Why Are Republicans Jumping Ship and Supporting Barack Obama?

My father in law is a Republican and he won't be voting for McCain this year, which totally blew me away. We're talking about a man who is a Vietnam vet, had a picture of George W. in his den (which is gone now) and grew up in a household where his mother was the secretary for the Illinois Republican committees head for 30 years. He told me McCain scares him. And Palin scares him even more. My whole take on it is that McCain would probably be doing a lot better right now if he wouldn't have been so quick to jump on the smear trail, and wouldn't have begun his campaign running on a "I'm a POW" platform, when his voting record proves he doesn't give a flying fig about vets.

Well you may be right. Honestly though it seems to have a lot to do with the candidates stands on a lot of the most important issues that immediately affect the US economy and the lives of over 80% of its citizens. I think both need to do some serious rethinking about what they plan to do and how they plan to carry it out. There will always be taxes its just got to be that way and yes everyone needs to pay but yeah those who make more should pay more but those who labor shouldn't get a free ride either.

I have a hard time believing a true conservative republican would ever support a socialist like Obama. Frankly what Obama wants to do by "spreading the wealth around" scares me. I would never ever vote for a socialist. My vote is for John McCain. I truly don't get why the bulk of Americans would welcome a socialistic type of government, but apparently that's just what they want. There will be little incentive for working hard and trying to achieve the American dream if that happens. I do believe we should help those in need, those struggling, those who are in between jobs,those without health insurance, but I'm concerned what we'll really be doing is giving a good number of people who are too lazy to work a free ride. I WANT to help people who can't work, or can't find work, but not those who don't want to work. I'm really not a big fan of a welfare state. Welfare should be a temporary aid for people, not a way of life. When you vote this year, please please please really look at both candidates and recognize they both have a lot of flaws. You just have to decide which flaws you're willing to live with for the next 4 years and which consequences of the next 4 years you're willing to live with for Lord knows how many years after that. I'm not really excited about either, but I feel like McCain is the safer choice. BTW, he's really not George Bush and that's a good thing. Oh, and by the way... the economic crises we're in today is as much the fault of the democratic party is it is the republican party. I'm sooooo sick of hearing people blame the republicans for this mess. It's a lie.

It's just a testament to the piss poor choice of Sen. McCain. He may have been forced on the Republicans as a candidate, but that doesn't mean Republicans are forced to accept him or vote for him.

Palin is just as qualified to be vice president as Obama is to be president. They are both clueless. McCain had a chance until he picked Palin as his running mate. No matter who is elected the country will be screwed.

For sure there are a good number of Republicans, particularly moderate Republicans, who are now switching over to Obama. This is not too surprising as there are quite a few Republicans that are disillusioned with what has gone on in the last 8 years and who feel we need a fresh start. In some ways, it is the inevitable political cycle - the Republicans are unpopular at the moment and therefore a minority of their supporters are peeling away to support the Democrats.

Great discussion. I saw Kathleen Parker on some show last week and when pressed she wouldn't say who she was going to vote for, claiming it's a secret ballot and something nobody else had to know. Coming from a true conservative, it sure sounds to me like she's going to be voting for Obama, doesn't it? No doubt there are many others who haven't been so vocal with their displeasure with the McCain campaign and the Palin selection who feel the same way. I hope McCain's latest stump speech begins to sink in to a huge number of the voters. He's been attacking Obama's tax plan, saying how Obama claims 95% of the people will get a tax cut but 40% pay no FEDERAL INCOME TAXES, and that therefore they'll just get a tax CREDIT, which he calls a handout which he compares to welfare. Of course, those in attendance at his rallies cheered and booed at the appropriate times but I wonder how many of them actually fall into the category McCain was demeaning. Depending on the cost of living where you live, many people can be at or even considerably above the media income and still not owe federal income taxes but that doesn't mean they don't also need a break, they need it most of all! And, they DO pay taxes - the payroll tax, state and local income taxes if applicable, sales taxes, property taxes - even if they don't earn enough to have to pay federal income taxes. Also, where is the help for them in McCain's health plan? It's NOT THERE! Sorry to get a bit off-topic, Lloyd, but fortunately all Republicans aren't rich fat-cats who can't stand the thought of paying a single cent that may benefit someone who makes less than them and realize there are hard working families who need a "leg up" every bit as much as Joe the Plumber does. Annie

I am not sure that you are exactly right about this. I believe that they are backing Obama because they realize that his plan is more solid than McCains' and they see what the rest of us see, who aren't using race as a factor for voting or not voting for someone. Palin is not the person we want in as vice President or President should something happen to McCain. I believe that the economic policies are the biggest factor in this election and McCain just doesn't see to have a plan at all. I believe that universal healthcare is the second largest factor. I am not sure that he would do that either. I firmly believe that Obama is the one who knows where the working class of people stand in life and that he realizes that we are the ones who need the help that America is supposed to give us. Seperation of church and state is another issue all in it's own. This country was founded on God and should still stand for that. We are one nation under God and just because we have allowed so many different religions into our country doesn't mean that we should seperate ourselves from our original beliefs and stands. Prayer and discipline is what our schools need and teachers who are there to teach and not have affairs with the students or sexually abuse them. Maybe the Republicans see what their party has accomplished the last 8 years and have decided that they are ready for a change!

I agree Lloyd, I remember when Bush and Cheney set Colin Powell up and he made false statements at the U.N. on why we should go to war with Iraq. They set him up and it's a known fact the Colin Powell later regretted what he said. I'll be voting for Obama.

Yes I agree. I find Obama more graceful leader, specially in the times of financial turmoils world is facing right now, to become the next President of US.

And there are Democrats who think that McCain is more qualified. I'm so surprised at Americans who are willing to let the so-called rich pay more taxes so they can have more. That's not the American way. In fact, it's socialism. All of those shaky associations of Obama's - the ones that he first tried to hide and then tried to deny - have one thing in common. They want big government and programs - to control the people. I pray that Obama doesn't get in.

Just who are you talking to or listening to? I think you should go on some of the message boards and listen to some democrats talk! They are coming out of the woodwork for McCain. And lets not make fun of Joe the Plumber. Your candidate went after him, not the other way round. AND then they vetted him like Obama had never been vetted, in order to try and ruin his life because he was a McCain supporter! In fact, they've made him famous and he didn't even ask for it! This is one republican that would NEVER vote for a democrat! And I personally know lots of die-hard Democrats that are voting Republican for the first time in their life this year.

Lloyd, I don't find it unusual for people to change horses when a winner is on the other side of the fence, politically speaking. I think Obama and McCain were to close together and that many voters didn't have strong feelings on either of them so now you see those voters going with who they feel will be the winner. I think this is human nature not some complicated policial reason.

Yeah, it was a bit surprising to me when with NBC television programm Colin Powell told that he had thrown his full weight for Barak Obama. The reaction of McCain was really interesting. He said he was not surprised at the decesion of Colin Powell. I beleive that Powell wanted to create some sort of storm in the tea cup. Now Obama has said, he will make Powell his advisor if he goes to power. We have to wait till the final voting day if Powell's support can give something to Obama.

I would think they are taken by his charisma and that he is saying the right things and what people want to hear. They forget that he may not be a natural born U.S. citizen (if he is, he has to show his proper birth certificate), and really do not care. And if he said he was not, they will not kick him out of the preidency because he is Obama and can do no wrong. He is saying that he will fix the economy, distributed the wealth, take from the rich and give to the poor. I know this is simplistic, but basically distributing the wealth is taxing more heavily on the rich then was done by Bush, and giving that money to the poor, no matter if they deserve it or not, whether they are legals or illegals. He thinks that he can fix the economy in four short years (which will probably be stretched to eight or more and people will accept it because it comes from Obama.) No president can fix the economy and if the Republicans do they are blamed, and if the Democrats do, they are praised even if it goes bad. However I remember hearing about one who everyone liked, the media was behind, he did fix the economy, and he was a brilliant speaker that people would shout his name when they saw him. His name was Hitler.

I think the whole party is in disarray. Once Colin Powell spoke so eloquently about his feelings, they saw the truth. Sarah Palin has been a sideshow taking the party off it's message. I am sure Sen McCain is a dedicated man who believes in his views of how to make this country better, but between the shadow of Pres Bush and the unreadiness of Mrs. Palin long time supporters are jumping ship as fast as they can. To note that the largest newspaper in the state of Alaska has endorsed Obama, makes me wonder how McCain plans to stop the bleeding.

I have to agree, lloydanthony, that a surprising number of Republicans are either openly or secretly endorsing Obama. The hard-core factions are still hoping for an "October Surprise" that will topple Obama from his position in the polls. They are grasping at any straws to dig up more dirt to pile onto the heap they have already amassed. They are playing up to the fears that most of them have about paying higher taxes when, actually, whoever gets in will more than likely have to raise taxes as these wars drag on and they continue to bail out the Fat Cats in the banking industry.

Hi lloyd, Maybe it a good thing to get more votes on Obama side, who knows. Tamara

Hey lloyd! You may be right and I hope you are! But, honestly I don't care how or why they decide to switch parties they are right for doing so! The Republicans will sink with the ship and the Country if they pull that lever and I think that they know that now and some are finally no longer afraid to admit it out loud! And all I have to say is whatever the reason, whatever will work to get to cross party lines just do it! If they don't and they do support McCain we will be in so much more trouble then we are already in thanks to Bush! With only 2 more weeks to go I hope more and more of them will come out and give their support!