Does anyone still have an election party?

[El Presidente]

I grew up when election parties were a big thing. Family and friends would get together and fire up a feast, get sloshed and watch the election results roll in. 

It was always very civilised underpinned no doubt by a suspicion (if not hate) of politicians of all descriptions.  It is all very Australian and understandable given that a significant majority of people here can trace relatives who were:

A. Colonised

B. Originally sent here against their wishes. 

C. escaping despots/politicians elsewhere. 

Looking back, election parties were really an excuse to get together and have a laugh and blow off some steam.  They had all the revelry of a New Years eve  party. In one corner with a durry and beer in hand  my father would be arguing Keynesian  economic theory with his tiler mate Arturo. In another corner dad's boss Enzo was lambasting the middle east policies of the labour party with russian plasterer Ivan. Ivan use to get feisty with a few drinks under his belt and hence the moniker "Ivan the terrible". 

Come midnight it was  a mix of raucous cheers and a howl of boos as the TV was showered in peanuts during the new PM's  address to their supporters.  Come 1am we would all be bundled into the Holden Premier where mum would take the keys off dad.  Smart lady my mum 

Next day it was all back to normal.  If politicians delivered on nothing else, they brought people together for one big piss up. 

I miss those days 

 

I will be on FOH Zoom form 10am local tomorrow. Check your emotions at the door, grab a drink and a cigar and join me for our own toned down version 

 

 

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[NSXCIGAR]

Any modern election party would require weapons checked at the door...and locked up.

[El Presidente]

Just now, NSXCIGAR said:

Any modern election party would require weapons checked at the door...and locked up.

That is one sad reflection on society. 

This is one instance where I would love to roll the clock back 30 years. Tolerance and understanding have taken root in so many areas over that time but in this area it has gone backwards at a rate of knots. 

I am glass half full that the direction will change back in years to come.......or I might just be glass half full 

 

 

 

[Shelby07]

We are attending a party tomorrow, but everyone will be like-minded. 

[mprach024]

I think NSX has it correct.  It’s too emotional now, no longer ideological.  To have one now only works if it’s a bunch of very like minded people.  I’m sure a lot of the militias will be getting together to watch.

[Kitchen]

I much prefer the post-election party, aka Thanksgiving, so long as I am on the winning side.  God, I dread the thought of hosting and cooking dinner for the winners.  

But anyway, I disagree; I think a certain side of the isle is fine with lively discourse and spirited debates without resorting to fights.  After all, if a gay pro-choice anti-death penalty Jewish man (anyone who is in the podcast world probably knows who I am talking about) can find a place there, then ...  I actually have no friends on my side that would banish someone for being on the other side.  

Unfortunately many on the other side have decided to give up on religion and unwittingly replaced it with their politics, looking on those whom do not march in lock step as heretics.  My  wife and I have lost friends over this, especially with how the lockdowns brought out all of our politics in the street.  

[Shelby07]

25 minutes ago, mprach024 said:

I think NSX has it correct.  It’s too emotional now, no longer ideological.  To have one now only works if it’s a bunch of very like minded people.  I’m sure a lot of the militias will be getting together to watch.

I think discord is being amplified by the news media. I have lunch every week with people I used to work with who have different views. We can discuss our differences calmly and enjoy the conversations. Also, diverse political views are discussed at my cigar lounge. I do agree that an election party is not the place for differing views. 

[SCgarman]

3 hours ago, El Presidente said:

That is one sad reflection on society. 

This is one instance where I would love to roll the clock back 30 years. Tolerance and understanding have taken root in so many areas over that time but in this area it has gone backwards at a rate of knots. 

I am glass half full that the direction will change back in years to come.......or I might just be glass half full 

 

 

 

We have 400 million firearms in the USA, more than one for every man, woman and child. There is very little tolerance and understanding here in my country in the year 2020. I am in a safe suburb, but there is concern about violent riots in the big cities tomorrow night. Pray for peace. 

[xsquid]

I am sad.  I served in the Navy in the 80's and I do not know how we got here.  I did my service to ensure this would be the legacy?  - No way.  I just remember after 9/11 how we united, - what is going on today?  I guess we need a space alien invasion to wake up!  I see cities boarding up and National Guard at the ready - a strange land we seem to live in now, not the one I grew up in for sure. 

Peace to all of us in the year ahead.

[garnett]

your a day ahead of us you already know who won.

[Ken Gargett]

what could possibly go wrong with this idea?

[El Presidente]

8 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

what could possibly go wrong with this idea?

Ken, surely your family had  an election party? I can only imagine the carry on when Whitlam was elected 

[havanaclub]

Rob is the American election that huge or important for Aussies? Serious question, excuse my ignorance.


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[El Presidente]

19 minutes ago, havanaclub said:

Rob is the American election that huge or important for Aussies? Serious question, excuse my ignorance.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

For most it is very much akin to a reality television drama along the lines of "The bachelor/Bachelorette" 

US foreign and economic policy has always had a significant influence globally. Probably less so over the past decade but I follow it closely due to the Cuba ramifications. 

[havanaclub]

For most it is very much akin to a reality television drama along the lines of "The bachelor/Bachelorette" 
US foreign and economic policy has always had a significant influence globally. Probably less so over the past decade but I follow it closely due to the Cuba ramifications. 

so tell me what you think of this new bachelorette?


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[BigGuns]

49 minutes ago, El Presidente said:

For most it is very much akin to a reality television drama 

How incredibly accurate.
 

Looking forward to hopping in tomorrow if time permits. I’ve had/attended a fair share of election parties in the past, but things are a bit different this year. I think (hope?) we can engage in respectful and civilized discourse over a live session of zoom better than in this media due to the ability of having real time convo, proper recognition of context, affect, etc. only so much you can do with words on a screen. 

[El Presidente]

11 minutes ago, BigGuns said:

I think (hope?) we can engage in respectful and civilized discourse over a live session of zoom better than in this media due to the ability of having real time convo, proper recognition of context, affect, etc. only so much you can do with words on a screen. 

It will be fine.  Politically agnostic. Full of cheer and best wishes.

...no guns permitted. 

 

[Ken Gargett]

59 minutes ago, El Presidente said:

Ken, surely your family had  an election party? I can only imagine the carry on when Whitlam was elected 

i remember that night. i was only a young kid, relatively. december 5th or 2nd i think, 1972? the old man was furious as his beloved cousin decided to get married that evening. we did not do election parties (the folks may have gone to a few) but election night would see the old man in front of the tv with pen, paper etc. keeping stats, doing all the crap the analysts do today. he took it seriously. 

it was beyond him that anyone would get married on an election evening. he was livid. 

worse, whitlam won. (we actually met whitlam prior to this on a family trip to canberra - our neighbour was dame annabelle rankin, qld senator, and she got us into the politicians' dining room. whitlam was a gracious and courteous gentleman, though that did not stop the old man wishing the four horsemen would visit him late at night). that just ruined everything - first non-conservative govt for about 23 years? 

even worse again, the groom was a whitlam supporter. not sure the old man ever had a worse evening (he did have the little radio in his pocket with earpiece to listen). 

a little later, the groom and the old man became good friends. he was a terrific bloke. a local headmaster. unfortunately, the cousin went batcrap crazy and divorced him, we never found out why, and then disappeared. the cherry on top which pissed off the old man till the day he fell off the perch was that his aunt had promised him the wonderful old, huge grandfather clock which had been given to her on loan. a family treasure (lord knows why though i suspect it was valuable). the cousin pissed off and took the clock. has never been heard of again. 

[Ken Gargett]

20 minutes ago, BigGuns said:

I think (hope?) we can engage in respectful discourse over a live session of zoom better than in this media due to the ability of having real time convo, proper recognition of context, affect, etc. only so much you can do with words on a screen. 

and i hope penelope cruz knocks on my door tomorrow evening wearing nothing but a smile (carrying a bottle of romanee-conti) and i reckon i have more chance. 

[BigGuns]

2 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

and i hope penelope cruz knocks on my door tomorrow evening wearing nothing but a smile (carrying a bottle of romanee-conti) and i reckon i have more chance. 

Way to kill my optimism, Ken!

[El Presidente]

4 minutes ago, BigGuns said:

Way to kill my optimism, Ken!

Its ok.....Kens not invited 

[Ken Gargett]

5 minutes ago, BigGuns said:

Way to kill my optimism, Ken!

look at it this way. you can have a courteous, dull, boring slumberfest where no one is game to say boo. or you can have a raucous, antagonistic, but fun, cesspool. not both. 

i predict that only the supporters of the winning side will be there once it is decided. 

[El Presidente]

2 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

 

i predict that only the supporters of the winning side will be there once it is decided. 

I am ok with that.

 

Looking forward to hanging out with the Kanye supporters 

[vhampl03]

I agree with @Kitchen (and I know the podcaster you reference).  Tolerance and civility only seem to be extended for the approved viewpoints...

I miss the days when politics was about principles (ie, is the public or private sector better suited to provide this service or solve this societal problem, what’s the correct size and scope of government, etc) as opposed to what it’s become.  It’s unfortunately rare to find people who can disagree without character attacks.  A lot of the name calling really is a lazy way of saying “I disagree.”

At least we have the idea of Penelope Cruz with Ken to make us smile....chin up gentlemen

[Fuzz]

Been to a few election parties when I was growing up (both State and Federal). Everyone would bring a plate, the bbq would be burning sausages till they were 99% carbon, and all the oldies would be on the beers arguing about who should be PM. Lots of shouting as the day wore on into the night, till the results came in. Either cheers, shouts of derision, or sometimes much wailing. However, whoever won, there was always an understanding that the guy was an idiot. And because he won, he was chief among the idiots. Regardless whether he was LNP or ALP, if they had backed the winning idiot, he was their idiot! Cries of, "Your idiot is a loser!", was not uncommon.