The first time I remember voting was in 1969 when Norman Mailer ran for mayor of New York alongside Jimmy Breslin who was running for City Council president. I know I voted in the presidential election in ‘68, but it’s this outrageous celebrity ticket that I remember most vividly. What was the first election you voted in? How did it feel then? Did you feel that you were participating in the democratic process or has it always been a crapshoot?
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My first vote was cast for Hubert Humphrey in 1968 because Nixon and George Wallace were the alternatives. I had supported Eugene McCarthy, but, as usual, the Dems were too scared to be the progressives they always claim to be. I always vote; I always vote for the Democrat; I'm always disappointed, even when the Dem wins. And so it goes...
This is such a common lament. When I mentioned the '69 New York mayoralty, it was as if I had forgotten all about Humphrey which is amazing considering how intense everything was in 1968. Still..."I always vote" is what distinguishes us as citizens in a society that lumbers along wavering between some measure of democracy and the oligarchy that we're up against now.
I loved casting my first vote for McGovern in 1972, though he lost by a landslide. I went door to door for McGovern, and truly believed that democracy existed in the US back then. And that our generation could change the world for the better. Over the decades, I've voted for lots of losers, as I fall left of most Americans, but also because the system is rigged. Today, now that the fate of Roe vs Wade is sealed, and the country is being controled by the minority, who are, in turn, ruled by lobbyists and corporations, money, not democracy wins. The US is an oligarchy and I miss that feeling I had when I was dewy-eyed, and truly felt I could made a difference, even if I couldn't. For years I participated, which I felt was my right and obligation: as downtown Democratic committee woman in NYC, a community organizer, non-profit director, delegate to the gubernatorial election and more. Even then, still I felt hope for our country, at least on a local level. Not sure I do anymore. Dark times.
I know what you mean about feeling discouraged. I like to think that all that energy, even if fifty years ago, still impacts the culture, still filters down. I'm focusing on resisting cynicism. Just hearing about all your work in an earlier time lets in a ray of light. Thank you for all that.
The first time I voted was in the presidential election of 1968 a few months after the infamous Democratic National convention in Chicago, summer of '68. I held my nose and voted for Hubert, the happy warior. I had no choice: he was running against Nixon. Earlier, on the day after the convention, I ambled down to Grant Park where all the rioting had taken place the night before. The scene was calm with a few dozen people walking around talking about the riots (which were later termed police riots.) One of the people who was there looking things over was Norman Mailer, who a year later was running for mayor of New York! He looked harmless so I introduced myself to him and we chatted for a few minutes. Then he stood on a park bench and addressed everyone who was there with a bit of boiler plate. Funny coincidence. Anyway, in those days I was naive, optimistic and had just married. I thought the world was going to go in the right direction because Johnson was retiring. Ha!
Over the years, I'm afraid I have become quite cynical about politics, but the cynicism is usually justified. Obama and Bush Pere were the only presidents I respected as leaders and I liked Carter as a person when he toned down his self-righteous side. I'm 76 so I don't have time for the waiting game. Michael Rosenberg
There's such a thread throughout these comments. Naive enthusiasm morphing into cynicism. It turns out to be quite a statement about our cohort. I have a soft spot for Jimmy Carter and I love your Mailer story. Was Grant Park where they had the celebration when Obama won?
My big confession: I had never voted before, it never interested me. My boyfriend at the time listened to Rush Limbaugh all the time and as we were hitting the skids, I was also tired of listening to him about "all things Rush". So I registered on the last day to register; it took me forever to track down those people in front of stores that register you. Came time to vote and I knew enough about my boyfriends politics that I voted exactly opposite him in every race that mattered. Clinton was elected and needless to say our relationship continued skidding until it was over.
Great story. My mother was going to the polls (admittedly in the lobby of the senior housing she lived in) at 95. Whatever it takes....even a misguided boyfriend.
The 1972 presidential election. I was living in Massachusetts and voted for George McGovern. I did feel as though I was participating in a democratic process. And despite Nixon's overwhelming win, I was proud to join those saying, "Don't blame me. I'm from Massachusetts."
I'm hearing that 1972 was in some ways emotionally a better entree into electoral politics. People seem to have felt they had a candidate they could be proud of. Humphrey, not so much.
1984. Voted for Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro. I was a recent high school graduate and Reagan had visited my school to make a commercial. I remember not liking him but why, I can't tell you. Besides, nothing could compete with having a woman on the ticket. I'm proud that was my first vote!
Wow great question with introspective reflections about who we were then, Susie.
I voted for Lyndon Johnson in my first election. I came to regret it because of his Vietnam policy.
In 1968 I voted for Richard Nixon, and REALLY regretted that. That one belongs in the “What the hell was I thinking?” Category. But I was furious with the Democrats for posting Humphrey. I was definitely persuaded to the Dump the Hump mood at the time. I like Betsy‘s comment about the timidity of progressives. Soooo true and look what we have to show for it now: the incomprehensible prospect of another four years of He Who Must Not Be Named.
In 1972, having recovered or rather grown a sense of responsibility to the larger picture, I campaigned for and voted for McGovern, in LA. Which of course a dismal loss.
But Watergate after that somewhat vindicated my belief that the country was going down the tubes under Nixon.
The introspective part of your question reminds me how unaware I was of politics in those days. And how utterly naïve I was.
I’ve evolved or devolved now to a kind of sad state of ennui about the whole political process. We don’t seem to be able to get anything right in this country politically anymore. If we ever did. And our countrymen’s and women’s pervasive, disappointing lack of willingness to actually study issues instead of lemmingherding after the brightest shiny idiot, does not bode well for our future. Until we wake up as an electorate, will keep getting people like He Who and these other craven fools who want to take us back to the 19th century.
Excuse my rant, it’s raining hard right now, a perfect echo for my political dyspepsia.
Rant on, Jim. It's that kind of moment and the rain doesn't help. I remember the euphoria in 1964 when Johnson defeated Goldwater. I was in college and not old enough to vote but we definitely partied. I think it's appropriate to be naive in one's twenties and, regrettably, not unusual to be fed up in one's seventies. Do you think Obama in our sixties was the sweet spot? I used to think we'd do better with a parliamentary system...more choices, less personality driven. But since that's not happening, the best we can hope for is a technocrat.
Good question Susie, yes, I do think of Obama as the last good chance we had in this era at least for someone decent and good to run our country and inspire the world. And then we had He Who, the antithesis of human decency and good character. I remember friends at the time, near the end of my aviation career, ridiculing Obama; running him down, making snide remarks about how bad he was for America to anyone who would listen, before he had even taken office. They knew nothing about him as a person but knew all they needed to: he was black, and he was a Democrat, and therefore deserving of ridicule. Such willful mean obstinacy in our culture fills me with sorrow and frustration. And anger. Reference Howard Beal's crazed "Mad as hell and..." speech in the film Network.
My first vote was cast for Hubert Humphrey in 1968 because Nixon and George Wallace were the alternatives. I had supported Eugene McCarthy, but, as usual, the Dems were too scared to be the progressives they always claim to be. I always vote; I always vote for the Democrat; I'm always disappointed, even when the Dem wins. And so it goes...
This is such a common lament. When I mentioned the '69 New York mayoralty, it was as if I had forgotten all about Humphrey which is amazing considering how intense everything was in 1968. Still..."I always vote" is what distinguishes us as citizens in a society that lumbers along wavering between some measure of democracy and the oligarchy that we're up against now.
I loved casting my first vote for McGovern in 1972, though he lost by a landslide. I went door to door for McGovern, and truly believed that democracy existed in the US back then. And that our generation could change the world for the better. Over the decades, I've voted for lots of losers, as I fall left of most Americans, but also because the system is rigged. Today, now that the fate of Roe vs Wade is sealed, and the country is being controled by the minority, who are, in turn, ruled by lobbyists and corporations, money, not democracy wins. The US is an oligarchy and I miss that feeling I had when I was dewy-eyed, and truly felt I could made a difference, even if I couldn't. For years I participated, which I felt was my right and obligation: as downtown Democratic committee woman in NYC, a community organizer, non-profit director, delegate to the gubernatorial election and more. Even then, still I felt hope for our country, at least on a local level. Not sure I do anymore. Dark times.
I know what you mean about feeling discouraged. I like to think that all that energy, even if fifty years ago, still impacts the culture, still filters down. I'm focusing on resisting cynicism. Just hearing about all your work in an earlier time lets in a ray of light. Thank you for all that.
xoxoxo
The first time I voted was in the presidential election of 1968 a few months after the infamous Democratic National convention in Chicago, summer of '68. I held my nose and voted for Hubert, the happy warior. I had no choice: he was running against Nixon. Earlier, on the day after the convention, I ambled down to Grant Park where all the rioting had taken place the night before. The scene was calm with a few dozen people walking around talking about the riots (which were later termed police riots.) One of the people who was there looking things over was Norman Mailer, who a year later was running for mayor of New York! He looked harmless so I introduced myself to him and we chatted for a few minutes. Then he stood on a park bench and addressed everyone who was there with a bit of boiler plate. Funny coincidence. Anyway, in those days I was naive, optimistic and had just married. I thought the world was going to go in the right direction because Johnson was retiring. Ha!
Over the years, I'm afraid I have become quite cynical about politics, but the cynicism is usually justified. Obama and Bush Pere were the only presidents I respected as leaders and I liked Carter as a person when he toned down his self-righteous side. I'm 76 so I don't have time for the waiting game. Michael Rosenberg
There's such a thread throughout these comments. Naive enthusiasm morphing into cynicism. It turns out to be quite a statement about our cohort. I have a soft spot for Jimmy Carter and I love your Mailer story. Was Grant Park where they had the celebration when Obama won?
yup!
My first election also. Voted for the same ticket.
And that was eight years before we met!
My big confession: I had never voted before, it never interested me. My boyfriend at the time listened to Rush Limbaugh all the time and as we were hitting the skids, I was also tired of listening to him about "all things Rush". So I registered on the last day to register; it took me forever to track down those people in front of stores that register you. Came time to vote and I knew enough about my boyfriends politics that I voted exactly opposite him in every race that mattered. Clinton was elected and needless to say our relationship continued skidding until it was over.
Great story. My mother was going to the polls (admittedly in the lobby of the senior housing she lived in) at 95. Whatever it takes....even a misguided boyfriend.
The 1972 presidential election. I was living in Massachusetts and voted for George McGovern. I did feel as though I was participating in a democratic process. And despite Nixon's overwhelming win, I was proud to join those saying, "Don't blame me. I'm from Massachusetts."
I'm hearing that 1972 was in some ways emotionally a better entree into electoral politics. People seem to have felt they had a candidate they could be proud of. Humphrey, not so much.
1984. Voted for Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro. I was a recent high school graduate and Reagan had visited my school to make a commercial. I remember not liking him but why, I can't tell you. Besides, nothing could compete with having a woman on the ticket. I'm proud that was my first vote!
Boy, we had to wait a long time to make that come true. I'm really feeling the misogyny today.
Wow great question with introspective reflections about who we were then, Susie.
I voted for Lyndon Johnson in my first election. I came to regret it because of his Vietnam policy.
In 1968 I voted for Richard Nixon, and REALLY regretted that. That one belongs in the “What the hell was I thinking?” Category. But I was furious with the Democrats for posting Humphrey. I was definitely persuaded to the Dump the Hump mood at the time. I like Betsy‘s comment about the timidity of progressives. Soooo true and look what we have to show for it now: the incomprehensible prospect of another four years of He Who Must Not Be Named.
In 1972, having recovered or rather grown a sense of responsibility to the larger picture, I campaigned for and voted for McGovern, in LA. Which of course a dismal loss.
But Watergate after that somewhat vindicated my belief that the country was going down the tubes under Nixon.
The introspective part of your question reminds me how unaware I was of politics in those days. And how utterly naïve I was.
I’ve evolved or devolved now to a kind of sad state of ennui about the whole political process. We don’t seem to be able to get anything right in this country politically anymore. If we ever did. And our countrymen’s and women’s pervasive, disappointing lack of willingness to actually study issues instead of lemmingherding after the brightest shiny idiot, does not bode well for our future. Until we wake up as an electorate, will keep getting people like He Who and these other craven fools who want to take us back to the 19th century.
Excuse my rant, it’s raining hard right now, a perfect echo for my political dyspepsia.
Rant on, Jim. It's that kind of moment and the rain doesn't help. I remember the euphoria in 1964 when Johnson defeated Goldwater. I was in college and not old enough to vote but we definitely partied. I think it's appropriate to be naive in one's twenties and, regrettably, not unusual to be fed up in one's seventies. Do you think Obama in our sixties was the sweet spot? I used to think we'd do better with a parliamentary system...more choices, less personality driven. But since that's not happening, the best we can hope for is a technocrat.
Good question Susie, yes, I do think of Obama as the last good chance we had in this era at least for someone decent and good to run our country and inspire the world. And then we had He Who, the antithesis of human decency and good character. I remember friends at the time, near the end of my aviation career, ridiculing Obama; running him down, making snide remarks about how bad he was for America to anyone who would listen, before he had even taken office. They knew nothing about him as a person but knew all they needed to: he was black, and he was a Democrat, and therefore deserving of ridicule. Such willful mean obstinacy in our culture fills me with sorrow and frustration. And anger. Reference Howard Beal's crazed "Mad as hell and..." speech in the film Network.