[updated:LAST EDITED ON 04-Nov-02 AT 07:53 AM (EST)]I don't know about you but I sure do remember my first time. It was the first time for my wife too. You see I was a non voter for a lot of years. I never seen the need to vote. I was never interested in politics as I didn't pay attention or understood it. Besides, there were alot of other people who voted and my one vote would not make any difference. But time went on and I got married, had kids, car payments, mortgage, I became more responsible. I became more aware of my surroundings and the things that affected my life and the life of my family. As the political climate changed I felt my suroundings change with it. Political issues on the nightly tv. brodcast caught my attention. I wanted to hear what the political canidates had to say about those issues. I knew it was time I had a say in what went on and who was going to represent my views. So my wife and I regestered to vote in the upcomming election. We studdied the propositions, the candidates, made our choices on who and what we would vote for.

Tuesday, election day. I came home after work, changed my clothes and went to the polling place. It was mid morning, not much people there. I walked in and someone asked me my name. I went over to the table representing my political party and a worker crossed my name off the list. Another worker handed me a packet and motioned over to the voting booths. I opened the packed and took out the voting cards and placed them in the punch machine. I made my choices, gathered up my cards and gave them to the worker. She then placed my packet into a big black box with a pad lock on it and handed me a "I voted sticker" and thanked me as I left. Umm...that's it. No big deal really, or so I thought. When I walked out of the polling place is when it hit me, and it hit me hard. All of a sudden a wave of emotion came over me, patriotisim, honor, duty, and a pride the swelled up within me to match the lump gathering in my throat. I realized what I had just done. I had excercised a right I never used before and the feeling was undescrible. A feeling of freedom I had not felt before came over me. Something in this country we take for granted. I had voiced my views, my opinions, spoke out with my vote, I had something to say and I said it. Nobody can take that away from me. I placed my sticker on my motorcycle helmet and went home. Later that evening my wife came home. As she came though the door our eyes met. She was a little later than usual because she stoped off at the polling place on the way home. She smiled and said "did you vote"? "Yeah, did you"?
"Yes" she said. She confessed to me that she shed a tear after walking out of the polling place. She felt the same emotions as I did. "Neat uh"? she said. "Yeah".

 

Good story DD. Neat describes that feeling pretty well.

The year I turned 18 was the year Richard Nixon ran for president (in 72). Being 18 and not knowing much about politics other than my party affiliation, I voted. And voted a straight Republican ticket for the only time in my life. Anyone that remembers, knows that Nixon resigned rather than face impeachment hearings. When all that happened I felt really bad, thinking the whole process was flawed and that I had wasted my time in voting. I didn't vote again until Jimmy Carter ran. I voted for him too, believing him to be a decent man and someone who could be counted on to do the right thing. Strike two you might say. But I have voted in every election since Carter. And I never fail to get that feeling you mention. It starts near the center of my chest and spreads over me making it hard to breathe and impossible to swallow.

Ron

 

>Good story DD. Neat describes that feeling pretty well.
>
>The year I turned 18 was the year Richard Nixon ran for
>president (in 72). Being 18 and not knowing much about
>politics other than my party affiliation, I voted.

i turned 18 about a week before the winnipeg election for mayor and all that. i felt that for me it would be important to vote. i really didn't pay much attention to the debates or anything cause politicans are full of it in my view (especailly up here) so i voted for the person who i thought would best repersent me. granted he lost but still, just the feeling

 

The single most important act one can exercise in this great American experiment in democracy. Those who don't vote for any reason should be ashamed of themselves and be treated to a trip to Red China, Iraq, Iran, or Cuba.

I have been active in voting since 1969. I have been an election judge and a polling place worker. I never miss an election, especially a primary, for that is where more of a choice can be available. Congratulations Daily, better late than never.

Vote early and vote often!

 

I'm thinking of running for an office. My slogan will be "A Truck In Every Pot". Now if you guys will just pony up a few mil for my campaign.
Dono

 

>I'm thinking of running for an office. My slogan will be "A
>Truck In Every Pot". Now if you guys will just pony up a few
>mil for my campaign.
>Dono

Dono: How do you plan to fit the truck into the pot? Then, what will you do with that pot once you have the truck in it? You better be careful because truckin pot is against the law. And if truckin pot is against the law, how will you legally run for office from a jail cell?

So you see, you are in political trouble already. Who will contribute to a campaign in trouble? Better think of a new slogan to stay out of jail. And don't suggest a pot in every truck!

 

>>I'm thinking of running for an office. My slogan will be "A
>>Truck In Every Pot". Now if you guys will just pony up a few
>>mil for my campaign.
>>Dono
>
>Dono: How do you plan to fit the truck into the pot? Then,
>what will you do with that pot once you have the truck in
>it? You better be careful because truckin pot is against
>the law. And if truckin pot is against the law, how will
>you legally run for office from a jail cell?
>
>So you see, you are in political trouble already. Who will
>contribute to a campaign in trouble? Better think of a new
>slogan to stay out of jail. And don't suggest a pot in every
>truck!
You're saying that a political slogan has to make sense? I may reconsider running under such restrictions.
Dono

 

>You're saying that a political slogan has to make sense? I
>may reconsider running under such restrictions.
>Dono

Nooooooo. I will correct you though, and say a political slogan has to make CENTS, or you are done. Someone, stick a fork in you.

 

More on my run for political office - I've decided to go for the big one! First I will form my own party; since Green Party is already taken (didn't like it anyway), I will call my party The Bright Red Clearcoat Party. My platform will support apple pie, motherhood, and amnisty for any trucker given a ticket during my term (retroactive 5 years if the trucker drives a Ford). In addition, any trucker that installs a Chevy engine in a Ford truck will be institutionalized and given shock treatments until his thinking clears up, any trucker driving a Ford can sleep in the Lincoln bedroom with a 50% discount from the set rate, any small car with a large wing will be dropped from an airplane to see if it can fly, exhaust tips must be proportional to the size of the vehicle, and illegal aliens will be called illegal aliens - not "undocumented workers" and will be deported (the key word being "illegal"). I'm sure I will add other planks as they come to mind but this is a start.
$80 million was spent on the race for Texas governor. I won't need near that much since I plan to pocket most donations to spend on my truck. I will have only one TV ad which will call my opponent a liberal (the kiss of death), a liar, a crook who is responsible for the failure of Enron, WorldCom and 8-tracts. I promise to resign after election to reduce the damage I could do, and to enjoy the spiffs of a retired president for the rest of my days. These will include my presidential libery which will be filled with Chilton and other manuals for all trucks and my office which will be a fully equipped garage open to all my former constituents.
My VP nominee, Brien, has questioned my slogan "A Truck in Every Pot". It worked (in slightly modidied form) for Hoover so I'm sticking with it - besides, I'm better looking than Hoover.
Dono

 

I'm a little hazy on what is required, but i think im smart enough to run already and im only 17 lol.

My slogan would be, 0.9% financing available on all ford trucks, 100% on any other domestic, and 200% on TOYOTA's OR on-knees (nissan's).

Oh yeah,
and lower gas prices is a must cus 50+ cents a gallon tax is rediculous.

 

Dono, ya got my vote bud!!

Now that's a platform I can support.
If you need a secretary of state or better yet Secretary of Transportation (I could buy a whole dang fleet of Ford trucks.......yahhooooooo), I'm your man. I pledge to look the other way when you have your "affairs of state". I support fully your plan to change the state of the union address to a female mud wrasslin' and bar-b-q cookoff night. I believe fully in your fiscal policy of higher taxes for the rich while distributing the proceeds to Ford truck owners for the betterment of their beloved rides. I agree with you that left-leanin' Hollywood types who don't actually work for a living should pay 99% of their income to the good ol U.S. of A.
I promise to personally drive William Baldwin and Barbra Striesand to the Canadian border so that they won't have to worry about getting there. What they do when Canada don't want em is their own problem.

In short, DONO FOR PRESIDENT!!

Heck they had a Bono for senator.

We can win this thing ya'll!!!!!!!!

Ron

 

Ron - Just added a new plank to the platform - The lawn of the white house will watered down for the use of visiting 4X4 guys/gals.
Dono

 

YEEEEHAWWWWWWWW

Dono thinks of everything!!

Ron