I was in the group of 18-year-olds who were given the right to vote in 1972 (and I voted for Richard Nixon) and was very excited about the new right that was given to me and have voted in every election since. Had I been able to vote for JFK, I would have.
Can't say I'd ever vote for a dem now, no matter what the circumstance. Maybe if they were a Zell Miller democrat.
I don't think it's ever good to just vote on a party label. That's what got the Dems into such a mess, and if GOPers do it, too, we'll just wind up with more self-serving career politicians.
The Dems have been doing it so long that there are few good people in the party hierarchy. The GOP shouldn't follow that path. What I do is vote for the best candidate, but work hard to make sure that there are good people in the GOP pipeline. Local elections are where they get their start, and helping a GOPer win a city council seat could just be the way to get a good GOP candidate for Nat'l office 10 years down the road.
You're the same age as I am, then. I turned 18 a week before Election Day in 1972. However I voted for McGovern in rebellion of my parents' love for Nixon. Ronald Reagan helped me see the light!