Voting

So this morning I went and cast my ballot. I won't bore you with who I voted for or even a rant about why you should vote, but I will share an interesting discussion I had with my dad this morning. He asked me if I voted and I asked him and he had said he had done so a couple of weeks ago, absentee ballot. (on a side note, I don't understand why people vote absentee. I get it if you are not going to be there, but it isn't like he isn't at home this morning and since he is retired, it isn't like he has a whole lot on his agenda). Anyway, back to my point. My father is a Republican. He's been a Republican forever. I am his "Commie pinko bedwetting daughter" voting for the liberal daughter. He's also nearing 70. I can remember being a child and the Regan/Mondale election coming up and discussing it with my best friend of the time and being positive I would be a Republican too when I grew up. Although I can remember being kind of excited about Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate, because I thought it would be good to get a woman in the office. (Ahh even back then liberal leanings). Back to my father, he voted Republican, of course. But it was his comment about voting this year that caught me. He doesn't agree with Bush on stem-cell and abortion. He also said that it was hard to get really excited about any of the 4 candidates (AZ) and it was the first time that's ever happened to him. The man's been voting for about 50 years and yet this is the first time he has ever questioned his choices, and wasn't 100% behind his party's candidate. Wow. That boggles the mind.