In a year where the Presidential campaign for 2008 is running at a frenzied pace, a year earlier than it should be, and characterized by a crop of less than encouraging candidates (not including the still unannounced Fred Thompson), the above article from NR led me to think about what 1968, 1972, 1976 or 1980 presidential elections could have, without the intervention of the unfortunate turn of history, could have looked like.
On May 15, 1967, then Governor Reagan engaged in a world wide debate on stage with the left's then idolized Sen. Robert Kennedy (Bobby as the world would remember him as) with the Viet Nam war as the subject. The NR story relates how the underestimated Reagan ate Bobby for dinner much to the surprise of the liberal media.
Imagine the presidential campaign that could have been. Not just because Reagan, by the evidence available was the superior debator, not because Reagan was, well...Reagan and not because Bobby, appeared as, well.... as an uptight New Englander, but because the possibilities to put the champion of the right vs. the champion of left up for the American people to see, question, and evaluate. Compared to a possible Hillary or Obama vs. McCain, Guiliani, etc (again Thompson excluded) race, one is left hungering for the greatness that was America's political past. And, more personally to me, I am led to remember my President, Ronald Reagan in all his glory and grandeur. Read the article and imagine with me.
(UPDATE) The reference for this post came from a FreeRepublic posting. FR Poster "always right" posted the transcript of the debate which is post #22 which can be found here.
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment