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Greetings!
At Home
You Just Never Know What You're Going To Find
November
It's here.
The day all of America (OK, 56.8% anyway) goes to the polls and casts its ballot for their favorite son (and eventually, we hope, daughter). We thought, given the gravity of the situation, that we would dedicate this issue of At Home to all things political! A review of the highs and lows of Presidential politicking since George was first elevated to the highest office in the land.
Of course we will have our usual puzzles, games and our one big special offer for November, but in this issue of At Home - expect news of the weird for all the political junkies in our audience.
And we hope you vote - and that your guy - and America - wins.
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In 1932 - height of the depression - CT voted for Herbert Hoover over FDR for President.
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1960
Kennedy - Nixon
The closest election of the 20th century. It was the first TV election and the debates drove 63% of the voting age population to the polls. Those who listened to the debates on radio thought Nixon won - but those who watched disagreed. Some say that a few dead people voted in Chicago. Twice. We can't say, but we do know that the election was incredibly close with JFK winning by .1 of one percent - 120,000 votes out of nearly 69 million cast. But, Nixon would return!
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Revolutionary war hero the Marquis de LaFayette gave President John Quincy Adams an alligator which resided in the East Room when Adams resided in the White House.
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1876
Hayes - Tilden
 It was the Centennial of the country and folks were divided.
And this became one of the most bitter and contentious elections in US History. Rutherford Hayes defeated Samuel Tilden even though Tilden had nearly 51% of the popular vote.
Tilden received 184 electoral votes (185 were needed for victory) and Hayes had 165. Twenty votes were disputed so an electoral commission was established (sound familiar?) It consisted of 7 Democrats, 7 Republicans and 1 Independent.
On all 20 votes the Independent voted with the Republicans - all 20 votes went to Hayes and he became our 19th President.
"Hayes believed in meritocratic government, equal treatment without regard to race, and improvement through education. He ordered federal troops to quell the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 and ordered them out of Southern capitals as Reconstruction ended. He kept his pledge not to run for re-election and eventually became an advocate for social and educational reform. How utterly refreshing.
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Norman Thomas of the Socialist Party goes down in history as the only candidate to run for president six times; he was never elected.
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We Pause Now For A Word...
OK...this is the forerunner of an incredibly famous product spokesperson. Who is it and who did he work for? Winners tell us here. - and may win a $25 Target Gift Card.
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It's plain hokum. If you can't convince 'em, confuse 'em. It's an old political trick. But this time it won't work.
- Harry S Truman
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Only two states, Nebraska and Maine, allocate their electoral college vote in proportion to the popular vote. The other 48 states and the District of Columbia declare all of their electoral votes to the winning popular candidate in the state, despite the margin of victory.
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In Case You Weren't Invited.
Even reporters have to eat.
The White House has a Correspondents' Dinner each year. Here's the menu from this past April. If you were there, please drop us a line and let us know how the food was.
- A bread presentation that includes seven-grain, white, wheat and sourdough rolls
- A salad of black lentil terrine, crab and tear drop tomatoes over artisan greens
- Texas-rubbed petite filet with a Calvados sauce, which will be served with red curry jumbo shrimp, haricot verts (aka green beans), and risotto.
- "The Galaxy," a chocolate truffle mousse layered with chocolate Genoise and almond macaroon.
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Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner.
- James Bovard, Civil Libertarian (1994)
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Singing Songs of Victory
Long before presidential candidates criticized each other in vitriolic attack ads on television, the internet, and the radio, politicians used jaunty tunes to deliver their barbs. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, presidential aspirants commissioned songwriters to pen campaign songs to not only woo voters but also assail their opponents. Some wrote original music to go with the lyrics, while others set the lyrics to marches or popular songs. The songs were sold as sheet music and in mini songbooks known as "songsters."
In the 1800 election between President John Adams and his vice president, Thomas Jefferson, the candidates attacked each other mercilessly. In his campaign song, "Jefferson and Liberty," Jefferson referred to the Alien and Seditions Acts, enacted under Adams, as the "reign of terror."
"Little Know Ye Who's Coming," the 1828 campaign song of incumbent John Quincy Adams, warned of all sorts of calamity if Andrew Jackson were elected.
"Fire's Comin's Words is comin',
Pistols, guns and knives is comin',
Famine's comin', banning's comin',
If John Quincy not be comin'!
Tears are comin',
Fears are coming,
Plague and pestilence is comin',
Hatin's comin,
Satan's comin',
If John Quincy not be comin''
The 1840 presidential race featured Whig William Henry Harrison and incumbent Martin Van Buren. Harrison's famous slogan, "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too," was actually inspired by his campaign song, "Tip and Ty," which derided Van Buren as "Little Va." Van Buren fired back, accusing Harrison of being a hard drinker in a tune set to "Rock-a-Bye Baby:"
Daddy's a Whig.
When he comes home
Hard cider
He'll swig.
When he has swug,
He'll fall in a stu
And down will come Tyler
and Tippecanoe.
When William H. Taft accepted the Republican nomination in 1908 he took aim at Democrat William Jennings Bryan. Taft's campaign song, "Get on the Raft with Taft," poked fun of Bryan's repeated-and unsuccessful-presidential bids:
Of Bryan's bluff we've had enough He'll talk you deaf and blind The million trusts he's going to bust Are only in his mind Seems he has run since Washington First Started in the game If his legs were gone He'd keep right on A-running just the same
Finally while George McGovern chose "Bridge Over Troubled Water" as his campaign theme song, John McCain selected "Running on Empty," by Jackson Browne. Browne sued for copyright infringement and won. And then there was Ross Perot who chose the perfect Patsy Cline song for his campaign, "Crazy."
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First Lady Grace Coolidge had a pet raccoon named Rebecca along with dogs, cats, canaries, a donkey, bobcat, thrush, and of course a pygmy hippo. Silent Cal only served on term in the White House.
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Have You Seen Us...
We're on TV.
Well, cable, anyway. We're here to remind you that we won't be undersold on warm air gas furnaces, do virtually any home plumbing, heating, electrical, water and well service and that we're pretty much committed to keeping you warm this winter. Take a gander at these TV spots then call and say,
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Truth is not determined by majority vote.
- Doug Gwyn
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1972
Nixon-McGovern
Wow.
60.67% of the popular vote and 520 electoral votes. When Richard Nixon ran for re-election against George McGovern he said that he spoke for the "silent majority." They certainly weren't silent on election day, delivering the most overwhelming victory in U.S. Presidential history.
The irony of course is that during the run up to the election, one it seemed Nixon was destined to win from the outset, there was a little matter of a break-in at the office of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate. You know the rest. Two years later, Nixon was waving from a helicopter door as Gerald Ford took the oath of office.
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I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat.
- Will Rogers
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Nineteen of America's 43 presidents have been Republicans. 15 have been Democrats.
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1844
Polk-Clay
Whew...
39,000 votes separated Henry Clay, the Great Compromiser, from James K. Polk and the Presidency. Connecticut was Whig territory then going with Clay. It all came down to TEXAS!
Polk's notion of "Manifest Destiny" included annexing the Texas Territory and gobbling up all of Oregon. Clay was opposed. Today, hipster can drink coffee late into the night in Portland and we've had three Presidents from Texas.
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One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.
- Plato
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To be honest - you travel maniacs have been getting off easy. Every month you know the answer of our "where are we" quiz. Well, those days are over. To win the $25 Target Gift Card you're going to have to work a litttttle harder. This month - you can choose between two locations. (we are soooo soft!)
Hint: This one is south of here. Way south. And there are a lot of sheep there. And great cheese. Think you know - enter here.
Hint: Number two is so easy. We just can't help ourselves sometimes. Enter here. Oh, there's a bonus for the first person who knows - both locations!
***** Last month's quiz winners were: Peter and George,
who knew the locations were - Norwich CT and Patagonia. *****
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A fool and his money are soon elected.
- Will Rogers
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"Like Us" Non-Profit Promotion 
Who doesn't want to be liked? Aiello thought that a nice way to invite people to "like us" on facebook wasto open up a bit of competition. From now til the end of November we're inviting people associated with non-profit organizations to like us.
The non-profit with the most "votes or likes" will be given a $1,000 Make a Difference Grant. It's simple.
Visit the Aiello Facebook page and sign up. That's it. We think it's a fun - simple - and positive way to say thank you for "liking" us.
Hurry, Promotion Ends November 30
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Reader, suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.
- Mark Twain
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Let Your Poster Do The Talking
Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words.
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Tact is the ability to tell someone to go to hell in such a way that they look forward to the trip.
- Winston Churchill
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Hi Ho Silver...
OK, with all this political talk, we thought we'd give you a great video we found. It stars the guy we think everyone in America would have voted for for President. Agree? Let us know what you think. We're posting this on our Youtube site too!
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Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies.
- Groucho Marx
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Just a quick reminder that every so often - someone - had to be Godzilla. |
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You have to remember one thing about the will of the people: it wasn't that long ago that we were swept away by the Macarena
- John Stewart
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NEVER BE WITHOUT POWER AGAIN
November Special*
$400 OFF
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Call today:
860 254 4672
*Must purchase unit in November, 2012. Can not be combined with any other offers, discounts or coupons. Offer ends 11/30/12.
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Enjoy Your November
Sincerely, Aiello Home Services  | | Please like us on Facebook |
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