I've been so baffled by some of the comments and diaries here and on other sites wherein Clinton supporters have threatened/promised to vote for McCain or stay at home in November. I've tried to go back throughout my voting history and recall how many times I have supported a Democrat in the primary who was not the eventual nominee - turns out I have nearly a perfect recod of futility!
More after the flop...
I used Wikipedia to get lists of all of the primary candidates, but I'm sure I missed a few here and there. I only listed elections where there was not a sitting Democrat in the White House (don't even want to go there) and was blown away by the list of great men and women who have run in the past. I bolded my votes in the primary. Until 1992, I voted in the Texas primary, which was traditionally the first Saturday in May - so my vote was often cast in futility - knowing the nominee was already secured.
My first vote was in 1980, but I worked my precinct for Barbara Jordan in the primary in 1976. Before that, I was interested, but not really active, apart from going to county conventions and campaign events for local or regional candidates.
Speaking of 1976 - look at the candidate list. Wow! I really don't remember that many on the ballot in Texas- some may have dropped out by May. It was also my first time in the voting booth - and I was swept up in the heady post-Watergate days of progressiveism - plus, my father served in the Texas legislature with Barbara Jordan and I was so proud of her work on the House Judiciary Committee that I didn't really consider my support anything but recognition of her efforts. I think Carter had the nomination pretty well in hand by that time.
ANYWAY....check out the list my comments after the list:
2004 Nominee: John Kerry
U.S. Senator D. Robert Graham (Fla.)
Former Ambassador and former U.S. Senator Carol Moseley Braun (Illinois)
U.S. Rep. Richard A. "Dick" Gephardt (Mo.)
U.S. Senator Joseph I. Lieberman (Conn.)
Retired Gen. Wesley K. Clark of Arkansas
Former Vermont Gov. Howard B. Dean III, M.D.,
U.S. Senator John R. Edwards (N.C.)
the Rev. Alfred Sharpton Jr. of New York
U.S. Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (Ohio) (
2000 Nominee Al Gore
Senator Bill Bradley of New Jersey
1992 Gov. Bill Clinton of Arkansas
Former Governor Jerry Brown of California
Governor Robert P. Casey of Pennsylvania
Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa
Senator Bob Kerrey of Nebraska
Former Senator Eugene McCarthy of Minnesota
Former Senator Paul Tsongas of Massachusetts
Governor Douglas Wilder of Virginia
1988 Nominee: Gov. Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts
Bruce Babbitt of Arizona
Joe Biden of Delaware
Dick Gephardt of Missouri
Al Gore of Tennessee
Gary Hart of Colorado
Jesse Jackson of Illinois, a civil rights activist
Patricia Schroeder of Colorado
Paul Martin Simon of Illinois
1984 Nominee: Sen. Walter Mondale of Minnesota
Senator Joe Biden of Delaware
Senator Alan Cranston of California
Senator Thomas Eagleton of Missouri
Senator John Glenn of Ohio
Senator Gary Hart of Colorado
Senator Ernest Hollings of South Carolina
civil rights activist Jesse Jackson of Illinois
AFL-CIO President Lane Kirkland of South Carolia
George McGovern of South Dakota
1976 Nominee: Gov. Jimmy Carter of Georgia
Birch Bayh, U.S senator from Indiana
Lloyd Bentsen, U.S. senator from Texas
Jerry Brown, Governor of California
Robert Byrd, U.S. senator from West Virginia ("favorite son" candidate)
Hugh L. Carey, Governor of New York
César Chávez, labor activist from California (write-in candidate)
Frank Church, U.S. senator from Idaho
Fred R. Harris, former U.S. senator from Oklahoma, former candidate for the 1972 nomination, and former chairman of the Democratic National Committee
Hubert H. Humphrey, U.S. senator from Minnesota and former Vice President and 1968 presidential nominee and candidate for the 1952, 1960 and 1972 nominations
Henry M. "Scoop" Jackson, U.S. senator from Washington, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and former candidate for the 1972 nomination
Leon Jaworski, special prosecutor in the Watergate Scandal from Texas
Barbara Jordan, U.S. representative from Texas
Edward M. Kennedy, U.S. senator from Massachusetts (write-in candidate)
Eugene McCarthy, former U.S. senator and candidate for the 1968 and 1972 nominations from Minnesota (write-in candidate)
Ellen McCormack, pro-life activist from New York
Walter F. Mondale, U.S. senator and candidate for the 1972 nomination from Minnesota
Jennings Randolph, U.S. senator from West Virginia
Terry Sanford, former Governor of North Carolina
Milton Shapp, Governor of Pennsylvania
Sargent Shriver, former ambassador to France, first director of the Peace Corps and the Office of Economic Opportunity, and 1972 vice-presidential nominee
Adlai Stevenson III, U.S. senator from Illinois ("favorite son" candidate)
Morris "Mo" Udall, U.S. representative from Arizona
George Wallace, Governor of Alabama, former candidate for the 1972 nomination, and 1968 American Independent Party presidential nominee
Not once did it enter my mind to vote for a Republican - even after my candidate faded in the primaries. I made my pick based on my preference, then got in line behind our candidate. Sometimes I think I may have picked a btter candidate than the rest of the country - but I NEVER was so childish (even as an 18-yr old) to take my vote and go home, even when I thought my candidate got a raw deal from the party or the media.
I'm not writing this to get pats on the back - but to illustrate my frustration at Clinton supporters in this election. What has happened? Are we that divided? Is there really that much daylight between Clinton and Obama? Can't we all just get along?
Thanks for indulging me - At least this time, I picked the winner!
So, Kossacks...did any of you vote for anyone one this list and then vote for the eventual nominee? Let's hear from you....