 
Eastside61
Member
Username: Eastside61
Post Number: 1785
Registered: 07-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 25, 2008 - 7:38 pm: |    |
GB: We represent all those on EASTWOOD and FORDHAM who stood for the working individual and the common rights of working people........Keep the word coming!•••• |
Kellyroad
Member
Username: Kellyroad
Post Number: 582
Registered: 04-2007
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 25, 2008 - 10:01 pm: | |
ES, GB: Going back to the 56 and 60 elections (although the voting age was 21) Do you remember what was the political sentiment of the young Denby students or college students? Eisenhower vs Stevenson....Kennedy vs Nixon. Who do you recall what was "the" eastside people's choice then? Of course in 60, the eastside, being heavily represented by Catholic constituents, Kennedy was heavily favored. What is your recollection?
(Message edited by kellyroad on June 25, 2008) |
Olddetroiter
Member
Username: Olddetroiter
Post Number: 777
Registered: 04-2008
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 25, 2008 - 11:49 pm: | |
KR: I remember they had a mock election in '56 at Columbus, and Stevenson won by three votes. |
Olddetroiter
Member
Username: Olddetroiter
Post Number: 780
Registered: 04-2008
| | Posted on Thursday, June 26, 2008 - 5:35 am: | |
KR: Oops... I meant '52, not '56. |
Kellyroad
Member
Username: Kellyroad
Post Number: 589
Registered: 04-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, June 26, 2008 - 10:23 am: | |
OD: My dad ordered his Admiral Black and White TV(when living on Morang) so he could view the conventions in 52. |
Goblue
Member
Username: Goblue
Post Number: 2106
Registered: 03-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, June 26, 2008 - 11:44 am: | |
KR: My recollection is that in '56 the sentiment at Denby was pretty strong for Ike...I've read histories that detail how both parties tried to enlist him to run...it would have been pretty tough for anyone to defeat the hero of WWII. I wish I still had my "I like Ike" button.
I was on campus at WMU in '60...the atmosphere was clearly for Nixon...there was strong anti-Catholic sentiment...a GOP group on campus spent time painting red caps with fingernail polish on Washington's profile on quarters to make them look like the pope...calling them "Kennedy Money". We spent the same amount of time wiping it off with remover whenever we could find them. Nixon came through Kzoo on a train speaking off of the back platform...it was my first experience at seeing a presidential candidate closeup. We got credit for writing a paper about his speech for a poli-sci course.
My dad waited until '51 to get his RCA black & white...he was "waiting until they perfect those things"...same argument was used when the switch to color was being made...he was never a guy to throw money at new-fangled stuff...the product of childhood extreme poverty and the Depression I guess. About the time he died in '84 he considered that he'd been screwed if he had to pay more than $8 for a restaurant meal...including drinks. |
Jcole
Member
Username: Jcole
Post Number: 2057
Registered: 04-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, June 26, 2008 - 12:05 pm: | |
I was 4 when Kennedy took office, but I either remember or remember reading that the Catholics in America really turned out to vote for him while non-Catholics were saying that if Jack were elected, the Pope would be running America and everyone would have to become Catholic, ad nauseum.
Now we have the Black/female/ageism issues. Every generation has its fears and predjudices. I'm sure when the first so-called Western president was elected, they thought it would be all buckskins all the time. |
Olddetroiter
Member
Username: Olddetroiter
Post Number: 789
Registered: 04-2008
| | Posted on Thursday, June 26, 2008 - 12:15 pm: | |
GB is right about Ike. Nobody could have beaten him. In retrospect, it's suprising he lost the the Columbus '52 mock vote. If anyone but Ike had been the Republican nominee Stevenson probably would have won. Most of the neighborhood was lower middle class working people who went through the depression and WW II with FDR.
Before we got our first TV we used to visit the Egers next door every week to watch the Lone Ranger and Sergent Preston of the Yukon on their set. We got our first one about 1949 or 50. It was a Zenith with a round picture tube. The second one was also a Zenith with a round tube, only bigger. My parents would let me stay up late to watch roller derby, but I had to go to school the next day no matter how tired I was. |
Eastside61
Member
Username: Eastside61
Post Number: 1789
Registered: 07-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, June 26, 2008 - 4:52 pm: | |
To all: We watched our first TV at the Ryan's on Eastwood on a 12" Muntz...I think around 49 or 50 Charlie purchased a 12" muntz....
I do remember watching the 52 convention from the Cow Palace in SF. Ike was too strong a candidate in 56 but the 60 election was very close - but it was significant for my family in that they moved from supporting republican candidates in the past (IKE) and supported the efforts of JFK........and never looked back ever since....... |
Kellyroad
Member
Username: Kellyroad
Post Number: 590
Registered: 04-2007
| | Posted on Friday, June 27, 2008 - 12:24 am: | |
Yes, Ike was hard to beat post WWII. Stevenson, as was told to me, was quite the orator and intellectual while Ike was running on his leadership persona and hero status post WWII.
GB: It seems quite a paradox that a college campus would back a more conservative and perceived less visionary, less glib and older candidate such as Nixon..the anti-Catholic sentiment must have been the key. Or was the fact that WMU (KZOO) was in the more conservative western part of the state?
Another chapter in the eastside book could explore presidential politics as related religion, education, and residence of the far eastside neighborhood.
Although the the local politics were not party affiliated, it seemed like the mayor and city council, and local judges had democratic party affiliations (late 50s-60s)
Does anyone remember council member (and Mayor Protem) Ed Carey?...I believed he lived near or on Mapleridge.
Given our own political fervor on the recent presidential election and the debacle of city government in Detroit...I don't recall when there was as much polarization in politics as now...... more talk radio, more extreme editorials and dichotomy of opinions in printed media and just simply more sensationalistic coverage.
Back in the day on Morang and Eastwood my dad knew everyone in city government my first election (at St. James church on Morang) didn't require too much review before going to the booth (as an 18 yr old). The state and pres. elections were prefaced with a banter of politics, the op-ed pages from both newspapers and finally a list of "who are the best candidates" ...bottom line is we voted. It's amazing how many local school board elections and/or local city council elections are decided by a handful of people...GB, I'm sure you have plenty of stories about the ineptitude or indifference of school board members elected by a small constituency.
The simplicity of politics as watching a convention on a b&W TV and "discussing" a list of candidates with my father sure had its appeal.
GB: BTW, we were the last ones on the block to get a color tv...(1975) just prior to the Ford/Carter campaigns |
Whithorn11446
Member
Username: Whithorn11446
Post Number: 239
Registered: 03-2007
| | Posted on Friday, June 27, 2008 - 3:46 am: | |
"Ed Carey?...I believed he lived near or on Mapleridge."
Ed Carey lived on Parkgrove near Kelly. |
Olddetroiter
Member
Username: Olddetroiter
Post Number: 805
Registered: 04-2008
| | Posted on Friday, June 27, 2008 - 8:00 am: | |
KR, WH: Ed Carey lived on Parkgrove between Salter and Morang, on the opposite of the street from ES's long lost love SHY. |
Jcole
Member
Username: Jcole
Post Number: 2072
Registered: 04-2005
| | Posted on Friday, June 27, 2008 - 10:30 am: | |
My dad was friends with Ed, and I was friends with his youngest daughter. We sent out campaign materials for Ed a few times. They were a wonderful family, and it's too bad we don't have city council members like that anymore. |
Jcole
Member
Username: Jcole
Post Number: 2073
Registered: 04-2005
| | Posted on Friday, June 27, 2008 - 10:30 am: | |
With you guys talking about the old days of politics, I want to mention something that has bugged me especially this year. Back in the day, most of the time, didn't the choice of candidate go to the convention? When did it become a must that we have only one candidate already chosen, with enough electoral votes, BEFORE the convention is begun? What happened to smoky back-room deals, and numerous votes. Now it's a done deal, so why even bother with the expense and boredom of a convention? |
Kellyroad
Member
Username: Kellyroad
Post Number: 592
Registered: 04-2007
| | Posted on Friday, June 27, 2008 - 11:00 am: | |
JCole: I have to agree with your observation......More coverage of the primaries/caucuses by the mass media, more mass media (CNN, Fox, MSNBC) the internet has pretty much put the presumptive candidate on the ballot before the convention. The cost of running an exhaustive campaign probably comes into play more so than the days of "smokey back-room deals". The convention simply seems to be a conveyance of soap box politics and "free" mass media coverage...which further solidifies the continuation of two party politics. |
Jcole
Member
Username: Jcole
Post Number: 2080
Registered: 04-2005
| | Posted on Friday, June 27, 2008 - 11:10 am: | |
Those conventions cost a fortune, and while it's good for the local economy of whatever major city wins the priviledge, the money could be put to better use. Dems want better health care; donate it. Republicans want more war toys; spend it. Let me keep my 20 bucks out of the whole mess. |
Eastburn
Member
Username: Eastburn
Post Number: 215
Registered: 03-2008
| | Posted on Friday, June 27, 2008 - 11:11 am: | |
Not only that, JC, conventions then were fun to watch. I always watched both conventions as a kid. Can you imagine a 10 year old today wanting to watch what passes for a convention today? I gave some thought to riding the bike to Denver with one of my buddies (though I'm more of an independent) just to watch the show close up. My buddy is a delegate (or is that 1/2 delegate) so I could get an insider's view. |
Eastburn
Member
Username: Eastburn
Post Number: 216
Registered: 03-2008
| | Posted on Friday, June 27, 2008 - 11:12 am: | |
BTW, is an Eastburn kid allowed to post on the Eastwood thread? |
Jcole
Member
Username: Jcole
Post Number: 2082
Registered: 04-2005
| | Posted on Friday, June 27, 2008 - 11:18 am: | |
Yeah, they gave me permission, and I lived on Maddelein, as long as I had parental permission to cross 7 Mile |
7andkelly
Member
Username: 7andkelly
Post Number: 833
Registered: 04-2008
| | Posted on Friday, June 27, 2008 - 11:26 am: | |
EB, just watch out for the old dude with the Whammie! |
7andkelly
Member
Username: 7andkelly
Post Number: 834
Registered: 04-2008
| | Posted on Friday, June 27, 2008 - 11:27 am: | |
And don't post your resume. |
Zitro
Member
Username: Zitro
Post Number: 826
Registered: 04-2008
| | Posted on Friday, June 27, 2008 - 11:35 am: | |
SMAO! |
7andkelly
Member
Username: 7andkelly
Post Number: 836
Registered: 04-2008
| | Posted on Friday, June 27, 2008 - 11:40 am: | |
Trash day is Thursday, but don't count on the DPW to remove all of the really odiferous stuff. |
7andkelly
Member
Username: 7andkelly
Post Number: 837
Registered: 04-2008
| | Posted on Friday, June 27, 2008 - 11:42 am: | |
They just can't seem to get good help anywhere on the eastside these days. It's the same problem at the schools and parks, despite all the wasted billions. |
Eastburn
Member
Username: Eastburn
Post Number: 218
Registered: 03-2008
| | Posted on Friday, June 27, 2008 - 2:39 pm: | |
Remember, I am one of the old dudes. Those guys are only a year older than me.
Resume - broken down old biker living in da tumb. |
7andkelly
Member
Username: 7andkelly
Post Number: 844
Registered: 04-2008
| | Posted on Friday, June 27, 2008 - 3:58 pm: | |
EB, your SJ credentials and bike give you a ten year credit for age for these purposes. Don't worry, the niche will still be there when you eventually need it.
Feel free to roam. I got your back.
I'm just camping out near the curb at Eastwood and Kelly here with my Johnny Seven OMA watching out for pervs, perps, predators, shark fans and other swill.
Guard this while I walk over the George's for some Mr. Freezes and some Bazooka Joe's. |
Zitro
Member
Username: Zitro
Post Number: 842
Registered: 04-2008
| | Posted on Friday, June 27, 2008 - 4:12 pm: | |
Grab me a pack of baseball cards when you're there 7. He always seemed to have the higher numbered harder to get ones for some reason. |
Goblue
Member
Username: Goblue
Post Number: 2108
Registered: 03-2007
| | Posted on Friday, June 27, 2008 - 4:32 pm: | |
KR: Have to remember that it was the late 50's and very early 60's...I think there were a number of factors operating that led WMU students to a more conservative stance than say U-M students...you've hit virtually all of them...Kzoo is, and was, a VERY conservative community...most WMU students at that time came from S.W. Michigan...the anti-Catholicism bigotry was very high with the local (Dutch) Christian Reformed Church leading the way...WMU was a small school at the time...only 6,000 students in 1959...and a great many of us were "first in the family college students" we weren't steeped in the process of intellectual inquiry...WMU just didn't have the tradition of intellectual-liberal thinking of a U-M or WSU...it was still largely a teacher training instituion...Jjaba was one of the rare radicals...most of us were chiefly concerned with acquiring beer and a hot date for the weekend...and...keeping grades high enough to avoid the draft. The heat of war protest started at schools like U-M and Berkely...I think that fueled the whole process of liberal thought on campuses that eventually reached WMU.
You're right...I could bore the hell out of everyone...even more than ES & OD...with stories about the politics of school boards. When I started in the business in the early 60's school boards were largely made up of community leaders...doctors, bankers, professors, lawyers, pharmacists, etc...who contributed their time as part of their social responsibilty...that simply is no longer true...at least its a rare situation. Today a board member is far more likely to have some type of power agenda. My hunch is that over the years I probably worked with around 200 individual members...maybe 10% of that number were really good board members...interestingly enough, almost half of that number were serving with some overlap on a board in a small town a little S.W. of A2...they made up an excellent board...we turned a broken down little school system into an award winning small district in a period of about five years. The worst board member...if there is such a thing...I ever worked with was a woman who was a retired second grade teacher with political ambitions for state or national office...she truly felt that she knew more about running a $160M business than I did...we clashed publicly...she lost...the voters threw her out. A big part of the problem is the intensity of public education in today's world...I've told some people who would have made excellent board members...who owned retail businesses...to think long and hard about it before running...a teachers' union can blackball, boycott, picket and literally destroy a small company...I've seen it happen...I've also seen individual teachers openly castigate kids in their classes because their board member parents have taken stances counter to union demands. The bottom line is that it's a rough business today...I knew when it was time to retire.
Thinking about the current convention and primary situation in both parties...I don't know for a fact but my hunch is that there used to be fewer primaries...that it didn't used to be possible for a candidate to garner a majority of delegates prior to the convention. Today the conventions seem to be simply a time to motivate the party faithful to be out canvassing and on the phone banks...although a lot of the latter is now simply robo-calls. It still comes down to turning out the vote. The old style was more fun...but probably less democratic...the first one I watched was the GOP in '52...I was enthralled. |
7andkelly
Member
Username: 7andkelly
Post Number: 845
Registered: 04-2008
| | Posted on Friday, June 27, 2008 - 5:28 pm: | |
Bore indeed! How many over the years sought to end their suffering, having been forced to listen to your endless blather, by boring a hole through their own head? |
7andkelly
Member
Username: 7andkelly
Post Number: 846
Registered: 04-2008
| | Posted on Friday, June 27, 2008 - 5:32 pm: | |
Z, yes, this is where I got most of my good cards. The '68 Tigers were my favorites, and I must have traded all my other '68s for them. |