How has your family voted?

[Mechaman]

Mother (registered Republican since 1980)

1980: Reagan
1984: Reagan
1988: Bush
1992: Clinton
1996: Clinton
2000: Bush
2004: Bush
2008: McCain
You can't tell by her voting record, but my mom is pretty moderate (especially on social issues). (I always get 1992 and 1996 mixed up, I keep thinking she voted for Bush and Dole but a few weeks ago she told me she actually voted for Clinton, thus the fix)

Father (registered Independent from 1974 until 2001, Republican ever since)

1976: Ford
1980: Clark
1984: Reagan
1988: Paul
1992: Perot
1996: Perot
2000: Browne
2004: Bush
2008: McCain
My dad was a libertarian leaning moderate until 9/11. Ever since then the fundies have brain washed him.........

[Mechaman]

Time for the grandparents:

Papa Bill (father's father) (registered Republican from 1952-1992, registered Independent from 1992-1997, when he died from lung cancer)

1952: Eisenhower
1956: Eisenhower
1960: Nixon
1964: Johnson
1968: Nixon
1972: Nixon
1976: Ford
1980: Clark
1984: Reagan
1988: Paul
1992: Perot
1996: Browne
Like my father my grandfather was a libertarian leaning moderate. He registered as a Republican to support Eisenhower (being a soldier himself, he saw Ike as a role model). In 1992, after 40 years of being a Republican, he changed his registration to an Independent to voice his opposition to the two party system (he had felt disenfranchised since 1988). He would die an Independent.

Grandma (father's mother) (registered Republican since 1954)

1956: Eisenhower
1960: Kennedy
1964: Goldwater
1968: Nixon
1972: Nixon
1976: Ford
1980: Reagan
1984: Reagan
1988: Bush
1992: Perot
1996: Dole
2000: Bush
2004: Badnarik
2008: Barr
My grandmother registered as a Republican in 1954 (to the chagrin of her Democrat father). Her most memorable vote was for John F. Kennedy (the only Democrat she ever voted for), the only president who was a "real looker". She was a party faithful for a long time until 2004, when she voted for Michael Badnarik over George W. Bush.

As you can kind of tell, libertarianism kind of runs in the family.

Grandpa (mother's father) (registered Democrat from 1955 until his death this May)

1956: Stevenson
1960: Kennedy
1964: Johnson
1968: Humphrey
1972: Nixon
1976: Carter
1980: Reagan
1984: Reagan
1988: Bush
1992: Bush
1996: Dole
2000: Bush
2004: Bush
2008: McCain
My grandfather was a conservative Democrat. He was just too lazy to change his registration when he started voting Republican in the 80s.

Grandma (mother's mother) (registered Democrat in 1955)

1956: Stevenson
1960: Kennedy
1964: Johnson
1968: Humphrey
1972: Nixon
1976: Carter
1980: Reagan
1984: Reagan
1988: Bush
1992: Bush
1996: Dole
2000: Bush
2004: Bush
2008: McCain
Same story

[Mechaman]

Both me and my mom are moderates so... back and forth. We also were supporters of Hillary Clinton.

Me-
2000- Al Gore
2004- John Kerry
2008- John McCain

My Mom-

1960- Richard Nixon
1964- Barry Goldwater
1968- Richard Nixon
1972- Richard Nixon
1976- Gerald Ford
1980- Ronald Reagan
1984- Ronald Reagan
1988- Michael Dukakis
1992- George Bush
1996- Bob Dole
2000- Al Gore
2004- John Kerry
2008- John McCain

What the fuck?

How? How the hell does this happen?

How can a voting record be so counteracting and ridiculous and backwards all at once?

A bit excessive, but the question still stands:
How the hell does that happen?