The day of the 1988 Presidential Election, all the second graders gathered in the common space between our four classrooms, and Mrs. Shirley took us through a simple process. “Okay, raise your hand if you want to vote for Michael Dukakis?” After a quick glance through the crowd during which she counted myself and the others who didn’t care or didn’t know about Dukakis’ wife’s alcoholism, she continued, “now which of you would like to vote for George Bush?” She counted, not because it was close, but because she wanted to get it right. She then went to the board and wrote:
Dukakis--3
Bush -- 96
I imagine the thought was that the students’ opinions were likely to mirror those of their parents. I can’t speak for the results specific to my hometown, but I do know that nationally things were bad for Dukakis, but they weren’t that bad. The popular vote went:
Dukakis--45.65%
Bush --53.37%
This margin of defeat isn’t terribly embarrassing. The problem, as is typically the case, was with the Electoral College:
Dukakis--20.6%
Bush --79.2%
Thus Dukakis has served as a worthy political punch-line for the last twenty years.
In January 1989, the four classes gathered again, this time to watch the inauguration. I sat as close to the television as I could get and listened to the banter from the news team. As a still lucid President Reagan got out of his town car one of the reporters said, “Every president who was elected in a year ending in zero, going as far back as Lincoln has died in office. President Reagan is the first president in 120 years to break that pattern”
“Well, there’s still time,” Mrs. Young said. An odd comment coming from an obvious republican, I thought. Looking back, I’m not sure I was meant to hear her say it, and I’m certain I wasn’t meant to get it. Still, that comment is the thing I remember most about the second grade.
***
My mom took me to the Darke County Fair. While we were there, we came across a booth where they were selling shirts with, “Clinton/Gore ’92” printed in patriotic red and blue. I begged my mother for one of those shirts. Months earlier, I had seen Clinton at a debate. At the time he was still polling in the single-digits. I didn’t care how Paul Tsongas was doing or whether Mario Cuomo was going to enter the race. I just knew, as I sat there watching the debate, that that governor from Arkansas was going to be the next president. “We just got to the fair,” my mom said, “why don’t you wait and see if there’s anything else you want to buy.”
“No. This is what I want.”
That November, I was proud to wear my Clinton/Gore shirt to school. It was election day and my school was one of the polling stations. My sixth grade science teacher, Mrs. Crompton, and I sat outside at recess, and while the other kids played basketball or swung or did whatever normal kids do when they’re at recess, Mrs. Crompton and I talked politics. “That’s who I voted for,” she said. I just smiled.
That afternoon I went into the chorus/band room where the voting booths and old lady volunteers were set up, and I participated in the kids’ voting. Mr. Alexander, a fifth grade teacher and transparent sexist made fun of my shirt or was he making fun of me? I don’t really remember. I just remember lowering my opinion of him. Then this old woman with nothing better to do than embarrass an 11-year-old kid said, “you know, you’re not really allowed in here with that shirt.” I thought she was joking, so I laughed. “I’m going to have to ask you zip up your jacket while you’re in here. What you’re doing is illegal.” I know she was just trying to do her civic duty, but at the time, I didn’t get it. I cried the whole way home, humiliated that I wasn’t more familiar with the legal system as it pertained to elections. The woman had single-handedly ruined Clinton’s victory for me.
***
Forgive me. I voted for Nader.
***
I have never been less excited to vote for a man as I was to vote for John Kerry. Still, I stood in line for 3 hours to do so. I would have stood there for six.
***
Yesterday, Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico ended his campaign for the presidency. For months I’ve been telling anyone who would listen about this guy. Four time Nobel Peace Prize nominee. Second term governor. “No sitting senator since Kennedy has been elected president. Clinton and Obama might not be electable,” I would say. Energy Secretary under President Clinton. Hostage negotiator. He’s done amazing things with North Korea and Iraq. Name a bad guy. Richardson has had him by the balls. I’m just saying, the man was clearly more qualified for the job than just about anyone who has ever applied for the position.
Richardson did one smart thing for himself after he bowed out. He declined the opportunity to back one of the three remaining democratic candidates. I would be very surprised if Bill Richardson isn’t at the top of everyone’s list of possible running mates. If Obama wins the nomination, he’s going to have to attach someone with experience to his campaign, whether he likes it or not. Having been Bill Clinton’s Energy Secretary, it would make sense that Hilary Clinton would try to get him on board. Edwards might just need some help in the West, where Richardson is strong. The biggest thing though, the thing that all three remaining candidates should be thinking about--Bill Richardson is half Mexican. Though it doesn’t make a lot of sense, the Latino vote almost always goes to the Republicans. Maybe it’s something to do with conservative, Catholic values. Maybe it’s something to do with the way conservatives have attached themselves with the concept of the American Dream. Probably it’s a combination of both. If Governor Richardson can help get the Latino vote, and I think he can, that’s going to be the difference between the Dems winning in a landslide and waiting 48 hours after the polls close in November to see which way Ohio goes. None of us wants to do that again.
I think Keith Olbermann said it best. At the end of his interview with Governor Richardson on last nights, “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” the pundit said, “I know it’s not of great practical use right now, but you’ll understand why I couldn’t have said something like this earlier, I think you would have made a fine president.”
Dukakis--3
Bush -- 96
I imagine the thought was that the students’ opinions were likely to mirror those of their parents. I can’t speak for the results specific to my hometown, but I do know that nationally things were bad for Dukakis, but they weren’t that bad. The popular vote went:
Dukakis--45.65%
Bush --53.37%
This margin of defeat isn’t terribly embarrassing. The problem, as is typically the case, was with the Electoral College:
Dukakis--20.6%
Bush --79.2%
Thus Dukakis has served as a worthy political punch-line for the last twenty years.
In January 1989, the four classes gathered again, this time to watch the inauguration. I sat as close to the television as I could get and listened to the banter from the news team. As a still lucid President Reagan got out of his town car one of the reporters said, “Every president who was elected in a year ending in zero, going as far back as Lincoln has died in office. President Reagan is the first president in 120 years to break that pattern”
“Well, there’s still time,” Mrs. Young said. An odd comment coming from an obvious republican, I thought. Looking back, I’m not sure I was meant to hear her say it, and I’m certain I wasn’t meant to get it. Still, that comment is the thing I remember most about the second grade.
***
My mom took me to the Darke County Fair. While we were there, we came across a booth where they were selling shirts with, “Clinton/Gore ’92” printed in patriotic red and blue. I begged my mother for one of those shirts. Months earlier, I had seen Clinton at a debate. At the time he was still polling in the single-digits. I didn’t care how Paul Tsongas was doing or whether Mario Cuomo was going to enter the race. I just knew, as I sat there watching the debate, that that governor from Arkansas was going to be the next president. “We just got to the fair,” my mom said, “why don’t you wait and see if there’s anything else you want to buy.”
“No. This is what I want.”
That November, I was proud to wear my Clinton/Gore shirt to school. It was election day and my school was one of the polling stations. My sixth grade science teacher, Mrs. Crompton, and I sat outside at recess, and while the other kids played basketball or swung or did whatever normal kids do when they’re at recess, Mrs. Crompton and I talked politics. “That’s who I voted for,” she said. I just smiled.
That afternoon I went into the chorus/band room where the voting booths and old lady volunteers were set up, and I participated in the kids’ voting. Mr. Alexander, a fifth grade teacher and transparent sexist made fun of my shirt or was he making fun of me? I don’t really remember. I just remember lowering my opinion of him. Then this old woman with nothing better to do than embarrass an 11-year-old kid said, “you know, you’re not really allowed in here with that shirt.” I thought she was joking, so I laughed. “I’m going to have to ask you zip up your jacket while you’re in here. What you’re doing is illegal.” I know she was just trying to do her civic duty, but at the time, I didn’t get it. I cried the whole way home, humiliated that I wasn’t more familiar with the legal system as it pertained to elections. The woman had single-handedly ruined Clinton’s victory for me.
***
Forgive me. I voted for Nader.
***
I have never been less excited to vote for a man as I was to vote for John Kerry. Still, I stood in line for 3 hours to do so. I would have stood there for six.
***
Yesterday, Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico ended his campaign for the presidency. For months I’ve been telling anyone who would listen about this guy. Four time Nobel Peace Prize nominee. Second term governor. “No sitting senator since Kennedy has been elected president. Clinton and Obama might not be electable,” I would say. Energy Secretary under President Clinton. Hostage negotiator. He’s done amazing things with North Korea and Iraq. Name a bad guy. Richardson has had him by the balls. I’m just saying, the man was clearly more qualified for the job than just about anyone who has ever applied for the position.
Richardson did one smart thing for himself after he bowed out. He declined the opportunity to back one of the three remaining democratic candidates. I would be very surprised if Bill Richardson isn’t at the top of everyone’s list of possible running mates. If Obama wins the nomination, he’s going to have to attach someone with experience to his campaign, whether he likes it or not. Having been Bill Clinton’s Energy Secretary, it would make sense that Hilary Clinton would try to get him on board. Edwards might just need some help in the West, where Richardson is strong. The biggest thing though, the thing that all three remaining candidates should be thinking about--Bill Richardson is half Mexican. Though it doesn’t make a lot of sense, the Latino vote almost always goes to the Republicans. Maybe it’s something to do with conservative, Catholic values. Maybe it’s something to do with the way conservatives have attached themselves with the concept of the American Dream. Probably it’s a combination of both. If Governor Richardson can help get the Latino vote, and I think he can, that’s going to be the difference between the Dems winning in a landslide and waiting 48 hours after the polls close in November to see which way Ohio goes. None of us wants to do that again.
I think Keith Olbermann said it best. At the end of his interview with Governor Richardson on last nights, “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” the pundit said, “I know it’s not of great practical use right now, but you’ll understand why I couldn’t have said something like this earlier, I think you would have made a fine president.”
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