Well - I gotta say Jim - it just goes to show that an education wasn't wasted on you. Yes - you believed all those things a few years ago - and you either learned better or saw better by demonstration of living conditions.

Unfortunately, the poeple I know well, (like my husband's parents - one of whom is from Wisconsin) will even vote against their own self interest - and self preservation. My father-in law is an ex LA cop who has a government pension (a very nice pension mind you) and he votes against everything union or big government (he is still a member of the Police credit union - oh that's different he says). He votes against any tax increase for schools - after all his kids are grown - he doesn't need to support education. And he votes pro-war all the time - even though he had 2 sons who could have been killed in the Vietnam conflict - and he now has grandsons who could be killed in Iraq.

And why does he do this? The Republicans are the religious party and the Democrats are anti-god. He is pro-life (aren't we all) unless it comes to the war - that he always votes for.

He doesn't care that he has two grand-daughters who will be affected by his pro-life (anti choice) vote. He doesn't care that the next president will most likely have 3 supreme court justices to appoint - and then Roe vs Wade will most likely disappear.

His wife - my mother-in-law - votes the same way he does. Isn't that what a woman is supposed to do?

Aaaargh!!!! - I don't think I have ever felt so pessimistic about the future of my country as I do now.