“You have to remember one thing about the will of the people: it wasn’t that long ago that we were swept away by the Macarena.”
When I woke up this morning, my first thought was I get to vote. I never miss voting even for local elections. I voted when I was in the Peace Corps, but I got my ballot too late for it to count. It was sent by regular mail which took several weeks to arrive. They could have used air mail but they didn’t. I sent my ballot back with a note explaining where Ghana was and why I was irritated. I never got an answer.
I voted for the very first time in 1968. I voted for Hubert Humphrey, not Richard Nixon. In 1972 I voted for George McGovern, not Richard Nixon. I always add the not Richard Nixon because it is a point of personal pride. As a joke, my sister gave me a Nixon button, a huge one. It says Nixon’s the One on the top and Vote Nixon on the bottom. His face is in the middle with a giant smile that looks a bit sleazy to me, but that may be hindsight. I’ve heard people say have nothing in your house for which you would be ashamed should you die unexpectedly. That would be my Nixon button. It is horrifying to think someone might believe I wore it and even worse that I voted for him.
Today is a sunny day filled with light without heat. I’m getting tired of the cold. I’d be happy with one really warm day, a long sleeve shirt day. That’d hold me until spring.
Birds are all over my feeders. They wait in lines like planes do before they can taxi and take off. I forgot the suet so I’ll fill those feeders later.
I remember watching Chet and David on the black and white TV when they covered the presidential election of 1960, a nail biter, and exciting sit on the edge of your seat election. Everything pertaining to states and numbers was done by hand. People erased tallies and entered new tallies. Calling a state for one candidate or the other didn’t happen with only 16% of the vote counted the way it is now. Back then you had to be patient. I think that’s a good thing. In the Nixon-Kennedy election Nixon didn’t concede until November 9th, the day after the election.
Explore posts in the same categories: MusingsTags: hand writing the votes on the totboard, Humphrey, McGovern, Nixon, Nixon-Kennedy, primary election
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March 1, 2016 at 1:46 pm
Just too many MDHs
Generally I live rather quietly with the minimum amount of fuss. However the end of winter has brought forward not only QUO (down down deeper and down) but another person trying very hard to be me
Armed with my SS, home address, date of birth and all sorts of goodies they have in the last three weeks tried to open credit cards and filed a return with the IRS. I am now lucky enough to engage in the exciting world of identity theft – I might have Leo play me in the movie and im6 can play the bear.
of course, you don’t really know if this is the real MDH or an MDH fraudster. Perhaps a secret Lennie password to get in to KTCC in case the fake MDH runs riot.
Oh well, it will snow like crazy soon
March 1, 2016 at 7:08 pm
My Dear Hedley,
No one else can be you, at least not intrinsically. I do wonder why they filed a return with the IRS. The rest of it I understand. (if you run into them I could use a small video type camera for my next trip).
I have heard it is a long process to get your name back. I hope you get lucky and reclaim your good name.
I’ll direct!
Snow? Please say it isn’t so!!
March 1, 2016 at 8:34 pm
To cite Highlander: There can be only one MDH!
Good and fast luck, Hedley!
Any sudden Iggy praises by “Hedley” on KTCC will be considered as suspicious.
March 2, 2016 at 10:49 am
Kat – The not real MDH filed a return with the IRS requesting a refund.
Fortunately, my complexities and time lines caused the IRS to spit it out – BUT, the real MDH is spending a lot of time on hold with the agencies intended to protect the tax payers of the United States of America
Birgit – Consider any Iggy praise highly suspect.
March 2, 2016 at 12:56 pm
MDH,
Nice he wanted a refund! All the more to spend.
I have read that to clear your name will be complicated.
March 2, 2016 at 1:35 pm
Kat – So far the Trump Wall around my credit has repelled any invaders. Not to say that it will stay that way but I have more burning oil to pour down from the parapets if necessary
It is all a gigantic drag, I am hoping they will find me sturdy enough that they go elsewhere
Iggy Pop is the greatest artist of all time
March 2, 2016 at 2:02 pm
MDH,
There goes that new video camera I’ve been looking at!
I’m glad other than your name that your other assets are safe.
Iggy Pop?
March 2, 2016 at 5:35 pm
*** grin ***
Okay, just for the laughs:
http://consequenceofsound.net/2016/02/iggy-pops-nude-body-is-on-display-at-the-brooklyn-museum/
March 2, 2016 at 5:42 pm
Birgit,
I wonder if I need a reservation?
March 1, 2016 at 2:17 pm
14F here this morning, rime on the trees and a beautiful sunrise and that was it. The clouds arrived just after the sunrise and it got so warm that the rime melted away and all the beauty sort of died. We’ll get snow tomorrow and it might stay for a few day, You won’t hear a hurray from me 🙂
I’äm looking forward to this Super Tuesday, mostly because it doesn’t happen here 🙂 I’m sure Trump will slaughter the other republicans and I’m pretty sure Hillary will crush poor Bernie. All the republican candidates have insulted enough with minorities that I’m pretty sure You’ll get a Democratic president again and hopefully both houses will be too. The people here on earth will feel so much more safe if that happens.
Have a great day!
Christer.
March 1, 2016 at 7:37 pm
Christer,
I’m with you. Another snow storm would have me cursing like crazy. I want spring, not winter still.
I taste bile at the thought of Trump being the Republican candidate. I can’t believe people would actually vote for him. He lacks shame and a sense of humanity. It is all about him.
The congress isn’t elected until the November elections. The way congress stands now gets little or nothing done. They are vowed to take down Obamacare.
March 1, 2016 at 2:35 pm
I voted early. I don’t believe in early voting. Neither do I believe in ELECTRONIC voting. If a purple thumb and a paper record was good enough for Iraqis, why isn’t it good enough for us? We’re so much more (cough*cough) ‘trustworthy’ … ? A return to paper ballots is long overdue.
My first vote was cast for Barry Goldwater in ’64. LBJ? No way. Although I was registered as a Democrat at that time, I still crossed over to the Goldwater side when it came time to pull the lever. I remained a Democrat until they put JIMmah! Cahtah up as the nominee – at that time, I registered as a Republican. I voted for Reagan twice, and when the ’pubs put up GHW Bush as the nominee, I declared as a NON-affiliated independent conservative. Been that ever since. I see no benefit derived from ‘party’ membership or affiliation. We are, however, unfortunate in that we have only these two miserable and somewhat execrable ‘parties’ to ‘represent’ our interests. We lose with both of them.
Wet. Rainy. Chilly. Oh yeah! Please, sir, may we have another … ? And another … ?
This is a great day to do design work. I can leave the blinds wide open and the filtered light coming thru doesn’t affect color perception and gives off no ‘flare’ glare to temporarily alter the view of the screen. This light is also great for photography since there are no harsh shadows cast on the subject. It’s a ‘free light box’ from Mother Nature.
There was a duck in the pool about an hour ago. Management hates seeing ‘em in there ‘cuz it means they’re doing ‘other things’ besides swimming. That’s why they have a maintenance staff. People need job security.
Ahh, Chet and Dave. Yeah, them was the daze. Back then the weather man also used a white board and a big black marker to indicate cold fronts, warm fronts, occluded fronts, etc – and lightning was indicated with big black zig-zag lines and several exclamation points for good measure. And there was the intro to ‘The Lone Ranger’ … the words seem so much more relevant and appealing in today’s political climate: “Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear!” … if only …
March 1, 2016 at 7:59 pm
Richard,
We have paper and pen voting. It is still good enough for many of us. The drawback is the counting, and the time it takes to finish though the primaries take less time.
I am registered as an independent. I could never have voted for Reagan. I also find the Republican agenda abhorrent in many ways. That one of their objectives is to shut down the President just because he is Obama is wrong on so many levels. The benefits to the people is of little importance to them. Business rules! My father was a democrat until he started to make 6 figures then he voted republican because they would protect him and his money.
I went out and voted then went to get a couple of things at the store. It was chilly, only about 40˚. We’re having rain tonight and tomorrow then maybe some snow on Thursday.
Ducks like water, any sort of water I guess.
I don’t want to go back to B&W TV but I did like the innocence of TV back then, the lack of dead bodies and Good Guys in white hats.
March 1, 2016 at 8:38 pm
You probably won’t be surprised I find the ‘Democratic’ agenda (a/k/a ‘Socialist’, ‘Liberal,’ ‘Progressive,’ etc etc) equally abhorrent. They’ve finally gotten secure enough in their own power to come out of the closet and admit they’re Socialists. Lookit ol’ Bernie. Shrillary’s probably going to escape retribution for her despicable lack of commitment to protect the people at Benghazi, but hey, she’s a member of the ‘protected class.’ I’m stubborn enough to still want my personal freedoms and my decisionmaking left in my control. The State is an alien construct in a Constitutional Republic.
And now for something completely different: Guy Madison’s cowboy program was sponsored by Kellogg’s (‘K-E-L-L-O-G-Double Good’) Sugar Corn Pops … Just what the hyperactive tykes needed …
March 1, 2016 at 9:12 pm
Richard,
The Republicans find it easy to take away individual freedoms to protect the country. The problem is we never get back what has been taken away. Democrats have always been guilty of caring about people. I can’t say the same for the Republicans.
March 1, 2016 at 4:18 pm
Old-fashioned manual counting here and elections are always on Sundays.
Minor elections in some parts of this country this month, unfortunately right-wing extremists will rise though we really should know better.
But first Super Tuesday, I’ll check TV later.
March 1, 2016 at 8:03 pm
Birgit,
Paper and pens here as well. The towns are too small to afford all the voting machines.
They are already giving updates: 4 states for Hilary and 1 for Bernie so fa. Trump and Rubio in one state, I forget which, are neck and neck.
March 1, 2016 at 8:41 pm
Kat, I’m still watching. MSNBC here with simultaneous translation and comments instead of ads. Bed+TV time now though I’ll probably have to deal with bad Trump nightmares…
March 1, 2016 at 8:59 pm
Birgit,
I think Trump gives me bad night and bad day dreams. I can’t stand the faces he makes when he is making fun of people or being superior, at least to him.
I find it terribly scary that people actually believe him.
March 1, 2016 at 8:43 pm
Like you I voted for Humphrey and for McGovern because I hated Nixon and cheered when he resigned. Despite his protestations during the famous checkers speech in the 1950s I knew he was a crook. As a result of Nixon’s loss to JFK in 1960, Joe McGinniss wrote a book, “The Selling of the President” in 1968 which chronicled the selling of the new Nixon to the public. Since 1968 every political campaign has used those ideas and techniques to sell us every elected official like a box of soap.
Over the years I have never seen our two political parties so polarized. Income distribution has never been as wide as in the past twenty years and the lack of any semblance of civility is appalling. Reagan and Tip O’Neal disagreed on most issues but they could compromise for the good of the nation.and then have a drink together after work. Today the candidates on both sides hate each other and wouldn’t even be seen in the same room together. For the Republicans it’s become an all out war on the President and his policies. I worry that their scorched earth policies and election tactics will hurt our country beyond repair.
March 1, 2016 at 9:08 pm
Bob,
I could have written the whole first paragraph except for the book part as I haven’t written it. Don’t forget Mrs Nixon’s respectable Republican cloth coat!
I agree. I haven’t seen the two parties at such odds at each other. One of the Republican aims was to stop any Obama legislation. Its impact on the voters, the people, never entered into the plans. Own a big business and you’re covered.
The animosity between the parties is almost beyond repair. Much as people hated Ted Kennedy he could pull off a compromise and had friends on both sides of the aisle.
If Trump is the candidate, I can see the fracture in the Republican party.
March 2, 2016 at 3:44 pm
I don’t think Mary Jo Koepchne thought much of Teddyboy’s ‘compromising’ skills … he compromised her to death, didn’t he? Oh. Wait. I forgot … he was the ‘Lion of the Senate’ … mm-hmm. And then there was Robert ‘Grand Kleagle’ Byrd … it’s a long list the Democrats can point to with something approaching ‘pride’ …
March 2, 2016 at 6:06 pm
Richard,
I was talking politically.
I don’t know about the lion of the senate. I just know he could get stuff done.
March 2, 2016 at 11:18 pm
The Republicans are still pissed that a black man beat them twice and they have done everything at the State level to make sure that it doesn’t happen again. They are always trying to limit the voting franchise of the poor and people of color who they think vote Democratic. They have pushed voter ID laws on the lie that voter fraud is widespread. There’s no credible evidence of voter fraud. They have reduced the number of early voting days and, until last week, the conservative Supreme Court ruled in Citizens United that a corporation is a person and has free speech rights to donate unlimited campaign contributions. Who in their right mind would ever think that GM is a person. 🙁
Unfortunately, the American public has forgotten that Hitler was elected by the German people to the office of Chancellor.
Oh, I almost forgot that Republicans are still angry about Watergate and Impeached Bill Clinton on trumped up charges to ‘get even’.
March 2, 2016 at 11:27 pm
Bob,
I agree about the Republicans and the election of a Black man. also agree that the Republicans are running an exclusion campaign. They are doing their utmost to keep Blacks and Hispanics off the poles.I can’t understand why the Republicans who believe in the law don’t spa up about what is happening. Christie proved himself an opportunist. I wonder if he realizes that is no guarantee tis Trump.
How will the party come back from this?
March 2, 2016 at 2:51 pm
Hi Kat,
It probably wasn’t hindsight that made you think Nixon’s smile was suspect. I was 10 years old in 1960 and knew not very much about Nixon except that he made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Gut reaction, I guess. Anyway, I recall that election night too because I stayed up to watch the returns and notated them each time they were updated. It was a homework assignment and I got a great mark.
I went out to vote yesterday and the place was busy but not crowded. The whole thing from parking to driving out took maybe 10 minutes. I know how I’m going to vote so it doesn’t take long to fill in the little circles.
Today started out raining and warm but now it is sunny and cold. I have two croci blooming in the yard and the vicious roses are putting out leaves. I’ll call it spring even though we are far from it. 🙂
Enjoy the day.
March 2, 2016 at 6:16 pm
Hi Caryn,
You’re right about not needing hindsight. He was always sleazy to me.
I was 12 in 1960. It was the first time I was ever interested in politics because Kennedy was our senator. When I went to bed, the race had yet to be called as the votes were so close.
It was the same at y polling spot. I was in and out in less than 10 minutes. I just inked in the circle and off I went.
The rain stopped here as well but left a chilly day. Gracie went out to pee and that was it. On warm days she stays out.
Have a great evening!