So

[prog]

I have five immediate family members who live in a swing state (Maine). They are all highly partisan Republicans and fans of Fox news. (I mean this literally: they watch Fox news and tell me how great it is.) They are highly fiscally conservative, and moderately socially conservative. (Socially, my parents have been slowly drifting towards more libertarian views as they have grown older, mellowed out, and met a wider variety of people... as much as that's possible in Maine, anyway.)

* I think that my parents are not stupid or insane, but instead possess a very different view of the world than you or I, in which the sitting president's actions have been generally justified.

* I think that my two brothers and one sister-in-law are too dopey to hold any political views of their own, and will vote however my parents do.

* If I can somehow sway my parents to vote for !W, I would feel as if I helped cast five ballots in a state whose electoral votes' destination is not predetermined. (My own state is the bluest of of the blues.)

So, then:

* Can I do anything?

Comments

Re: Buh?

[prog.livejournal.com]

Maine is absolutely among the "purple states" this year, if not in previous election years. It voted for Gore by a margin of 5 percent in 2000, and polls today give it a very weak leaning towards Kerry.

I would put forth the theory that Maine appears pretty liberal to you since you spend most of your time in its larger cities, and (I know from your recent entries!) you visit UMaine sometimes. Everything due north or west of Orono, I think you'd find different overall attitudes there.

One of my orkers is from Taiwan, and most of her exposure to the USA is from Boston; she has admitted to feel mystified at reports that Bush has so much support, when she can't find a scrap of it on the streets...

Re: Buh?

[rikchik.livejournal.com]

I just read at electoral-vote.com that Maine is one of the states that splits its electoral vote by congressional district - what effect has that had in the past?