Obamacans

Perhaps it isn't really that rare for a Republican to cross over and vote for a Democratic candidate for president, but when high profile Republicans start publicly endorsing a Democrat, then something must be in the air. We know former Rhode Island Republican Senator Lincoln Chafee has endorsed Obama, but he isn't alone. Point of fact, there is a national organization called Republicans for Obama that has chapters in every state in the Union.

Earlier this year, the granddaughter of two-term Republican president Dwight Eisenhower, Susan Eisenhower came out for Obama. Last week, Eisenhower said, "I am proud to be an Eisenhower Republican. But my wing of the party, fiscally conservative and socially progressive, is not represented by the Republican party today.

"It has become a socially conservative and fiscally reckless party. And at the same time, there is a candidate in Barack Obama who is enormously appealing. He has the temperament and attitude that can bring together different sides which is tremendously important for this country right now."

Last month, it was revealed that her sister-in-law, Julie Nixon Eisenhower - youngest daughter of Richard Nixon - has also be supporting Obama, although not publicly. Nixon's daughter has contributed the maximum amount of $2300 to Obama's campaign. And while her sister Tricia has donated to John McCain, her husband David - Susan's brother - and the other two Eisenhower siblings (four total) have all been giving to Obama.

One has to wonder about the dinner talk at some political family tables. While the governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is endorsing John McCain, his wife and some of his in-laws are firmly in the Obama camp.

Julie Nixon is also the co-chair of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Birthplace Foundation, so some of the political discussions there have to be interesting as well.

With these types of people supporting Obama, one has to wonder how much influence their support will carry with friends and other members of the GOP who find this out. We know Obama has the ability to bridge the widening chasm that has ripped this country over the past two decades. It's time to get the man in the White House so the healing can begin.