ROCK THE VOTE

Finally, today's the day! I wonder how many people will be standing in line for hours. I've seen some really dire predictions on CNN about how long it may take in some areas. Makes me wonder just how prepared voters will be. Me, I'd bring a folding chair, maybe a blanket or poncho if needed, a book, my camera, a few power bars, and of course my Starbucks card. Which reminds me, the very first question I had was, is anyone providing porta-potties??? Anyway, good luck to one and all! I don't know about you, but my day is going to seem pretty empty with no campaigning going on any more. They say it takes 21 days to make a new habit, and I've been glued to this for two years! (My mother was a real political hound, and I inherited the gene). One thing I've noticed about more recent campaigns is the use of popular music, both recycled hits and original songs. One of my favorites this time around is John Legend's "If You're Out There" which he sang so movingly at the Democratic convention. And I got me reminiscing about elections past, mostly especially the one when I was a First Time voter. It was the election of Nov. 5th, 1968. You had to be 21 back then, and I had passed that milestone in May, so I was good to go. That was such a difficult era. I was still living in Detroit, where we'd had terrible race riots the previous summer. Then there were the King and Bobby Kennedy assassinations in the spring of '68. I started out supporting Kennedy, then later switched to Eugene McCarthy - I still have his campaign button. I don't remember any song that was associated with those campaigns, but I checked in my book of Billboard hits, and the week of November 1st 1968, Elvis Presley had the top spot with "Suspicious Minds." Hmmm, that one would be right at home in this election, it's been so divisive! Of course, my sincere hope, like all of you out there, is that there can be healing, and a spirit of cooperation that grows out of the process. But that doesn't mean we can't take one last poke at the outgoing administration, so here is another song from the November 1968 charts. I think it fits the occasional nicely. Let's dedicate it to Dubya.





Video by YT memberJohnnyVangelis
Photo from Wikimedia Commons