dwise1 writes:
Rather, knowing that the Republicans are not his friends, how could he have voted Republican?
Because he detests liberals more than he dislikes Republicans.
I think I am about the only Democrat in my immediate family, and I live in a deep red state (Idaho), so I think I can speak with some authority on the issue. If family discussions tend towards politics I just shut up and start taking notes. It is absolutely fascinating.
If there is one thread that runs through my family's loyalty to the Republican party is their false sense of persecution. They think the liberals are out to do away with Christians and Christianity. There is also a strong racist tone to it as well, but it leans more towards xenophobia. They have watched the world around them change drastically (e.g. gay rights, black president, internet) and it frightens them. Look up the craziest conspiracy theories found on Snopes.com and those are the things coming out of my mother's mouth. The one bright spot is that some of my family is at least open to the idea of single payer universal healthcare.
Overall, they view Democrats as the Devil, literally and figuratively. Any disagreements they have with the Republican party is not going to be enough to push them to the Democrats. Their party of choice is baked in at this point, as it is further supported by the people they talk to at church and drink coffee with at the local diner in a town of 600. There are times when I wish I could secretly video tape their discussions on politics and post it online. I think a lot of jaws would hit the floor.