History and Election 2008

History, as the saying goes, has an eerily and ironically consistent way of “repeating itself”. With the understanding that some of the details are unique, let’s look at the broad pattern in which we find ourselves. The first version of the story is a pro-Democrat version, the second is pro-Republican. Travel back with me…(cue blurry effect on TV screen)…

1. The year was 1976. We were approaching the conclusion of an eight year term of a Republican administration. The outgoing incumbent (okay, I know he left in 1974, work with me here) was extremely unpopular, governed as a moderate and, at times, a left-of-center president. His successor, another moderate Republican, was seeking to be (re)elected. We were recovering from the aftermath of a despised war and questionable foreign policy, and economic indicators were negative. The moderate Republican successor faced strong opposition in the primaries but eventually secured his party’s nomination. After a heated general election contest, the moderate Republican nominee, who followed a moderate Republican President, was defeated by a virtually unknown, ultra-liberal Democrat with no experience in Federal Government.

For those who need it, the cast in this comedy of errors is…

President Richard Nixon, played by…….George W. Bush!

President Gerald Ford, played by………..John McCain!

Governor Jimmy Carter, played by………Barack Obama!

Again, some of the details are different. After all, Senator Obama has spent all of one and one-half years in the Senate.

2. The year was 1908, one hundred years ago, and a moderate Republican with a strong military record was running against his Democrat challenger. This moderate Republican was an environmentalist who placed conservation as one of his highest domestic priorities. The Democratic National Convention was held in DENVER, Colorado (as it was in 2008), and the Democrats nominated a populist, anti-business lawyer/politician known for his platitude-laden oratory abilities, particularly his “Cross of Gold” speech in 1896. The only problem with his speaking ability, however, was that critics felt he lacked substance. In fact, one critic likened him unto the Delta of the Mississippi River, saying he was “One mile wide at the mouth, but only three inches deep.” Ultimately, the moderate, pro-military, pro-environmentalist Republican won, leaving the Democrat nominee alone with his legacy as a political preacher.

The cast:

President Theodore Roosevelt (I'm stretching history for story's sake (Taft won in 1908, but TR was his predecessor)
played by……......................John McCain! (who LOVES T. Roosevelt)

William Jennings Bryan, played by………………….Barack Obama!

Yes, this may be a little eerie, but perhaps there is a reason our elections are held so close to St. Hallows Eve.