[lentulusgracchus]

I voted for John Schmitz. I had read an essay by Ralph Whalen, who'd been a Nixon youth coordinator in 1968 and had written Catch the Falling Flag after he left the Nixon administration in 1970 or so. He was disenchanted with the RiNOs' use of conservative youth (people Barry Goldwater had energized and brought to the GOP).

So I paid Nixon back and voted American Independent Party that year, after Wallace went down. I was disappointed in Schmitz's post-election interview, when the newsies came around basically to gloat, asking him "why do you think you didn't do very well?" after spending all fall ignoring the hell out of him and his campaign -- and he pointed that out to them very waspishly, which I thought could have been done with more class.

But he was livid at their cynicism, and frankly, across the perspective of years, I realize now that I wouldn't even have seen that interview, if they hadn't succeeded in fleaming that hot reply out of him.

(Remember, that was the election when the newsies 'fessed up to having voted 9:1 for McGovern ..... and then they went out and "got" Nixon, to reprove, rebuke, and repudiate the People.)

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

I had forgotten about Schmitz.

I was 18 and my vote was more about voting Republican than voting for Nixon. I'd vote for him again, given the same circumstances, but at least it would be an informed vote.