Today I witnessed something pretty amazing

[obama2terms]

Once a week I drive my 60 year old neighbor Bill to the grocery store. He hasn't been able to drive for a while due to a bad stroke, and walking to the bus stop is a pain for someone in his condition. Well on the way to the store we were listening to the radio and of course the news was ALL about the shutdown, and the bickering between republicans and democrats in congress. Bill had struggled for years to obtain health insurance because strokes were considered a pre-existing condition.

When the ACA passed in 2010, he quickly discovered he could get insurance easier, not be denied coverage or lose coverage because of his condition. But Bill, being a lifelong republican, continued to vote for republicans in all local elections and even voted republican in the 2012 election. I told him that I didn't understand him, he was continuing to vote for the people that were hell bent on making sure him and millions of people like him don't have health insurance. I didn't get why he knowingly voted against his own best interests.

I never will understand that. Well in the car today, things changed. He turned off the radio, and told me "I'm never voting republican again for as long as I god damn live. They're trying to fuck us over to prove a point! The whole shut down is about how they don't like this health care law, so they decide to put a bunch of people out of work to make a statement. They need to get over it, it passed congress, the supreme court said it's constitutional, the guy who got the law passed got re-elected, it's over, they lost, and they can't take it so they are going to screw us over instead of dealing with their loss like mature adults that are supposed to represent our country. I'm just done, they act like people like me are leeches on the system when in reality the original system is the reason why I couldn't get insurance, they hate this law, but they don't have shit to replace it with. They're mean and spiteful, they'd rather see Obama screw up and go whine to fox news, than actually do something good."

This rant coming from a life long republican is pretty well.... shocking. As much as I wanted to say "I told you so" I kept my cool, and said "Well if it took a gov't shutdown for you to realize that congressional republicans suck, so be it. Welcome to the other side." To hear a life long republican, well a former life long republican say all these things about the party he's been a member of since he could vote was awesome. It makes me wonder how many other life long republicans have changed their tune since the shut down. I'm not counting on many, but if you all actually knew the guy I'm talking about you'd be shocked to hear these words coming out of his mouth. So today, another democrat was born

[Ilsa]

1. Happy to be your second rec!

Great story. One by one, the new law is making a difference.

[Tx4obama]

2. This is the 3rd or 4th I've read on DU today - so probably lots of republican eyes are opening

[Politicalboi]

3. If they complete their "mission"

Social Security checks will be next. I will have to move my 86 year old mother back to my Teabagger brother so he can "fully" support her. Good thing for her, he can, while I cannot. If that doesn't wake these assholes up NOTHING will.

[jollyreaper2112]

4. Damn

It took him until now to see the light? Slow learner.

[Skittles]

7. they see it very quickly if it benefits them financially

other folk? not so much

[obama2terms]

9. Yup

Money speaks!

[SheilaT]

5. While these stories are nice,

and any number have been posted here on DU in the past week, I just want to scream at people like your neighbor. As you told him already, when in the world would he keep on voting for the very people who absolutely don't want him to have health care, who would not give a crap if he died in the streets.

[obama2terms]

8. I agree there were times I wanted to say something

Long before today, but yeah the shut down opened his eyes. That's what it took, and hopefully it'll catch with other people just like him.

[gopiscrap]

6. Excellent

[Kablooie]

10. Normally for every story like this you read there are hundreds that aren't written up.

I sure hope this is the case.

I personally think an honest opposition party is a good thing because it forces both sides think deeper about their views and often the result is a better solution.

This hasn't been the function of the Republican party for years now, though.
Instead of trying to find a more convincing defense of their views they lie, cheat and manipulate the system to win.

Heck, the Democratic party has so many alternative views on issues we are our own opposition party nowadays anyway.

[IdaBriggs]

20. "Heck, the Democratic party has so many alternative views on issues --

-- we are our own opposition party nowadays anyway."

Amen.

[Cha]

11. Wow! I'm as shocked as you are, obama2terms! I know

how entrenched they are. Awesome report..thank you!

[calimary]

12. Excellent testimonial! Thanks, obama2terms!

I wish there were more out there having great awakenings like your neighbor just had. I sure wish some of 'em in Congress were.

[DRoseDARs]

13. I don't know that you can say a Democrat was born today, but a Republican vote was certainly lost.

eom

[Iwillnevergiveup]

14. Most of us probably know

at least one person like your neighbor. They seem unable or unwilling to make the connection that who represents us in government matters tremendously. I'm thinking lots of Republicans will sign up for the ACA, but will do so quietly and not tell a soul.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

15. It wasn't that long ago when people listened to where someone stood on issues,...

The Party was secondary.

Democrats still run campaigns in the traditional way with position papers while Republicans point and scream that the American way of life will DIE unless they win.

[blkmusclmachine]

16. Meh. We need the R's to come to their f/cking minds, not dilute the D's w/more right-of-center R's

who haven't gone completely f/cking nuts.

[freshwest]

17. +1,000!

[mountain grammy]

18. Some of those "life long Republicans" used to be Democrats..

My father in law considered himself a "life long Republican" but he voted for FDR in 1944, the first year he could vote. When I said FDR wasn't a Republican, he said "everyone voted for Roosevelt." He voted for Truman too, then Ike, of course.

I've read story after story on DU and elsewhere about dads, moms, aunts uncles, sisters and brothers who used to be Dems and started listening to the propaganda of Limbaugh and Fox and turned into some right wing zombie. I have to believe the Democrat, the voice of sanity and reason, is still inside these people, for I too have lost loved ones to the dark side.

If there's an intelligent spark in someone's brain, it will emerge. Well, won't it?

[Tigress DEM]

19. Born at 60 doing 40, sounds like our kind of DEM! Welcome Neighbor Bill!!

Tell him DU says "Howdy! He's our favorite kind of people. Those that think for themselves!"

[samplegirl]

21. Good Story

always good to hear of someone coming to the sane side!

[mercymechap]

22. Old habits are hard to break....

I understand where he's coming from. My husband used to be a Republican, his whole family still is, but it didn't take a shutdown to make him see the light. He's a stronger Democrat now than I am. But, I'm glad to hear that at least one Republican is able to admit the truth and see them for what they are.