Seniors for McCain

[Lionqueen2]

Coming from a family of life-long Democrats, I decided this year that I would be voting for McCain. Thinking that I would keep peace in the family, I kept the decision to myself.
Can you imagine my shock when my MIL mentioned the other day that she and my FIL would not be voting Democrat for the first time ever in their lives.
She did not like Obama's tax policies and approach to senior issues, but said that the continued Democratic references to McCain being out of touch because he was older made the final decision for her. She considered that insulting and demeaning and felt that if Obama had no respect for McCain's age, how could regular ordinary seniors expect respect from him.
My MIL is a little older than McCain and is anything but out of touch. She and FIL are very vital people and many folks half their age would have trouble keeping up with them. MIL is so upset with Obama that she is starting to work with McCain supporters to help get him elected.
Needless to say, I am still in shock. This is a big change for my family.

 

[breezy1077]

Thank you for sharing!

My MIL is a lifelong Dem as well. I had a similar shock when this past weekend, she confessed that she was so happy with Palin and that Obama scared her to death.

She's voting for McCain too - and that's a big thing for her to admit. DH said that made him happy because he sees his mom as "middle America", and hopes this is a growing sentiment.

 

[LotsOfQuestions]

Coming from a family of life-long Democrats, I decided this year that I would be voting for McCain. Thinking that I would keep peace in the family, I kept the decision to myself.
Can you imagine my shock when my MIL mentioned the other day that she and my FIL would not be voting Democrat for the first time ever in their lives.
She did not like Obama's tax policies and approach to senior issues, but said that the continued Democratic references to McCain being out of touch because he was older made the final decision for her. She considered that insulting and demeaning and felt that if Obama had no respect for McCain's age, how could regular ordinary seniors expect respect from him.
My MIL is a little older than McCain and is anything but out of touch. She and FIL are very vital people and many folks half their age would have trouble keeping up with them. MIL is so upset with Obama that she is starting to work with McCain supporters to help get him elected.
Needless to say, I am still in shock. This is a big change for my family.

My mother is 78 and very "with it." She is also a liberal democrat. She doesn't like Obama very much. She was a strong Hillary supporter and then threw her support behind McCain after Obama dissed Hillary.

She was thrilled with McCain and Palin....for about a week.

And then she actually started doing her research and stopped listening to the McCain Ads, which even Karl Rove has said go past the bounds of accurate.

She found out that Obama's tax policy actually benefitted her more than McCain's did. Other real research on the issues that matter to her pushed her back to the democrat side.

Although she is not thrilled with Obama, she and her group of "lil biddies" (her name for them), have moved from McCain supporters to Obama supporters.

 

[wardfamily1]

My 73 year old FIL who's been a life long union-democrat is voting Republican for the first time in his life this year too. He doesn't like Obama's elitist mentality.

 

[breezy1077]

My 73 year old FIL who's been a life long union-democrat is voting Republican for the first time in his life this year too. He doesn't like Obama's elitist mentality.

that's a good term for it "union-democrats", that's what DH says his dad was and his mother still is.

and MIL is voting for McCain!

 

[Mickeyistheman]

I know I am going to get a big Flame for this one, but I am going to put it out there.

For the "Mature" Americans that have been LIFELONG Dems are switching to the Republican side? They don't like Obama, as PP's have stated.

Is it because he is black? I think that is an honest question and really deserves an honest answer. Many in the Democratic Party don't think this is an issue, I disagree and think it is just being pushed to the wasteside and it should not be, it should be addressed.

I know my grandfather - god rest his soul - would have a really hard time voting for Obama because he is black, he comes from a different time and had his views even though he was a Democrat I think he would have to vote for Mccain.

I am NOT looking for a fight or HUGE negative debate I feel that many are pushing this aside and that is why people are "Voting against him"

Flame suit on

 

[Master Mason]

I know I am going to get a big Flame for this one, but I am going to put it out there.

For the "Mature" Americans that have been LIFELONG Dems are switching to the Republican side? They don't like Obama, as PP's have stated.

Is it because he is black? I think that is an honest question and really deserves an honest answer. Many in the Democratic Party don't think this is an issue, I disagree and think it is just being pushed to the wasteside and it should not be, it should be addressed.

I know my grandfather - god rest his soul - would have a really hard time voting for Obama because he is black, he comes from a different time and had his views even though he was a Democrat I think he would have to vote for Mccain.

I am NOT looking for a fight or HUGE negative debate I feel that many are pushing this aside and that is why people are "Voting against him"

Flame suit on

Yep it has to be about race, couldn't be that they simply don't like him or what he stands for, or that they have looked at him and found him wanting in charactor or experience..... nope must be because they are racist.

 

[SteveInBrooklyn]

Many seniors in America were alive when the South practiced Apartheid. It will be hard for them to pull the lever for a black man. Racial prejudice is ingrained in Americans I think. We don't even know it's there, and it seems to be politically incorrect to even discuss it. America simply is not ready. That's why I think in 2008 Obama will lose. Luckily he is young, I predict one day he will be president. Just not now.

 

[amyhughes]

I think I remember stating on LaraK's thread that Obama was playing the wrong card with that attack ad aimed at McCain being "out of touch." This voter block is one he will NEED come election day. Older voters turn out in record numbers compared with college age or twenty-somethings that are energized.

That ad was poorly thought out, and even less spun than previous attack ads, yet it seems to resonate more with the core of American voters than anything else he has played out there. His aides and representatives have been spinning that ad since it first aired last week. Time will tell.

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

McCain's policies would still be "out of touch" if he were half his age.

As for seniors for McCain, my in-laws (both Republicans) have decided to sit this election out as they can't stand McCain or Obama and my diehard Republican mom, who has never once voted Democratic, has decided to vote for Obama this election. When I heard the news, you could have knocked me down with a feather. My only question to her, "What took you so long?"

 

[NMAmy]

Well, I find this thread a little hilarious after the discussion I had with my 76 year old mother the other day. She told me, "John McCain is younger than me and he's STILL too darn old to be President." Well, she didn't say "darn" but my mom's vocabulary isn't always DIS friendly when she gets wound up about politics. I won't go into all her reasons why anyone his age is too old but it was pretty amusing.

 

[Mickeyistheman]

I did not call anyone a racist, I just want an honest answer.

My stepfather was not going to vote for Obama b/c he was black. He can get upset with me, I don't care. I still love him

However, after watching the DNC and hearing Obama speak he realized that he needs to vote for Obama because our country needs this change and he knows that after being a lifelong Democrat he stands for and beleives in the Democratic Party NOT the Republican Party.

 

[Pete's Mom]

I know I am going to get a big Flame for this one, but I am going to put it out there.

For the "Mature" Americans that have been LIFELONG Dems are switching to the Republican side? They don't like Obama, as PP's have stated.

Is it because he is black? I think that is an honest question and really deserves an honest answer. Many in the Democratic Party don't think this is an issue, I disagree and think it is just being pushed to the wasteside and it should not be, it should be addressed.

I know my grandfather - god rest his soul - would have a really hard time voting for Obama because he is black, he comes from a different time and had his views even though he was a Democrat I think he would have to vote for Mccain.

I am NOT looking for a fight or HUGE negative debate I feel that many are pushing this aside and that is why people are "Voting against him"

Flame suit on

I wouldn't say this is for ALL cases but I have a friend whose elderly lifelong Democratic parents from PA have stated that they are not voting for Obama because they won't vote for a black man. Another friend's parents have not opted to vote at all instead.

On the flip side, many of the African Americans I work with have stated that they are voting for Obama because he is black. One could argue that is discrimination too.

As a comical side note, an elderly man at work stated he was voting for Hillary because "she was just a figurehead, Bill would be running things behind the scenes when she gets in". He said he didn't have faith in McCain because he was old and he knew from personal experience that his own mind was not as sharp as it used to be.

Next time I am in, I need to ask him what he is going to do now....

 

[Minnie824]

I'm curious, since this thread is titled Seniors for McCain...do seniors not care about the health care system? Obama is looking to improve that...is McCain? Because right now the health care system stinks. My parents can attest to that. My FIL lost his entire life savings in just one year of illness. I would honestly think that would be a major issue for seniors.

 

[breezy1077]

Yep it has to be about race, couldn't be that they simply don't like him or what he stands for, or that they have looked at him and found him wanting in charactor or experience..... nope must be because they are racist.

Exactly. It can't be because they can think for themselves and disagree with wanting a socialist to run our country....it must be because he's black

 

[Master Mason]

Many seniors in America were alive when the South practiced Apartheid. It will be hard for them to pull the lever for a black man. Racial prejudice is ingrained in Americans I think. We don't even know it's there, and it seems to be politically incorrect to even discuss it. America simply is not ready. That's why I think in 2008 Obama will lose. Luckily he is young, I predict one day he will be president. Just not now.

Many seniors were also around when we were fighting the cold war, perhaps it would be hard for them to pull the lever for someone with socialist leanings.

 

[LotsOfQuestions]

I did not call anyone a racist, I just want an honest answer.

My stepfather was not going to vote for Obama b/c he was black. He can get upset with me, I don't care. I still love him

However, after watching the DNC and hearing Obama speak he realized that he needs to vote for Obama because our country needs this change and he knows that after being a lifelong Democrat he stands for and beleives in the Democratic Party NOT the Republican Party.

I think you are correct, no matter how flamed you get.

I strongly believe that my liberal 76 year old mother does not like Obama is because he is black. She cannot articulate what she does not like about him. She just says he makes her uneasy.

Luckily, she is voting on the issues that matter to her and after doing her research, she has withdrawn her support for McCain and will now be pulling the lever for Obama, no matter how uncomfortable it makes her.

And I have heard some of her friends voice it out loud that our country is not yet ready for a black man to be president. So, yes, Master Mason, for those people it is sadly about race.

 

[Kathi OD]

Well, I find this thread a little hilarious after the discussion I had with my 76 year old mother the other day. She told me, "John McCain is younger than me and he's STILL too darn old to be President." Well, she didn't say "darn" but my mom's vocabulary isn't always DIS friendly when she gets wound up about politics. I won't go into all her reasons why anyone his age is too old but it was pretty amusing.

This is the same position that both my parents have. My dad is one of the most conservative people I've ever met, and he says there is no way someone who is as old as he is should be running the country. I'm not sure he'll actually be able to pull the lever for Obama once he's in the voting booth, but I found his reasons for not wanting to vote for McCain rather comical.

 

[Mickeyistheman]

Pete's Mom,

I am curious who that gentleman would be voting for now

But in regards to your fellow co workers that are Black, who said they are voting for Obama Because he is Black. Well then haven't we only voted for White men just b/c they were white? We have NEVER had that option EVER.

I just think because of his skin color he is not getting the credit that he deserves and in this day and age I would hope and pray that many would see past that and look at the issues.

A PP said it very well wouldn't the Seniors who are voting for Mccain be concerned about HealthCare? I know my Grandmother can't afford her prescriptions as it is. She could never afford to live on her own now, that is why she lives with us. Too many elderly are not getting the medical care they need or the pills they need either. I would think that would be a HUGE issue for them.

 

[Master Mason]

I think you are correct, no matter how flamed you get.

I strongly believe that my liberal 76 year old mother does not like Obama is because he is black. She cannot articulate what she does not like about him. She just says he makes her uneasy.

Luckily, she is voting on the issues that matter to her and after doing her research, she has withdrawn her support for McCain and will now be pulling the lever for Obama, no matter how uncomfortable it makes her.

And I have heard some of her friends voice it out loud that our country is not yet ready for a black man to be president. So, yes, Master Mason, for those people it is sadly about race.

And sadly for those that say they are voting for him simply because he is black it is also about race. But, I have seen too many people say that not voting Obama is simply a matter of race. Sure there are some out there, but too often I see it listed as the only possible cause and that simply isn't true.