oh good. you’re more hardcore and i respect that.

Ok. Full full disclosure? When I was 8 years old, I found politics interesting. It was on TV a lot. I liked this “dark horse” John Anderson. He looked interesting, sounded interesting. I didn’t see much about him but the little I did, I liked.

He made sense. And I was sad when they wouldn’t let him debate Carter (who I did a book report on that year – the Peanut Farmer) and Reagan who I didn’t know but sounded like fake old John Wayne. Didn’t trust him.

Then when 1984 came along, I was 12, looking for the 3rd party candidate. Where’s the other guy? why’s it two? Ok that’s boring. 1988. Waiting for the 3rd guy. No 3rd guy. But by 16 I knew that 3rd parties were uncommon to get up that high.

Voting Record:

1992: H-Ross Perot. When Rush Limbaugh (annoying guy) said that the 17% of the vote that went to Perot should’ve gone to Bush, I was pissed because no, I would’ve voted for Clinton as #2.

1996: Perot. Far shot. Didn’t hate Clinton but he was “just there” which was fine but I like spunky computer tech guy.

2000: Forgot to vote

2004: Bush (regret)

2008: Obama – that was easy. I’m a bleeding heart so it was good to see communities that typically didn’t vote, vote. The more the better. If you’re on the soil, you’re affected by the laws and should have a say.

2012: Obama. He wasn’t anything special – no better or worse than any other one that I saw – and I disagreed with HOW he got us out of the financial crash as it was going to be doomed eventually – BUT he did it and that was worth something.

2016: Hillary. I was ok with that pick. I had a long history with Trump from the 1980s (I grew up in NJ and he was always in the news being loud and stupid. It was almost quaint until the Indian casino trials at which point I knew he was scum and ignorable). She’s wicked smart, and a lot of people hated her with a vigor I’d never seen before and that was amusing too. But I knew she’d lose to whatever Republican was there because of our 8 yr pattern lately (mother/father/mother/father) pattern

2020: Biden. I stuttered as a kid and I remember him talking about stuttering in the 1990s and respected that he pushed through it and supported programs. Mostly, I remembered him from the battered women stuff in the late 80s/early 90s. I followed that at the time – domestic violence, child abuse, etc stories. Politically, I knew he straddled both sides, was pro-corporate like the rest of them, standard war guy, etc. Good enough, no worse or better.

So there it is. I was a Boy Scout so basic Civic Duty, and I believe in checks ‘n balances, not just within government other balancing systems like between govt and media, non-profit and profit, etc.

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