I think you can learn a lot about a person by knowing who they supported politically throughout their life. Not everyone is willing to share that kind of information, of course, and some people aren’t honest about it, but I will tell you my history and I encourage you to do the same.
I was born in September 1969, during the first year of Nixon’s first term. The first presidential election of my life took place in 1972. I was too young to have an opinion, but I still remember my older brother Andrew’s McGovern/Shriver t-shirt. I think that was a consensus in my family, although I can’t swear by it.
In 1976, I was in 2nd grade and we had a straw poll. This caused me to ask my parents who I should support. My father was very angry about Gerald Ford’s pardon of Nixon, so I voted for Carter. I still remember that one very cute girl in my class voted for Ford. I held it against her all the way through high school graduation.
In 1980, I was very impressed by the campaign of John Anderson and basically supported him, but I knew enough at the age of 11 to know that Anderson didn’t have a chance. I still remember watching the election returns come in showing a Reagan landslide and being very afraid about it. I used to have drawings I made at the time that portrayed Reagan as a warmonger who would unleash a nuclear war.
In the fall of 1984, I was having trouble in school and with my parents and politics were not foremost in my mind, but I supported Gary Hart’s candidacy. I don’t remember being too disappointed or surprised when Mondale was crushed.
In 1988, I was finally old enough to vote and I supported Gary Hart again. When his campaign imploded, I supported Dukakis, and I voted for him without any reservations.
In 1992, I supported Paul Tsongas, although I was intrigued by Jerry Brown. When Clinton survived all his scandals, I enthusiastically voted for him.
In 1996, I was disgusted with Clinton and his campaign finance violations and assumed he would be impeached if reelected. I abstained.
In 2000, I got politically involved for the first time, volunteering for Bill Bradley and fully supporting his effort to reform campaign financing. I was so disgusted by the selection of Joe Lieberman as Gore’s running mate that I didn’t decide to vote for their ticket until the Saturday before for the election.
In 2004, I was intrigued and inspired by Howard Dean’s campaign, but I did not think he could win and supported John Kerry.
In 2008, I was initially ambivalent about whether to support John Edwards or Barack Obama, but was certain that I would support either against a restoration of the Clinton dynasty. I was happy when it was Obama who got the upper hand as the anti-Clinton candidate.
In 2012, I supported Obama without reservation.
So, what’s your history?
Born in 1977.
Was not political aware during 1980.
1950, to Republican parents. 1960, in fifth grade, Nixon but I accepted JFK because I’d heard of the 20-year curse for dead Presidents. 1964 Johnson. 1968 McCarthy and JFK, then reluctantly Humphrey. 72, McGovern, the first election I voted in, while I was in the army. 76, Carter, sat outside his debate with Ford in San Francisco. 80, I voted for Dr. Spock because Carter had already conceded before I’d gotten home and voted.
Then all Democrats from then on.
68, RFK.
RFK, then McCarthy, then HHH. Anybody but Nixon. Then McGovern in ’72. Vietnam and Nixon taking the war into Cambodia werer the drivers.
Carter in ’76 and ’80… The second time was the first electIon I was able to vote in. I too was intrigued by Anderson. Reagan scared the shit out of me. I also felt safer about what Bush 41 might do to the government compared to Reagan. Never supported Ted Kennedy’s run at the nomination and thought the energy policy Carter was advancing was the most important thing for the country. Turns out he was right.
Gary Hart caught my attention for a while but voted for Dukakis. Clinton twice but without a lot of love. Just really scared by the likes of Buchanan and a horrific hateful parade of ass hats at the GOP convention. They have only gotten worse.
Voted for Gore and Kerry. I still can’t figure out how they lost to W. I suppose cheating helps, but he is just so dumb.
I was born in April, 1963 so John Kennedy was still president. I recall seeing LBJ on the television when I was five. I asked my mom who he was and she said he was the president. I think I might have commented, “I thought dad was president.”
I became politically aware during Watergate and came to despise Nixon. A buddy and I celebrated the day he resigned by buying a coke with the express purpose of shaking it and shaking and shaking some more, to open it and watch the whole thing explode. We kept thror wing it up in the air and then it disappeared onto someone’s roof. That was my first political heartbreak.
I supported Carter over Ford, though Jerry Brown was my true favorite in “76. Four years later, I remember telling my social studies teacher, “If Reagan’s elected, I’m gonna dig a hole and crawl into it for four years” and I remember his laugh.
Like you, I supported Anderson. The only difference is I thought he might actually have a chance. Mondale did not do much of anything for me but I supported him because he wasn’t Reagan. When Biden ran, I supported him. I loved Gary Heart. I supported Dukakis and came to like him. That’s when I realized no one I like ever wins.
In “92, I was all in for Tsongas. Looking back, though, I no longer think he would have been a good choice. I didn’t trust Clinton but when the primaries were over, I supported him. In 2000, I loved Al Gore. Was terribly disappointed when he lost but not surprised because my candidates always lose.
Four years later I supported Kerry but not with too much enthusiasm. I still think he’s a good man who would have made a decent president. In 2008, I started off as an Edwards man. Was totally snookered by the guy. Obama didn’t impress me ’til later. But when i caught the Obama bug, I caught it hard. In fact, I’ve still got it.
2008 was the first time someone I really strongly supported actually won. I volunteered more time for him and gave more money to him than any other candidate I’ve ever been behind. I’m still all in with Barack. Happily volunteered for him again and made contributions. I think he’s the best president of my lifetime and one of the greats.
Born in late 1968. I don’t remember Johnson at all. I also don’t remember anything about the 1972 election. I suppose the only thing I remembered about 1972 is that there was such a place as Munich.
Heard a lot about Watergate because the hearings were interrupting my Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers and Electric Company, and why is my mom so fascinated by this boring stuff?
1976 came around – I heard about Mo Udall for the first time, as well as Jimmy Carter. My parents were frightened of Ronald Reagan who was giving President Ford a run for his money. They had left California just ahead of Reagan’s election there. So Carter it was.
1980 – Nobody I knew liked Carter at all, but Reagan was a complete non-starter in my house. I remember hearing about John Anderson, and asking my parents if they voted for him. They said no, and it was a secret ballot so they weren’t telling. Reagan was pretty reviled in our house, so I know it wasn’t him.
1984 – Everyone kind of knew Mondale was going to get stomped. Was a bit put off by Mondale’s “Where’s the beef” comments towards Gary Hart. Mock election at school came around – Reagan won 2-1, and the Communist candidate got 42 votes, mostly from Beavis and
Butthead burnouts looking for a laugh.
1988 – Supported Dukakis at first, but got so mad at his turtling over every criticism he got from Poppy that I threw my vote away on some random obscure 8th party.
1992 – I can’t even remember who I voted for in the primary – I don’t even think I was registered as I had just moved to Riverside, CA more or less during the LA riots. Clinton had it wrapped up by then anyway, but I don’t think I was especially turned on by anyone. I actually thought Tsongas was especially off-putting for some reason. However, Al Franken did a pretty damn funny impression of Tsongas on SNL. I thought H. Ross was kind of silly, especially his little stunt of claiming to drop out of the campaign over some people possibly disrupting his daughter’s wedding. Clinton it was.
1996 – Clinton again. Thought the stories about him regarding campaign finance were bullshit, and in fact it was one of Dole’s aides that went to the slam for reimbursing campaign donors.
2000 – Went for Bradley in the primary, and was seriously thinking about not voting for Gore in the general, until the Daily Howler corrected my perception. Finding that site, you could say, was a pretty seminal moment for me in how I thought about politics. From then on, I knew it was Gore that was closest to what I wanted and Gore needed help so this lazy, entitled crud Dubya wouldn’t get in. I had just moved to Missouri the year before, and I drove out to Jefferson City for Mel Carnahan’s memorial service after his plane crashed, mostly to hear President Clinton speak. If you have the chance to see Bill Clinton speak, go.
2004 – I actually liked Wesley Clark to start off, but when primaries came around that March, I went for Kerry’s slate of delegates. I also went for this Barack Obama guy for Illinois Senate after I got the answer to the question, “Who is this guy anyway?” It was also because his main rival for the nom, Dan Hynes, is about a year older than me, so I thought he was too young for such a position. So yeah, I helped put Barack Obama in the Senate, where we got the entertainment of Alan Keyes in a cowboy hat.
2008 – I actually went for John Edwards to start out, because his health care plan was closest to what I wanted. When he left, I went for the home state guy.
2012 – Obamabot. What of it?
PS In 2000 my favorite was Bill Bradley, not so difficult as I watched him play high school basketball for Crystal City beating our “top team” in a Missouri Championship game with a last second score. A great person all around, though I missed much of his NBA stint.
Morris Udall, wow.
Just say Mo!
We arrived in the States during the Eisenhower years (2nd term), everyone liked Ike. For us Europeans he was THE hero of the Normandy invasion and Hitler’s defeat. Emigrating to the United States was a dream fullfilled.
1960 My oldest brother was a fervent Nixon supporter, partly because of a family priest born in Southern California who supported anyone coming from the Eureka state. I was a fervent supporter of Kennedy and enjoyed watching the decisive television debate. The horror of his assassination three years later. Our family never believed the single assassin theory and the Warren commission.
1964 Was easy. LBJ all the way vs. nuclear Barry Goldwater, excellent ad by the Democrats.
1968 I have had more than reservations about the Vietnam war and lost most of my friends who were strong supporters of stopping the Communist wave in SE Asia. I watched the horror on TV and didn’t believe the stories of the generals and McNamara. The TET offensive Feb. 1968 swung the public opinion plus the number of body bags returning, young soldiers just a few years older than I was. Not Nixon again, therefore Humphrey.
1972 The slaughter continued in North and South Vietnam, even spread to Laos and Cambodja. Lost appetite to cast my vote. Glued to the TV screen shortly thereafter for the Senate hearings, some leading senators (Sam Ervin, Baker and Inouye) will be forever griffed in my memory. The Watergate scandal stained the US Presidency, its office lost my respect. (I wasn’t aware of the historic series of coups and assassinations, except South Vietnam’s Diem)
1076 Indeed the Nixon pardon by Ford (also member of the white-wash Warren commission), Carter of whom I became a fan especially for the ME peace plan and a very courageous Egyptian President Sadat. On his visit to Jerusalem, the Israelis were very uncertain and even expected his plane to be a Trojan Horse expecting a terror attack to decimate Israeli leadership. His speech before the Knesset one of the political highlights. His assassination by the Muslim Brotherhood (and the involvement Zawahiri brothers) killed future hope for peace in the Middle-East. Same as the extreme right-wing assassination of PM Yitzak Rabin in 1995 which brought Netanyahu into power.
1980 Severe disappointment in Carter’s handling of the Iran issue and especially his failure to end the hostage situation by US military force. The gross criminal act by Khomeiny should have been adaquately dealt with. I believe this has hurt the US standing in the region as Carter showed weakness and the US a paper tiger. All parties took note of this failure. I didn’t vote, but Reagan would have been my favorite.
{Obama is not doing well in the Middle-East at this moment. President Morsi is a fox in sheep’s clothing. He is Muslim Brotherhood fulfilling their agenda, read about all terror suspects he has released from prison and he opposes French intervention to get rid of Salafist thugs in Mali]]
1984 and later … straight Democratic ticket. In 2008 Obama was my favorite as I prefer change over another Clinton presidential term. I am very hopeful for results on ME peace in Obama’s second term for reasons I have written about so often. Netanyahu underestimated Obama’s perseverence and should have his a$$ kicked … once and for all. Syria was a major blunder by the Obama administration – Clinton, Rice et all. – for not getting a diplomatic solution in coordination with Russia and China. Today, the opposition group announced it may be willing to negotiate, after too many deaths, suffering and immense material damage to that beautiful country.
Born in 1988, was not aware of politics of 1992.
Lived in neoconfederate area, but Bill Clinton seemed like he was going to win in a landslide (this was in my 3rd grade class, I wasn’t sure about real life); my father hated Bill Clinton. I and my friend Josh Simpson supported Bob Dole because we felt bad that he had almost no support in my class. Looking back, I now attribute that to an early feeling of being somewhat rebelious; Dole wasn’t popular in my classroom, and my area was Republicanville.
2000, still wasn’t paying attention to politics to a large degree, didn’t care if Bush or Gore won because I didn’t see a difference when I did pay attention.
Started watching Jon Stewart in 2001, in 8th grade.
2004, was a junior in high school, I supported Kerry and was devastated that he lost. Still didn’t pay attention to issues at all, I just knew that Bush had been an abysmal failure and couldn’t believe people were that stupid to elect him again. Also, I was heavy in the international gaming community by this time, and my friends abroad hated him; I think that had some influence.
2008, supported Mike Gravel on the issues, but knew he had no chance; backed Hillary as it seemed inevitable. Switched to Obama after seeing his speech at Ebeneezer Baptist Church on MLK, Jr. Day 2008. Became disillusioned with him around March. Volunteered 40 hours a week from September until November because I did not want Sarah Palin to be fucking VP. I fell asleep at the office a few times. Registered over 200 voters in my area, where Obama won my district by 2000 votes; there are 54,000 registered voters, 41,000 voted. Voted for him with many reservations.
2012, supported Obama, barely. Didn’t volunteer much at all, though being a federal employee on probation I didn’t want to risk it. Almost voted Stein in the booth, but only thought about it for like 2-3 seconds. Voted Obama. He lost my district by 10 points.
Born in Nov 1970.
I was completely unaware politically until Reagan was President. Both of my parents were Republicans and they blamed every problem in the world on Jimmy Carter. But it didn’t make sense. Reagan was photogenic but there was something crooked about the people he surrounded himself with. But I didn’t know enough to make any judgements. I just assumed I was a Republican because my parents were. So did both of my sisters. We all learned, eventually.
The first election I could vote in (just barely) was the 1988 General election and I voted for the Republicans all the way down the ticket because I didn’t know to do any different. Dukakis had ideas that I liked but he seemed like such a loser. And, you know, I was a Republican. Right?
By the 1990 mid-term, I was paying attention to California State offices that represented me and I just assumed that the candidates I liked for the various offices were the Republican candidates because I was a Republican, right? Wrong. None of the people I wanted were on my primary election ballot and I wrote them in. Then I read the returns and learned that I supported all Democrats. Boy, did I feel dumb. So I quietly changed my registration.
By 1992, That George Bush Sr. guy was turning out to be a real embarrassment. I was well educated and without a job, sitting home watching C-Span. The only thing I really liked about him was that he supported the Americans with Disabilities Act. His “thousand points of light ” bullshit sounded like a PR stunt. And I started to learn of how Reagan and Bush had handled the AIDS crisis – it was feeling more like genocide. So many people I knew of had died unnecessarily. I supported Paul Tsongas wholeheartedly until it became clear that he couldn’t win, then I reluctantly switched to Bill Clinton, even though he sounded like a slick car salesman. But his ideas sounded good and his heart seemed in the right place. Maybe it takes a salesman to win – and we couldn’t let Bush get re-elected.
In 1996 I happily supported Clinton for a second term. The economy was getting better and the hatred for him among the Republicans just made me all the more defensive for him.
In 2000 I supported Al Gore without reservation. He understood the booming technology industry that I worked and was making a great living in. I lived in San Francisco at the time and he was there very regularly, meeting with all the right people. I really didn’t care about Lieberman being Veep. Of course, I didn’t really know all that much about Lieberman but if Gore picked him, he must be okay, right? I couldn’t understand why anyone that I knew could support Bush, given that he seemed hell-bent on war with Iraq before the election, yet couldn’t name many world leaders. But a few people I knew did support him. They didn’t know why either. They just thought things were going well and maybe it’s a good time for a change after all the drama of the Clinton years. The 2000 recount in Florida really burned me up. I never accepted Bush as our leader, except in the brief few weeks after 9/11 when we were all bombarded with fear propaganda 24/7. That wore off quick though.
In 2004, anyone but Bush. I really didn’t care who. I would support literally anyone. Everyone who was not named Bush was extremely attractive to me. Ultimately I wet with John Kerry.
In 2008, what Booman said. At first I was torn between Edwards and Obama but it didn’t take long to get behind Obama 100%. Clinton was certainly qualified but Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton had a scary ring to it.
2012. Duh.
Whoops. Just remembered that I did not vote in the 1988 general election because I had not registered in time. But I had intended to vote that way.
Like Ronald Reagan I can’t recall.
Born in 1951 my first involvement in a national political campaign was distributing campaign literature for JFK in 1960.
I should note that throughout the 2004 and 2008 campaigns I had the opportunity to meet with each of the candidates on more than one occasion as the editor of a daily newspaper in New Hampshire.
2012: I enthusiastically supported the re-election of Obama.
I was born a week before MLK was assassinated to a union household (DFT) in Detroit. Here’s my history:
It has been an interesting journey, but I am where I ought to be, doing what I ought to be doing (mostly).
Born in 1970.
The first election I was aware of was Ford/Carter. I was in second grade, and we had to trace the silhouette of who we would vote for. Ford looked kind of like my grandfather, and his profile reminded me of the face on the dime, so I went with Ford. Please don’t hold it against me, I was 6 and didn’t know any better.
I remember not being particularly aware of the Reagan/Carter election, except to say that my father voted for Reagan, and has regretted it his entire life: it was the only time he voted for a Republican, but shit got really bad under Carter I guess.
By 1983, I was having family trouble of my own, which led me to punk and hardcore. That’s when I got political, and began to detest Ronald Reagan.
The first election I voted in was Dukakis, and proudly. Fuck Bush and his stupid war.
Voted Clinton in 92, voted Nader in 96, for the same reasons you articulate.
Voted proudly for Gore, even though I detested Lieberman.
Supported Dean in the primary, but wound up voting for Kerry.
When it came to Obama/Clinton, I wasn’t impressed by either. Like you, I didn’t want a Clinton restoration. But at the same time, I wasn’t sold on The Great Orator, who i felt was re-hashing Bill’s “Hope” schtick.
Cast the ballot for Obama’s second term without hesitation.
Too much typing.
Born 1966, Mass, Rep dad, Dem, mom.
Ed. Liberal Mass public schools including public college.
Service, Army, 6yrs, active and reserve, Honorable DC
Union toolmaker, permanently disabled.
Never voted until after my service.
Politically aware in my teens but too rebellious to participate in a system I saw as fundamentally broken.
Once I started, well, let’s just say I’m a hard lefty.
Born in 1956…
My parents were Democratic, but politics weren’t really discussed much when I was growing up…I’m the only one who is passionate & outspoken on the topic.
1972 – still at Princeton High School, supported McGovern without a question
1976 – Jimmy Carter – my first presidential vote. Best part was being in college in DC, so I actually went to his inauguration & remember climbing a tree to watch him being sworn in!
1980 – Although I wore an Anderson button, at the last moment I did vote for Carter
1984 – I liked Gary Hart’s positions, but supported Mondale without reservation
1988 – Dukakis – I liked his dispassionate style & thoughtfulness. I clearly remember watching that awful CNN question about rape & knew that he was toast.
1992 – Similarly, I tend to like the wonky canditates, so Hart, Brown, etc appeal. I didn’t like Clinton particularly in the primaries, but did support him enthusiastically
1996 – Clinton all the way, even if he reeked of DLC
2000 – I didn’t think Gore was the strongest candidate & liked Bradley’s positions a little bit more, but happily voted for Gore (and I agree that Liebersman selection was horrible).
2004 – Dean got out way too soon, I liked some of what Edwards had to say, but I happily supported Kerry.
2008 – I really liked what Edwards had to say about the “two Americas” and still believe he was right on the economics side. As a 2-way race, I supported Obama because I hoped he was just a little bit less corporate-minded, and more visionary relative to international relations than Clinton.
2012 – Obama, happily!
2016 – Way too soon to know…
A fellow Little Tiger!!
You were probably in my brother Phil’s class. He was also born in 1956 and graduated from PHS in ’73, I think.
Yes, I was a classmate of Phil’s but I doubt he remembers me. While we were both denizens of the “Black Hole” at PHS, I was a theater/choir kid, not a serious writer like your bro. And I do hope that they are not still called the “Little Tigers!”
Now that I think about it, Phil was probably in the Class of ’74. I was in kindergarten that year. He played the upright bass and I think he was in the band at least for one year, so you might have had some intersection with him in that.
Yes, he was ’74 with me. I knew him, sure I had some classes with him, but HS being what it is, we were not in the same circles very much. Picture a Venn diagram – some overlap, but not enough for friendship! And I like your writing.
Became ‘political’ the night I sat in front of a tv with my parents and watched the first mayoral debate between Harold Washington, Jane Byrne and Richard Daley.
That night he mopped the floor with him, and this little Black girl got into her mind that a Black man could actually become mayor of the most segregated city in America.
Got my Blue button the next day.
Very simple history. I started out as a Democrat because my parents were. They were Dems because in the Depression Republican bankers came after their parent’s farms and Democratic politicians helped save them. Looks to me like that hasn’t changed any.
My first election was 1968. Couldn’t bring myself to vote for Humphrey because of Chicago, so I wrote in Gene McCarthy. Ever since I’ve voted for the Democratic nominee, and in the primary for whichever Democrat I estimated was most electable. In ’08 that was Hillary. I overestimated the gops ability to play race. Didn’t realize it would take them a couple years to develop the dog whistles.
Didn’t start donating until ’08, after W convinced me Republicans weren’t just a little greedy, but positively evil.
When I was a kid, there was something about politics that fascinated me, but I didn’t really connect political positions with personal values. As far as I could tell, grown-ups picked a political party the same way they picked sports teams to root for. For whatever reason, I decided to start rooting for the Republicans.
As late as 14 or 15 years old I remember that when confronting a new political issue, I would look up what the Republican position was and learn the arguments for that position.
About the time I turned 16, in the first year of George H.W. Bush’s administration, a light bulb went off and I realized that politics was not just Debate Club writ large, but an expression of deeply held personal values. I spent a few confusing years making an inventory of my convictions.
I came of age to vote in 1992. My main issue was the Gulf War. I thought it was a terrible mistake, but both Bush and Clinton supported it. So I cast my ballot for Ross Perot, who opposed the war. Perot also opposed NAFTA, which both the other candidates supported.
By 1996, Perot had alienated me, but I found Clinton even less appealing after he doubled down on the “New Democrat” concept in the wake of the midterms, and nothing about Dole spoke to me. Instead I voted for Ralph Nader, who continued to beat the drum against NAFTA, the low-level war against Iraq, the drug war and so on. I was pretty sure I would always vote third party.
In 2000, I was already cool to Al Gore because of his support for Internet censorship (remember the “clipper chip”?) and Tipper Gore’s anti-music crusade, but the nomination of Joe Lieberman was the nail in the coffin. It seemed like the Democratic Party was turning into the pro-choice wing of the Republican Party. Like many, I misunderestimated both the electability of George W. Bush and the scope of his partisan intentions. Despite interventions from well-meaning liberal colleagues I cast another ballot for Nader.
Coming into 2004, I was watching Howard Dean with great interest. It was great to see a Democrat who was not ashamed of his convictions, but I was skeptical about him making it out of the primaries, especially after watching John Kerry eviscerate him on foreign policy. I did not trust John Kerry for his embrace of the second Gulf War and the “New Democrat” brand, but he seemed unstoppable. For the first time in my life, I registered as a Democrat. Blame George W. Bush. I caucused for Wesley Clark, but threw my support to Dean when Clark failed to meet the viability threshold. I was surprised to find myself enthusiastic to cast my vote for Kerry. The debates helped. Like so many, I was stunned to see Bush re-elected.
I was on the Obama train coming into 2008, although Hillary Clinton seemed to me as inevitable as Kerry had four years earlier. After two terms of George W. Bush, I was willing to hold my nose and vote for a “New Democrat” if I had to. But I didn’t want to have to. I got involved in the Obama campaign as a volunteer, and by election day, I felt identified with the Democratic Party to an unprecedented degree. As a result, I consider myself an “Obama Democrat.”
Born in 1942. Voted for Goldwater in 1964, Nixon in 1968, Nixon in 1972, Ford in 1976, Carter in 1980, and voted for the Democratic candidate in every election since.
I simply lost all interest after the administration of Chester A Arthur, and haven’t been involved since that time.
Fuck Arthur, amirite?
Born 1946 during Truman’s presidency.
1952 – Saw the Republican National Convention on TV at a motel in Daytona Beach on vacation. We didn’t have a television, and motels then set one up in the lobby for all guests to watch (generally only one channel available; so there were few fights over what to watch). First president I remember. My parents were FDR Democrats (my dad’s job was created as part of the New Deal) but because of his war leadership they likely voted for Ike.
1956 – Television addict that I was at 10 years old, I watched both conventions (what else was on?). Not very committed one way or another. Remember the commentary about some of the losing candidates — Estes Kefauver and Harold Stassen.
1960 – I was a jerky 14-year-old kid; my friends and I supported Alfred E. Neuman. But I collected political buttons from both sides, saw LBJ speak at the county fair, and contributed a buck to his campaign. He was the Southerner running and that was important to folks in Olin D. Johnston territory.
1964 – I was beginning to examine politics seriously for the first time, big on studying the Founding Fathers, especially Jefferson and also Wilson’s 14 Points – the Cuban Missile Crisis had some folks thinking about peace and that was considered by the conventional wisdom to have been a missed opportunity. I supported Goldwater on his principles until Strom Thurmond entered the race and made it a racist campaign. But I was appalled at the dirty politics that Democrats were pulling – a leaflet delivered through the dorms at Clemson University my freshman year that tried to smear Goldwater as having psychiatric problems. I wound up being on the fence. Relief that LBJ won was quickly shattered by escalation in Vietnam in 1965.
1968 – The first election that I could actually vote in. I was first for Gene McCarthy. But after hearing the Chicago convention on the radio, I was totally turned off and wound up not voting. From then until 1970, I was in graduate school in Chicago, the site of the kangaroo Chicago 7 trial, and I was gradually being radicalized by events including the environmental movement kickoff and especially the Kent State murders. The good government civics mindset that public schools sought to promote was totally gone.
1972- I supported George McGovern as the peace candidate as we descended further into the pit with the Watergate break-in. Radio stations in Greenville SC savaged McGovern for weeks on their talk shows and even the music DJs had anti-McGovern songs to play on air and on election day. An appalling spectacle.
1976 – Working in Green Bay WI, I saw Jimmy Carter campaign during the Wisconsin primary and chatted with members of the Peanut Brigade. I had lived a stint in Atlanta by then and worked as a temp employee on a high-profile project of the Carter administration by then and we talked about common acquaintances. Carter had been an outstanding governor of Georgia, but at the time I was looking at other candidates like Mo Udall, Jerry Brown, and Fred Harris. By the general election, I was definitely for Carter over Ford. Because of a last-minute work assignment, I did not vote. I was on a bus riding all day from Rapid City SD to Billings MT, and was very relieved to find that Carter won.
1980 – Carter’s performance on foreign affairs (Iran was not an unforced error IMO but backlash from Eisenhower’s policies) and on energy policy made me support Carter again. The loss and the dissing inaugural of Reagan were a huge blow. We were digging the hole deeper instead of dealing with issues.
1984 – I voted in the primary for Jesse Jackson, a Greenville SC native son. And in the general for Mondale. I knew that the truth would not guide the election when folks said that Mondale’s statement about taxes was stupid. Mondale was proven right on the merits but the Democrats started running scared. From that election, I thought in terms primarily of defense. And for that time I became a yellow dog Democrat.
1988 – The four I considered in the primary were Hart, Jackson, Biden, and Gore. Hart got scandalized. Biden was hammered with accusations of plagiarism. But I wound up voting for Jackson again just to put numbers in the column of a black candidate in the NC primary. And I dutifully and reluctantly voted for Dukakis even after the stupid tank footage. And was appalled with how much deeper we had sunk with the Willie Horton ad and the jokes about Reagan pardoning his would-be assassin and then telling him that Dukakis was in love with Jodie Foster. It’s when I began to worry about the conservative sickness; the William Buckleyisms were gone.
1992 – I was first impressed with Bill Clinton’s political ability in a NewsHour interview about how he had increased state taxes to expand education in Arkansas. I voted for him in the primary and in the general election and was glad he picked Richard Riley, former SC governor and an acquaintance (one of my former bosses was his chief of staff; Riley went to my parents’ church in Greenville SC). Lived in an eight-year rage about the nonstop war on Clinton by the Republicans.
1996 – Clinton again. No question. Call it a Southern Democrat closing the ranks. Having him voted out after the Republicans’ dishonest war on him would have set a bad precedent.
2000 – Gore in the primary; Gore in the general. Another case of the down-button being pushed in the handbasket.
2004 – Kerry just for his anti-Vietnam War stand. His loss in Ohio after the disgusting purple heart bandaid nonsense at the Republican convention caused me to be apoplectic for a day and a half. The absolute low point in politics in my lifetime.
2008 – Edwards until he dropped out, then Obama. Mostly because of Bill Clinton’s disgusting behavior in the South Carolina primary. Definitely Obama in the general–the negotiated settlement with Hillary and the Denver Convention tone made me more enthusiastic than I should have been. I thought there would really be an opening up of the process this time.
2012 – Reluctantly Obama; modern conservatism as an ideology has to be destroyed for politics to move forward. Lots of reservations on foreign policy and civil liberties. Focused on downticket races; the key ones won btw–county commission and soil and water commissioner. Drove my wife to canvass–she was more enthusiastic than I this time.
So you are a year younger than me with a similar history but some interesting differences.
While you were a Cold Warrior, I was a Poverty Warrior. Except for three years organizing historic preservation activities, I worked either for non-profits aimed at community economic development or administering the LBJ war on poverty federal grants. Reagan’s inauguration ended that career path and I retreaded for IT. Would have loved to have had the skills in 1980 to program a BIOS, Assembler, and Editor and home-brew a personal computer. My initiation into real computers came from a Timex-Sinclair 1000; I set myself up in the small town I was in selling them and teaching people how to use them. As I was bootstrapping my way through a community college computer science and electronic engineering technology curriculum. (I wound up teaching a couple of the computer literacy and BASIC courses because I already had a masters degree and they were short on staff.)
I bought a used Sinclair for my then 12 year old daughter! That got her so interested that I bought her a Commodore 64. I shudder to think of what she did to the phone system with it. I first became interested in DC when, after a reorganization that merged the former Bureau of Ships with the Bureau of ordnance, a former NAVORD guy moved into into the desk next to me. His name was Travis Wyatt. He was from Mississippi and a mini-computer tech. A store on the ground floor started selling Altair’s. I started a subscription to BYTE magazine. I only understood about 20% of the first issue, based on college courses in FORTRAN. By the third or fourth issue I understood 90% and was well on my way to becoming an assembly language programmer. I bluffed my way into the job at IH, as my bosses knew exactly zero except that they had an imperative to produce microcomputer based controls. They let me use the development equipment after work to build my computer as they figured it was good experience (it was!). For the next twenty-five years I was an IT professional, the happiest time of my life. Then the dot com bust, jobs drying up, the explosion of H1-B’s entering the field, prejudice against older workers (“Computer Tech is a job for those under 30”), emphasis on formal education… As a result, you see the crap software that is now accepted as normal and I’m vacuuming machinery and changing belts.
Cold Warrior – Poverty Warrior. Yeah, we were opposite sides of the coin. I can’t forget Jeff Fort getting a GS-14 and signing his paychecks with an X while with two hard science degrees and a great record I couldn’t get above GS-12. Stuff like that turned me off from the War on Poverty, although I’m aware there was a lot of stuff that turned everybody off from the Cold War.
When was Fort civil service? From what I read about him, he was being paid out of a non-profit that received federal funds.
But yes, the early days were wild and wooly because you had some naive academics designing the programs and street and rural realities seeking to just milk the federal funds. And there were folks who were honest and hard-working but touched a political third rail–for example, folks that were organizing domestic workers into unions. No one really knew for a decade or two what “maximum participation of the poor” in decision-making was supposed to mean and how to make it work.
The last days I worked at it was administering essentially four programs–HeadStart, CETA, Housing Weastherization, and Elderly Nutrition Centers in three Appalachian counties. What had been intended to end poverty was now just applying bandaids and not even doing that well. The problem of poverty in the US is just to fundamental to the US economic system to solve through government programs alone. And the geography of poverty makes it even more difficult.
Yep, the problem with IT these days is management not wanting to pay to do the job right the first time and jumping on the latest management fad. At least 2 years experience (to know you can do it) and no more than 5 years experience (to keep your pay low) is the name of the game right now. But it isn’t costing the government or corporations less; contracting and sub-contracting and sub-sub-contracting mean the IT worker is paid less and a whole lot of other people get meaningless jobs doing administration and management.
I read it in the Tribune or possibly Chicago’s American at the time. Believe me, it burned itself right into my brain that a guy who couldn’t write his name was two grades above me. It was probably a Schedule C political appointment requested by the Daleys.
Born 1958 and not really politically active, but I did vote in local elections, primaries, and general elections most of the time.
I can remember the framed photo of John F Kennedy in my maternal grandparent’s house. They were coal miners and Kennedy was their guy. But on my paternal side, my dad’s mother was hardline GOP and belonged to several Republican clubs. She was also pretty racist, but us grandkids didn’t really get what her politics were when we were little. She is most assuredly twirling in her grave since my husband and I are devotedly Democrats.
I don’t remember my lifetime voting history, but they were all Democrats. I voted for Jimmy Carter and never regretted it. I voted for Clinton, too, and while I was disappointed, I didn’t regret my vote for him, either. It was then that I felt the Republicans had totally lost their minds, going after Hillary for trying to promote Health Care, and for the whole Whitewater deal. There was something that snapped in the GOP then, and it’s only gotten worse.
I fell for the John Edwards charisma, but I did like his approach and inclusiveness. I have a good friend who was on Obama’s bandwagon from the beginning and she persuaded me to give him a chance. I’ve never regretted that, either.
I look now at the Republican party and wonder what it will take to finally break them. Their candidate selections are a joke and the Tea Party members have created serious damage to their movement. I’m glad they are weaker, but I wonder what happens next for the party.
Grew up in Georgia where Democrats=Dixiecrat racists. I was active in civil rights demonstrations at an early age and therefore had a Young Republicans card in my wallet when Kennedy was assassinated. It had the Lincoln quote on it, “The government should do for the people only those things the people cannot do for themselves.” I still believe that but, of course, I now include a nationalized healthcare program as one of the things the people cannot do for themselves.
1964 – I still have my Goldwater campaign button. I was 15 and thought he was a seriously cool individualist. LBJ reminded me too much of other Southern Good Ol’ Boys and I didn’t trust him on civil rights. I was wrong about that, I guess, but grew to hate him for the escalation of the war in Vietnam.
1968 – I got to vote and still have my McCarthy button. By this point, because of civil rights and anti-war activism I self-identified as a liberal Democrat but still voted for rational Republicans for state offices. I strongly disliked Nixon. When he debated Kennedy, I thought he showed signs of being mentally unhinged. I voted for Humphrey in my first Anyone-But vote.
1972 – Supported McGovern (got the button) for the same reasons I voted for McCarthy in the primaries. Voted straight Democratic Party ticket and felt civilization was crumbling before my eyes when he lost.
1976 – Still lived in Georgia and strongly supported Carter. This was the first time anyone I wanted to be President got elected and it was thrilling. I still love the man and think he was an excellent POTUS.
1980 – Totally blamed Iran hostage dirty trick for Carter’s loss to Reagan who I thought was a buffoon. The man looked like a puppet to me with Bush Senior’s hand up his butt. I entered into a paranoid global conspiracy mindset and believed politics was a Kabuki Theater rigged game. I easily slip back into that mode on alternate days.
1984 – Mondale was evidence that the game was rigged! Could the Democrats have possibly picked a weaker candidate? I voted for him anyway, going for the lesser of two evils. When Reagan was re-elected, I left the country in disgust!
1988 – Why yes, the Democrats COULD pick an even weaker candidate–Dukakis! I voted for the Libertarian candidate, Ron Paul, so help me God I did. LOL!
1992 – Clinton set me on fire. I totally bought what he was selling and went wild with joy when he won. This was a secret at the time because I was producing and printing the ‘zine for the National Libertarian Party and the newsletter for the Georgia Libertarians. Over the next eight years, I shifted, ever-paranoid, as I perceived the LP as part of the NWO plot to siphon off liberal anti-authoritarian progressives from the Democratic Party.
2000 – I didn’t like Gore for distancing himself from Clinton but I disliked the idea of the Bush Cartel back in the White House even more. I voted a straight Democratic Party ticket as I have done in every election since. When Bush Jr. blatantly got away with stealing the election, I went insane! My paranoia over the global conspiracy of The Ultra Rich to enslave the rest of us went full-blown and I discovered the wonderful virtual world of political blogs where lots of people were as crazy as I am.
2004 – I think we’re fighting a losing battle as the American Empire collapses and the New World Order takes over but I voted for Kerry anyway and cried bitterly when he suspiciously lost. The pathetic lack of fight from the Democrats over obvious vote machine rigging disheartened me but I determined I would rather vote for them than the more obvious villains.
2008 – I was lured by John Edwards’ rhetoric and even gave him money. It shames me to admit this now. Then I switched to Obama and was stunned when he won. I can’t quite believe he’s STILL our President. I like him that much! If he’s part of the nefarious New World Order Plot, he’s excellent at giving me enough hope to keep my paranoid insanity under control.
Glad you admitted about 1964. I was afraid I was the only one. Liked the philosophy but now know it was impractical. Arthur Gilroy has still to come to that conclusion.
It’s fun to have someone joining us on the Frog Pond commnets who voted for Ron Paul in 1988. We each have our complicated pasts, some more than others; thanks for sharing all this.
I was born in 1949.
While still in high school I knew a kid whose Dad was in the John Birch society and was a big fan of Barry Goldwater in 1964.
He lent me a copy of The Conscience of a Conservative.
I was fairly familiar with WFB and the NR, and thought the entire conservative movement was a bunch of crackpots shilling for rich people.
And his belated Dixiecrat cause of segregation forever seemed to me cruel and hateful.
Those opinions never changed, of course.
I was only 19 and in college in 1968, and at that point the voting age was 21.
By then my parents had turned out to be the Archie Bunkers and my Dad had become a fan of George Wallace.
I was angry with Johnson for the war and Humphrey for supporting it, and did not think much of Nixon, though I would probably have voted for him.
Nixon, of course, was far from being a conservative and on the whole campaigned as less of a hawk than Humphrey.
I did vote for Nixon in 1972, being little impressed with McGovern, his ill-timed and vote-killing social liberalism, and his clumsy VP misadventures.
I had hoped the Democrats would put up a peace candidate as forthright as he, but not such a bloody, incompetent fool.
The man basically threw away his shot, showing incredible bad personal and political judgment from first to last resulting in an overwhelming, even shocking defeat.
I would probably not have voted at all, but an army buddy (I was stationed in Okinawa at the time) droned on about citizenship and it was my first actual chance to vote.
In 1976, I did not want to vote and was only talked into it by a strong Carter enthusiast while a grad student.
I though little of Carter and not much of Ford.
Though I was upset that Ford pardoned Nixon (the fix was in, eh?) he seemed personally less repellant than that insignificant Baptist Georgia cracker, “I will never lie to you” Carter.
Certain (and right) that my vote would not be crucial, I voted for Carter in return for a six-pack.
I did not vote in `80 or `84, as I recall, though I was surprised and shocked the country went with Reagan in `80 and then depressed the voters did it again in ’84, though I was not at all impressed with the self-infatuated, arrogant Mondale.
And his VP candidate, Geraldine Ferraro, was a complete waste without the least comprehension of or concern for working people or their interests.
Still, I would have preferred Mondale to Reagan, of course.
In 1988, Dukakis was a completely uninspired and uninspiring technocrat, but Bush pere made himself repulsive letting Lee Atwater talk him into channeling George Wallace, twenty years on.
I did not vote and was only modestly disappointed – but not surprised – the voters went with the Wallace faker.
In 1992, the three-way circus was so ridiculous I could barely pay attention. I did not vote. Clinton won only because Ross Perot split the right.
True, it was a good thing Bush lost, both because of his unnecessary war in Iraq and to prevent a possibly more conservative second term (or would he have felt free to blow off the conservatives who never trusted him and whom he never much liked?), but Clinton was a disappointment as a Democrat from the beginning who told us “The era of big government is over.” I wanted to puke.
And I thought (and still think) Perot was right on the money about the devastation to be wrought by the duopolitan trade policies.
In 1996, I am not sure but I may have voted for Dole, a disappointing man and a flop of a candidate, out of disgust with Clinton for betraying the legacy of the Democratic Party. I may not have voted.
Clinton got a bare majority of votes cast over a right again split between the Republicans and Ross Perot.
Clinton should have resigned over the later Lewinsky and perjury affairs that eventually got him disbarred, and maybe gone to jail.
In 2000, Gore was an arrogant buffoon and Lieberman, by then already emerging as a religious conservative (so was Gore, but not so much), would have put the Likud within a heartbeat of the American presidency.
During the campaign, Gore supported and Bush fils opposed the US military action in the Balkans, the latter campaigning – completely fraudulently, as it turned out – for a “humbler” US foreign policy and making himself the less hawkish candidate.
Gore did not publicly distance himself from the poisonous Clinton.
Not believing he could put a dent in earned benefits despite what the conservatives wanted him to do, I voted for Bush over Gore.
In 2004, Kerry betrayed his anti-war past (but it was fake, anyway, just part of his political climb) and ran a stupid khaki campaign.
I voted for Nader, the only forthright anti-interventionist in the race and obviously totally good on economic progressivism.
In 2008, I preferred Edwards but when he dropped out I preferred Obama to Hillary, mostly because he seemed less hawkish and it was obviously more important to make a strong statement about race in America than about “equality” for women.
In the general, McCain revealed himself a warmongering buffoon and it had been obvious since Bush’s second term that the Republicans were getting increasingly serious with every passing year about wrecking everything progressives had accomplished regarding social democracy and the economy since TR’s day.
Though he was far from an inspiring champion of the Democratic legacy, I voted for Obama.
In 2012, I supported and voted for Obama, unquestionably the lesser evil but only that.
I never expect to vote for a Republican again for any public office.
I am not sure I will vote in every future election I can vote in.
For that matter, maybe I’ll just stop paying attention.
For all the good it does or difference it makes.
Poor editing.
This sentence is misplaced.
“And his belated Dixiecrat cause of segregation forever seemed to me cruel and hateful.”
About Wallace, whom my father admired.
Born in 1965 in Jim Wright’s district in Texas.
Interesting variety, no?
Of age as well as personal political history.
Indeed! Very cool.
I was born 1949 to Stevenson Democrat parents and radicalized by Vietnam (so were they eventually, and very supportive on draft dodging). Voted for Democrats forever, not always enthusiastically, though in 1976 I voted for Herbert Aptheker against Daniel Patrick “benign neglect” Moynihan. I wouldn’t do that again, Moynihan was a great senator.
As a Communist I was a poseur, but I knew someone who was the real thing and set me to doing Democratic campaign work. He taught me that you must almost always support liberals because there’s not going to be a revolution, but in the meantime even the most timid or the most corrupt liberal will try to make things better. Bad as old Dick Dailey was, for instance, there was little unemployment in Chicago in his time.
I still don’t see why people complain so much about Carter (he pardoned me!) or why they were attracted to Anderson or Perot or postliberal techie types like Brown and Hart. Saw Clinton in Bryant Park in 1992 and thought he could be the new Roosevelt; I still don’t blame him for what didn’t happen, but us. Same goes for Obama.
Daniel “benign neglect” Monyihan was instrumental in what Bill Clinton didn’t get accomplished. Would be interesting to do a side-by-side between Hillarycare and Obamacare.
I sure didn’t follow the senate then the way we all do now, but I remember old Pat weeping over the kids that were going to be sleeping on sidewalk gratings after welfare “reform”.
As for Hillarycare, yes, it would.
I was a Rush Limbaugh republican until 2004 and really never even considered voting for any candidate other then the republican in the race between 1982 – 2002. I actually voted enthusiastically for Gingrich during a brief period when I lived in his district.
I knew ONE person in my professional (accounting and finance) circle that was a Democrat and we debated politics fairly often. At some point during the first W. Bush administration it dawned on me that I just didn’t have the facts on my side. I still believed in the ideology, but reality kept proving that ideology didn’t actually work in the real world.
So, slowly, over the next few years, I completely abandoned the GOP, and the divorce is complete.
The first “break” came on the budget. I believed the GOP was “fiscally conservative,” but ALL the evidence since Reagan indicated the party was for low taxes, period, and didn’t care at all about deficits. That was enough – after that it was only learning how to be comfortable as a “liberal” or “progressive” – things I’d mocked for a couple decades. It’s harder than you think to admit things you’ve believed for your entire adult life are just not true.
Do you read John Cole at Balloon Juice? He went through a similar transformation. We all have to look at our beliefs every now and then to make sure we feel the same way. You probably haven’t changed much; your party did.
I was born in 1960, the son of an Army officer. My family are hereditary Republicans (Mom and Dad are from the Land o’Lincoln), but I became a Democrat before my first election (1978). I’ve voted straight Democratic.
US history class in a Massachusetts public high school had a huge influence on my political consciousness. It was there that I learned about the corruption of the post-Civil War era, the trusts and their abuse of economic power, and the labor movement. My Macroeconomics 101 professor was a flaming liberal. Among the things he emphasized were (a) it’s expensive to be poor and (b) the need for regulation: free-riding, rent-seeking and other abuses make the “free” market not free.
Barack Obama was the first presidential candidate I got really excited about. When he said at the 2008 convention, “[The Republicans] make a big election about small things,” I said to myself, this man gets it.
Born in 67.
I was born during JFK’s Presidency. I don’t remember having a political consciousness until I began watching All In The Family with my father. That the buffoonish, racist Archie strongly supported Nixon was not lost on me. My father’s strongly cynical, idiosyncratic liberal views began to sink in at that time. For example, it was my father who first revealed to me that “The U.S. uses war to improve bad economies.”
In the summer of 1974, my grandparents would pitch up the portable TV in the yard so they could watch the Watergate hearings while supervising our yard work. That was unusual, and it helped deepen my understanding that something important was going on. My adolescent sensibilities allowed me to understand what was behind Nixon’s unwilingness to release the White House tapes. These things, closely followed by Ford’s pardon, sunk in an understanding that the Republican Party was a criminal enterprise working on behalf of the powerful and wealthy. I was neither, so I was happy when Carter won in ’76, while being disappointed that the Great Pardoner had gotten a lot of Americans to vote for him.
I was just days too young to vote in 1980, and while I voted in every election afterwards, I had other concerns which took my major attentions as a young adult. I remember being impressed with a statement during the GOP convention in ’80 that Reagan had turned California budget deficits into balance during his time as Governor. I still wanted Carter to win, but I thought at least that made a portion of a case for Reagan. I eventually became particularly sensitive to the bullshit talking point that “X has rebalanced the State budget”, since BY LAW State budgets are always balanced on a yearly basis. Along with the fact that Reagan famously exploded the Federal deficit and debt during his Presidency, that I was fooled back in 1980 was a powerful demonstration to me of the power of rhetoric and propaganda. I also thought the freeing of the Iranian hostages on the morning of Reagan’s inaugural was extremely shady, and was quite bitter about that.
In subsequent elections, I followed the primaries with mild interest; I’d be voting for the Democrat in the end, after all. I also lived in California, so our primary was late in the game. The routs of Mondale and Dukakis didn’t put me into bouts of soul-searching about how to remake the Democratic Party nationally. The media I followed and many others in the world were horrified by the Republican Presidencies of the era, so I took comfort in that and, for example, snarky anti-Reagan bits in the middle of popular movies in the ’80’s. I’ve since learned that’s piss-poor comfort.
In ’92, I was impressed by Clinton, no doubt. He really knew how to lay out a case, and how to interact with individuals; he appeared to have feelings and a soul. I voted for him, but I must admit I felt a strong, instinctual affinity for Perot’s claim that NAFTA would cause a giant sucking sound of jobs leaving the country. Turned out he (and I) was right on that one.
In ’96, even my unsophisticated political views told me that Dole was a weak Presidential candidate, and that Clinton would be able to overcome nonstop GOP scandal-mongering to win the Presidency. I was pleased he did it so easily. I also remember being amused by Perot’s quixotic, strange pursuits. Ross dropped out of the race, then got back in. Is that allowed? Well, not if you want to win.
In 2000, I moved away from the Democratic candidate for the only time. I became persuaded by Nader’s case that the parties offered little choice, and liked Ralph’s policy advocacies. I knew better than to accept his claim that there were no differences between the parties. I still lived in Cali, so no harm done. I believe if I had lived in Florida or another battleground state, I would have voted for Gore.
In 2004, I began to participate in campaigns a bit; for Kerry, my main contribution was money. I don’t remember having strong feelings about the Democratic primary, but desperately wanted to beat Bush; that was my chief focus.
Early in the campaign for the 2008 election, I joined my Union in supporting Edwards early on. His “Two Americas” theme spoke to me on a personal basis. When it became clear that Edwards would drop out, the pivot to Obama made me happy. I supported and organized campaigning and fundraising for the Presidential and other races.
BTW, Booman, Tsongas, eh? I guess his appeal is lost to the sands of time.
Born in ’67 to an old-school Republican family. First political memories were Iran hostages. My father said it was because Dems were incompetent, so I wasn’t bothered by Reagan winning in ’80. By ’84, I was having doubts, but Mondale didn’t make much of an impression. ’88–voted for Dukakis, not surprised at loss. ’92–happy to vote for Clinton. By ’96, realized that I really didn’t like Republicans, voted for Clinton again. 2000–knew Gore was too geeky for this country, but Bush was scary and stupid. Appalled by Supreme Court decision. Somewhat surprised that we survived Bush’s first term. ’04–really, America? What the hell is wrong with you? ’08–thought the woman had a better chance than the black guy, but very happy to be wrong about that. Contributed time and money for first time. Very proud to have been a part of that election. ’12–prayed to a god I don’t believe in that Obama would win, as the GOP is evil and will destroy the world. ’16–would support Hillary, but would really prefer someone younger and truly progressive.
Late to this party, but throwing my cents in.
Born in 1986, but don’t have any recollection of politics until the mid-1990s when Newt Gringrich took over. Even as an elementary school kid, I knew he and the whole lot of the Republican wave of ’94 were clownish. I pretty much started out disliking the GOP at that point. Liked Clinton over Dole in 1996, not really based on any policy point (what do 10 year-olds know about politics anyways?), but Clinton had done a competent job, it seemed like the GOP was out to screw him over no matter what, and Dole was just bland and old.
2000…I actually wrote a high school essay saying I’d support Nader because Bush and Gore were the same. Clearly was reading too much of the MSM at the time, but when SCOTUS ruled in favor of Bush, I was heartbroken. I knew Gore was a sharp guy (having read ‘Earth in the Balance’ at this point), but it was clear Dubya was an idiot. I thought he’d be a 1-term wonder…and then 9/11 happened.
Fast forward to 2004, and I was on the Howard Dean train from the get-go. I was much more liberal at this point than I styled myself at an earlier age, and it was exhilarating to see a Democrat fight back, talk like he had spine, and not be afraid of the repercussions. Then he imploded in Iowa, and by the time the NY primary rolled around, he had dropped out. I supported Kerry, as I thought Edwards was a bit too green. I really came to like Kerry – saw him at 2 rallies in Philadelphia and Edwards at 1 in the suburbs – and I phonebanked every week, did GOTV on-campus, and did canvassing a few times in the suburbs. Watching the 2004 returns with the rest of the Penn Democrats was depressing as shit, though…by the time it hit 2 AM, we all knew that Ohio wasn’t going our way, even if it wasn’t conceded. That sucked.
In 2008 – was never on the Hillary train, and wavered between Obama and Edwards a little bit. That said, even if my brain wavered between those two, my heart was always with Barack…as someone who is mixed race, raised by a single mother during my formative years, and someone who didn’t come from a lot and did my parents proud, I associated a lot with what I saw as his cerebral intellect. I went up to New Hampshire the week before the primary in 2008, canvassing in near subzero temperatures, canvassing and doing GOTV. The Nashua office went nuts when he won the Iowa caucuses, and that was the first time I thought that we could really win this thing. When he said “likeable enough”, I knew he had shot himself in the foot, and it was absolutely disappointing when he lost the primary by 3-4%. I did a little more volunteer work during the Pennsylvania primary when I was back at Penn, but those were the end of my college days – so I was doing a lot more drinking than anything else. Proud to have voted for him in both the primary and the general election
2012 – I don’t have the time to take off, but I donated a ton of money to the campaign. After he blew the first debate, my buddy and I resolved to go to Ohio the weekend before the election to canvass, just in case. Spent the entire weekend knocking on doors in the Dayton area, getting out the vote for the good guys.
I’m proud my first presidential vote was for someone I think is a genuinely good guy (Kerry), even though he’s a pretty lousy politician. But the enthusiasm for Obama is hard to match – he’s easily the best president, accomplishments aside, that I’ve had when I’ve been alive, and I think what he’s been able to accomplish, in the face of so much latently racist hostility, is incredible. People (including myself) rag on him a bit, but it has got to be difficult for him to divorce all the raw hatred the right has for him. I don’t understand it at all, as he seems like a very personable, nice guy when he’s on the teevee.
Born in 1951 to Depression era parents who were politically aware and loyal FDR Democrats. Politics was a frequent subject at dinner. I’m a yellow dog Democrat so there is no exception to my voting for anyone for President, except a Democrat. Some of my first childhood memories were knowing that the neighbor lady supported Eisenhower over Stevenson, who was from Illinois, my home state.
FDR was President when I was born in 1933. My parents voted, but a ballot was secret and I never knew their preference. Living in NY, Gov. Dewey caught my attention while I was in High School.
My first real interest in politics was in 1956 when Stevenson was nominated. TV made it all so real. I was most impressed with the effort to have Kennedy as a Veep and voted for him in 1960 [a Yankee then living in Mississippi.]
By 1972, I was working in vocational rehabilitation. Democrats support programs to assist people who have challenges greater than others and I’ve supported the Democratic ticket ever since then.
I too was intrigued with Bradley and Dean. As a woman, I was also intrigued with Hillary but as it appeared Obama could win, I enthusiastically got involved in both his campaigns.
It’s great to hear these stories of yours, Anne.
Born in 1967. A Democrat and liberal all my life. Whenever I voted in a safe state and was dissatisfied with my choices, I used a write-in ballot for President. That included Jesse Jackson and Paul Wellstone. In the primaries, I always voted for who I wanted to win (Harkin, Bradley, Obama).
My only political miscalculation was voting for Nader in 2000 in PA. The election was too close for that that year. Of course I wanted Gore to win, but thought that he ran a terrible campaign. I guess in my own defense, his political miscalculation was worse than mine.
My first activism was for Greenpeace in 1988 — global warming, dioxin, nuclear waste. My first volunteer experience was for Wofford in PA. Major influences on my political consciousness in chronological order — growing up in the diaspora; the Gospels; Gloria and Mike Stivic; Shakespeare on PBS; high school history teachers who had escaped the Vietnam draft; moving to the cultural backwater that is Long Island; reading The New Yorker, the NYRB, and Harpers regularly; stories of the French Resistance; Quakers in college. From that point on, the damage was done.
I was away most of the day yesterday, so will add a little late.
I was born during WW II into a very nice GOP family who turned out later to be Eisenhower fans. Having poisoned my mind with Mad Magazine and rock & roll, I left home in a rebellious state to join the navy a week after graduating high school. Some months later found me at NAS Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in the middle of the missile crisis, which brought politics and diplomacy to the forefront of my consciousness. I credit JFK for not letting the generals turn a bad situation into a full out war with the Russians, likely resulting in my friends and I and, no doubt, a whole lot of others being baked into radioactive dust.
When my navy obligation was over, I got married and led a bucolic existence for a year managing my new father-in-law’s orange groves in Orlando. I was introduced to the fire dept. by a friend and applied for a job. I was hired and loved it. A couple of years later, one of my officers recruited me to help organize as a public employee union local and I was off and running with the lefties. Caesar Chavez was in the neighborhood and he became one of my personal heroes. Our organizing efforts eventually succeeded and we got our first union contract about two years after we began the effort.
The war in Nam, hippies, Chicago 68, Kent State, Watergate all pushed me further leftward until 1976, when disillusioned with it all, I bought into the back-to-the-land movement, took what retirement money I’d accumulated and bought a small farmstead back in Indiana. Naturally, 1980 meant a vote for Barry Commoner and the Citizen’s Party.
By 1988 I was in such a rage that I voted for Lenora Fulani.
Not long afterward, I began to mature a little emotionally, since the constant anger didn’t seem to work very well and slowly I accepted the thought that maybe some pragmatism couldn’t hurt if I wasn’t to spend my entire life rooting for the losing team.
I was recruited by Democrat friends to fill a vacancy on the township board and found it to be a mostly enjoyable chore. When my term was up, I ran and was elected. Since that time, I’ve survived 4 more elections to county level office and am part of the county central committee. I’m the main communications and data person and also got involved with OFA in much the same capacity in the summer of 2011. Our county is split about 50/50 Democrat/Republican along with a handful of Libertarians who never seem to win anything, but must enjoy the run anyway, because they keep trying.
And I thought I have things to live down. 🙂