Attending the 2009 Presidential Inauguration

“For those who had longed to vote for somebody as shifty as Elvis’ Colonel, they got a double dose of fun with Perot.”

Clinton vs Dole vs Perot vs Nader
Voted: Didn’t vote
My Conscience: Knew Clinton would win, whatever, whatever
My Conscience in the Democratic Primary: Did it even happen?

Impressions Heading into Election Day
Clinton: A now even slicker car salesman
Dole: Who let this guy run?
Perot: By this point, he was trying to turn politics itself into a cheap car-dealer commercial.
Nader: Didn’t know he ran this time

Clinton: 49% with 379 electoral
Dole: 41% with 159 electoral
Perot: 8% with 0 electoral
Nader: 1% with 0 electoral

Looking Back: Slick Willie never made it to 50%, in part because of the continuing Perot sideshow. Perot started his campaign, then quit, then came back claiming that somebody was trying extort him with dirty pictures or something. For those who had longed to vote for somebody as shifty as Elvis’ Colonel, they got a double dose of fun with Perot.

Election Map: Clinton keeps his victory map and adds to it slightly.

“Jerry Brown was amazing.”

Clinton vs G.H.W. Bush vs Perot
Voted: Clinton
My Conscience: None of the above. Put bumper stickers for all 3 on my car.
My Conscience in the Democratic Primary: Jerry Brown!!! Yes!!!

Impressions Heading into Election Day
Clinton: Car salesman
G.H.W. Bush: Grumpy-ass man getting more grumpy and bitter
Perot: Also reminded me of a car salesman, but the kind that is self-featured in his cheaply-produced car lot commercials

Clinton: 43% with 370 electoral
Bush: 37% with 169 electoral
Perot: 19% with 0 electoral

Looking Back: Jerry Brown was amazing. I remember during the campaign he didn’t have much money, so he was couch-surfing across the country. I sent him my address in case he needed to crash. During the debates and on the radio he’d just start reading off his 800 number (think he was the first to do this). My parents sent him $100, the maximum donation he’d accept. I loved how he’d pointedly cut into car salesman Clinton and taunt him during their debates, buoyed by grassroots support, union-power, and his contrasting non-slick grit. Things started to look hopeful when he won a string of states after Super Tuesday, but eventually cheesiness powered through and Slick Willie took the Democratic nomination (without Brown’s endorsement at the convention). I didn’t know it then, but Jerry had run a few times in the past. His gallant but often forgotten ’92 battle against Bubba was his most successful effort, but unfortunately it was his last presidential run.

Election Map: Clinton creates what is now the the modern Democratic victory map. California goes Democratic for the first time since 1964, and the rest of the West Coast stays blue. The Northeast, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and Florida are all blue, in addition to a few southern states. Very different than Carter’s 1976 southern and eastern solid wall of blue.