Barack Obama Turns Republicans Into Swingers

Con.serv.a.tive (adjective) disposed to preserve existing conditions, institutions, or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change
Con.serv.a.tive (noun) a person who is conservative in principles, actions, habits, etc.

I have a confession to make: Some of my favorite people are rich, white, and Republican. It’s true. Although, I’m not sure if this was so much a conscious decision as a survival mechanism. Finding someone that isn’t privileged, Caucasian, and conservative in the world of Charlotte private schools is no easy task. My mom was the only one with a Clinton/Gore sticker on her Volvo in the car pool lane. Don’t get me wrong; there were a few other kids who voted Democrat on Kids Voting Day. But, for the most part, political debates were dominated by kids whose parents all had a picture of themselves and a Bush (take your pick: 41, 43, Barbara, or if not so fortunate, Jeb) sitting on their desks at the bank, law firm, or hospital where they worked. So what in the hell is going on? In the past few months, I have been noticing a truly disturbing trend: Life long, die hard Republicans actually considering their options outside of the let’s say, lackluster candidates that the Republican primary race has offered them. More specifically, these conservatives are considering voting for a black guy with little experience, a strong anti-war record, and a name that would automatically make Homeland Security’s “No Fly” list. How bad have things gotten in America where our freedom lovin’, tax hatin’, terrorist huntin’ constituents are quietly deciding to vote for Barack Obama?

Is he just that good? Is Barack Obama the great unifier we have been looking for? Or is it just a combination of a poor candidate pool and a venomous hatred of Hillary Clinton? And the bigger question: Does it really matter? Perhaps my conservative friends and family aren’t voting for Obama for the reasons I wish they would. Maybe they truly don’t believe universal health care would work and still think that global warming is a myth and for these reasons alone, we should be scared of these people. But the fact that that they are still willing to elect Obama anyway tells me that this is a man who is capable of bringing together a truly motley crew, no matter what the circumstances are that lead us to him.