In my puerile, naive youth, I cast my first presidential vote for Jimmy Carter, an act that shames me to this day. I'm a little sad that so many continue to foolishly worship him, a man who never met a dictator (or, apparently, America-hating polemicist) he didn't like, in light of things like this:

As a candidate, Carter promised only that as president he would never tell a lie, thereby leaving himself a loophole for his post-presidential career as a fabulist.

Oh the shame! I was going to school in downtown KC during the 1976 Republican convention, and was so hoping that Ronald Reagan would get the nomination. Even Jimmy Stewart was in town promoting Reagan, I passed by him on the street, but no such luck. So my shame was to vote for the hapless Gerald Ford as my first ever presidential vote.

Check out page 524 of Harry Turtledove's latest alternate history book "Settling Accounts: Drive to the East".

Cool. I did not know it was out yet!

The other day I was just recollecting the irony of Jimmy Carter, when he was president, having surgery to remove hemorrhoids.

He got relief from the pain, but since he remained president afterward, the rest of us didn't.

For those of us that have semi-given up on Turtledove, what's the reference? I assume it has something to do with Carter?

I remember Saturday Night Live having fun with that one.
I wasted my first vote also, and in the same election. I voted for Howard the Duck. He had mounted a lively write in campaign that I and many other servicemen followed with great interest.

I may have done evil things in my mispent youth, but never have I voted for a Democrat.

Of all the presidents of this last century, Jimmy is the one I respect the most. Though not as a president. Given that Carter's recall of the public debate is in error, you got to wonder whether his accusations against Will are similarly incorrect. Pretty sad.

Fortunately I had the good sense not to be born until 1962, so my first vote was for Reagan against Carter. Although Tennesse was still pretty yellow dog in the 70s, so I might have gone over to the dark side if I'd started voting a little sooner.

The only President to undergo an anphibious assault from an Oryctolagus Cuniculus.

McGehee
We would have been better off keeping the hemorrhoids and ditching Jimah.

The most ineffective President since Hoover. A Woodrow Wilson wannabe, without the war or intellect.