SteveRogers.info

Category: Political

  • Future Biography…

    I enjoy reading the memoirs or biographies of political personalities, specifically those of Americans.

    There are often little segments in which the biographer mentions during one event, another event that is related to something down the road.

    For example, in a Teddy Roosevelt biography I just read, TR met the main political hand for McKinley at a convention years before in passing. Then that man ended up being huge later on with TR eventually becoming his VP and then President after McKinley was killed.

    Or more recently with John Kerry. Richard Nixon hated Kerry and was mildly obsessed with him. He was terrified of what this veteran could do. Therefore, Nixon had John O’Neill (another vet) challenge Kerry and his claims about Vietnam. This was done on television in 1971 on The Dick Cavett Show. Kerry handled O’Neill quite well, and politically moved on. (However Nixon did get the better of Kerry when Kerry lost his Congressional race the following year, which Nixon followed closely.) The interesting ‘tid bit comes in when you think of an organization Mr. O’Niell founded in 2004: Swift Boat Veterans for Truth…

    These little things make a reader of a biographer sort of half-smile and think “the irony”.

    These stories are momentous for one reason, but prove more interesting for another. Well, today I worked for the US Government for the first time in an official fashion. I started interning for Russ Carnahan of the 3rd District of Missouri. Today also, across the street, John Roberts’ confirmation hearings started today. As pretentious and snotty as this sounds, it almost made me think: Will this day, if I ever do really get into politics, be marked in my biography as a significant day, which was more significant for another reason? I really don’t know, but it was an interesting thought to me today.

    Chapter 5
    “On September 12th, Chief Justice Roberts’ was undergoing his first day of Senate Judiciary hearings. On that same day, Rogers entered his first federal office building to report for work….”

    :eh: probably not, but who knows..

  • Gore in 2008

    I have told this story a number of times, and I just now actually wrote it well for a Billikens.com post. So I will post it here too….

    Everyone thinks that Gore is an out-there choice for 2008, and it may be…But, I think we should look at the following before we necessarily rule him out.

    Candidate A and Candidate B are running for President in #. Candidate B is the current VP. Candidate B struggles with being in the shadow and the impact of his popular predecessor (the current President who he is VP to). Candidate A wins with the help of a very contested election in State Z. Administration A (Candidate A) is immensely unpopular early in his term. There is a national crisis which Administration A handles well. Administration A is popular. Administration A starts getting significantly involved in a war abroad. Administration A suffers national tragedy. Administration A rides that sympathy/sentiment to re-election defeating a “poor choice” in Candidate B’s party in election #+4.

    Meanwhile, Candidate B suffers in the public eye. However, he starts reshaping his image over the years.

    Administration A suffers politcally because of the war they got involved in. The American people don’t see an end to the war. Candidate B decides to run for president again. Candidate B makes a comeback citing the good times of old when he was VP. Candidate B wins this time in November #+8.
    —–
    Now…Who’s story is this? It isn’t a prediction of the future…It happened. Here is the story again, with names.
    —–
    John Kennedy (Candidate A) and Richard Nixon (Candidate B) are running for President in 1960 (#). Nixon is the current VP. Nixon struggles with being in the shadow and the impact of his popular predecessor, Eisenhower (the current President who he is VP to). Kennedy wins with the help of a very contested election in Illinois (State Z). Kennedy (Administration A (Candidate A)) is immensely unpopular early in his term (Bay of Pigs). There is The Cuban Missile Crisis (national crisis which Kennedy Administration (Administration A) handles well. Kennedy Administration (Administration A) is popular. Kennedy Administration (Administration A) starts getting significantly involved in Vietnam, a war, abroad. Kennedy Administration (Administration A) suffers national tragedy (JFK’s Assasination). Johnson Adminstration (Administration A) rides that sympathy/sentiment to re-election defeating a “poor choice” in Republican (Candidate B’s) party in 1964 (#+4).

    Meanwhile, Richard Nixon (Candidate B) suffers in the public eye (Losing Gubernatorial Race in California). However, he starts reshaping his image over the years.

    Johnson Administration (Administration A) suffers politcally because of Vietnam (the war they got involved in). The American people don’t see an end to the war. Richard Nixon (Candidate B) decides to run for president again. Richard Nixon (Candidate B) makes a comeback citing the good times of old (gotta love the ’50s) when he was VP. Richard Nixon (Candidate B) wins this time in 1968.

    Now, let’s apply this to some more modern settings.
    George W. Bush (Candidate A) and Al Gore (Candidate B) are running for President in 2000. Al Gore (Candidate B) is the current VP. Al Gore (Candidate B) struggles with being in the shadow and the impact of his popular predecessor, Bill Clinton (the current President who he is VP to). Bush (Candidate A) wins with the help of a very contested election in Florida (State Z). The Bush Adminstration (Administration A (Candidate A)) is immensely unpopular early in his term. There is 9/11 (a national crisis) which the Bush Adminstration (Administration A) handles well. Bush Administration (Administration A) is popular. The Bush Administration (Administration A) starts getting significantly involved in Iraq (a war abroad). Bush Adminstration (Administration A) suffers national tragedy (Still Riding 9/11, War on Terror, and Iraq (i.e. Getting Saddam). Administration A rides that sympathy/sentiment to re-election defeating a “poor choice” in Gore’s (Candidate B’s) party in election 2004 (#+4).

    Meanwhile, Al Gore (Candidate B) suffers in the public eye (The Beard Phase, the Liberalness, Endorsing Dean). However, he starts reshaping his image over the years. (Anyone see that nice article about Katrina & Gore?)

    Bush Administration (Administration A) suffers politcally because of the war they got involved in. The American people don’t see an end to the war. Al Gore (Candidate B) decides to run for president again. Al Gore (Candidate B) makes a comeback citing the good times of old (gotta love the ’90s) when he was VP. Al Gore (Candidate B) wins this time in November 2008 (#+8).
    —–