Yesterday I was lucky to have a quiet one-on-one with an older self-described conservative lady (someone I had just met, we were working on a non-political charitable volunteer job) and we were able to talk about politics and the election without rancor. I learned quite a bit. I hope she did too. We did both try and listen to one another.

She is a conservative Republican, but doesn't fit the wingnut stereotype we like to bash here. She doesn't seem to be personally selfish (donating quite a bit of time to causes that really help people) nor racist, nor stupid. She does spend most of her time inside their echo chamber however, and she has a sincere terror that the President will be re-elected and America as she knows and loves it will come to an end.

In talking to her I had two objectives: understand how a woman could truly support the Republican party and vote for their candidates (a mystery to me) and comprehend why her fear was so strong.

She was so scared I tried hard to reassure her that most of the scare talk she hears about the President and his intentions in a second term is exaggerated for political purposes -- just as we sometimes exaggerate the negatives of their side. It's a deadly serious game and both sides are trying hard to win even if that means some spin. She understood that, but it didn't help the fear aspect much. She doesn't believe the nonsense about Obama being a Muslim or Socialist, she's just terrified that at the end of another four years the nation will be bankrupt and in hopeless debt.

A few words she said and suddenly I realized the real reason true Republicans are shivering with terror:

If Barack Obama is re-elected they lose in every possible way:

1. They and their world view are repudiated by America in no uncertain terms.

2. If they are right and the economy is ruined they ruined with it.

3. If they are wrong they are screwed too. In her words: "He [Obama] will be the liberal's Reagan".

My reassurances that America would survive didn't help because if Obama is successful and saves the country, in the process he ruins the Republican brand and party for the foreseeable future.

Terrible thought, isn't it?

Her fear was also the answer to why as a female she could support the Republican anti-woman crusade. She doesn't see it that way of course. She only wants the social changes to come to a stop and for the clock to be turned back to a more comfortable time for her and her class (upper middle) and if being subservient to her husband and a benevolent (her view) patriarchy is the way God wants it that's a trade she's more than willing to make, just to feel safe.

Sad, but there was little hope I could make progress against that attitude. Once the Will of God gets invoked, it's hard to argue with the omnipotent omniscient Creator of the Universe. A fact authorities from time immemorial have used to keep us reconciled to our "place."

The political stakes this year are actually much higher for them than us. So the fact that their champion in this joust is riding a lame horse and has his armor on backwards is driving them crazy right now. Crazier. Their sweat has the smell of desperation about it. There will be blood after this election, I deeply fear and hope I am wrong.