The 1988 U.S. presidential election was the first time I cared about politics. George H. W. Bush, the incumbent vice president, was running against Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis.
But that’s not why I cared. I didn’t care if Bush or Dukakis won. I didn’t fancy myself a Democrat or Republican. Having recently turned 18 and registered with the selective service, my thought was “Hey, I’m finally an adult. I’m going to conquer the world.” The first step was to elect a president. Time to cast my vote. This was my first big obstacle to world domination. It also was my first big adult fail. OK, it wasn’t really a huge failure, but it felt like it. Little did I know how hard it would be for a newly minted grown-up to find voting information. When I asked, Mom said, “You just vote at the same place I do. We’ll get you there.” “Of course! Mom knows,” I thought. Mom was relatively active in politics. She voted in every election. Before I was born, she marched with Dad in Washington for different issues. Mom would certainly have all the important information. On Election Day, I arrived at our local polling place with Mom. No sooner did I walk in the door... Read more at https://www.vindy.com/life/lifestyles/2020/09/social-media-doesnt-let-you-forget-to-vote/ (may encounter paywall). Comments are closed.
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AuthorDr. Adam C. Earnheardt is special assistant to the provost and professor of communication in the department of communication at Youngstown State University in Youngstown, OH, USA where he also directs the graduate program in professional communication. He researches and writes on a variety of topics including communication technologies, relationships, and sports (with an emphasis on fandom). His work has appeared in Mahoning Matters as well as The Vindicator and Tribune-Chronicle newspapers. CategoriesArchives
February 2021
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