More anecdotal evidence

that something huge is happening.

Yesterday my wife and I had lunch with her co-worker (born in China, now naturalized citizen) and her husband, of German/Pennsylvania Dutch descent. They have lived in Kingwood for several years (an 80% Republican suburb for those unfamiliar). My wife was uncertain about their level of political interest, much less affiliation, so I just wore my River Oaks Area Democratic Women logo polo shirt, which always manages to be a good conversation starter.

We had dim sum at Kim Son in Stafford and then went to the Lunar (Chinese) New Year Festival on the far west side of Houston. Over lunch -- while the girls were in the powder room -- he started asking me questions like "Well, it's a foregone conclusion that the Republicans will carry Texas ... right?" I replied that while that has certainly been the case in the recent past, the tide was turning and this year that likelihood IMHO depended on whether the Democrats picked Mrs. Clinton or Mr. Obama.

He remarked that his candidate HAD been Ron Paul, but that after researching the white supremacist thing, as well as the claim by Dr. No the constitutional expert that there was no separation of church and state in the document, he was now --with a scowl -- "undecided".

Our conversation continued along this very casual vein until he finally said, "I think that's a good idea; I'll vote in the Democratic primary for Obama and see what happens."

Folks, anything is officially possible. My advice would be to strike up a political conversation with your Republican friends and family in advance of March 4.

And don't forget to invite them to attend the precinct convention.

Sunday Funnies (Stimulant edition)

Top ten reasons conservatives hate McCain

Via the Chron, Libby Quaid of the AP counts 'em down:

1. Campaign finance reform. McCain tried to limit the role of money in politics with measures that, critics say, stomp on the constitutional right to free speech.

2. Immigration. McCain has been a vocal supporter of a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, although he now says he understands the border between the U.S. and Mexico must be sealed first.

3. Tax cuts. McCain twice voted against President Bush's tax cuts, saying in 2001 they helped the wealthy at the expense of the middle class and in 2003 that there should be no tax relief until the cost of the Iraq war was known. But he now wants to extend the tax cuts.

4. Gay marriage. McCain refuses to support a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.

5. Stem cell research. McCain would relax restrictions on federal dollars for embryonic stem cell research, which critics consider tantamount to abortion.

6. Global warming. Among the loudest voices in Congress for aggressive action against global warming and a frequent critic of the Bush administration on the issue.

7. "Gang of 14" member. One of seven Republicans and seven Democrats who averted a Senate showdown over whether filibusters could be used against Bush judicial nominees.

8. Kerry veep. McCain was approached by the Democratic presidential nominee in 2004, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, about being his running mate. McCain talked with Kerry but rejected the offer.

9. Works with Democrats. See all of the above.

10. Belligerence. McCain can be acerbic toward his critics, such as when he labeled televangelists Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson "agents of intolerance." He reconciled with Falwell in 2006. Conservative James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, said in a statement on the morning of the Super Tuesday primaries that he would not vote for McCain, citing among other things his "legendary temper" and that he "often uses foul and obscene language."

I posted a comment at the story site that I'll repeat here: The Republicans remind me of a mortally wounded marriage, where two people -- not necessarily a man and a woman -- cannot reconcile because they've said too many things they can never take back.

The chattering class of conservative commentators have spewed so much acidic bile about McCain -- and Pastor Huckabee too, for that matter -- that they cannot flip-flop now and support either man without sacrificing whatever is left of their integrity.

Fortunately for them, integrity does not appear to be highly valued within the modern conservative movement.

Mitt surrenders

As predicted here yesterday, the terror of $40 million of his personal fortune squandered and the fear of even more of it wasted in the continuance of a fool's errand forces Willard Romney to submit to the will of his children's inheritance:

"... (I)n this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign be a part of aiding a surrender to terror," Romney told the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington.

"So therefore I am cutting and running from the global war for the Republican nomination, and am graciously letting the terrorists -- err, the liberal John McCain, win. God help us all."

Audience members were heard screaming "No!", moaning and rending their garments. Seriously:

There were shouts of astonishment, with some moans and others yelling, "No, No."

And on their way out of the conference, as the PA announced the next speaker would be McCain, a chorus of boos greeted the presumptive GOP nominee.

Senor Juan McCain -- that's actually what they are calling him because he's not a xenophobe regarding undocumented immigration -- has earned the enmity of a diverse group of right-wing freaks, including Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh, James Dobson, Laura Ingraham, Sean Hannity, and Richard Viguerie. The locals are whining loudly. But it's not all bad: Senator Lapdog Corndog flip-flopped and endorsed the Maverick today.

That might actually hurt Cornyn in the current conservative environment. LMAO