politics

I haven't seen this variation on the Watergate theme yet:

Like a lot of the others here who were around six or seven years old during Watergate, I had a very literal interpretation about some kind of "Water Gate" that was broken, clogged or overflowing in some way. I put that together with all the "bugs" I kept hearing about and thought that if you turned on a sink faucet bugs would come pouring out. I only remember being afraid of the faucets for a day or two (it was probably only an hour, lol!) before my parents straightened it all out for me but I I still think about it every time I hear the word Watergate.

JS

When I was four, I got into an argument with my uncle. He said that the vice president was Spiro Agnew. I said it was Uncle Sam.

Matt

I used to believe that communist is someone who wears weird military uniform, grows a bushy moustache (I watched too many films in primary school) and hates Church and religion - so since my neighbour never goes to church and isn't shy to tell he doesn't believe in God, I was convinced that he is civil form of communist. Then when in school, at history lesson, our teacher told as that communist countries like Soviet Union or Northern Korea were to blame for genocides of millions and that communism is the most bloody form of governing in history. I was scared like hell because putting two and two together I came to conclusion that we live next to insane murderer!

Still not leftwinger

I just assumed that the President was one of the richest people in the world when I was in elementary school. (At the time the president was Clinton) Cause money equals power over a nation, right?

Lucey

When I was 4/5 (U.S. kindergarten age), I believed that "the government" (which I often heard my parents discussing) was the title of a man who looked like George Washington.

Seethaki

When election time came, I used to think that whoever was up for nominations, (about ten or twelve in number) came in first, got the presidency, and the one who came in second, was vice president.

Anon

When I was 5 Jimmy Carter was running for reelction against Reagan. My parents were devoted Democrats, and somehow I got the idea in my head that if REagan won he would send all of the people who voted for Carter to Alaska to live with the Eskimos. I kept this to myself for a while, petrified, before finally breaking down and telling my mother, who assured me I would not need a parka no matter how the election turned out!

Anon

When I was a preschool kid, I used to believe that kings and queens only existed in fairy tales, like the other characters (dragons, fairies and things like that) that Mom had said were "just make-believe". Seeing news stories from England on TV impressed and confused me at the same time: "Mommy, is that Elizabeth lady real?"

Ingeborg S. Nordén

That the leader of each country was the smartest person in that country and that they were also the richest people in the country. Except for in America where i thought astronauts were richer and England where i thought the Queen was richer.

Tim Fawcett

I used to believe that Bush kept a buch of dead bodies underneath the white house. Dont ask.

Lecia

That when the labour party won the election labour party ment just a special type of party

Grace Corby

I seriously believed for some time that Watergate was about a huge (and apparently long-lasting!) flood caused by the president who had screwed up and left a big Gate open and lots of Water came through it, which explained why people were mad at him. I was convinced that this had all been on the news. My guess now is that I had been seeing TV reports about major flooding on the East Coast in 1972 from Hurricane Agnes, at about the same time as the Watergate burglary, so when they started talking about Watergate, I just combined the news stories in my mind...

Cheri

I used to belive that Ronald Regan won presidency from Jimmy Carter in a boxing match. Maybe I got this from Frankie goes to Hollywood's Two Tribes video?

Anon

I thought the Government was a high-ranking politician who shared duties with the President (I'm American). The president mostly gave speeches, and the Government did the work.

Siobhan

i use to bellieve dat america waz da only country in da world

Anon

I used to believe that when the race for the presidency was Really a race. The the two candidates ran through each state and the one who got there first, won the state. Whoever had the most states became President. I was 7.

Anon

When I was a kid, I used to believe that when adults voted, they all went out into a big field and raised their hands when someone called out the name of who they were voting for, like in class.

Shawn

well, this was actually my mom's belief and is probably not pc, but here is it: when she was a very little girl and growing up in florida, there was still evidence of segregation every where. she would pitch an absolute fit at having to drink out of the 'white' drinking fountain, because it was boring and stupid, and she wanted to drink out of the 'colored' drinking fountain, which surely spouted rainbow water. her mother didn't know what to do with her screaming child wanting rainbow water!

michelle