I was fourteen years old in 1956. Like every other student at my high school, I followed the conventions closely.
I don't have grandchildren, so I don't know whether high schools still hold mock elections. Do today's teenagers even care about elections? We definitely did. Mine may very well have been the last generation of Americans to take elections seriously, and believe they made a difference. That's why we threw ourselves into our school's mock election with passion. And of course, having educated ourselves about the candidates and their positions on the issues, we voted overwhelmingly for Stevenson.
I was shocked when our elders voted overwhelmingly for Eisenhower. But it was the last time an election result surprised me. Ever since then, I've assumed that the majority of my fellow Americans will always vote for the less qualified candidate. As I result, I've been able to accurately predict the winner of every single presidential election.
I was fourteen years old in 1956. Like every other student at my high school, I followed the conventions closely.
I don't have grandchildren, so I don't know whether high schools still hold mock elections. Do today's teenagers even care about elections? We definitely did. Mine may very well have been the last generation of Americans to take elections seriously, and believe they made a difference. That's why we threw ourselves into our school's mock election with passion. And of course, having educated ourselves about the candidates and their positions on the issues, we voted overwhelmingly for Stevenson.
I was shocked when our elders voted overwhelmingly for Eisenhower. But it was the last time an election result surprised me. Ever since then, I've assumed that the majority of my fellow Americans will always vote for the less qualified candidate. As I result, I've been able to accurately predict the winner of every single presidential election.