My best friend and my other best friend!

[Samantha]

My best friend is a woman I met 40 years ago. We have become like sisters. We are actually very different in many respects, but for some reason forged a bond the day we first met and have been family since. During the years of our maturity, it has become very apparent we hold politically opposite views. She is extremely well-to-do, and during Election 2000 voted for Bush* simply because of his tax cut incentive. My best friend seldom listens to the news, she can't be bothered. I have been subtly working on her for the last 10 years.

The news of this week left my well-to-do friend suffering catastrophic losses in the stock market, and a near-miss on her 401(k) (Fannie Mae).

TONIGHT SHE CALLED AND SAID AFTER WATCHING PALIN, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HER LIFE SHE WILL VOTE DEMOCRATIC.

The man I have been dating for the last 15 years is a conservative Catholic. Moderately well off, but very conservative in his political choices, and, as I always tease him, extremely "close" to his money, he has informed me he cannot vote for McCain and risking Palin eventually sitting in the Oval Office.

I am stunned. Two people I totally love and have loved for years despite our tremendous political differences will be voting Democratic in November.

I have always believed it is nearly impossible to convert a deeply embedded Republican, BUT WITH A TREMENDOUS ASSIST FROM SISTER SARAH I HAVE BEEN PROVEN WRONG.

As Barack Obama is fond of saying, "Change is on the way." Little did he know as he said this, it would be a Republican Vice Presidential candidate who might give him that little final "assist" over the goal line.

THANK YOU, SARAH PALIN. You can go home now, your work here is done!

[propel]

1. great story

I hope there are so many more like her.

Does my heart good to hear it.

[Samantha]

3. My political earth has shaken beneath me

It is virtually impossible for me to believe. Thanks.

Sam

[liberalmuse]

2. A very enjoyable read.

These are my favorite types of stories. I see tons of them, much more than from 2004. I'm really happy for you. And isn't it odd that it didn't happen the other way around?

[Samantha]

4. Do you mean that THEY didn't convert me?

There was never a chance of that happening. I was a Republican for many years. I joined that party as a young person. I read both parties' political platforms, believe it or not. The Republican party championed as little government interference in people's personal lives as possible. That basically roped me in. In the 90s I left in total disgust and came over to the bright side. Once I did, I realized this is where I always belonged. Eventually, these two people followed, but it took forever for them to get here.

I think my influence over these last years, gradual but subtle finally came home, but it was Sarah Palin that actually hammered it in. Ironic, isn't it?

Sam

[NOLALady]

5. IIRC

Sarah said something about destiny and her chosen purpose in life. Seems to me her purpose was to be chosen as VP to help an Obama win.

Save the beauty queen! Save the world!

[Samantha]

7. Yep, she was born to save the Republicans from themselves

and us from them. Together you and I have figured out her destiny. Now YOU go tell her! And thanks for playing!

Sam

[propel]

8. lol

very funny

[GrizzlyMan]

6. I'm glad you posted this

I think the pundits are making too big of a deal about the economy fueling Obama's surge. In reality, that has a lot to do with it, but so does the rational decisions being made by millions of people just like your friends and for the same reasons they cited. This is why McCain's campaign is a dead man walking.

[Samantha]

9. I so agree with you

What more can I say? The atrocities of the Republicans have finally registered, and the ironic thing is, Sarah Palin, of all people helped drive that final nail home. Maybe that is beyond ironic...it is unbelievable.

Thank you for your response.

Sam

[BrklynLiberal]

10. Great story. it is almost like those who could not see before are suddenly being

given the gift of sight....

[Samantha]

11. That is exactly right, but here is another startling thing for you

Last night at this site, a DU'er posted the thread entitled something like, "I finally realized who Sarah Palin reminds me of." When I opened the thread, there was the image of Police Officer Gunderson (not sure if I spelled that correctly) from Fargo. The image had a label at the bottom, McCain/Gunderson. That thread broke me up and I posted something like an analogy that the image was dead on -- I was instantly reminded of the scene at the end where one criminal had bumped off the other and was disposing of the body of the victim by feeding him head first into the wood chipper. Sarah Palin was the perp, the corpse was the economy and the wood chipper was the crapper.

So how surreal is it than in our conversation tonight, my best friend says Palin reminded her of that police officer in Fargo. It just blew me away!

Apologies to the poster who started the above-mentioned thread last night--I can't remember your name, but thank you so much.

Sam

[BrklynLiberal]

12. Perfect analogy...She and McSame are trying to feed this entire country into a wood chipper..

[SheilaT]

13. Stories like this help make up

for the others we hear who simply won't vote for Obama because he's black, whether or not they openly admit to that.

And I'm NOT being a concern troll, or one who simply throws cold water on these things, but I can't help remembering that in 2004 we heard story after story, not just here but everywhere, of people who said they'd voted for Bush in 2000, but weren't about to vote for him this year. There seemed to be no stories of anyone saying they'd voted for Gore in 2000, and were now going to vote for Bush. And we all saw what happened. Of course, I am firmly convinced the election was stolen particularly in Ohio last time.

But no, Sarah shouldn't go home just yet. She needs to stay out there and say here incredibly ignorant and dumb things in that awful nasal whine of hers, so that everyone who gets to hear her realizes just what an incompetent she is.

[Bucky]

14. You were probably a beacon of light to them, guiding them thru the fog of conservatism

Republicans never cease amazing me

[Samantha]

15. Well, here is another ironic thing

I have enjoyed writing for a number of years. They both know this. Since 2001, I have been posting here and have, on some occasions, posted some threads I really put a lot of time and effort into. I emailed those links to these friends, despite my best friend not being able to be bothered keeping up with the news, and my other best friend shutting down whenever I brought the subject of Bush* and the Republicans up to him. I knew because I was advertising to them my continued interest in writing, just in another arena, they would read the work. It worked. Occasionally they have remarked about points in my threads. I think that was an effective subtle way to inform them of the positions the Republicans were taking and the damage those positions were doing.

So, in a way, DU helped with their "conversions."

Sam

[progressivebydesign]

16. Awesome. I had a similar experience last night.

It was not directly about Palin/McCain... but I have a good friend who has always been a staunch republican. Her husband is former military, and they were Bush fans. She works in Country radio, and you know that demographic! Well.. last night on her myspace blog she went off on a rant about Prop 8 in California, (trying to overturn the gay marriage ruling) She was a woman possessed! She called out the religious hypocrites who are pushing the ban, she called out people (like Palin) who say gay is a "choice", and she basically has put her entire career in jeopardy by posting that. I do believe that she will be voting for Obama this year -- because something about that issue and the hypocrites surrounding it, has lit a fire beneath her.

People can change -- and sometimes it takes something so horrid as the choice of Palin, to facilitate it. Maybe. just maybe, people learned their lesson from elected Bush.

[Samantha]

17. Congratulations, I feel happy for you

Do you think she had been somewhat building up to this for some time, and the remark Palin made during the debate, marriage is between one man and one woman, just pushed her over the edge?

These incidents give me hope for the first time that some of these people who have been so dug in for so long now are moving out of the trenches into the light. Some of them now have their eyes wide open. It is a good day.

Thanks for responding.

Sam