Moments in Politics

I like talking about politics and it is interesting to read about moments that people talk about and put into the American Political Lore. With the amount of media we have now, we have more access and more exposure to such possible moments. But at times we get so used to seeing them that we may just take it with the scene. So in todays world, to make a political moment is to have made a tremondous impact. And when I say political moments, I mean moments like the ones in this post.

I Paid For This Microphone!

The scene was THE New Hampshire Primary in 1980.  Ronald Reagan and George Bush were vying for their party’s nomination. Bush and Reagan were having a debate and Reagan wanted the other Republican candidates on the stage with him to debate as well. The lobbying for the inclusion of the other candidates was making Reagan’s appeal as a uniter a strong one. Reagan invited the other candidates on the stage and made the case for thier inclusion. The moderator of the debate was not amused and through microphone asked for Reaga’s mic to be turned off.

The moment not only helped his image of a uniter, but as a strong candidate. Reagan went on to win the New Hampshire Primary.

Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy

With the nominations already set, it was Michael Dukkakis against George Bush. But in a debate most people skip, the vice presidential candidates Lloyd Bentsen and Dan Quayle had their own. Quayle had compared himself to John F. Kennedy several times and did again during this debate. Bentsen was not not digging the comparison and was given chance to reply.

Did it help? Well the saying is used in politics. Often the name John F. Kennedy is substituted with Ronald Reagan. As for the Dukkakis/Quayle ticket, it failed to win on election night.

Poland is no longer under communist domination

I’m sorry to say that I don’t have a video of this one. But during a presidential debate with Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford stated this erroneous statement. It became big news for the 1976 debate and certainly did not help Ford who lost. For a transcript of the line here is the transcript.

That it for now. But I will most likely post some more moments some other time.