THIS PAST TUESDAY JOHN MCCAIN and Barack Obama easily swept their respective Potomac primaries. This leaves McCain as the presumptive Republican nominee and Hillary in a bit of trouble. First she lent her campaign $5 million and then, two days in a row, a deputy campaign manager resigned. While I admire Hillary it appears she’s gone from inevitable to beatable.
Also in the news this week, in Hollywood the writers ended their three-month strike just in time for the Academy Awards (Feb. 24). Meanwhile in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, Roger Clemens testified before a House committee chaired by our Congressman, Henry Waxman. Clemens came off so badly some are calling him “a former future Hall of Famer.”
Despite an affidavit from Andy Petite to the contrary, Clemens denied that he’d ever taken steroids or human growth hormones. Not many on the committee believed him but they still wanted an autograph. Meanwhile I’m wondering how is it Clemens testifies under oath but not Dick Cheney?
The highlight of the week’s news took place at the Westminster Kennel Club where Uno became the first beagle in 100 years to win Best in Show, giving hope to the Chicago Cubs, and even Mike Huckabee, who kind of reminds me of a beagle.
Uno drew a standing ovation from the sold-out Madison Square Garden (Apparently pooches outdraw the Knicks). Uno celebrated his win by barking and jumping up on his handler leaving some to observe he was also the “Noisiest in Show.”
Back to Tuesday’s primaries, which marked eight straight victories for Obama. He leads in delegates, states and total votes. But the race is so close that it may be decided by the super delegates (I wonder if they wear capes) which could result in chaos. As Will Rogers said, “I don’t belong to any organized political party. I’m a Democrat.”
Some in the Democratic hierarchy fear a repeat of 1968. Then, like now, the country was divided over an unpopular war. Because of the draft, college students on campuses all across the country staged protests that often resulted in riots. Today we go shopping.
Ironically, in ‘64 LBJ ran as the “peace candidate” and yet it was Goldwater who pledged that win or lose we’d pull out in one year. Next month marks five years in Iraq. John McCain says we could be there for a hundred years. So if he’s elected I guess that gives us 95 to go.
In 1968 there was the Tet offensive and the tragic My Lai massacre where hundreds of Vietnamese civilians were murdered by American GI’s.
Anti-war Senator Eugene McCarthy declared his candidacy for the Democratic nomination, an unprecedented affront to a sitting president. The war was so unpopular LBJ was a virtual prisoner in the White House when he announced he would not seek a second term (If only that had happened in 2004).
Sen. Robert Kennedy entered the race and was greeted with crowds reserved for rock stars. Many compare Barack’s charisma to RFK’s. On June 5, 1968, as he was about to celebrate winning the California primary, RFK was assassinated. Sirhan Sirhan, a Palestinian, claimed his motive was revenge for U.S. involvement in the Middle East. When Sirhan was asked why he hadn’t assassinated the president, he said he had.
Had RFK lived, all those who died in Vietnam from 1968 and on, 25,000 Americans and hundreds of thousands Vietnamese, would have been spared. Fate can be cruel. Still the ‘68 election proceeded. The Republicans nominated Nixon while the Democrats chose Humphrey in a Chicago convention marred by riots that would further tear the soul of America.
Many Republicans aren’t exactly thrilled with McCain. For my tastes he says “my friends” way too often, not to mention the time he sang, “Bomb, bomb, bomb Iran” and then giggled. If to some he’s not conservative enough, I see him as Bush on steroids.
While the conservatives still talk about Reagan longingly the irony is even he wouldn’t be conservative enough. He signed the immigration amnesty of ‘86, raised taxes 11 times, pulled our troops out of Lebanon, ran up deficits and was late, if unenthusiastic, to pro-life. Sounds like a closet liberal.
So many people I know are so sick of polarizing politicians that if “None of the Above” was on the ballot, I think it might win. I admit I’ve got election fatigue. And worse, this is only February. Maybe that’s why I got such a kick out of Uno, the boisterous beagle.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 15, 2008. Read the original PDF.