My daughter's freeper friends in Colorado Springs may be turning blue...

[rhiannon55]

My beautiful smart liberal daughter Tammy lives in Colorado Springs, home of millions of freepers. She tells me this morning that her freeper friend Karen told her that she watched a couple of Bush's press conferences last week and is embarrassed that she voted for him. She's been bringing up this subject to Tammy these days, after years of avoiding it. She knows that Tammy is a liberal Democrat and will provide a sympathetic ear. She tells Tammy that she's considering voting for Democrats this fall, for the first time in her life. Tammy said that she is hearing this kind of thing more and more from friends, co-workers, and acquaintances, people she knows were Bushbots until very recently. People are angry, people are embarrassed, people are tired of being lied to.

I lived in Colorado Springs for twelve years and raised my daughters there--that's why one of them is still there. She married a local boy and had babies and put down roots. She's friends with Bush supporters because four out of five people there are Republicans. Kids she went to high school with and have maintained friendships with are mostly Republican. Most of her co-workers are Republicans, too. So when the tide is turning in Colorado Springs, Tammy (bless her bright shining little liberal heart) can easily see and feel it.

Colorado Springs is home of NORAD, Peterson Air Force Base, Schriever Air Force Base, Fort Carson Army Base, and the Air Force Academy. It is also headquarters for Focus on the Family, The International Bible Society, the Navigators, Young Life, Ted Haggard's New Life Church, and many other evangelical right-wing Christian organizations.

Colorado Springs is as red as they come. If the tide is turning in Colorado Springs, can the rest of the country be far behind? :patriot:

[bluestateguy]

1. Ritter is up 17 in Colorado, and Bush has a 37% rating there

But it will take hard work to win it in 2008.

[AX10]

4. 17%?

:bounce:

Governor Ritter!

It's about time Colorado got a Democratic governor. I believe that we can win the state in 2008!

[Hawkeye-X]

20. after 8 years of Blowens

I think the Republican experiment is declared a huge failure. Time to return the state to the Democratic hands.

[rhiannon55]

22. Hear, hear!

Romer and Lamm were BOTH good governors....

[bluerum]

2. Buyers remorse. I would not bet the farm. Wait till they are in the voting

booth - that's the moment of truth.

Just cause they would not vote for junior again does not mean that they will vote dem if the pub looks at all sane when they get into the booth.

When people say this to me I seethe inside but agree with them. They voted this crap-head into office - TWICE!!

Sorry - no sympathy from me. But I do of course, agree with them.

[blue cat]

3. I hope that you are correct.

If they steal the election, then they will be more angry about the voting machines.

[K8-EEE]

5. I Had A Similar Experience Last Weekend In Buffalo NY

My hub is from a super-red suburb there, but he's been in L.A for more years than he was ever there (left right after High School.) Anyhow we went to a wedding and I was all ready to hold my tongue since I don't wanna argue about this shit at a nice family function etc., however, to my surprise since I was there last THEY ALL HATE GWB!! This is not to say they love Dems. They have this idea that Dems are NYC and all the tax $$ go to NYC and not Western or Upstate NY etc. they are quite negative to Dems but in the mind to just not vote at all. A couple of them did say they would consider voting for a Dem and that was the first time they would do so. NOBODY I MEAN NOBODY DEFENDING BUSHCO!

[Cha]

11. Good News! I wondering if kkk rove

told the chimp to act like an insane one at the so called press conference or the brat DECIDED to do veer off COURSE?!

[AspenRose]

6. Colorado College in CO Springs is the oasis in that sea of red

From what I remember it's pretty liberal there

[rockymountaindem]

27. The downtown area and the old north end are the only places

where you'll find a lot of Democrats in Colorado Springs. CC is a big part of that.

[PurpleChez]

7. That's all well and good...

I'm always happy to hear folks reevaluating their religious devotion to Dim Son but I remain entirely unconvinced that, when election day rolls around, they won't vote straight GOP because their minister told them that God wanted them to stop gay adoption or because only republicans can win the war on terra. Sure, Chimpy has become an embarassment to a lot of these trolls, but how many of them are still selfish, bigoted protofascists?

[opihimoimoi]

9. Bad things comes in 3 I was told: GOP/Bush stole elections 3 times

Meaning...NOT THIS TIME

PPL are pissed as hell and more than enough BS from the GOP has passed that the Smell is overwhelming..GOP BUSH stinks to high Heaven...that even some GOP are smelling it..

Democrats have a better smell, plan, outlook.

Pubs are Negative and smell bad...

[otohara]

8. Better Late Than Never Figure Out Your President Is

a complete idiot, a danger to the world and the party you voted in is rubber stamping his insane policies left and right!

[PurpleChez]

17. But a lot of these chowderheads EMBRACE these 'insane' policies.

Jesus or not, they're all in favor. I live in a red county in a red state, so my view may be skewed, but I still see a shitload of folks who smile like the most brainwashed cult member, singing the praises of the morphadite in the white house.

[rhiannon55]

10. But don't most of us know doubting freepers?

This has to be happening in lots of places, and if we commit to telling the disappointed Bush voters we know and may have a little (perhaps temporary) influence over why voting for Democrats in the fall would benefit them and their families, maybe it will make a big difference in November.

Just sayin'.

In fact, I'm sending this link to Tammy to give to her friend to read. It's exactly what she needs to read right now (Thank you Nancy Greggs!) http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2831555

DU produces a treasure trove of thought-provoking, beautiful, clear writing that vulnerable disappointed Republicans need to read. I'm not suggesting a spam campaign, which would probably backfire and (understandably) piss them off. But many of us know somebody who might be more open to information now than they were before, who might be willing to read even one little well-chosen essay--which could start them moving in the direction of the voting booth and the Democratic ticket. And, if Democrats win by a landslide, it will be much harder to steal those elections. It's worth a try, I say.

Who's with me?:patriot:

[pretzel4gore]

12. if the pugglies turn against bush, then let's become busheviks!

they afraid for the golden goose, but...lol, the golden goose is finished, dead, carrion, FERTILIZER!
hehehehehe :rofl:

[rhiannon55]

13. um...what?

:eyes:

[pretzel4gore]

14. they should never ever get what they want, think they want

to read about these well fed, well educated, well paid and superfresh people voting for knuckledragging boors like bush...it's a wonder why

[PurpleChez]

16. I concur: um...what?

[Auntie Bush]

32. Splain that again.

[pretzel4gore]

35. few people in history have been as blessed as these repukes....

they have everything, and if there is a god, then they surely are cared for, by that god, yet! they are fulla hate, ignorance, racism, greed and mindless conformity to what the powerful want ...they praise the worst bullies and giggle at the suffering of the doomed innocent. their only credential is ignorance (ignorance= from 'to ignore') and they form a vast mob which has all the power of the earth behind it doesn't even shame them....

[rhiannon55]

36. Now I understand, thanks

and I agree. Republicans have made a killing off of the suffering of so many people, and they don't understand or care. Profit is everything to them and other people are seems means to an end. I think that party attracts more sociopaths than the democratic (people) party.

Yay for us! Now let's act like the majority we are! November can't come too soon!

[CarlVK]

15. I used to live in Colo. Sprgs. and it was just left of 1939 Berlin.

What a freak spot. When I was there as a teen (mid 1970s) there was an incident at a local office complex where a secretary working there had a bumper sticker on her car advocating world peace. Some big guy sauntered into the foyer where she was working, one day, asked if it was her car with the bumper sticker. She said it was. He then reached for a nearby glass coffee pot and smashed it over her head, knocking her out. He proceeded to carve "Jesus Saves" on her back with a piece of the broken glass before leaving. I don't think they ever caught him, and likely did not even try.

[rhiannon55]

18. Wow! I moved there in 1979 and didn't know

about that incident. But, sounds about right for Colo. Spgs. I wish my daughter and grandbabies would move from there--nearer to me would be good. :)

[AlinPA]

19. It must be tough living among all those republicans. It does not sound

like fun. Tough girl.

[rhiannon55]

21. She IS tough

(like--contrary to popular opinion--most Democrats), and has a great sense of humor. Keeps her sane, I'm sure. I'm proud of her. :loveya:

Oh, and I forgot to mention--today's her 38th birthday!

[NanceGreggs]

23. K & R, rhiannon!

It's these kinds of stories that mean more to me (and probably a lot of us) than surveys and polls. It's encouraging to know that people out there are starting to THINK -- and if you think, IMHO, you're bound to recognize what's wrong with our nation, and who's to blame for its ills.

[Mabus]

24. That is wonderful news

Perhaps this tide of blueness will spread to the other red states now that the sheeple are seeing their little crowned prince as the rest of us have seen him all this time.

:kick: and recommended.

[Arugula Latte]

25. Good news from a scary, scary place.

:scared:

(I've been there...Yikes!)

[rhiannon55]

26. Pretty to look at, what with Garden of the Gods and

Pikes Peak and all. But better brief touristy visits than anything more permanent. The pretty surface is simply the surface. The paranoid, rigid, bigoted attitudes run real deep.

[rockymountaindem]

28. I went to high school there

And judging from the people I've maintained contact with, I think things are moving in the right direction. Some have moved into our camp while some of the more radical righties have at least moderated their stances.

[annabanana]

29. Wow! Colorado Springs?

Now THAT's some good news you got there....

(remarkable, really. )

[rhiannon55]

30. It IS remarkable

I thought maybe a DUer who lives there might weigh in.... It would be interesting to know how C.S. looks from the inside from a DUer's perspective.

[proud2BlibKansan]

31. People are pissed off

Every time I canvass or phonebank, at least 50% of the people I talk to are seriously pissed off at republicans.

It's a great feeling. And you are so right. If Colorado Springs can change, many other places will also.

[Catherine Vincent]

33. That's good to hear. Let's hope they keep their word on voting blue.

Bush won't be running again so they may figure to vote republican again thinking this candidate can't be as bad as George.

[bobbieinok]

34. DU had a lot of stories like this before 2004 + DUers knew it was a WIN

IMO, republicans took votes from democrats in democratic states (to get a popular vote majority---TruthIsAll had lots of info about how democrats won in various states, but nowhere near the pre-election poll numbers).

And in many states, the election was stolen/manipulated---OH, FL, NV, etc

[ooga booga]

37. Colorado Springs sounds like its at a tipping point.....

I know we've said it before, but what Bush & Co. stand for isn't anything like the once sane Grand Old Party. We Democrats are witnessing a real chance to be the return to reason -- if we don't blow it.

Back in the Texas gubernatorial election that Ann Richards won in 1990, it became obvious that Republican Claytie Williams was probably toast when ladies from tony Highland Park (think Beverly Hills, Dallas style) organized carpools to get voters to the polls for Ann Richards. (Williams had a way of making thoughtless comments that women found appalling.)

This post about Colorado Springs reminded me of that.