I won’t get fooled again.
I voted for Kerry, and I voted for Barrack Obama.
But I won’t ever do it again.
And I of all people should’ve known better.
See, back in 76, I was a 12 year old kid during the Gerald Ford / Jimmy Carter election. I’d seen the Watergate movie, and I had a pretty good grasp of what was going on.
Probably most here have forgotten or never even knew that in ’76 there was also an independent run by Eugene McCarthy–the actually semi-leftist guy the Dems screwed way back in 1968.
Despite strong showings in several primaries – indeed, he won more votes than any other Democratic candidate – McCarthy garnered only 23 percent of the delegates at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, largely due to the control of state party organizations over the delegate selection process.
Emphasis: mine. From http://www.answers.com/topic/e…
Anyway, in 76, since I was 12, I couldn’t drive yet, but I had a cool bike with a blue banana seat, and I cruised all over town handing out literature for Gene.
When election day came I too young too vote, but old enough to canvass, and I witnessed an amazing phenomena:
The Democrats were bringing in carload after carload of scared old people from old folks homes. In return for a nice dinner, they would vote a straight Democratic ticket. That was the deal–the other poll watchers informed me– I was incredulous at first, but they brought them in by Lincoln, they brought them in by vans, they came and they came and they came.
And they didn’t look left. They didn’t look right. Not one took any literature from me or anyone else. And there was fear in their eyes when they saw me–real fear. I assume from hunger, but I don’t know.
They voted, they ate. Or, they ate they voted, I’m not sure which–but I’ve always wondered–since if they were fed first what were they worried about?
I bet they hadn’t eaten yet. And now 33 years later they’re all dead anyway.
Well, 33 years from now I’ll likely be dead too, or at least I’ll be getting pretty damn fragile.
And, I’ll still look left, when asked, even if I have to forgo supper.