Shocking Comment In My Rabid GOP Cousin's New Year Letter

[K8-EEE]

After catching us up on all the family events of the last year, you have to know what a staunch GOPer this guy was and all the fights his branch of the family (rural NV & ID) has had with mine (CA) over the DECADES! I know this sounds so casual but it just floored me.

"by the way, I've come to decide that Democrats aren't Islamo-fascists after all, ha! So OK, I'm learning. Progress and enlightenment are taking place in that regard, so....what can I say. I'm learning, OK?"

:bounce:

HOLY MOLY!! Let me tell you DUers -- one thing about GWB being SOOOOO awful is that it seems to be opening some eyes. Anybody who argued in favor of his war and his policies, if they are even a little honest they HAVE to be able to see, IT WAS ALL BULLSHIT.

If there's hope for him, believe me, there's hope for anybody!

Will I say "told ya so?" I thought about it but, no way! That took a lot on his part. Come into the light, cuzz....

[lligrd]

1. My Hope Is That "These" People

although the last to grasp the truth will be the most vocal about being lied to. Of course, one little "event" could set them right back where they came from and I wouldn't put Rove above providing it.

[SquireJons]

2. They aren't sold yet, but they're shopping.

The one good thing about this bush ass-ministration (and I apologize to all asses out there... I like many asses) is that they may indeed create a long lasting political majority in this country. For the Democrats. Seems that there are a lot of folks who have become disenchanted with republicans in general. Without the super stink from Bush/Cheney et al I'm not sure that as many would have noticed.

The American public is going politics shopping for the first time since 1980, and the Democrats need a crop of good salesmen and women. A combination of the new, like Obama, and old, like Rangel is a good start, but now the Dems need someone to close the deal.

And it isn't likely to be a salesman that the public has already seen. We need a closer, the best we can find. If we can find this person, the direction the United States takes will be influenced by the Democrats for the next generation or two.

[Skittles]

3. WOW

that would be a first for me - the closest was a conservative, life-long repuke voter coworker who voted Dem in the last election - he said, they're saying I'm a terrorist-appeaser because I have questions about this war? F*** THAT !!!

[B Calm]

4. My RW cousin admitted years ago that the war is about oil. Still

he thought it was justified!

[pnwmom]

6. My mother in law

who's an octagenarian, changed her mind about Bush this year, after being a life-long Repub. Now she can't stand him.

He did a lot of damage with that insane Medicare drug plan . . . .

[pnwmom]

5. I'm glad you didn't say "I told you so"

because that can backfire. It can feel like an insult.

Better to be oh so tentative and gentle. Give him the tiniest of openings, and then let him plow through them himself. Be a quiet, still, sounding board, and let him do 90% of the talking.

Remember that if he's starting to change, he's probably still hanging around a lot of people who aren't. He could use a gentle, understanding ear.

Your instincts were great, in other words. Hope you can keep it up!

[tavalon]

7. Molly Ivins wrote an article just after the 2004 fiasco that so applies here

I thought at the time that she might be right, hoped that she would be right.

She was spot on.

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/1112-24.htm

[Vinca]

8. Wow - I'm going all Currier & Ives, home for the holidays, misty-eyed memories

over your cousin's change of heart. I'm not an Islamo-fascist. What a great guy!

[NewJeffCT]

9. There are a ton of moderates and center-rights who dislike Bush - but -

The media and the RW noise machine did such an effective job at demonizing Kerry (and Edwards) in 2004 that they ended up holding their noses and voting Bush. I knew several people like that back in 2004...

Heck, I sat next to one Republican who was telling everybody all summer long to vote for Kerry... then, the day after the election he confessed he ended up voting Bush because he thought Kerry was even worse.