Presidential Quotes, Cont'd: Jimmy Carter

Greeting to our blog readers in the Netherlands, Croatia and Uzbekistan.

Today, we are continuing our series of presidential quotes with a quip from Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer from Georgia who upset other Democratic candidates in the 1976 primaries and then defeated incumbent President Gerald Ford, whom Carter later became good friends with, to become president of the United States.

Other quotes in the series can be found on our sister blog "The Daily Vampire" http://www.nocturnalguys38.blogspot.com

Interestingly enough, the Marvel Comics character Howard the Duck also ran for president in 1976; we think he got more votes than Ralph Nader.

Here is the quote:

"America did not invent human rights. In a very real sense, human rights invented America."

http://www.carterlibrary.gov

http://www.cartercenter.org

Quote of the Day/Week-Walter Mondale

Today, we are continuing our series of quotes from American vice presidents, or veeps, with a quip from Walter Mondale who served under President Jimmy Carter. Mondale, 84, also ran for president against Ronald Reagan in 1984, but he was only able to win his home state of Minnesota. I was only 14 years old at the time, but I wanted to vote for Mondale. But, my home state of Virginia did not become a swing state until 2008, and by that time, I had moved to North Carolina.

Here is Mondale's quote:

"If you are sure you understand everything that is going on, you are hopelessly confused."

Another one of Minnesota's favorite sons Bob Dylan is celebrating his birthday today.

Silly Picture to Fill Space- George McGovern T-Shirt

Today we are featuring items from our Christmas Wish List, posted here last week.

For those of who weren't around in 1972 (well, I was only two years old myself), George McGovern ran an unsuccesful presidential campaign against Richard Nixon. Though McGovern, who was a senator from South Dakota, only won Massachuessetts, Nixon went on to become an infamous, though very unique, president (Nixon is my favorite Republican president; of course, I am a fairly partisan Democrat!).

McGovern, who is considered the most liberal presidential candidate in modern times, is still alive at age 88 and according to Wikipedia, he still resides in Mitchell, S.Dak. McGovern was also known for his vehement opposition to the Vietnam War.

We learned while researching this that Sargent Shriver, Ahnuld's father-in-law, was actually McGovern's running mate; he replaced Thomas Eagleton after it was revealed that he had suffered mental illness. Of course, nowadays, we have Zoloft, so things like this would not be political liabilities (eyes rolling).

The McGovern '72 t-shirt is available from retrocampaigns.com

They also offer t-shirts from winning campaigns and from Republican (as well as other Democratic) presidential losers, like Barry Goldwater '64. But, we didn't see any t-shirts with Bob Dole or John McCain on their web site! Perhaps, that is not retro enough....?!

Happy Veteran's Day; I'm Hittin' the Road

Since today is Veteran's Day and I am hitting the road, we thought an image from the iconic 1969 American biker film "Easy Rider" (Peter Fonda is pictured here) was in order even though the film is not a war film and it politically expresses vehement opposition to the Vietnam War. But, hey the Democratic Party lost seats in Congress last week, so how much more damage can I do?!

In all seriousness, I want to take a minute to thank all veterans for their service.

And, if anyone residing anywhere near Southern Pines, NC, wants to celebrate Veteran's Day Weekend, I can't think of a better way than to see my good friend Bruce Piephoff, a Greensboro folk singer, perform down there at the Jefferson Inn on Sunday afternoon.

PSA- Go Out and Vote! (well, this applies to NC residents only)

Even though the rest of America voted for their respective party's political candidates last week, those of us who reside in North Carolina will decide which Democrats and Republicans are on the ballot on Tuesday.

As a Democrat who is just slightly less partian than Terry McAuliffe (I actually met him in person in Roanoke, Va., at a Democrat Party event---of course!), I am looking forward to seeing who we pit against unpopular incumbent Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC).

There are two major Democratic candidates running for the party's candidate. They include Elaine Marshall, the current North Carolina secretary of state, and former state senator Cal Cunnigham, who I plan to vote for.

According to his campaign web site (calfornc.com), Cunnigham was campaigning today in the cities of Hickory, Boone, Statesville and Salisbury. Tomorrow, he stumps in the eastern part of the state as he ventures to Greenville, Kinston and Wilmington before traveling to Charlotte late in the day.

As a state senator elected in 2000, Cunnigham, who is only 36, represented the Salisbury area, which is almost exactly between Greensboro and Charlotte geographically.

The Democratic state convention will be held in Fayetville on the weekend of July 31-Aug. 1.

We presume that both Pat Warren, who is the county Democrat Party chair in tiny Caswell County (the hamlet of Yanceyville with a population of less than 1,000 people is the county seat), and Joel Ford, the county chair of Mecklenberg County (North Carolina's largest county which includes the metropolis of Charlotte) will be both be very busy on Tuesday.

Oh, it should be pointed out that Robert Redford, who lives (at last report) in Park City, Utah, is not a candidate for North Carolina's U.S. Senate seat though he did play a politician in the under-appreciate early '70s cinematic gem "The Candidate" (pictured above).