1988

Election of 1988

I could not vote in 1984. I would not turn 18 until the summer of 1985 which meant that some of my friends in high school could vote. As a political junkie it drove me nuts. In 4th grade I remember watching Jimmy Carter's inauguration. To not be able to vote sucked.

So ... 1988 got to be my first Presidential Election. I could drink in Idaho for two years prior to this due to the double quirks of a 19 year old drinking age in Idaho and not being able to vote for president til I turned 21.

Excited? I was impossible. At the time I was writing for my college newspaper and was totally into the primaries and everything. I even remember reading a position paper from Senator Paul Simon. The Gary Hart scandal had thrown the whole nominating process wide open for the Democrats. Dole and Kemp gave Bush a bit of a fight but it was clear from the start he was running for the Reagan Administration third term.

Everyone should be excited about the Presidential Election season . This cycle has ground on for far too long, but when the VP debate gets amazing ratings something is happening.

In retrospect i was a bit too excited. I see it in others too. The process makes it like a buildup to a college football rivalry game. I believe I wrote a column extoling the virtues of Dukakis and excusing Bentsen's jabs at Quayle. Sure, I was voting that way, but Jeez ...

There were politcal campaign yard signs all over my dorm room ...

Somehow that year I managed to see Dukakis in person twice; including the night before the election in Spokane at Gonzaga University and once during the summer at Pike Place.

Over the years I have seen and met many political figures. I've shook hands with the Speaker of the House and had dinner with a US Senator from Hawaii.

Part of me wishes I had that excitement this year. I see it in young voters and Obama. There is even some of the same excitement about Palin among conservatives. I did get would up a bit over the horrific choice of Joe Biden as VP, so I guess I do still care. I mean, c'mon Joe, you let Palin off the hook when she said she was going to answer questions her way. All you had to do was say, "Governor, we are here to debate, not to give our campaign speeches in little segments." You would have owned her. Your only real job in the campaign and you blew it. Palin would have been forced to answer the questions directly or ... never mind, I could go on and on and on about the opportunity lost there.

Something must still be in me though, since I can't seem to turn away despite my claims to being not that interested this year ...