I may get crucified for this, but in my opinion...
IF you can afford the Challenger and think its worth it, get the Challenger. If you don't race, the performance that gets the Chally ranked lower is a null issue. And the Dad factor plays a big role.
I understand your predicament. I was shopping Camaro 2SS, Challenger SRT8, and Mustang GT very close. All three are very nice cars, but I ruled out Mustang based on that god-awful 2010 body style. I really liked the Chally, and it will always be more rare than Camaros or Mustangs, however it is (as mentioned repeatedly) $6-10k more than the Camaro.
That said, the real reason I went with Camaro is heritage. My family has been die-hard GM for a long time, my uncle used to be a GM dealer and he would shoot me on sight if I rolled up in a Ford, and beat me to death for driving Mopar. Going with your dad's choice would probably mean a lot to him, and seeing him grin and listening to him brag about his son's car MIGHT just be worth a few extra grand to you. I know getting to see how excited my dad was about my Camaro meant a lot to me.
You can't go wrong with either one, Good luck!
Just remember how close this descision was when you were buying, and let your kids know you won't disown them for driving GM.
You can still threaten to shoot on sight if they're caught in a Ford.
