In Washington ’s day , elections were largely an excuse to company .
ballot presented a uncommon opportunity for people to gather from miles around , catch up with their neighbour , and suck generously . tricksy politicians capitalized on the festive climate to rack up ballot . In fact , it was unmanageable for anyone to win an election without wining and dining his component . Though it was technically illegal to explicitly buy gift for voters , it was utterly appropriate for a politician to bribe a bout for two hundred of his unaired friends on Election Day .
But when 23 - class - previous George Washington made a bid for the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1755 , he made petty effort to court the intoxicated voter turnout . In fact , he believe that there were too many taverns in town . Washington even wrote the regulator a alphabetic character complaining that local bars were a “ nuisance ” to his soldier because they were “ always drunk and unfit for serving . ”
Washington ’s beef with barroom , compound with his refusal to plow his fellow towner on Election Day , anger a lot of voters . Washington lost in a landslide – winning only 40 right to vote to his opponent ’s 271 .
Drink Up
Washington learned his lesson . When he run again in 1758 , he wheel out the booze : 28 gallons of rum , 50 gallons of rummy punch , 34 gallons of wine , 46 congius of beer , and two gallon of cyder royal — nigh enough for a half - gallon per voter .
But as Washington await the consequence of the election , he was plague by guilt and anxiety . It was n’t that he regret openly bribe voter with liberal libations . To the opposite , he worried that people had n’t let enough to tope . Washington feared that his campaign coach , James Wood , had “ spent with too spare a hand . ” He also hop that political opponents had n’t felt leave out , saying he hoped that “ all were treated alike . ”
But in the end , declare independency from graveness proved to be sufficient . Washington enamour 331 votes , crushing his three competition .
