family life is more traditional than McCain's and represents a very clear contrast to Clinton. My parents loathed Bill Clinton, largely for his lascivious sexual appetite and messy personal history with women.
- The Abraham Lincoln factor. My father is like the world's biggest fan of Lincoln. He has all the biographies, and is quick to drop a Lincoln quote into almost any conversation to buttress whatever argument he happens to be making. Obama has always, whether genuinely or cynically, attempted to compare himself to Lincoln. And the parallels are there. The inexperienced but formidable statesman from Illinois. The aloof orator with a steel spine. Again, subconsciously, this is just all laying the groundwork for people like my parents to become comfortable with and fully support Obama. Since Lincoln is also considered something of a native son of Indiana, the comparisons resonate even more. If Obama pushes the Lincoln narrative, particularly in any visits he makes to Indiana, I feel like he could continue to improve his standing. My father often hedges his support of Obama with qualifiers regarding his experience - he is still not sure that Obama is "ready" but is quick to concede that he thinks Obama is brilliant and has the temperament to be President. My father often concludes our conversations by reminding me of Lincoln's "team of rivals," stating that he hopes Obama, when elected (a scenario my father is sure of), will select the best and the brightest of both parties to help him lead.
- The Sarah Palin pick. What more is there to say? My parents and their friends all think she's a joke. My mother, the bigger of the two Obama fans of my parents, was actually quick to defend her when the pick was announced. But now she has turned from skeptical to angry, and thinks that McCain has abandoned his mantra of "Country First." My father has been angry from day one and is getting angrier every day. Indiana Republicans in the mold of Richard Lugar (both of my parents are devoted Lugar fans) are not pleased with the Palin pick. The Republican Party is supposed to be, in the eyes of these Lugar Republicans, the serious party. With serious candidates. The sober realists who look at the world as it is and use their accrued wisdom to find pragmatic solutions. The Palin pick ripped the veneer off of the idea that McCain represents that sober, serious approach to governing. The Palin pick is hurting McCain in Indiana, I can guarantee you that.
- The debate. Now, this only represents the opinions of my parents and their friends, but I spoke with my mother yesterday and she told me an interesting story. After church on Sunday, they went out to lunch with the other couples in their Sunday school class. These people are my parents' best friends, and are equally if not more conservative than my parents. And of course the topic of conversation turned to the debate on Friday night, with everyone expressing the same sentiment: that McCain was weird and angry (as my mom said, "Why wouldn't he look at Obama? That's what everybody wants to know. Do you know?") and that Obama was "nice" and seemed "smarter" than McCain. So, look. I know it's anecdotal, but if McCain has lost my parents' Sunday school class, he has lost. Period. These are not Democrats. These are not Independents. These are Indiana Republicans who believe in small government, are pro-life, and are deeply religious. And they don't trust and they don't like McCain. And every day, they are becoming more and more comfortable with Obama.
Ultimately, I don't know if Indiana will go to Obama. But it will be damn close, and in itself that is a small coup. The issue of race is too difficult to discern and tackle, because there is no over-arching view of racial politics in Indiana. For instance, you have lots of racial tension in Northwestern Indiana, and the South Side of Indianapolis, and in the southern part of the state in general. But elsewhere I believe you have, like in Iowa, a more tolerant and accepting view of black politicians, perhaps largely because in areas so homogeneously white, you just do not have the political racial history that you do in other states. And ultimately there may even be something of a subconscious wish for Indiana to wash its hand of the sins of Elwood and Martinsville and Marion - areas of extreme intolerance where blacks were not welcome even into the 60's and 70's.
At the end of the day, Obama does well in Indiana because he seems to be a true Midwestern. He is calm, cool, pragmatic, and, most beneficially - nice. Nice goes a long way in Indiana, especially when combined with smarts, temperament, and a positive message that contrasts itself with the disastrous last eight years.
Here's to hoping for turning Indiana blue.
UPDATE: Thanks to skrekk in the comments for sharing this link in which Obama talks about how much he liked the book "Team of Rivals" by DK Goodwin - I'll definitely be sharing this little tidbit with my dad.