There have been a lot of diaries like this. But I need to add my own. I can't believe this would ever, ever happen: I just got off the phone with my Aunt Janet and my Uncle Bob, who is as red a Republican as ever was, will be voting for Barack Obama.
He made up his mind this morning. And nothing happened tonight to change his mind.
Let me tell you about my Uncle Bob. He was a working class Peoria boy. He went into the Navy (and has never lost the crew cut he got back then.) He went into business and worked his way up to management. A good solid life. He's never, ever, voted Democrat. Ever. Ever.
The first time Bob mentioned Obama to me was last year when he said Obama was an up and coming guy. But it was too bad he had done drugs as a youth. That would sink him for sure.
The second time Bob mentioned Obama to me it was early in the primary season when he told me that Obama seemed promising, but it was too bad that he was such a far left leftist kind of a guy. That would sink him for sure.
The third time Bob mentioned Obama to me it was late in the primary season when he told me that Obama seemed like he was going to win the nomination, but it was too bad that he couldn't win the election. Bob had grown up with working class folk and no matter what the union leadership said, his people would never vote for a black man. That would sink him for sure.
The fourth time Bob mentioned Obama to me it was this summer. Bob wasn't going to try to defend McCain, who was running a disappointing campaign. But what we non-business types didn't understand was that it was all about taxes. Democrats would never get that. That would sink Obama for sure.
Bob hasn't mentioned Obama to me a fifth time. Today my Aunt Jan called me to talk about the debate. We chitted and we chatted. And then I said that if America was on the side of the angels, America would see past Palin's talking points and her canned responses and her faux-authenticity.
Jan paused a moment and she said: do you want to know who's on the side of the angels? I couldn't believe it. Not for a minute. But her meaning was clear.
Uncle Bob is going to vote for Barack Obama. He decided this morning. Obama is the presidential one. Not McCain. There's nothing left to sink Obama for sure.
The debate tonight didn't change his mind. Not a bit.
Bob and Jan are in Texas now. It's still McCain country. But Aunt Janet says that there are more Obama bumper stickers now than there were before. Now, I don't expect Bob to get a bumper sticker. But we've got his vote.
And my reply?
I screamed. Janet laughed. And all is well.