Election Day, November1940: The Republicans had campaigned with whole-hearted energy to put Wendell Willkie in the White House. The country had "endured" (according to my parents) two terms of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and wanted a change.
Dinner at our home was celebratory. The best part was dessert — sliced bananas, chopped walnuts and delicately sweetened whipped cream, all mixed together. I was only six then, but I never forgot it. I called it Election Night Dessert and asked for it every four years. I made it for my family until they all moved away, and now I make it for myself. In 1940, while the Dessert was spectacular and my parents were in high spirits, Willkie did not win.
In 1944 Republican Thomas Dewey was chosen to be the dragon slayer. My parents were sure he would defeat Roosevelt, who was running for an unprecedented fourth term. We ate dessert with great expectations, but Dewey lost.
In the summer of 1948 I was 14. Harry Truman, the vice president who moved into the presidency when Roosevelt died, wanted to run on his own merits and the Democrats nominated him. Dewey was once again tapped to run and claim the White House. Most newspapers endorsed Dewey, and it was simply understood that he would defeat Truman. Election Night Dessert was especially delicious.
The Chicago Tribune ran their day-after-election early edition with the headline that Dewey had won. Truman came out the actual winner later that day. How did this happen? When people entered the private voting booths, they decided their hearts were with Truman.
During spring 1952, presidential candidates were running hard. Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, hero of World War II, was sought after by both parties, but wouldn’t commit. Dewey was in the Republican ring again, as was Harold Stassen (who would run for the presidential nomination nine times!), along with Robert Taft, the conservatives’ choice. Eisenhower finally agreed to join the Republicans and became their nominee. Adlai Stevenson was the Democrats’ choice.
I was a freshman in college for the election that year. For the first time in my life of 18 years, the Republicans won. I missed the celebration with my family — and the dessert. Our treat at school was to watch the returns on a TV that the college rented for the occasion.
I was 22, of legal voting age, in 1956. Feeling adult and important, I was going to do everything I could for Eisenhower to win a second term. Again he ran against Stevenson. My friends and I went to fairs in Wisconsin wearing "Ike" dresses: White with red "Ike" printing all over, boat necks, short cap sleeves and bouffant skirts. I voted Republican, we had our yummy dessert, and Ike won.
By 1960, pushing doorbells and a baby, I talked to anyone about how Republican Richard Nixon was a better choice for president than Democrat John Kennedy. Barry Goldwater gave an inspiring speech for Nixon the night before the election. I was certain that speech would cement Nixon’s victory.
We went to a friend’s home for dinner and watched the returns. We didn’t have Election Night Dessert. By the end of the evening, we knew Kennedy had won.
Goldwater was the Republican candidate in 1964, running against vice-president-turned-president Lyndon Johnson. Barry’s finest hours were right before he accepted the nomination. On election night, I knew Goldwater had lost before I took my first bite of Dessert.
In 1968, Nixon was back in the headlines, nominated to run against Democrat Hubert Humphrey. I voted for Nixon. Instead of Election Night Dessert I had a huge cake with the American flag in frosting on the top. We consumed the cake. Nixon won.
Even with the accusations about the Republicans’ and Nixon’s Watergate shenanigans, in 1972 he was re-nominated. His opponent: George McGovern. I was enthusiastic about Nixon and so convinced that the left-wing Democrats were making up stories about his "plumbers" that I put a Nixon sticker on the car. Dessert was special that night, and Nixon won.
Within two years, the left wing was proven right. Nixon resigned, and I had trouble scraping the sticker off the car bumper.
Gerald Ford finished Nixon’s term. He was chosen to lead the Republicans in 1976 against unknown Democrat Jimmy Carter. I was optimistic as I whipped up the cream for the dessert that first Tuesday in November. Before we had digested our dinner we knew that America had elected Carter.
The Republicans were an unhappy bunch. In 1980, however, they thought they had a winner with Ronald Reagan. He edged out George H. W. Bush for the nomination, and Carter was to run again for the Democrats.
Another nominee entered the race, John Anderson, the first third party candidate in my lifetime to make a serious run. He made the most sense to me, ironically because he was not as conservative as the Republicans. I thought they now leaned too far to the right. Although I voted for Anderson, I knew he wouldn’t win, but I made the dessert anyhow. At least we enjoyed eating it as Reagan won the election.
Reagan grew on me as time passed, and I supported him in 1984 when he ran against Walter Mondale. We thoroughly enjoyed dessert, as we were sure Reagan would win. He did.
In 1988 it was George H. W. Bush’s turn to run for the presidency. He ran against Democrat Michael Dukakis, in a nasty campaign. This disappointed me, as I considered Bush a true gentleman and I didn’t like to hear him make offensive comments. But I knew he would win, and alone, but happy, I ate a lot of Election Night Dessert. Bush was elected, I was elated.
Democrat Bill Clinton, after some false primary starts, rose to the top in 1992. He was nominated to run against President Bush. Things weren’t going well in the country then, and most people blamed Bush. I was dedicated to Bush and voted for him again. Hoping the dessert would bring us good luck, we ate it with relish, but Clinton won and put the Democrats back in power after 12 years.
Republican Robert Dole didn’t fare any better against Clinton in 1996. I wasn’t inspired by Dole, but voted for him. I choked down the dessert, knowing we’d have Clinton with us for another four years.
When 2000 came around, Bush’s son, George W. Bush, won the Republican nomination. Al Gore, vice president for Clinton, was chosen to continue the Democrat’s reign.
Even though I voted for Bush, I didn’t care who won as neither appealed to me. I wasn’t going to let that stop me from having my Dessert. It’s a good thing I didn’t wait to eat it until I knew the outcome. Bush was declared the winner after a month of legal maneuverings. Dessert would have been spoiled by then.
Then came 2004. It was President Bush against Democrat John Kerry. I was happy when it was finally over. It gets more difficult each election year listening to the TV and radio, with people yelling insults at one another. Trying not to follow party politics, I read many papers and editorials and used the Internet to find out all I could about each party and its platform. My head was swimming. All I wanted was for the election to be decided within 24 hours.
I voted. For the first time in the half-century I had been casting presidential ballots, I voted for a Democrat. The sky didn’t fall. My parents didn’t make thunder rumble. It was worse than that. I forgot to make dessert. Bush won.
Now, 2008 has arrived. Another election. No incumbent. Historic implications, with Barack Obama and Joe Biden running against John McCain and Sarah Palin. I know two things for sure. I will vote. and I will eat my dessert.
Carolyn Evans resides in Ponte Vedra Beach. On Tuesday she will watch the returns and indulge in her Election Night Dessert.
October 31st 2008 - 6:13PM