General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWho Was The First President You Voted For?
Mine Was Jimmy Carter in 1976
Chasstev365
(5,191 posts)Bettie
(16,109 posts)I had just turned 18 and was excited to vote for the first time.
Some of my earliest memories are of my grandma taking me with her to vote and explaining to me why she was voting for this one or that one. She even let me push the levers for her on the old time voting machines in Wisconsin.
My great-grandma went with us and told me never, ever to vote for a Republican becasue FDR was a Democrat and he had changed our society for the better while they (Republicans) dragged their feet and whined about it. She was a straight ticket Democrat until the day she died.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,693 posts)rzemanfl
(29,557 posts)with mafia interest rates and stalling Iran on releasing hostages.
GP6971
(31,158 posts)got me temporarily kicked out of my parents' house.
Beartracks
(12,814 posts)===============
Wiseman32218
(291 posts)LoveMyCali
(2,015 posts)I was all set to vote for John Anderson until my college roommate asked me to go to hear President Carter speak. She had to go for a poli sci class and I didn't have anything else to do at the time.
I have been his biggest fan ever since!
Wiseman32218
(291 posts)LoveMyCali
(2,015 posts)an absolutely amazing man!
Binkie The Clown
(7,911 posts)Grassy Knoll
(10,118 posts)...But I Would Have Because Of Rowan & Martins Laugh In.
Wounded Bear
(58,656 posts)That was the first time for the 18 yo vote, and he had just given all us service folks a raise.
Haven't voted R since.
DavidDvorkin
(19,477 posts)flor-de-jasmim
(2,125 posts)jalan48
(13,865 posts)dflprincess
(28,078 posts)and I'll always be proud of that.
hunter
(38,312 posts)Reagan was worse than I anticipated.
HipChick
(25,485 posts)Grassy Knoll
(10,118 posts)...Awesome!
Ace Rothstein
(3,163 posts)Was 0-2 before Obama.
FM123
(10,053 posts)wrote in Jerry Brown in 1980
stillsoleft
(80 posts)Candidate: Mondale
President: Clinton
Grassy Knoll
(10,118 posts)...
QC
(26,371 posts)but didn't get to see a candidate I voted for win until Clinton in 1992.
Earth Bound Misfit
(3,554 posts)crazycatlady
(4,492 posts)First president I voted for-- Al Gore
First president-elect I voted for-- Barack Obama
Akacia
(583 posts)oasis
(49,387 posts)for a minor traffic violation.
lpbk2713
(42,757 posts)Voted for every Dem nominee ever since.
Grassy Knoll
(10,118 posts)lpbk2713
(42,757 posts)I was still a bit young.
Your Dad went through hell.
phylny
(8,380 posts)ADX
(1,622 posts)lordsummerisle
(4,651 posts)CK_John
(10,005 posts)LeftInTX
(25,334 posts)My parents were Republicans....and I was 20 years old
I had actually seen Reagan in 76 and despised the guy.
I've been a Democrat ever since.
nycbos
(6,034 posts)He supported the ERA.
RickHworth
(123 posts)Still believe he was one of the greatest presidents of my lifetime.
nycbos
(6,034 posts)Was only 17 in 2004.
Mrs. Overall
(6,839 posts)reflection
(6,286 posts)Freethinker65
(10,021 posts)rusty quoin
(6,133 posts)Le Gaucher
(1,547 posts)JTFrog
(14,274 posts)Funny how a spoiler gave us the second worst president in my lifetime and the worst. Trump being number 1.
catbyte
(34,386 posts)WhiteTara
(29,715 posts)CozyMystery
(652 posts)shanti
(21,675 posts)octoberlib
(14,971 posts)Greywing
(1,124 posts)Jamaal510
(10,893 posts)Eugene
(61,894 posts)bullwinkle428
(20,629 posts)Laffy Kat
(16,379 posts)PufPuf23
(8,776 posts)CentralMass
(15,265 posts)sandensea
(21,635 posts)still_one
(92,190 posts)vlyons
(10,252 posts)It was the last year that poll tax was charged in Texas
mvd
(65,173 posts)Was too young to vote in his first election.
spanone
(135,832 posts)Barack_America
(28,876 posts)...but, well, unfortunately I can't say that they were a President that I voted for.
They got my votes, but it obviously didn't work out.
mahina
(17,656 posts)I was too young to vote for Jimmy Carter but I love him, always did, always will.
Dukakis is Greek for Babooze.
MFM008
(19,808 posts)I had no idea the difference between the parties. I just wanted to vote. By 1988 I knew the difference
and never voted for a Republican again.
Lifelong Protester
(8,421 posts)And he's the only president I've shaken hands with.
chillfactor
(7,576 posts)and I have voted the Democratic ever since!
oswaldactedalone
(3,491 posts)Thinkingabout
(30,058 posts)sinkingfeeling
(51,457 posts)Les Cowbell
(84 posts)Worked on his campaign too. A WWII hero and hero for standing up against the Vietnam war. Very underappreciated leader of our country.
denbot
(9,899 posts)He is a good man, I was proud to have served in the Navy under him.
Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)Organizers in 1959 and latter voted for John F Kennedy in 1960
Dem2
(8,168 posts)Grassy Knoll
(10,118 posts)..Every 4 Years...
rpannier
(24,329 posts)His first was Pat Paulson
StevieM
(10,500 posts)irisblue
(32,974 posts)peggysue2
(10,828 posts)Jimmy Carter. Seems like a frigging age ago.
Gothmog
(145,242 posts)jimlup
(7,968 posts)Still Sensible
(2,870 posts)Greybnk48
(10,168 posts)When I was 19 and living in a State that allowed me to vote (Alaska).
musette_sf
(10,201 posts)brewens
(13,586 posts)first that actually won. I voted for the democrat that lost or won in every other election.
The Anderson vote was only because I'm out west. I'm one of those that got home after work and after they had called it for Reagan. I had intended to vote for Carter and would have if there had been a chance. I'm also a huge Doonsbury fan though and really enjoyed the whole Anderson thing.
So I was drinking a beer and there was still time left. Anderson needed to get a certain number of votes to qualify for federal matching funds I think. At that time, I felt that his making that at least might encourage other third party candidates in the future. At the time I thought that would be a good thing. Little did I know! I was only 19. So I slammed my beer, probably took a couple bong hits, then walked the block or so to my polling place and voted for Anderson.
PoorMonger
(844 posts)I was 18 in 08 - proud as hell to have had such an amazing candidate to vote for my first time out. Someday I hope to write an Obama biography to reflect on his legacy and my experience of it as a voter. I want to give it distance though as I believe that is something missing in the more popularized histories written now.
Even in defeat I am also honored to have voted for Hillary.
Afromania
(2,768 posts)first candidate and first winning president I voted for. First president I voted for that actually took office was Obama.
trackfan
(3,650 posts)Turbineguy
(37,331 posts)Thanks for triggering a happy memory!
BlueStater
(7,596 posts)John Kerry, however, was the first candidate.
marlakay
(11,468 posts)LibraLiz1973
(8,197 posts)Clinton
1992.
ChoppinBroccoli
(3,784 posts)mountain grammy
(26,621 posts)kept that bumper sticker on my beetle until I sold it.
JenniferJuniper
(4,512 posts)csziggy
(34,136 posts)I still get pissed off knowing that Nixon stole the 1972 election through his dirty tricks. That is why I will NEVER vote for a Republican in my life!
mrs_p
(3,014 posts)But I volunteered for the Dukakis campaign when I was 13-14.
orangecrush
(19,555 posts)I was among the first 18 year olds to vote in a Presidential election.
Vietnam vets bought me that privilege with their blood.
"Old enough to fight, old enough to vote."
July
(4,750 posts)I was 18 in '72 and voted for McGovern. Thought I was in the first group of 18-year-olds eligible to vote. Carter was later (also voted for him).
Am I misunderstanding?
orangecrush
(19,555 posts)Doreen
(11,686 posts)I was to young to vote against Reagan his first round and I had been in a bad accident when I could have voted against his second term and against the first shrub. I just was not mentally with it to vote until Clinton.
bellmartin
(218 posts)I'd recently turned 19. Thank you, 26th amendment!
In 1980, I considered voting for Anderson to protest the predicted Reagan landslide over Carter. I came to my senses and voted for Jimmy again. I've always been glad, both because Jimmy is an admirable person and because now I can always say I've voted by choice for the Democrat in every presidential election (11 and counting) and in every case, my vote was for the better person and president.
WinkyDink
(51,311 posts)Response to WinkyDink (Reply #98)
GallopingGhost This message was self-deleted by its author.
Thirties Child
(543 posts)RKP5637
(67,108 posts)father was a strong democratic politician back then, but he had lots of republican friends/politicians. They used to work together to try to come up with something manageable/workable for all. Now, it's totally different.
I think many republicans of that era are long gone and IMO democrats today are far different than back then. No, it was not perfect, but it seems politicians then realized we had to get along together as one country working for everyone.
Grassy Knoll
(10,118 posts)RandySF
(58,823 posts)Wawannabe
(5,659 posts)Clinton
JI7
(89,249 posts)Grammy23
(5,810 posts)Carter again in 1980. 😢 First political loss. Very, very sad.
Not the last time to be disappointed. 😕 2016 was the worst, by far.
GallopingGhost
(2,404 posts)Sad to say, I was a Republican back then.
Crunchy Frog
(26,587 posts)GallopingGhost
(2,404 posts)and a mother who was a staunch Democrat. I am still conservative on some issues, but I also have a pretty solid live-and-let-live attitude. The weird product of an awkward political upbringing, I guess.
I got a chuckle out of the Trump neighbor thread the other day. We lived next door to a lesbian couple years ago. They were good neighbors- quiet, pleasant and kept the weeds pulled. Why someone would think their neighbor's sexual preference is their business?
That's one of the main things that drove me from the Republican party. If the evangelicals knew the Bible as well as they claim to, they would know that judging others is strongly warned against.
Pachamama
(16,887 posts)Yes, I was also the product of a Republicsn father and mother who was a Democrat...he was the only Republican Presidential candidate I have ever voted for....
GallopingGhost
(2,404 posts)moonscape
(4,673 posts)Crunchy Frog
(26,587 posts)Well, presidential candidate. First president I voted for was Bill Clinton 1992.
dchill
(38,492 posts)I think that's ALL you need to know!
SCRUBDASHRUB
(7,252 posts)Lugnut
(9,791 posts)1968
Bradical79
(4,490 posts)secondwind
(16,903 posts)cried like a baby when he lost.
Chellee
(2,097 posts)nt
meadowlander
(4,395 posts)demosincebirth
(12,537 posts)pablo_marmol
(2,375 posts)Lunabell
(6,080 posts)1984
randr
(12,412 posts)JimGinPA
(14,811 posts)DemocraticWing
(1,290 posts)NCTraveler
(30,481 posts)lkinwi
(1,477 posts)HelenWheels
(2,284 posts)RKP5637
(67,108 posts)sad about it today.
maryellen99
(3,789 posts)Glorfindel
(9,729 posts)rpannier
(24,329 posts)Both voted LBJ
Glorfindel
(9,729 posts)following JFK's murder. And we all thought Barry Goldwater was a dangerous, lunatic, right-wing extremist.
redwitch
(14,944 posts)RainCaster
(10,874 posts)I have mended my ways since then.
Former Republican. Reformed
Hangingon
(3,071 posts)rpannier
(24,329 posts)Bill Clinton
My first presidential election was 84. Voted Bergland
neeksgeek
(1,214 posts)Maeve
(42,282 posts)On my 21st birthday...followed by votes for Anderson in 1980, Mondale in '84, Dukakis in '88, Clinton in '92 and '96, Gore in 2000, Obama, Obama, and Hillary.
Took a while to shake my Republican upbringing. However, my Mom moved left, as well, and agreed with me on the last three votes!
wryter2000
(46,045 posts)Voting age was 21 in 1976
Zing Zing Zingbah
(6,496 posts)Danmel
(4,915 posts)Didn't vote for a winner until 1992.
retrowire
(10,345 posts)So I guess I've never voted for a president...
treestar
(82,383 posts)Mondale.
maveric
(16,445 posts)I was 20.
BigDemVoter
(4,150 posts)PunkinPi
(4,875 posts)Skinner
(63,645 posts)redstatebluegirl
(12,265 posts)benld74
(9,904 posts)lillypaddle
(9,580 posts)Donated 5 whole dollars to him and wrote "for peace," on the check.
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)ProfessorGAC
(65,042 posts)Turned 18 in 1974. Voted in state and senate/house race that year, but no prez until 1976.
Expecting Rain
(811 posts)But worked for RFK 68 (at 10) and for McGovern 72 (at 14).
Roland99
(53,342 posts)sakabatou
(42,152 posts)Stellar
(5,644 posts)?1429716386
Yonnie3
(17,441 posts)I tried to vote for McGovern in 1972 and got the run around about registering in my home town versus my college town. I couldn't get it resolved before the deadline.
ecstatic
(32,704 posts)bdamomma
(63,849 posts)NobodyHere
(2,810 posts)roamer65
(36,745 posts)I got Iran-Contra for that vote. I have not voted for and will not ever vote for a Repuke again.
GulfCoast66
(11,949 posts)People change and I am living proof