What's the first presidential election you remember?

[Oeditpus Rex]

I have a pretty clear memory of arguing with my sister in the back seat as we returned home from going with our folks to vote in the 1960 elections. (I was 4; she was 6.)

Me: "Kennedy!"

Her: "Nixon!"

Repeat ad infinitum.

I also remember falling asleep on the sofa that night while watching the returns.

[enigmatic]

1. 68

Barely, but I remember. I remember the night Bobby Kennedy was assassinated, too.

[SeattleGirl]

2. Kennedy-Nixon, just like you.

I was 5 at the time.

[Oeditpus Rex]

13. Cool

I dig older women.

[SeattleGirl]

14. Oh, you!

:loveya:

[NNadir]

3. That makes three of us.

I thought Kennedy was a great President.

When I grew up and learned the details, I was very disillusioned.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

4. Kennedy.

...As if I actually had the slightest awareness of what was happening- I only recall it because there was a rally at our school one day and they turned it into an all afternoon no-school school day.

[KitchenWitch]

5. Nixon - McGovern

[WCIL]

76. Nixon-McGovern for me too

I was one of the few to vote for McGovern in the second grade mock election.

[regularguy]

83. Hehe, I remember my 5th grade mock election.

McGovern kicked ass. I was dumbfounded how a guy who my parents disliked (and was made fun of on Teevee by Rich Little) could actually win 973 states.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

6. 1964

I just barely remember my father cursing about Barry Goldwater, and being totally awestruck by the fact that my dad knew who had won the Democratic nomination before all the states had tallied.

[Fox Mulder]

7. Dukakis - Bush

I was five.

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

89. I was 8 ...

wow 20 damn years ago. I was for Bush ... because I thought we were rich...boy was I wrong.

[fizzgig]

8. i have the vaguest of memories about the 88 elections

we had a mock election at school, i voted for dukakis (i think it's because my parents were...i just knew i didn't like bush)

92 is much clearer tho

[CreekDog]

34. My high school had a mock election in 88 also

Dukakis won 57-43...we were not as Democratic as we are now...Kerry won 73% of our city in 2004.

[quip]

9. Nixon - Humphrey

And that was BEFORE we moved to MN

I also remember from around that time the Ali - Frazier fight. I was 7.

[Broken_Hero]

10. hmm,

Reagan vs. Mondale

We even did a mock election for school...Reagan won...I think Omar Kadoffee was a big issue back then, but my memory sucks.

[Reverend_Smitty]

11. 1992

I was 8 and remember thinking asking about a candidate's underwear choice seemed like a silly question. I also remember seeing that clip of Bill Clinton playing sax on the Arsenio Hall show on the news like a million times.

However I was unaware of what "I never inhaled" meant lol

[Oeditpus Rex]

15. Child

:P

[Reverend_Smitty]

17. I'm a youngun' I'll admit it

:)

[quip]

20. It literally makes me laugh.

Getting old is such a kick in the pants! :hi: :P

[Oeditpus Rex]

21. Yup

We remember so much more meaningless crap. :bounce:

[CreekDog]

35. Oh, it seems silly to me also

that was my first vote in a presidential election.

[leftofthedial]

12. 1960

when I became a Democrat




(oops-fixed the date)

[woofless]

16. Same year.

I was in second grade. We lived North of Boston and my parents were the only Nixon voters I knew. Dad and I had several rousing conversations a few years later when the Dick slithered back on the scene.

Woof

[LeftyMom]

18. Cough cough mumble '88 mumble

:blush:

[billyskank]

19. Oops - it was Clinton in 1992.

There was a famous cock-up on the BBC election coverage, where most of the map turned white and Jon Snow awarded the election to Ross Perot.

[Oeditpus Rex]

25. Special Question for Brits:

What's the first coronation you remember? :P

[billyskank]

26. Bush Junior in 2001.

:P

[Oeditpus Rex]

29. ...

Well played. :applause:

[Kat45]

22. Nixon-Humphrey

[harmonicon]

23. 1984

I was just a little kid, but I remember there was some sort of kindergarten classroom mock election. I also remember something about Abraham Lincoln.... we may have honestly been comparing him to Reagan - I don't really know. I think at that time, in my mind the presidents were Washington, Lincoln, whoever else was on mount rushmore, and Reagan. Carter was president the first few years of my life, but Reagan was the first president who I remember - in fact it seemed like he'd always existed.... must have been the MTV.

I also have a fairly clear idea about the first time I knew my parents weren't Republicans (almost unthinkable in my home town). It was 1988, and I just couldn't understand why my dad like Dukakis - all I knew was that he looked silly on TV. I think that was the election (though it may have been '84) when I asked my mom who she voted for, and she said, "I threw my vote away and voted Nader". God, my mom rarely tries to make joke, but I'm laughing at this one 20 years later.

The first political rally/speech I went to was Bill Clinton in '92. My dad took us. I remember that the place was packed and that it was very exciting. I remember nothing about his speech, except that I didn't get bored, and I was happy to see the person who was going to be president in the flesh. His voice was incredibly hoarse - this was in October '92, so of course it was.

[puerco-bellies]

24. 1964.

I remember telling Goldwater flushing down the toilet jokes and posting Hubert Humphry Stickers with a buddy on light poles.

[LSdemocrat]

27. 1988. I campaigned for Dukakis in my second grade class for the school's mock election

[Lydia Leftcoast]

28. I recall being extremely annoyed during the summer of 1956 because my

grandparents didn't want to watch anything good on TV and insisted on watching all those people giving boring speeches and milling around on a convention floor waving signs and yelling.

The names "Eisenhower" and "Stevenson" were bandied about, but even though I knew that Eisenhower was already the president, the significance of the election didn't reach me, because Eisenhower continued to be president.

I have more memories of the Kennedy-Nixon election in 1960, because I heard people expressing fears, as silly as they seem now, that Kennedy would do the pope's bidding.

For Kennedy's inauguration, they brought TVs into the classrooms so that we could watch. I recall that it was a bitterly cold day in Washington, and that Robert Frost (we had just studied some of his poems) looked very old and frail as he read the poem he had composed for the occasion.

[TreasonousBastard]

31. Remember the cover of Life with...

the hole in Stevenson's shoe?

Maybe it wasn't the cover, but it got played all over. And not in the slimy, snarky way they'd do it now.

I think I vaguely remember 1952, but, like you, 1960 was the first "real" election for me.

[UrbScotty]

30. Mil novecientos noventa y seis

1996

[Rhythm]

32. 1980 Carter vs. Reagan

I was in jr. high school (in a fundie-Baptist parochial school, no less), and had to endure the rantings of my history teacher as he touted ad nauseum Reagan's virtues, like he was the Brylcremed and pompadoured second-coming of Christ or something.

gah...

The first that i participated in was 1984, when i voted against the bastard.

[Catsbrains]

37. me too...only I was in the 5th grade. I remember the hostages in Iran

were released and there were yellow ribbons on all the trees in our neighborhood.

[Rhythm]

51. Our 8th grade class made white armbands, and wore them

from the beginning of that school year until hostage crisis was over. It was my friend Roger's idea, and we did it though it was frowned upon by the school's administrators.

I remember the yellow ribbons, too... They were all over everything that would stand still, and a few things that didn't.

[CreekDog]

33. 1980: Reagan and Carter

I had heard that we were going to go to war if Reagan won.

[China_cat]

36. Eisenhower.

You know, just looking at the name today, I realize that if the man was running today he'd probably be accused of being Jewish and the country told that it just wouldn't be right to have a non-christian in office. And it would stick, no matter how many times he and Mamie were seen coming out of a Presbyterian church.

Or...you want a real slur for him? His family were Jehovah's Witnesses after migrating from Mennonites. I wonder how -that- would play in today's political climate.

[sarge43]

42. Same here.

He'd been beaten to death a la affair Summerby.

[WritingIsMyReligion]

38. '96: Clinton/Dole.

I seem to remember it not being too much of a close election, at least where I was: not many people were going in for Dole. :D I was newly five, and I remember being very confused about the electoral college and whatnot.

I was alive during GB I/Clinton in 92 but have no memory of it; I was, after all, only 1 that September.

[hotforteacher]

39. 1980 Raygun

I was in the first grade, and I totally remember wanting Geraldine Ferraro to be the VP. My uber-pregnant teacher was not so covert in her love of the blue. :)

[Tektonik]

40. 1992

I remember that my dad voted for Clinton. I think that was the first and last time he has voted.

[BlueIris]

41. I have a vague impression of the 1984 election (I was 5).

Just a sense of discovering that the values me and my parents had weren't represented by the government. And I think I recall some signs getting taken out of our front yard by our neighbors.

I have some memories of '88. That was when my mother explained to me what an alcoholic is, and what the difference between the Republican and Democratic parties is (something along the lines of, "Uh, Republicans are the people who just did this...which is why we might be moving to Canada").

[Tommy_Carcetti]

43. I vaguely remember '84, but the first one I really remembered was '88

I did know in 1984, my dad (who was and still is a huge Jimmy Carter fan) was really hoping for some good revenge against Reagan, but it wasn't to be. I don't remember anything about the primary, but I do remember the general and the fact that Geradline Ferraro was the first female VP nominee ever.

I remembered 1988 much better. My mom was registered a reluctant Republican (but hadn't voted GOP in the general since Nixon)--she's since gone Democrat--, while my Dad was and still is a Democrat. My mom voted for Dole in the primary (she didn't want to see anyone from the Reagan-Bush admin to get the nomination), while my dad voted for Al Gore. When it came to the general, we actually put a Dukakis sticker on the back of our 1986 Dodge Vista wagon. I remember in my fourth grade class we had a mock election, and only myself and the girl I had a crush on admitted voting for Dukakis--the rest of them all fell for Senior. I actually remember one of my classmates saying, "I don't like Dukakis because he's Greek", which even to a nine year-old sounded really stupid. Anyways, I remember the school's getting off for election day and watching election night with great coverage. We could tell it was going to be Bush in a rout, but we got a little excited when they predicted Maryland (where we lived) going for Dukakis, only to see it change to Bush.

[RebelOne]

44. The first one I voted in, JFK.

[Lyric]

45. Dukakis/Bush

My parents were both strong supporters of Dukakis, and I decided to support Bush just to be contrary. Of course I was ignorant of politics and what it means to be a liberal/conservative back then. I was just a pain in the rear kid. ;)

[BlueIris]

46. You...voted for a Bush?

Dude...how. could. you. do. that???

[Lyric]

48. I was 9 years old, BlueIris

I didn't *vote* for anyone. I just went around the house saying "I like President Bush! Go Bush!" in order to tweak my die-hard Democrat Dad's nose. I was a brat, what can I say?

Also, I am not a dude.

[trof]

47. Eisenhower-Stevenson 1952

I was 11 and we had a mock election in school.
I think I was 'Madly for Adlai', but not completely sure.

[MissMillie]

49. 1976

Carter v. Ford

[gbate]

50. Same here.

[LibertyLover]

52. 1956

I was only 3, but I remember going into the voting booth with my father and watching him pull the lever for Eisenhower. I asked who he had voted for and he told me. When he opened the curtain I announced to my mother that daddy had voted for Eisenhower and one of the poll workers yelled at me for revealing a secret ballot. Only I thought she said "sacred ballot", so I turned towards the voting booth and made crossed myself. My parents hustled me out of the polling place really quickly - and laughed once we got outside.

[qb]

53. Nixon Nixon he's our man...

Humphrey's in the garbage can!

My big brother got in BIG trouble for saying that!

[GalleryGod]

54. Falling Asleep on the Couch and waking up the next morning to Huntley and Brinkley

and then came California and the Ambassador...

[YankeyMCC]

55. This is a bit embarrassing

Carter v Ford

And not because it gives hints at my age, I'm 40, but because of my memory of it consists of this story.

Sitting the back of the family station wagon here a report on the campaign and saying to my mother "You're going to vote for Ford right? He's the one with experience and knows how to run the country." or something to that effect. I don't remember her answer.

[Iggo]

56. 1968

Tricky Dick versus HHH.

I was 7 yrs old, and those were interesting times.

[rateyes]

67. vs. George Wallace...

It was an interesting year. We would've had President Robert Kennedy had it not been for that jerk Sirhan Sirhan.

[Arkansas Granny]

57. 1952 - Eisenhower vs. Stevenson. I particularly remember the

"I like Ike" slogan. My dad voted for Eisenhower and my mom voted for Stevenson.

[NoPasaran]

58. Very vaguely, Kennedy-Nixon

I remember being in the car with my mother and aunt when they were going to vote.

[momophile]

59. 1980: Carter vs. "do we really want someone named 'Bush' for v.p.?!"

I was in the 3rd grade and led the school's re-elect Carter campaign with that slogan.

Turns out I was right... 'Bush' is a terrible name for a vp... and even worse for a potus.

[bikebloke]

60. 1964 Johnson/ Goldwater

On the school bus, some kid said, "My daddy says if Goldwater wins, we're leaving the country."

[AllegroRondo]

61. Ford - Carter, 1976

I remember filling out the Weekly Reader ballot. I voted for Carter, I thought he looked more friendly.

[Burma Jones]

62. 1968 - What a seriously fucked up year that was............

King, Kennedy, Riots, Chicago, The Tet Offensive, the rest of Viet Nam, The Pueblo, Students getting slaughtered, Nixon, Yale goes Coed........

[NaturalHigh]

63. Carter vs. Reagan.

[stuntcat]

64. Carter.. Reagan.. ?

I didn't pay that close attention to the news until the 90's when I started going to Peace marches, but my mom took me with her into the voting booth my whole life. She made me help her vote and I'm sure I was there for the ones in the 70's too.
I don't know if it's healthy for me to be so emotional about politics but whatever, I have her to thank for it. Now she doesn't pay it so much attention but I still can't quit it. And I live in the beltway now and can't even get away from it x(

[rateyes]

65. '68...

and, I'm ready to go to Denver and protest the Iraq War like the Vietnam War was protested then.

[MedleyMisty]

66. Dukakis and Bush Sr.

I was 7.

[bigwillq]

68. 1988

I was 10

[IzaSparrow]

69. 1992 Bush vs. the Big Dog

we also had to wear american flags on our little league baseball uniforms that year.

[sasquatch]

70. Bush and Dukakis 1988

My dad is a gun nut so he supported Bush.
:eyes:

[sakabatou]

71. Clinton vs. Dole

[NewJeffCT]

72. I was born in Dec of 1966 - I remember Ford/Carter

No recollection of Nixon/McGovern.

[Tikki]

73. Adlai Stevenson and Eisenhower...

I remember my mom crying when Mr. Stevenson lost.



Tikki

[Rabrrrrrr]

74. Jefferson's. I'd remember Washington's, but I was SOOOO drunk for that decade,

I don't remember much.

[BarenakedLady]

75. Carter/Reagan.

[sinkingfeeling]

77. 1956 - Eisenhower vs. Stevenson

[tjwmason]

78. 1988, sort of.

I was 9 then and didn't really understand anything about what was happening, the nearest I came to support was thinking that Dukakis had a wonderful name.

I paid much more attention as a precocious 13 year-old in 1992.

[Bennyboy]

79. Kennedy-Nixon.....

I remember the debates.....But really NOBODY I knew was for Nixon, not even my parents who pretty much voted Rep everytime since....

And we were really into it too. the fifty Mile Hike, man I could not wait to do that one......

I too fell asleep watching the returns.... Huntley/Brinkley report

[Left Is Write]

80. 1976, when Carter was elected.

We did a mock election in school. I was 10 years old. I voted for Carter, because I knew my parents were voting for Carter.

[billyskank]

84. That's when I was born.

You didn't want to know that, did you? :)

[Left Is Write]

85. Oh, I think I already did.

I was pretty much aware you're a decade younger than I am. :)

[av8rdave]

81. '64 Johnson - Goldwater

[kwassa]

82. Jefferson vs. Adams

In 1804 Jefferson ran again.

This time his vice-presidential candidate was not Aaron Burr, but George Clinton.

[ChoralScholar]

86. I went with my parents

to the local Methodist church to vote in the 1980 general elections. I was three.

I didn't quite grasp the concept, because I was apparently knocking on doors looking for George Washington. (who wasn't there, incidentally)

[Bucky]

87. 76. I liked Gerald Ford.

The 'rents were totally appalled, of course. But he seemed like such a nice guy.

[DarkTirade]

88. I vaguely remember a few in the 80s

but I wasn't really old enough to understand what was going on until the Clinton era.

[GalleryGod]

90. Kick it!

[FloridaJudy]

91. I remember going to the poll with my father

And watching him pull the lever for Adlai Stevenson, in 1956.

Yup. I'm old!

[Maine-ah]

92. Bill Clinton, first time 'round

my Dad (RIP) took me to vote in my first election.

[doc03]

93. Grant/ McClellan

No Kennedy/Nixon that's old enough.
on edit: What stands out in my memory was the Minister at our Presbyterian Church giving a sermon supporting Nixon because if we had Catholic in the the Whitehouse the Pope would run the USA. A lot of people in the congregation didn't take to kindly to him telling them how to vote. My parents voted for Kennedy in spite of him.

[CBHagman]

94. The one in 1964.

A nun told me I was a traitor because my parents had voted for Goldwater. Back in those days, "Catholic Republican" was very nearly an oxymoron.

[ThatsMyBarack]

95. GIMME JIMMY 1976!

I saw that on a bumper sticker, along with Jimmy Carter's HUGE grin! ;)

[bertha katzenengel]

96. Carter/Ford - I was 13.

:bounce:

[datasuspect]

97. when Ford took power

i "remember" the 1976 election cycle in that i understood what electing a president meant.

[NMDemDist2]

98. I don't remember much of the election of 1960 but I do remember the Kennedy

inauguration and his speech

[eyesroll]

99. 1980.

I remember going into the voting booth with my mom (I was 5) and I think she voted for Anderson. But the first campaign I remember is 1984--I remember "Down the toilet, Mondale!" was a favorite campaign slogan among my peers.