What was the first political event (not protest) that you attended involving The Democratic Party...

[electric_blue68]

(just got a "ding, ding" after reading the parties parents threw thread where they sent you to bed. I think the comment about "smoking parties" triggered it)

My uncle living in NYC (vs those in NJ) took me to a indoors event when I was ?15. It was possibly the
Progressives for Humphrey event. I was volunteer campagning for him in the daytime.

It was good but it was so smoke filled I got pretty queasy, and headachy so that blurred out the details.

My best campaign moment from then was riding around on a flatbed truck that was festooned with HHH posters, red, white & blue bunting, balloons and a small band! 😄 We had baskets of flyers, and buttons to give out.
We went from around 50th St down 5th Ave all the way to Herald Sq where we got off in front of Macy's - 34th St entrance and handed out more.
It was luckily a warm & sunny day. 👍

[nightwing1240]

1. While Jimmy Carter was running for President

He and his wife visited our city and there was a big rally. Yes, Ohio was much different then.

[electric_blue68]

3. Wow, indeed!

[milestogo]

2. Al Gore came to my city the weekend before the 2000 election for an outdoor rally.

He was amazing and wonderful.

[electric_blue68]

4. Very cool! Your know they had this observation that he could be really stiff and akward, then at

other events he'd be "on".

I actually heard him speak from the pulpit during a St John The Divine (NYC) mass, or a special event in '99 the year before!
They had his Inconvenient Truth book.

[hlthe2b]

5. Democratic National Convention in Denver, 2008 w Obama

I had some planning responsibilities on the health-related side so was able to view quite a bit of it in that context, but I did not have a political role. Still have a hat someone gave me from that convention somewhere and I met a bunch of pretty prominent folks.

[electric_blue68]

24. That's cool. I've watched them on TV.

[pwb]

6. The town use to have Election night bonfires

bring anything wood. I attended those as a young man on my bicycle. The party did not matter, it was a nice big warm fire for us all to gather.

[electric_blue68]

9. Oh, must have been Impressive! Never been to a bonfire! Campfires for singing, stories, and...

roasting marshmallows - yes.

[ChazII]

7. Does a precinct committee meeting

count as an event? If so, I was 11 years old.

[electric_blue68]

11. Sure! 11 yrs old 👍 Was it interesting, boring, or in-between for you?

[ChazII]

36. I found it interesting. My parents were precinct committeemen.

I found the discussions interesting and enjoyed volunteering to walk the neighborhood with literature for the candidates.

[electric_blue68]

43. Ok, then. 👍 My first political activity was my dad taking me with him to put local...

Dem political candidate flyers under our neighbors apt building doors when I was 12, or 13.

[ananda]

8. An LBJ campaign stop when I was eleven.

At Wynnwood shopping center in Oak Cliff (Dallas).

He stood on a bandwagon and gave a little speech,
then my Dad took us up to shake his hand.

It was very cool.

[electric_blue68]

12. Wow, ok.

[GoodRaisin]

67. Our mother took us to the airport to see LBJ in '64 too.

Campaign stop in Roanoke, Va. We also got to shake his hand. Guess that was my first political event too.

[electric_blue68]

86. At the airport? That's neat.

[Hortensis]

80. Me too, about the same age. Campaign stop in Reno, Nevada.

No handshaking, but I did worm my way through the crowd in the park to the rope line in front of the podium.

[ananda]

82. In 1984 I also attended a Camelot symposium in Dallas.

The panel included Sargent Shriver, Roger Hillsman,
Robert McNamara, Arthur Schlesinger, John Siegenthaler,
and Ted Sorenson. David Halberstom also spoke about
Vietnam.

My mother's friend and I then went up on stage to talk
to them, and all she could do was gush to Shriver about
how much she admired Eunice. He just smiled.

It was so great!

[Hortensis]

83. Lol. I would have found it so too. Reminds me of how

some presidents' kids are so fortunately interested in being in a front row to history, not at all wasted on them, while others mostly want to be anywhere else (poor things).

[electric_blue68]

89. Wow Quite a roster! On a late NYC radio talk show he had a lot of these people on...

in '67 AND then n '68 when RFK was deciding to run.

[ananda]

114. They were fantasti! thanks

So much energy, passion, and charm.

It had magic in it, like Camelot.

[electric_blue68]

87. Hee, hee.

[chriscan64]

10. Saw Jimmy Carter speak at Jackson Square in New Orleans, 1980.

What I remember most was the small crowd of yahoos chanting "Reagan!". I was just close enough to see the look on the president's face. He was patient and let them get it out of their systems, then went on with his stump speech.

[electric_blue68]

13. Cool, and very interesting to be close enough to see his reaction.

[electric_blue68]

14. How appropo- I'm listening to a University FM Station; "my" DU Song's on - Bowie's "Electric Blue"

[SheltieLover]

15. JFK campaigning. I was a mere young kiddo.

[electric_blue68]

16. Well, that's a fabulous "young kiddo" memory to have!

[sinkingfeeling]

17. Eugene McCarthy rally in 1968. My parents took me to see

Ricard Nixon at a train stop in London, Ohio back in the fall of 1959. I was 11 then.

[electric_blue68]

25. '59 at 11 you might not have known much. McCarthy - cool.

[electric_blue68]

26. '59 at 11 you might not have known much. McCarthy - cool.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

18. The first two that I remember clearly were in 1968, both in Watts.

I believe the first was a rally for Eugene McCarthy. Fairly small event at Ted Watkins Park. Gene shook my hand.

The other event in Watts was for RFK. He had a motorcade and gave a speech a few blocks away from the Watts Towers. Big crowd, as I recall.

I volunteered on Bobby Kennedy's campaign, mostly stuffing envelopes and things like that. I was 10.

Learning he'd been murdered is a trauma that still hurts me to this day.

[electric_blue68]

21. Both cool. Of course one turning so poignant...

Bobby was going to be my candidate.

I didn't go to see him march in the (late Marchh/early April) Greek Parade in '68 become at 15 I'd bc bored with parades, and I figured he'd be back for the NYS Primary.

Of course, the NYS Primary was after California, so....


Doesn't take too much to unearth that emotionally disorienting pain.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

22. Yeah, like I started crying after I posted.

Too much hurt.

More than 54 years later and I still can't think about it without welling up.

Starting again. Damn.

[electric_blue68]

27. Oh, hug. Luckily for me not every time anymore. But still often esp either reading articles...

in general about him, often seeing videos or photos of his campaign, and the whole June 5 - 9 time period every year.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

29. ..

I'm an otherwise happy and optimistic person.

My feelings over RFK's murder is the one trauma that I've never been able to sooth with time.

Sorry to be morose.

[electric_blue68]

33. No need for apologies! ...

I particularly think with Reagan's, and drumphf's Presidencies the contrasts made our country so miserable - I think that the pretty certain knowledge of how different our Country, and world could have been w RFK as President - for empathetic, justice & equality caring people the cognitive dissonance is so painful - it's totally understandable! 🙂

[Just A Box Of Rain]

39. I'm certain that RFK would have earned the Democratic nomination after winning the CA

primary and that he would have defeated Nixon in the general.

Would have been a different world had that taken place.

[electric_blue68]

44. Truth :(

[tavernier]

72. I got to see him in Kalamazoo when he was touring the country

for JFK. I was in high school with no real party affiliation at the time. He was speaking in the park close to our school and I stopped to watch as I was walking home. I remember being surprised at how short he appeared. I had pictured him as a bigger man, physically.
I watched him get murdered on tv years later. I was married and pregnant, standing up and folding laundry, and it rocked me so hard that I had to sit down or my legs would have given way. I felt at that instant that the world had changed and nothing would ever be the same.

[electric_blue68]

100. Wow to see him campaignibg for JFK....

Woah thank goodness you sat down in time.

Shook so many of us, and our Country never the same! Down a different timeline.

[PCIntern]

19. 1964 Democratic Convention in Atlantic City....

Convention Hall in Atlantic City is one of the most impressive buildings you’ve ever been in in your life. They literally can play a football game in there and have at times. There were these huge pictures of President Johnson, and others on the walls and thousands of chairs set up. of course, the convention had its problems due to seating of certain delegation, but I was 11 years old, and was extremely impressed with the infrastructure. I remember seeing the TV booths above the floor with the CBS, ABC, and NBC logos. It was a very big deal for a kid

As an aside, I recall going with my mom to vote for Senator Kennedy for President in 1960, and that one of the poll workers took a shine to her, and gave her one of the voting machine printed diagrams, which had all the parties, all the candidates, and even levers drawn on it. Unfortunately, it was lost at some point and might actually be worth something today . Well, maybe not so much… believe it or not I stayed up all night as a tiny little kid to watch the returns come in, and before you shake your head in disbelief, I was used to doing that because I had chronic bronchitis as a kid and was used to “not sleeping”, some thing which has never changed for me.

[electric_blue68]

28. These are great memories esp being at the Dem Convention...

Oh, so sorry your chronic bronchitis kept/keeps you up..

I love watching the Dem Conventions on TV!

[Hamlette]

20. Went to the State Democratic Party convention at The Terrace when I was 6

I got this free donkey bank that had no way to get the money out. We had to destroy it to get my pennies back.

My whole family was very active in Democratic Party politics. My Aunt Willa took me, I think she was running for some local office the year.

Also met JFK and Clinton on rope lines and Gore at some fundraiser breakfast. Pro tip: If you go to a crowd where an important person will be shaking hands, take a child. The crowd parts for you so the child can get up to the front. I used my son when we met Clinton and wonder if my family knew the same trick when they took me to see JFK.

[electric_blue68]

30. Wow... So cool!

(your poor piggy bank!)


I think I've heard that tip! 😄
Smart thinking on your parents part. 👍

[Sneederbunk]

23. Two RFK rallies 1968.

[electric_blue68]

31. So lucky.

[musette_sf]

32. My Dad took me to see JFK's motorcade in Waterbury CT

right before Election Day 1960.

Then my Dad took me to see HHH speak at an event. I think it was while he was LBJ’s veep.

Then a campaign event for Bobby Kennedy when he was running for US Senator from NY.

Then a McGovern event in Brighton Beach just before the 1972 election.

(And my earliest childhood memory is of watching the 1956 Democratic Convention on TV.)

[electric_blue68]

35. Wow that's a whole string of them!

RFK - In NYC, or somewhere else in the State?


I was at one of the last big NYC Labor Rallies for McGovern on 34th St Manhattan! Was able to get up on a lsmppost and took photos.

I had to blow them up in my College Darkroom to get grainy images of McG with Mayor Lindsey & Ted Kennedy.

[musette_sf]

37. RFK was in Brooklyn

at a park on Shore Road in Bay Ridge.

The HHH event was in Brooklyn as well.

Would like to see your photos.

[electric_blue68]

45. If I can find them ...

(I had a semi-emergency move, had to leave a lot of stuff) I think found at least one.


I have to sign up to a photo host site

[electric_blue68]

103. I successfully signed up for a photo hosting site. So If I find either-both photos I'll post them

[LakeArenal]

34. I protested then worked in an office during Scott Walker's recall election in WI.

[electric_blue68]

46. Good for you! What a horrid man!

[rsdsharp]

38. Fall 1972, a speech by a celebrity in support of McGovern.

The speaker? Jon Voight. Yes, that Jon Voight.

And he’s got a weak handshake!

[Just A Box Of Rain]

40. I've had the er..uh..pleasure? (not really) of meeting Jon Voight at an event.

That is one very strange man.

[electric_blue68]

47. Oh!

[electric_blue68]

58. Oh! Surprising, I think?

[Raine]

41. When Jimmy Carter was President

he had a town hall meeting in one of the high schools in my area snd I went. I didn't get in but he passed thru the crowd and I got to shake his hand!!! 🥰🥳😂

[electric_blue68]

48. Oh, how wonderful!

[Raine]

54. A moment I'll never forget!!! ♥️ nt

[nevergiveup]

42. On Oct. 3, 1960 our high school social studies teacher

took 5 of us students to Springfield, Il. to hear John F. Kennedy give a campaign speech at the Springfield Armory. After the speech we rushed outside and luckily found the door he would be coming out of. We were at the opening of the door. He walked right past us and said something very similar to "see you later guys". I still have the visual in my head. I missed touching him by about 6 inches. There was little security. I was 16.

[electric_blue68]

49. What a great memory!

[tavernier]

50. Wow , two of them almost back to back.

A friend of mine was the head of the Democratic Party in the Keys years ago and because she knew that I was a democrat she took me under her wing and got me involved, and a lot of wonderful things happened. I was a delegate the year of Obama… i met him and HRC, Nancy Pelosi, and my heroes, John Lewis, and Max Cleland, and many more.

That was a special year. I wish I could say that I had any of the skills required to be a part of that group, but unfortunately, I was destined to be a nurse and part time sloppy writer, and therefore my year of shining amongst the political superstars was short lived.

[electric_blue68]

102. Wow, what an amazing year! ....and

A good nurse shines to all the patients she/he tends to, and happens to meet family or friends. Ty!

[lees1975]

51. A Democratic party precinct meeting in Phoenix after casting my vote for

Jimmy Carter in the Presidential primary. I had just become eligible to vote the day before, registered, voted and went to the precinct meeting.

[electric_blue68]

59. Good for you!

[Xavier Breath]

52. In the fall of 1992 I and a coworker went to see Bill Clinton

speak at a campaign rally in Springfield, Ohio. There was a huge crowd and we got nowhere near the stage, but it was still exciting and the crowd was very enthusiastic.

[electric_blue68]

60. Very cool! I saw him at night in Jersey City (I think) ....

I had an Idea of where I was going but luckily I finally heard the sound of the crowd.
He arrived and spoke. I wasn't close but it was still cool.

Then it became way cooler in memory bc he won!

I did a cool drawing of it.

[Xavier Breath]

79. Can you post the drawing? It would be interesting to see.

I cannot draw and have always been envious of those who can. As a kid I kept seeing the ad in the back of TV Guide to draw a pirate or a turtle or some damn thing, so I drew one of them (the parrot, maybe?) and sent it in for my chance at valuable cash prizes.

A few weeks later some guy called from Cleveland and wanted my Mom to sign me up for what were probably expensive art classes. I wasn't going to win a prize, but doncha know, as luck would have it I was talented enough to be enrolled at their hallowed institution. My Mom said no and gave him the 1970's equivalent of 'sorry not sorry' and hung up. We were poor, so at the time I could only mourn the chance to lift us up out of poverty through my suddenly considerable artistic skills. Some years later I accepted that I could barely draw a stick figure and all that had really been lost was an opportunity for some rando in Cleveland to grift tuition dollars.

[electric_blue68]

88. Aww, poignant. I don't know if it made it through what was a semi emergencymove where I left 85% of

of everything behind

But I just found as I started unpacking stuff - while not as skillfully rendered another set of politically related sketches from a real event. Want to post those so I have to get a hosting site. 👍

Seriously some time when you feel you have a nice stretch of time there are step by step photos and vids of doing even simple type drawing objects.
.
Even learning a bit of that might give you a good feeling. 👍
Just a thought. 🙂

[electric_blue68]

104. I got into to photo hosting site. So I'll post those orher ones some time this week...

and the photo/s if I do find it.

[Eugene]

53. 1982 in Boston, campaign stop by Michael Dukakis for governor.

He spoke at our church.

1980 informally, Ted Kennedy made a widely-covered appearance at my high school when he was still a potential presidential candidate. Press and even a few historians were in the room.

[electric_blue68]

62. Good stuff. And at a HS for Ted w historians there, cool.

[ChoppinBroccoli]

55. Went To See John Kerry In 2004

I was a big Howard Dean guy, but Howard lost Iowa and then New Hampshire and had just dropped out of the race. I was heartbroken (still am a little bit, to be honest), but after doing some research, I jumped over to John Kerry and saw that he happened to be giving a speech on Ohio State's campus that week. So I bought his book and went over to see him. I got to the front of the line and shook his hand, had him sign my book, and even got to ask him a question. I went and saw him again in Zanesville later in the summer (he was there along with his newly-named running mate John Edwards, and Ben Affleck was there too). He returned to Ohio State's campus much later as the nominee and had a big rally shortly before Election Day that year, but I didn't go to that one.

Later, I went to see Obama at a rally in front of the Ohio Statehouse literally 2 days before Election Day 2008 (I've never been a part of a crowd that huge before--there was a minimum of 100,000 people there), and again in the summer of 2012. And I went to a Bernie rally on Ohio State's campus in the summer of 2016. In 2020, I was undecided for an unnaturally long amount of time for me (normally I land on a preferred candidate pretty quickly), so I didn't go see anyone that year.

[electric_blue68]

61. Nice, meeting Sen Kerry. Great to see Obama at a big rally!...

Being a semi activist here in NYC I've attended a few Gigantic Marches, or non-political events that had over 100,000 people! Pretty wild stuff in a good way.

[DavidDvorkin]

56. A speech by Norman Thomas in support of LBJ during the 1964 campaign

He came out of retirement to campaign. The speech was in a classroom on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington, where I was a student. I think the Young Socialists brought him to campus. He was still a great speaker. He died a few years later.

[electric_blue68]

63. Ah, his name sounded vaguely familiar! And he founded....

The ACLU!

[DavidDvorkin]

77. A great man, a great speaker, and a great presence

Almost sixty years later, I still remember it.

[Genki Hikari]

57. My grandparents had a picture of me on my grandfather's shoulders

I'm wearing an LBJ hat and waving a little American flag. It was taken when Lady Bird visited our state during the 1964 campaign. I don't remember that at all. I've only seen the picture.

The first D event I remember was when I went with my grandfather and uncle to the local Democratic party HQ. I don't know why they took me, and not my brothers. Anyway, while they talked politics, I helped some women sort out bumper stickers and buttons, that sort of stuff. Everyone was kinda quiet and glum. It must have been right after RFK was shot, because a) it was 1968 and b) I remember how hot and sticky it was in the building, so definitely summer time. They had a window AC, but I'm guessing it was one of those swamp coolers and not a freon-cooled unit. Everyone was sweating buckets.

Awful summer.

[electric_blue68]

65. What a fun photo even if you don't remember being there...

Oh, the other one's sad. Yeah, was an often glum summer thinking on all that.
(Luckily I had some rock & roll concerts to have some fun)

[Genki Hikari]

68. I was only six that year

So I'm not always sure what memories go where.

But I can place the HQ memory because all the stuff said 1968 or '68 on it.

The other memory is of all of us getting up one morning right after school let out, turning on the TV for the Today show, and hearing that awful news about RFK's assassination. One of the black women from a nearby farm had dropped by to pick up some day work, and she, screamed, "Lord have mercy, they've killed him, too!"

And then all of the adults were screaming and crying enough to wake the dead. My mother is the excitable type, but my grandparents were NOT the kind of people who showed extreme emotions. So it was scary to see them act like that. Other people that the TV said had died, they kept that old stiff upper lip, but for them to be so upset about this one person dying? I knew that meant it was a bad thing. A really bad thing.

[electric_blue68]

90. Woaaah, how Scary for You! ...

I was 10 in 1963 so I Knew it was bad to assassinate a President.
It'd take me a few more years to begin to understand what we'd lost.
But, oh, The Pall that hung over the air & adults!


OTOH - In '68 I was 15 and following Dem politics as a liberal.
And Bobby was my Candidate!
I didn't see him at the Greek Parade March/April bc parades were no longer cool to me.

But I'd campaign for him when he returned to NYC for the NYS Primary! I'd see him then.
Only...

that one was after California. :'''''(

Oh, I didn't scream bc I took my dad's radio to bed to hear news first thing in the morning since the results would be at 3AM + our time.
But I woke up w a weird stomach ache at 4+AM. I figured I'd find out what was happening. I didn't expect anything bad other than losing to McCarthy.

But it had happened literally some mins earlier.
Basically I was numb for days. Went to pay my respects w a friend at St Patrick's Cathedral. Watched the funeral train on TV etc

And have it after Dr King 2 months earlier? Even more horrifying!

And seeing your staid in the face of tragedy grandparents reacting so Intensely? Definitely shocking.

He wasn't perfect but he'd become so empathetic, and caring for the many vunerable groups of people here and elsewhere - I knew what we had lost all too well.

And you probably learned some too, way later.

[betsuni]

64. I've never been to a political event.

I'm from the Pacific Northwest and don't remember hearing about any rallies or political events when I was young, not that I'd have gone to any (crowds make me nervous). Still a mystery to me why anyone thinks rallies turns out voters, like if Hillary had only scheduled more rallies in Wisconsin for white people she would've won the election.

I've known two activists and felt sorry for them. They planned activities and protests and lots of people said they'd come and one by one had some excuse why they couldn't go, then after the event was over said, oh, that was this weekend?, I thought it was next week. I really admire everyone who is active and works hard to do these things.

[electric_blue68]

66. That's understandable if crowds make you nervous...

That's sad for the activists you knew!

This is why I think rallies help. They energize voters. Thise voters can sometimes get some undecided people to go their way, or motivate someone who's not as a consistent voter to vote.

And you've seen some of the closer numbers. Getting a couple of more votes here and there in just the right places... Can make a difference! 👍

[Dorian Gray]

69. I wasn't particularly political when I was young

I don't think I was interested in political events until recently. I never donated to candidates until the Trump years.

I did believe strongly in voting, and I went to some Get Out The Vote events in college.

But it wasn't until 2016 or so that I started donating to candidates and being invited to candidate events in NYC. (Existential crisis will do that to you.)

So now, I've been to a number of parties/rallies for various candidates. I'm invited to many more.

[electric_blue68]

91. Well, good you got more involved. Existential crisis Indeed! Yikes

[Emile]

70. It was a county get together. We met county and state democratic candidates

who were running for office.

[whistler162]

71. I will let you know if I

ever do.

[we can do it]

73. Bill Clinton at Akron Goodyear Blimp Airdock.

[electric_blue68]

85. Cool!

[Tree Lady]

74. Parents took me to Robert Kennedy rally

I guess more of a car parade in CA few months before he was killed running for president.

[electric_blue68]

92. So lucky - sigh. Did they take any photos?

[Tree Lady]

105. Have no idea I was little

Never saw any. They cried when both Kennedy's died.

[electric_blue68]

106. Got it

[sky_masterson]

75. John Kerry John Edwards rally.

They were late getting on stage and had very little prespeech entertainment . Terribly run event

[electric_blue68]

93. Oh, well. Still, history.

[wnylib]

76. I started late compared to some posters here.

First event I was 15. Humphrey came to my town in the early fall of of the Johnson/Humphrey campaign for 1964. Got to shake hands with him.

Then a big gap before being active in any party events, unless you count watching Nixon's resignation with my fiancee and his friends and and cheering with them as a Democratic event.

I was involved in activities related to Dem policies, but not to actual party events. Things like tutoring kids who were accepted for college admissions but needed tutoring because, through no fault of theirs, their college prep education was lacking due to racial discrimination and poor schools in Black communities.

The next political event after that early one with Humphrey was when I met First Lady Hillary Clinton at a Dem rally in my town during her first campaign for NY Senator. Shook hands and had a brief conversation with her on education.

Soon afterward I phone banked for local Dem election candidates. Then did phone banking and door to door for both of Obama's campaigns, door to door for Hillary in 2016, and phone banking for Joe in 2020.

[electric_blue68]

94. Well you caught up! Nice meeting Hillary!

I did some volunteer reading skills stuff when I was in HS.

I was at the C,S,N&Y concert in NJ the night Nixon resigned! Sooo many people brought radios in case it happened before the actual show!
They announced it after some song. Place went
happily bonkers! 😄

[wnylib]

113. Yeah, that was quite a night when Nixon resigned.

It was expected that Nixon would resign in his speech that night so I had planned on being with my fiancee at his apartment with his friends to watch.

But then I had to work late that night. I finished just in time to get to the apartment for the speech. When he got to the point where he said that he was resigning, we broke into shouts and cheers.

[Jokerman]

78. My dad was elected to the state legislature when I was 2 years old.

My mom was chairman of the county democratic party for 12 years starting when I was 10.

Some of my earliest memories are of having to be dressed up and well-behaved at campaign events so he could introduce his family.

I was literally raised in smoke-filled club meetings, fish dinners, and rallies.

[electric_blue68]

95. Wow Very early start! Oh, boy - having to be all dressed up.

[old as dirt]

81. Iowa Democratic Caucuses (nt)

[electric_blue68]

96. Oh, the very famous! Still an Iowan?

[dembotoz]

84. saw carter speak at campaign event in kc. but joined the party after a county fair dem booth

visit in maybe 88

been a local party member ever since
of the 2 folks working the booth, one became a good friend and one has become my best friend

[Omaha Steve]

97. I went door to door for Bobby Kennedy

I was 11 years old going door to door with a college student. Still have my button.

I also handed out flyers that summer at Safeway for the grape boycott. I still have my Nixon eats grapes button.

OS

[electric_blue68]

99. Wow, wonderful! I probably lost my Boycott Grapes button somewhere along the way....

I lost, or threw some along the way.

When I had to downsize this year I still did take some.

[highplainsdem]

98. Bobby Kennedy campaign speech, 1968.

[Omaha Steve]

101. I had a friend that was at the Ambassador party

Actor David Macklin. He died a few years back.

[electric_blue68]

112. Woah...

Sorry for your personal loss, how ever many x years
His young photo looks familiar. After looking at his credits I possibly saw him in some of those '60s shows.

As for That Night...
such hopeful, soaring triumph to falling into The Abyss Searing tradegy for him, and all of us!

I was so numb once I accidentally found out after turning my dad's little transistor radio taken to sleep w me - when I woke up unexpectedly at 4AM NYC (never went back to sleep): I didn't even ask my folks how they heard once I actually got up for the day. I was trying to get ready to go to school (HS).

I guess they wanted to know being good Dem Liberals what the results were in morning as my dad went to work, and probably flipped on the radio.


Back then (as you might have known) The NY Post was a liberal newspaper. Saw the Herblock cartoons. I read McGrory, Breslin, Hamill, even Kempton but even my 4 grades above reading level I couldn't always follow him.

Besides my family, school, they opened my world further at 14 & 15 yrs old. Like acquaintences.
So reading Pete Hamill's recount having been there in his column felt like 3°s of separation.
Later on I totally forgot he'd been there, and totally reshocked when I refound that out decades later.

[electric_blue68]

111. Lucky you

[okaawhatever]

107. In college went to Bush/Dukakis debate at Wake Forest. But my first was

Volunteering for local state senator in high school. Sen Joe Raynor.

[electric_blue68]

110. Wow one of the debates! Local State Senator in HS a good early start.

[okaawhatever]

115. Yeah I was very fortunate. nt

[Ms. Toad]

108. I helped out with the McGovern campaign in 1972, when I was 15-16.

Not an event, per se. But my first involvement in Democratic political activity.

[electric_blue68]

109. Good for you! McG was my 4rd campaign volunteering...

HHH '68
Mayor Lindsey '69
Sen Charles Goodell '70

then McGovern