As a child I remember election seasons from the mid 40s and into

[monmouth]

the '50s. No high tech, hardly any telephone polls due to four and six-party lines, sometimes people knocking on your door where enjoyable conversation took place even if you didn't agree with the politician they were trying to advance. You listened in the evening to the radio as results trickled in and when it came to eleven o'clock, if the results weren't complete you waited for the paper to hit the porch to get the final results. I recall the incident of "Dewey Wins" and the joy my parents had to see Harry Truman holding that paper and Truman's smile, which he didn't give too often. I was fascinated when my dad told me he was a "haberdasher." Loved that word.

I fondly remember the early days of television where the real journalists learned as they went along. Their high tech was numbers on the wall coming in pretty fast. Edward R. and Cronkite, just giving the results, no opinions, no guessing, just the results. No hysteria, little banging of heads on walls, and that's the way it was.....

[Jennicut]

1. I only go back to the mid 80's in terms of remembering. In 1988 when I was 12

the election was all over tv. I guess I am used to it though it has gotten worse in twenty years. I wish I was alive before the dawn of ugly political tv ads.

[monmouth]

2. You know in a way we received a lot of information, the radio was

on all day and if it wasn't reported on the radio my parent were convinced it just didn't happen. The news came on at six and then again I think at eleven. The paper was really where you got the analysis..

[Jennicut]

11. I distinctly remember the Willy Horton ad in the 88 election.

Always nasty elections. I think I got zip in terms of real info as a kid, teen, and now as an adult. My parents voted for Reagan and I taught to be a Republican. I rebelled and turned into a liberal, somehow. I guess I didn't believe the propaganda.

[Speck Tater]

3. I remember my parents proudly sporting their "I Like Ike" buttons. nt

[MineralMan]

4. The first few elections I remember, we didn't even get results

on congressional races outside of our own state until we checked a major newspaper. Elections were local and coverage was local, too. Early on, network TV news was brief and covered just the overview. Eventually, we'd find out the rest of the information, but it pretty much trickled in. None of this around the clock fretting and pontificating about what it all meant. About the only national race that was of interest was the Presidency, and I don't believe I ever knew who the governor was of any state other than my own.

Today, I like having all the information, but with it comes a lot of concern about stuff I can do nothing about. I've had to learn to let that stuff go into the information area, but not the emotional area of my brain.

[murielm99]

5. I remember the early days, too.

But my memories only extend back to the Stevenson/Eisenhower race. I helped my Dad work for Stevenson. We didn't have a TV in those days.

I watched all the other TV returns. Since we were a politically active family, my parents let me stay up until all hours of the night to see the Kennedy/Nixon returns. That was a squeaker. I remember being fascinated with every turn of the media coverage since.

I went to bed in 2000. I closed the county Democratic headquarters at 10:000 p.m., expecting Gore to win. I was very confident about this.

My son was working at a radio station then, doing his first election. He kept calling me all night, telling me to keep the TV on and not go to bed. When he was not on the phone, my brother was. We were horrified. I think I am still horrified, and very ashamed of my country for that travesty. Let's not allow that to happen again.

GOTV.

[RKP5637]

6. And it all worked quite well, and as you say, "days of television where the real journalists

learned as they went along." And not this hyperbolic crap we have today that is supposed to be journalism.

Yep, "and that's the way it was....."

[monmouth]

7. Tweety, Joey Scar, Chuckie Toad would have a difficult time keeping

up with those guys...

[RaleighNCDUer]

9. Keeping up? They wouldn't be allowed into the same room, unless

they were bringing the coffee.

[asjr]

8. John Cameron Swazye will always be my hero!

[monmouth]

10. Ah, we lived in Absecon, outside of Atlantic City and JC Swazye

was our guy too. The Camel Caravan. 3, 6, 10...those were the channels....Hahaha...

[Skidmore]

12. Yup, and this election feels like a bad horror film, a version

of Freddy vs. Jason or Alien vs. Predator. Just a lot of blood and guts and no real message or reasoned dialogue.

[starroute]

13. 1960 was the first time they used a computer on election night

When I went to bed that night, the odds of a Kennedy victory had shot up to the highest figure possible and I was thrilled. Then I woke up in the morning and it was just dragging on and dragging on.

There's something to be said for sticking with reality.

[monmouth]

14. I remember that too. Then the rumors started about his father, Joe

"buying" votes from one of the states. Politics were nasty back then also. My first vote was JFK...

[SoCalDem]

15. The UN-connected-ness is what made it fair

Each precinct counted their own ballots..right there..on the spot.. they tallied it up, called it in to the next level, and secured the ballots.

As the night went on, each level highest up compiled the numbers and they came out when they came out.. The media was more interested in getting the CORRECT numbers, than the being the FIRST one..

[MattBaggins]

16. I still remember my parents supporting Charles Cotesworth Pinckney

They were so disappointed when Madison won.