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OAITW r.2.0

(28,258 posts)
Mon Sep 23, 2024, 06:58 PM Sep 23

In 1972, I cast my 1st vote in a Presidential election. It was a "no brainer" - I voted for George McGovern.

I remember telling my mom - an Eisenhower Republican - and Dad (it's none of your business who I voted for) who I voted for. Neither thought that was a good choice at the time. 2 years later, they both agreed that McGovern would have been a better President.

So why is it so hard for Trump Republicans to admit their vote in 2016 hurt this Country? Yet they voted for Trump in 2020 and will again this year. In spite of everything we know today.

I see too many interviews with the people who attend the Trump Carnival....and almost no interviews with Harris-Walz supporters. Why is that? And that's been an issue, since I cast my 1st Presidential vote. Seems like we need equal time with public interviews of voters.

The contrast should be important to this country's future. You listen to these Trump voter/ rally goers, dressed to impress their fellow Trump fans, and they say nothing intelligent. One thing you don't hear, are any verifiable facts. It's all about showing up, reinforcing the Trump bullshit amongst themselves, and support each other with their undying loyalty to the Trump brand. Yet, we never get to hear interviews of everyday Americans that are diametrically opposed and quite capable of annunciating their reasons and viewpoints.

Why is that?.

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In 1972, I cast my 1st vote in a Presidential election. It was a "no brainer" - I voted for George McGovern. (Original Post) OAITW r.2.0 Sep 23 OP
You and me both Cartoonist Sep 23 #1
Me too PCIntern Sep 23 #2
Eight years later the system convinced people Voltaire2 Sep 23 #3
I did also. I was 20 at the time. ProudMNDemocrat Sep 23 #4
Me too dflprincess Sep 23 #5
I was a freshman in college tonekat Sep 23 #6
They still had the draft lottery in 71,,,,my # was low enough to earn me a physical. OAITW r.2.0 Sep 23 #11
Me too n/t Mz Pip Sep 23 #7
Same here flakey_foont Sep 23 #8
My parents had house parties. Warren Beatty and cachukis Sep 23 #9
That's a really cool story. OAITW r.2.0 Sep 23 #15
Was there any other candidate? Oh... yeah...Nixon. Bastard won 60% of the vote. albacore Sep 23 #10
George was painted as a lily-livered liberal. OAITW r.2.0 Sep 23 #16
He piloted 35 bombing missions. Nixon was in supply. nt albacore Sep 23 #18
He knew the cost of war. Nixon didn't. OAITW r.2.0 Sep 23 #19
"Whippersnapers" ReRe Sep 23 #25
Ditto! My parents both voted for Nixon and I was so pissed. They had voted for Humphrey in '68. 50 Shades Of Blue Sep 23 #12
Me too! ananda Sep 23 #13
I worked with George McGovern producing his regional TV commercials. Liberal In Texas Sep 23 #14
Interesting story. Had to have impacted you greatly to meet him. OAITW r.2.0 Sep 23 #17
He struck me as a regular guy with a lot of common sense. Liberal In Texas Sep 23 #20
You know, I think back to those times. OAITW r.2.0 Sep 23 #22
Same here FakeNoose Sep 23 #21
A simple statement, without debate, that exactly OAITW r.2.0 Sep 23 #23
I was a kid at that time Montauk6 Sep 23 #24
I Was With You, Too The Roux Comes First Sep 23 #26
My very first presidential vote was in '68 when I turned 21 MarineCombatEngineer Sep 23 #27

Cartoonist

(7,515 posts)
1. You and me both
Mon Sep 23, 2024, 07:20 PM
Sep 23

I remember an ad that showed our navy represented as miniature boats on a map of the world. The voiceover said this would happen if McGovern was president, and they showed a hand wiping them all off the map.
The America of that time believed it.

Voltaire2

(14,670 posts)
3. Eight years later the system convinced people
Mon Sep 23, 2024, 07:28 PM
Sep 23

to vote in Reagan and enthusiastically support the dismantling of the New Deal reform era.

The ability of media to persuade and control people is frequently underestimated.

tonekat

(1,960 posts)
6. I was a freshman in college
Mon Sep 23, 2024, 07:38 PM
Sep 23

And I was becoming more aware by the day, and had made the decision to vote for McGovern.

Years earlier, in Junior High, I remember a female classmate saying "My Dad says if Nixon wins we're moving to Canada!"

OAITW r.2.0

(28,258 posts)
11. They still had the draft lottery in 71,,,,my # was low enough to earn me a physical.
Mon Sep 23, 2024, 08:08 PM
Sep 23

There was a moment in time when I was "WTF" about the situation.

cachukis

(2,598 posts)
9. My parents had house parties. Warren Beatty and
Mon Sep 23, 2024, 07:58 PM
Sep 23

Shirley McLane at one. Paul Newman at another.
We had moved from Massachusetts to New Hampshire and my parents thought they could turn New Hampshire Blue.
Took a long time.
Proud of my vote for McGovern.

OAITW r.2.0

(28,258 posts)
15. That's a really cool story.
Mon Sep 23, 2024, 08:46 PM
Sep 23

In 86, my wife and I were delegates for Gary Hart. We actually went to a Hart event at Stephen King's home in Bangor. The next day we meet at a school in Bangor (can't remember the name). It was a classroom type situation. Stephen and Tabatha were in front of us. She was wearing a silk embroided jacket for the "Christine" movie that had recently dropped.

albacore

(2,579 posts)
10. Was there any other candidate? Oh... yeah...Nixon. Bastard won 60% of the vote.
Mon Sep 23, 2024, 08:00 PM
Sep 23

Proof positive that many Murikans are just bone-stupid.
Then there was some kind of kerfuffle, and Nixon was out.
Could have saved all that trouble by just elected an honest man in the first place.

You whippersnapers are talking about your first vote! My first vote was for LBJ, and he was actively trying to get me killed.
But again...there was no other candidate. Just some nut named Goldwater.

Interesting note: Neither Goldwater nor Nixon could be nominated for any office in today's trumpublican Party.... too librul.

OAITW r.2.0

(28,258 posts)
16. George was painted as a lily-livered liberal.
Mon Sep 23, 2024, 08:53 PM
Sep 23

When he was a B-17 Bomber pilot in WW2. Saw a lot of war acton. Understood the cost of modern warfare.

Was it Jimmy Buffett that said we should have bombed North Vietnam with $5.00 bills? We could have ended the war, with less bloodshed. ecological damage if we turned them into capitalists.

ReRe

(10,736 posts)
25. "Whippersnapers"
Mon Sep 23, 2024, 10:03 PM
Sep 23

That word got several chuckles out of me.

Was a few yrs behind you. I was a 'George McGovern' first voter.

Liberal In Texas

(14,449 posts)
14. I worked with George McGovern producing his regional TV commercials.
Mon Sep 23, 2024, 08:44 PM
Sep 23

He was a really good guy. I was really bummed when he lost and lost by as much as he did.

OAITW r.2.0

(28,258 posts)
17. Interesting story. Had to have impacted you greatly to meet him.
Mon Sep 23, 2024, 08:59 PM
Sep 23

He struck me as a man who could argue his case to win....with everyone....but never got the national political oxygen.

Liberal In Texas

(14,449 posts)
20. He struck me as a regular guy with a lot of common sense.
Mon Sep 23, 2024, 09:26 PM
Sep 23

I remember he would talk about this and that between takes, as you do, and one of the things he said was he disliked Washington D.C. pretty intensely.
Which was, of course, ironic since he was running for President.
I think he was a guy you would trust your life savings to but didn't quite have the dynamic charisma that seems to be needed in politics then and now.

OAITW r.2.0

(28,258 posts)
22. You know, I think back to those times.
Mon Sep 23, 2024, 09:37 PM
Sep 23

Had we had an internet back then, that could have broadened people's access to real information and therefore being more informed. Of course the breakdown on our societal reality would have probably happened sooner.

FakeNoose

(35,544 posts)
21. Same here
Mon Sep 23, 2024, 09:28 PM
Sep 23

Born in 1951 ... turned 21 in 1972.

Never, ever voted for a Repuke. I'm sure I never will either.

Montauk6

(8,562 posts)
24. I was a kid at that time
Mon Sep 23, 2024, 09:44 PM
Sep 23

But I do remember watching those episodes of "All In The Family" with Mike (big McGovern supporter) arguing with Archie (huge fan of "Richard E. Nixon'') about who was going to the White House.

MarineCombatEngineer

(14,312 posts)
27. My very first presidential vote was in '68 when I turned 21
Mon Sep 23, 2024, 10:30 PM
Sep 23

what really stuck in my craw was that I couldn't vote for Pres. until I turned 21, but I could be sent to Vietnam to fight.

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