Elephant in the House

When you ask Mary who she is voting for she replies, quickly, "John McCain". Further evidence that my father, somewhere, somehow, is laughing at me, loving this. My father was a Republican, a flag waving rompin' stompin' Republican educated at Texas A&M. I was schooled, at a very young age, that the only party was the grand old party. On my 18th birthday Dad took me to register to vote. That November I proudly cast my ballot for Walter Mondale. My father was defeated, a failed father. And I a failed voter, Mondale of course losing in a landslide.

My father tried for years to correct his mistakes. He did everything in his power to show me the Republican way. He tried, he really did, but in all that schooling he taught me to be an independent, and critical, thinker. He also created a political junkie who lives for this time of year. I never turned to Dad's side, we battled for years, he finally resigning himself to his vote canceling out mine (and vice versa). All his dreams came true when they built the Bush library on the A&M campus, two of the greatest things in the world coming together in one place. Dad proudly wrote his check of support and then had my name added to the Donor Wall.

My four year old daughter, who has a doll named Barack Obama, is going to cast her four year old vote for John McCain. My father, wearing an Aggie hat and waving a McCain sign, is dancing in heaven.