"Can you wait a minute?" he asks. "I'll be right back out."

[struggle4progress]

I'd caught him headed up a walkway towards the townhouses. He's moved and wants to update his voter registration.

So I wait ... and wait ... and wait. The promised minute stretches into five. Finally, he returns

I'm filling out the form, and he suddenly realizes that through long habit he's given me the wrong address. So I start over

Towards the end, I ask for his party affiliation. He says he's a Republican. Sometimes registering voters is more fun, and some times it's less fun. But the law requires me to hand the elections board the completed forms I get, and I can't see any upside to being a jerk. So I have him sign and date. And I tell him I'll submit it for him. And in the back of my mind, I calmly remind myself: it's a numbers game, anyway

Who do you think I should vote for? he asks. I don't think Obama will win. There are too many people angry at him

I say I think Obama can win. We chat a few moments

I have to vote Republican on the other races, he confides, but I want to vote for Obama

He's swallowed a chunk of my time, but it's been a friendly encounter. I move along politely, wondering about this man who feels compelled to support Republicans down ballot -- and who is worried that Obama will lose

[NavyDem]

1. Cool that he wants to vote for President Obama....

But if he votes Republican down ticket, I think we see 4 more years of obstruction (I believe President Obama will win anyway with the jokes running on the R side).

[struggle4progress]

2. I don't understand him

[JoePhilly]

3. I think for some, being Republican is Religion.

I know some folks who have been Republicans for many years.

They voted for Bush twice.

They lean conservative on social and fiscal issues ... but are not extreme.

But they believed that Bush was "protecting us" by invading Iraq. After all, dems are "weak".

They accepted that climate change was a hoax.

They are learning that they've been lied to.

Creationism in schools? They don't support it.

Gays are evil ... don't support that. Just, "uncomfortable" with the gays.

And they have seen that the GOP at the national level has a failed fiscal approach. They remain skeptical of all government.

And when they look at the GOP candidate for Prez, they are scared ... but ... at the State and local levels, they are not yet ready to 'unhook".

But the Tea Party insanity is making them more willing to convert from their GOP religion, at the lower levels, but they are not completely comfortable doing so.

[sufrommich]

4. It sounds like you may have

registered a vote for Obama,so not all is lost. Thanks for being out there for us,struggle4progress.

[struggle4progress]

5. Or mebbe NavyDem got it right upthread, and the good done by the Obama vote

will be undone by the vote for a Republican representative

Who knows?

[NavyDem]

6. If it makes you feel any better

I can tell you that at least 4 members of my family that are registered Republicans will be voting a straight Democratic ticket for the second presidential election in a row, and the Democratic members of my family plan to do the same. All are frustrated with congress and all the obstructionism.

[struggle4progress]

7. I'm not morose. I think we have a good shot in 2012.

Only a few percent of my registrations are calling themselves R, and in all the phone-calls I've made recently, one (1!) person screamed some anti-Obama slogan at me

I won't think of 2012 as a slamdunk sure thing. But the game in winnable, with work, and I'm playing to win