November 8, 1988: My 1st election. At Hammarskjold Middle School in East Brunswick, New Jersey, which I had attended (as Hammarskjold Junior High School) from September 9, 1981 to June 26, 1984, I cast a vote for the straight Democratic ticket, including for Joseph V. Chagnon for Mayor (making him the 1st person I ever voted for) and the Presidential nominee, Governor Michael S. Dukakis of Massachusetts.
Chagnon lost to Congressman Jack Sinagra, who served 3 years before winning a State Senate seat. Dukakis lost to Vice President George H.W. Bush, 426 Electoral Votes to 111 (it should have been 112, but a "faithless elector" refused to vote for him), 53.4 percent of the popular vote to 45.6. He had blown it by inadequately responding to some truly filthy and (mostly) false attacks. Indeed, everybody that I voted for lost, with one exception.
The next day, I was in New Brunswick, job-hunting. I saw the Middlesex County Democratic Campaign Headquarters on George Street, and realized I'd never gotten a Dukakis button. I wanted one. So I went in, and there was the Mayor of New Brunswick at the time, John Lynch, talking to Senator Frank Lautenberg, the one person I voted for who won. Not wanting to interrupt, I waited for them to finish talking. When Lautenberg came my way, I offered him my hand and congratulated him on his re-election. He walked right past me.
Chagnon lost to Congressman Jack Sinagra, who served 3 years before winning a State Senate seat. Dukakis lost to Vice President George H.W. Bush, 426 Electoral Votes to 111 (it should have been 112, but a "faithless elector" refused to vote for him), 53.4 percent of the popular vote to 45.6. He had blown it by inadequately responding to some truly filthy and (mostly) false attacks. Indeed, everybody that I voted for lost, with one exception.
The next day, I was in New Brunswick, job-hunting. I saw the Middlesex County Democratic Campaign Headquarters on George Street, and realized I'd never gotten a Dukakis button. I wanted one. So I went in, and there was the Mayor of New Brunswick at the time, John Lynch, talking to Senator Frank Lautenberg, the one person I voted for who won. Not wanting to interrupt, I waited for them to finish talking. When Lautenberg came my way, I offered him my hand and congratulated him on his re-election. He walked right past me.
I met Lynch a few years later, after he'd resigned as Mayor because he'd become President of the State Senate, making him effectively (we didn't have the office at the time) the Lieutenant Governor. He was a much nicer guy. Unfortunately, he later went to prison for corruption. But I'm still proud to have voted for Dukakis. I still don't have one of his buttons, though.
*
November 8, 1988, like all modern U.S. Election Days, was a Tuesday. The baseball season was over. Football was in midweek. There were 9 games played in the NBA:
* The New York Knicks beat the Chicago Bulls, 126-117 at Madison Square Garden. Johnny Newman of the Knicks led all scorers in the league that night with 35 points. Michael Jordan scored 31 for the Bulls.
* The New Jersey Nets beat the Washington Bullets, 109-101 at the Brendan Byrne Arena at the Meadowlands.
* The Detroit Pistons beat the Philadelphia 76ers, 116-109 at The Spectrum in Philadelphia.
* The expansion Charlotte Hornets beat the Los Angeles Clippers, 117-105 at the 2nd Charlotte Coliseum. Kelly Tripucka, a native of Bloomfield, New Jersey, led all scorers with 24 points.
* The Atlanta Falcons beat the Indiana Pacers, 112-107 at The Omni in Atlanta. Dominique Wilkins scored 32 points.
* The Houston Rockets beat the San Antonio Spurs, 120-102 at The Summit in Houston.
* The Dallas Mavericks beat the expansion Miami Heat, 92-88 at the Reunion Arena in Dallas.
* The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors, 114-102 at the Oakland Coliseum Arena.
* And the Seattle SuperSonics beat the Sacramento Kings, 97-75. Dale Ellis of the Sonics scored 28 points. This was the 1st game played at the 2nd ARCO Arena in Sacramento. The Kings called the building, renamed Sleep Train Arena after a bedding company in 2012, home until 2016, when the Golden 1 Center opened. The old arena's future is uncertain. The 1st ARCO Arena, home of the Kings from 1985 to 1988, has been converted into an office building.
And there were 3 games played in the NHL:
* The New York Islanders beat the New York Rangers, 4-3 at the Nassau Coliseum. The Rangers blew a lead of 2-0, and the Isles blew one of 3-2, but Greg Gilbert -- who turned out to be the 1st man ever to play for the Rangers, the Islanders and the Devils -- scored the winner for the Isles with 2:26 left in regulation. There were 2 fights.
* The Edmonton Oilers beat the Pittsburgh Penguins, 7-3 at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh.
* And the Winnipeg Jets beat the Quebec Nordiques, 8-4 at the Colisee de Quebec.