John Hughes: Planes Trains & Automobiles (1987) Starring Steve Martin & John Candy

Posted on November 22, 2014 by Erik Schneider

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Source:The New Democrat 

Plains Trains and Automobiles is kind of personal to me, because it reminds me of a guy I grew up with. If he were to ever read this post would probably know this is about him, even if I never tell him about this post. But the Dell Griffith character played by John Candy, reminds me of my friend who I grew up with. The overbearing, but kindhearted guy who always screws up and just doesn’t screw up for himself, but makes mistakes that affects other people, including people he cares about.

Neal Paige played by Steve Martin, a Chicago advertising man who has business in New York City right before the Thanksgiving holiday in 1987. But finishes that and is now headed back to Chicago. But runs into all sorts of issues just trying to get back to Chicago from New York. Which is only about a two-hour flight. But he has trouble just getting to the airport in New York because Del Griffith unknowingly steals his cab.

Neal runs into Del again at the airport at the gate while they are waiting for the flight to Chicago and of course not only is the flight delayed, but they happen to be on the same flight and sitting in the same coach seating section. But Neal is only in coach because he gets bumped from first class by the head stewardess. But it only gets worst because he is now not only in coach instead of first class, but in the middle seat with obnoxious an asshole in Dell who won’t shut up, except when he falls asleep on Neal.

But like I said it only gets worst for Neal. Because Chicago is going through another bad snowstorm even in November and the New York flight can’t land in Chicago, or even in Milwaukee which is just about a hundred miles north of Chicago. They can’t land in Minneapolis or even St. Louis which are just about a four-hour drive from Chicago and a half-hour flight because of the snowstorm. They have to land in Wichita, Kansas, which is closer to Kansas City than St. Louis.

So now Neal and Del decide to get back to Chicago from Wichita together and having to use other transportation than a plane to do that. They do it together because Del has these connections with these transportation services and Neal has the money to finance these trips. But it is just one screwup after another. Like their train breaking down about an hour outside of St. Louis. They breakup temporarily in St. Louis, but get back together because Neal is unable to rent a car to drive from St. Louis to Chicago and Dell is and you need to see that scene to see why for yourself.

This is a great movie especially if you are someone who actually enjoys holiday movies. But if you are someone who tends to see holiday movies as cheesy, you’ll like this movie as well. Because it is not about what families do together over the holidays, but what some people have to do just to get home in time for them and a great look at how stressful just traveling during the holiday can be. Plus this is one of the funniest moves you could possibly ever see as well.

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Lakers Dynasty: The 1987-88 Los Angeles Laker Back to Back

Posted on November 17, 2014 by Derik Schneider

Source:The Daily Journal

The Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s were a great dynasty for several reasons and more reasons because they had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Earvin Johnson and Pat Riley as their head coach and Jerry West as their general manager. They had the best center of all-time, the best point guard of all-time, one of the best head coaches of all-time in Pat Riley, one of the best executives of all-time in Jerry West. And a great chief executive in Jerry Buss, again one of the best ever. All these people are Hall of Famers and in Jerry West a Hall of Famer as one of the best players of all-time as well as one of the best general managers of all-time.

And you add in James Worthy another Hall of Famer and a guy who played both small forward and power forward at 6’9 225 pounds the size to play both positions and you throw in their fast break, I believe the best ever with their ability to defend, rebound, run the floor. Kareem, Magic, Riley and their fast break is what they are known for, but these are just some of the reasons why they were a great dynasty.

You had Jerry West putting the teams together, Pat Riley leading the teams and then Kareem and Magic, both two of the best players of all-time not just at their positions and you can make a good case for both of them that they are the best basketball players of all-time period as their lead players, with Worthy backing them up, who on most other teams in the NBA would be the best player on the team, but since he played for the Showtime Lakers he was the third best player.

The Showtime Lakers had three of the best players in the league all on the same team with the best head coach in the league at least at the time in Pat Riley with their three franchise players. One or two of them even could have a bad game, not in a championship game, at least not two of them and the Lakers could still win. Because two or just one of them was great enough to pick up the slack for one or two players. The Celtics back then were the only other team in the NBA that had that.

With all that, that’s still not enough to be NBA champions, that’s most of the pieces, but not all of them. They had great role players as well, Byron Scott great outside shooter and defender, Michael Cooper the same thing and with the ability to play both guard positions and small forward. Kurt Rambis excellent post defender, rebounder and ran the floor very well and a great hustle player. AC Green another excellent rebounder and post defender who ran the floor very well and could score a little as well. Mychal Thompson a great third big man, the ability to play both center and power Forward. Could rebound defend, score and ran the floor very well as well.

The Showtime Lakers are known for their fast break, but what doesn’t get mentioned is why they are a great fast break team. Back then the Lakers were also one of the best defensive teams if not the best defensive team as well as a very good rebounding team and the best passing team in the league. Their defense and rebounding led to their fast breaks, with Earvin Johnson the best Point Guard the NBA has ever seen running the Laker show.

But with Kareem, Magic, Worthy, their outside shooters, they were also a great half court team. The Showtime Lakers were like a great movie or TV show with a great producer, director, great lead actors and great character actors with everyone knowing their roles and playing them up to their best ability. Which is why I believe the Showtime Lakers are the best NBA dynasty of all time.

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USFL Forever: Video: ABC Sports: USFL 1983-Week 1-Chicago Blitz @ Washington Federals Full Game: The Washington Federals, a Capital Mistake

Posted on November 16, 2014 by Ederik Schneider

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This post was originally posted at FRS Daily Journal on Blogger

The old United States Football League even though they had a good product as far as their quality of talent and coaching with a lot of those people more than capable of succeeding in the NFL which a lot of them did like QB Jim Kelly, QB Steve Young, QB Doug Williams, QB Bobby Hebert. RB Hershel Walker, RB Mike Rozier, WR Rickey Sanders, DE Reggie White and many others. The USFL made two crucial mistakes early on.

Expanding way too fast. They had eighteen franchises in their three years, whereas the old American Football League finished out with ten franchises before they merged with the NFL in 1970 and the rest is history. But the USFL moved way too fast decided to compete with the NFL by 1985 their third season moving their games from the spring to the fall with the NFL and also expanding into NFL markets. Like Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington, Tampa, Detroit, Chicago, Houston, Denver going head-to-head with these established franchises.

And the people in these markets weren’t going support teams they weren’t familiar with especially if they love their NFL team. So the USFL was invading NFL territory and got kicked out by the NFL and as a result went out of business even though they had a product that was good enough to keep them in business today. Because they had the money and ability to attract NFL caliber talent.

The Washington Federals are the perfect example of this, not only competing with the Redskins directly and play at their stadium RFK, but they were competing with at the time one of the best franchises in the NFL that had just won Super Bowl 17. And won back-to-back NFC Championships and were in contention to win another division, conference and Super Bowl Championship. I know this because I’m a football junky and of course a die-hard Redskin fan since 1982. And unfortunately got to see a few Federal games and not only were they competing with the Redskins for fan support and revenue.

But the Federals were lousy perhaps the worst team in the USFL for all three seasons. So you had one of the best teams in the NFL at the time in the Redskins, competing with one of the worst teams in the USFL the Federals. The Federals an expansion franchise in a brand new pro football league, going up against one of the best franchises in the NFL. In the best pro football league in the world, as well as one of the best pro sports leagues in the world in the same market. A very big market where there are plenty of other things to do, playing in the same stadium.

The Washington Federals represent exactly what was wrong with the USFL, with their ugly green and white uniforms looking more like the Philadelphia Eagles than a Washington sports franchise. And to top all of that off, being one of the worst teams in the league for all three seasons. And represent one reason why the USFL went out of business after just three years.

A Capital Mistake

A Capital Mistake

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Jeff Tsui’s Vlog: Video: The Two George W. Bush’s: George W. Bush as Comedian in Chief

Posted on November 16, 2014 by Rik Schneider

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This post was originally posted at FreeStateExtra on Blogger

President George W. Bush is probably the easiest public figure to make fun of and impersonate. He’s a bigger target than a free all you can eat meat lovers buffet at a fat farm. Because he’s been somewhat controversial with his Presidency and I’ll give President Bush credit for one thing, the Bush White House probably had the worst polling operation since political polls or their polling operation was buried so far down in the White House basement, that they couldn’t find it. Because most of the decisions he made as President were not poll driven, but they did what they thought was right.

Myself and about 65% of the rest of the country just disagreed with President Bush most of the time with their handling of the economy, the War on Terror, their deficit spending. But in the interest of time I’ll save you the rest of the grocery list. (Thats about a month supply of groceries) Now again perhaps the Bush White House didn’t take polls, couldn’t read them, understand them, didn’t have someone who could explain them to President Bush in a way he could understand. That a 35% approval rating is not a batting average like in baseball which would be good. But that 60% of the country or more doesn’t like you as President and you wouldn’t get reelected if you ran again.

But George W. Bush provided the country with a mountain of comedic material before he became President when he was running for President back in 1999-2000, he quickly became comedians favorite politician. And won that award for eight straight years from 2000-07, before Sarah Palin came on the scene. (Thanks again John McCain your kick in the ass is in the mail) And now that Michelle Bachmann is on the scene (thanks to Michelle Bachmann) she and Sarah Palin the Dummy Sisters are in a sibling rivalry to determine whose easier to make fun of.

Governor Palin and Representative Bachmann provides comedians more material. (Unintentionally of course) It’s unclear that when GOV. Palin said that you could see Russia from her backyard if she was trying to convince people who made her a foreign policy expert or not. The jury is still out on that one because they still haven’t finished laughing about it. But the fact is that line was very funny, but with GW Bush he’s got almost twelve years of reading material of great jokes. He really should be putting these experiences in books. It’s not an accident that Saturday Night Live named George W. Bush the Man of the Year for 2000, because of all the time and effort their comedy writers were spared having to come up with new material .

Actually GW Bush won that SNL Award eight straight years from 2000-07. Probably my favorite moments about GW Bush at least on SNL, is those Bush-Gore debates from 2000 where they played Bush like a schmuck or an idiot and they played Gore like a snobby elitist (excuse the term) asshole. Where Bush would get a question and he would think it’s too difficult to answer. And he would take that question like he’s on a game show and say pass and Gore would jump in. And say “Jim can I take that question”. Or when Jim Leher asked Gore and Bush to sum up their campaigns in one word. Gore would use that famous term lock box. And Bush would use a word that doesn’t even exist like strategery, playing on the fact that Bush had a tendency to miss pronounce words.

It was like the Bush campaign and Bush Administration were partners in putting on the best comedy show of that era. George W Bush is a mountain of comedic material that comedians and bloggers owe a weekly debt in the form of a paycheck. That we should pay the 43rd President of the United States with proudly (like Socialists pay their taxes) because of all the thinking and work this great man of unintentional humor provided America.

Comedian in Chief 2001-09

Comedian in Chief 2001-09

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WKRP Turkey Drop Episode: Arthur Carlson: ‘As God As My Witness, I Thought Turkey’s Could Fly’

Posted on November 16, 2014 by Erik Schneider

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Source:The New Democrat 

I don’t believe there has been a funnier episode in TV history and certainly not on WKRP. This is the episode that this show is known for that was a hit for I believe five season. And this show is one of the best sitcoms of all-time as far as being able to make people laugh. And having the writers and cast that can deliver the lines and perform the scenes. So this show had a very good record at simply making people laugh being about a small market radio station in Cincinnati that is just struggling to get noticed and get positive attention.

To be clear, WKRP was not about successful people winners who run into funny situations. Like Seinfeld or Cheers or MASH. WKRP is really about assholes who can’t help themselves who are way in over their head and probably should be driving cabs or waiting tables or working at grocery stores. If anyone would hire them, except for Andy, Jennifer, Johnny, Venus who could probably be successful working at major radio stations in big markets.

But with WKRP, it’s these assholes who think way more of themselves that they could ever be in their best drunken or marijuana fantasies, who happen to be working at a radio station in a major city, but small market in Cincinnati who regularly find themselves in these impossible, hysterical situations because they can’t help themselves. They don’t know what the hell they are doing, they are in way over their heads and have way too much responsibility. And as a result are always screwing up and the turkey drop episode is the perfect example of that.

The whole line with Arthur Carlson the General Manager at WKRP played by Gordon Jump saying that “God as my witness, I thought turkey’s could fly is the perfect example of what this show was about. Carlson gets this brain-dead idea that as a promotion for his station he’s going to give out free turkey’s for Thanksgiving by dropping them in the street from a helicopter. “What could possibly go wrong with that?” Is what you would be thinking when you don’t know any better.

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Larry King Live: Bill Maher Remembers George Carlin (2008)

Posted on November 16, 2014 by Derik Schneider

Source:The Daily Journal

George Carlin isn’t my favorite comedian but he’s one of them. I don’t consider him to be the best comedian but definitely one of them. But he’s my favorite satirist and I consider him to be the best ever at that at least the best I’ve ever heard of, I guess all comedians are satirists, they all get their material from what they see in life. But Carlin to me is a satirist first, a great political satirist and a fair political satirist. He takes on both sides, that alone doesn’t make him fair but the fact that he takes on the weakness’ of both sides does because he hits people regardless of party where they deserves to be hit.

I try not to listen to political satirists from the right or left, unless they say something ignorant. And then I’ll write something about that, making fun of them. Bill Maher who I don’t even consider to be a Liberal, he’s so far off on Far Left out there Utopian Land or somewhere he’s probably my biggest target when it comes to political satirists right now, especially on the Left. Sarah Palin and yes that’s what she is, she’s a satirist and pretty funny one. But she’s may favorite target on the Right. But I prefer to listen to satirists like George Carlin, Jon Stewart, Dennis Miller a real Conservative, Adam Carolla, a Libertarian Satirist people who take on the establishment but in satiric form.

If you’re going to take on the establishment, you shouldn’t pick on one side and treat them like the Devil. People who are completely incompetent and treat your side like it’s a God not capable of making mistakes, you should be able to hit both sides when they mess up. Especially when they are hypocritical, perfect example of this. When someone like Sarah Palin or Michelle Bachmann, both have a future in comedy if they want it. Rush Limbaugh a big fat target, that a blind person could hit would be another one.

When Sarah, Michelle and Rush go off on Democrats for supporting Big Government, whether the Democrats they targeting support Big Government or not, keep in mind when it comes to partisan attacks, facts aren’t the important thing. Its what’s believable that counts and they go after Democrats for supporting something they are in favor of. Keep in mind when Rep. Bachmann announced her presidential campaign last summer that lasted almost until 2012, two of her first positions were supporting Constitutional Amendments to ban same-sex-marriage and pornography. She’s got Big Government written all over her sweet face.

But what separates George Carlin from everyone, is his honesty, bluntness and credibility. He has all of those things, he goes after everyone he believes deserves to be critiqued. Both Democrats and Republicans, as well as Independents and the voters as well. He doesn’t blame politicians for the problems in the country. But the people who voted for those politicians and then voted for their reelection. Which is what separates George Carlin from the pack.

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R. Smith: Video: ESPN 30 For 30: Without Bias, The Life of Len Bias

Posted on November 15, 2014 by Ederik Schneider

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This post was originally posted at FRS Daily Journal on Blogger

I was ten years old in June 1986 in San Jose, California I believe at my uncle Stan’s house with aunt Susan. My dad took me and my two brothers out to the Bay Area to visit his side of the family, our grandparents, uncle Stan, aunt Susan and everybody. And sometime early that day one of my brothers runs in tells me that Len Bias had died. I started watching college basketball, the Maryland Terrapins and Georgetown Hoyas especially growing up in the Washington area starting in 1984 or 1985. I was a sports junky by the time I was 7-8 years old, so I already knew who Len Bias was, the best college basketball player in America.

A very bright person from a very good family playing for a great head coach in Lefty Drizell at Maryland at a great school. And Len Bias had just got drafted by the Boston Celtics the New York Yankees of the National Basketball Association and the defending NBA Finals Champions with arguably the best player in the league at the time and all-time in Larry Legend Bird. They had the best player in the NBA arguably who was the best player in 1986, this was Larry Bird at his best and most dominant.

And they had just drafted the best player in college basketball and a player that was very similar to Michael Jordan in skills and style of play. But Bias at this point of his career was better, he could play both forward Positions and play the off-guard and maybe point guard as well. Actually similar to Lebron James or even Earvin Magic Johnson as far as versatility and size. 6’8 220 all muscle best player in college basketball being drafted by the best team in the world, Len Bias was set for life.

If you’re the Boston Celtics, Red Auerbach and company in 1986, going into 1987 you’re thinking you’re the best club in pro basketball. You just made your club a lot better by drafting the best player in college basketball going into 1987. You draft Reggie Lewis in 1987, you still have Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Dennis Johnson. I mean Bill Walton is your backup center for crying out loud. If Big Red stays healthy maybe he’s the best center of all time, the only thing problem or lets call it and issue.

That’s head coach KC Jones has to face who was a great head coach and should be in the Hall of Fame. “Where do I play Len Bias”, because you already have the best front line in basketball with Bird, McHale, and Parish all three of them in the Hall of Fame by the way. “Where do I play Bias, is he my sixth man, do I use McHale as the sixth man again like in the early 1980s”.

Where should KC Jones play Bias, at the off- guard with Dennis Johnson what a problem to have. The 1987 Lakers were a great team and I believe the best ever, but imagine the 87 Celtics if Bias doesn’t die and Kevin McHale doesn’t break his foot then. Imagine the Celtics a few years later had Larry Bird not broken his foot in 1988 and missed the 89 season and Reggie Lewis not die in 1993.

The Celtics front line would’ve moved on anyway where Len Bias and Reggie Lewis had lived to play their whole careers or not, but they would’ve had 4-5 seasons with arguably the greatest front line in NBA history. And then throw in Brian Shaw as the point guard who took over for Dennis Johnson. Plus Kevin Gamble and Dee Brown off the bench, with Ed Pickney even after Bird, McHale and Parish you’re still talking about a great team, with Len Bias, Reggie Lewis and company. And maybe the Boston Celtics are the team of the 1990s or right there with the Chicago Bulls instead of becoming an annual lottery team in that decade.
Len Bias

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NFL Network: NFL Films America’s Game- The 1983 Los Angeles Raiders: LA Renegades Get Their Revenge Against The Establishment

Posted on November 15, 2014 by Rik Schneider

Marcus Allen
This post was originally posted at FRS Daily Post

When I think of what both great and under appreciated teams are, I think of teams that are just stacked everywhere have a collection of great players, but with a supporting cast of very good players everywhere as well. That have a great coaching staff that gets their players to play up to their abilities as much as possible as well. That have many strengths and doesn’t have any weakness’ and have not just the physical talent, but the mental talent as well. That understands key situations and when exactly is the time to make key plays and doesn’t make key mistakes in big moments.

That’s the 1983 Los Angeles Raiders and when I think of under appreciated teams, I think of teams that are very good if not great, but doesn’t get their just respect, not remembered as being a great team or a great champion. Except for the people who understand that team and again that’s the 1983 Los Angeles Raiders not just a great team, but a great dominant team that didn’t just beat teams, but they beat up teams within the rules. Because they were just bigger, stronger and better than any other team they played.

And they would actually take it to their opponents and win games and win them big to the point where that team doesn’t want to play them again, that’s the 1983 Raiders. The 1983 Raiders are one of the top ten teams of all-time that not many people who aren’t Raider fans and who didn’t play for that team or cover that team, aren’t aware of. Because they were a group of Renegades and misfits and people who were cut by other teams and were run by Al Davis.

You want to look at the 1983 Raiders, it of course starts at the top with their leader Al Davis, who put that team together. Then you have to move to their head coach Tom Flores who won two Super Bowls and 100 games and yet never gets much consideration even for the Hall of Fame. Then I would go to their defense, defensive line Howie Long arguably the best all around DL of his era and in the Hall of Fame.

Then you got pass rushers and run stuffers guys who could play both roles on their defensive line to go along with Howie Long. Lyle Alzado who they picked up from Cleveland. As well as Greg Townsend, and others. Perhaps the best linebacker in the league, with Hall of Famer Ted Hendricks and middle linebacker Matt Millen and outside linebacker Rod Martin who only made big plays for the Raiders.

And then the secondary, the two best corners in the league, with Lester Hayes and Mike Haynes. Both great bump and run cover corners, with the Raiders DL and secondary and their DL able to rush the QB and stop the run just with their front four. That freed up their LBs and DBs to just cover the field. Help out send extra blitzers without having to worry about getting beat for a big play. The 1983 Raiders were very good on offense as well, but their defense set the tone.

On offense you have Pro Bowl quarterback Jim Plunkett who won the 1970 Heisman Trophy at Stanford, who had his best years with the Raiders. Tailback Marcus Allen who NFL scouts thought was too slow because he ran a 4.5 40 yard dash. But if you look at Marcus’s highlights, you always see him running away from people or running through people, or running by guys who are supposed to be faster than him.

Then you have wide receiver Cliff Branch who should be in the Hall of Fame, who had a great habit of catching long touchdown passes in Super Bowls. A great habit to have by the way and then tight end Todd Christianson who should get consideration for the Hall of Fame. WR Dokie Williams a pretty good number two WR. The 1983 Raiders were stacked on both sides of the ball and deserve a lot more respect than they get.

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Axel Reyes: Kennedy (1983) Starring Martin Sheen

Posted on November 15, 2014 by Erik Schneider

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Source:The Daily Press

There have been several movies about John F. Kennedy. Because even though he only lived forty-six years there were so many things that went on in his life that were worth writing and filming about. Like his Navy career, what he did right after that trying to decide what he would do the rest of his life. His first campaign for the House of Representatives in 1946, his time in the House, he was a bit of a playboy there.

And not very disciplined, but of course he had the great name and was such a charming man and likable. His friendship with Richard Nixon in the House and later in the Senate. Sen. Kennedy’s name and charm was good enough for him to keep his job in the House and then even running for the Senate in 1952. His first Senate campaign of course being elected the same year that Dwight Eisenhower.

Jack Kennedy was elected to the Senate in 1952 and served in the last Republican Congress until 1995 with the Gingrich Revolution. Jack Kennedy’s time in the Senate, where he becomes more serious and takes the job seriously and puts in the time and work because of course he had bigger goals, Sen. Kennedy writes a book in the Senate Profiles in Courage where there was some controversy about whether Sen. Kennedy wrote the book or was the book written by Ted Sorenson one of his Senate staffers.

Adlai Stevenson the 1956 Democratic nominee considers Sen. Kennedy as his Vice Presidential nominee which would’ve been a disaster for Sen. Kennedy. Because GOV. Stevenson lost to President Eisenhower in a landslide and Kennedy wouldn’t of made much of a difference. I believe Hollywood for the most part has done a very good job with Jack Kennedy with making movies about him.

Unlike Oliver Stone with Richard Nixon, they haven’t tried to cover Jack Kennedy’s whole life with one huge movie. They’ve broken his life up in several stage. There was one mini-series alone I believe shown by CBS about the Kennedy’s relationship between them. Especially Jack and Bobby with union leader Jimmy Hoffa. Another movie about the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 from 2000, another movie about Sen. Kennedy’s involvement in Civil Rights. A new Mini Series in 2011 about the Kennedy Presidency, a movie about Jack Kennedy’s navy career.

You could make another movie about Jack Kennedy’s Congressional career or the great presidential election of 1960 that featured Jack Kennedy and Dick Nixon between two future presidents. Or another movie about the Bay of Pigs Crisis in 1962 the failed attempt to oust Fidel Castro as President of Cuba. There are so many things that happened in Jack Kennedy’s life that are fascinating that are worth making public either by book, TV or movie that trying to cover the whole life in one movie or mini-series is too much, because you’re bound to miss something.

The Kennedy mini-series from 1983 with Martin Sheen is a pretty good, but not great mini-series. And it focus’ just on the Kennedy Presidency, starting on Election Night 1960 when of course Sen. Kennedy is elected President in one of the closest presidential elections of all-time beating of course a sitting Vice President who worked for a very popular President in Dwight Eisenhower beating Dick Nixon in 1960, a very long election night. Sen. Kennedy finds out that he’s just been elected President 6 or 7 the next morning. Jack Kennedy deserves several movies about him, all focusing on different aspects of his life.

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Mark Russell PBS: Mark Russell Takes a Look at Election 76: We Got a President As Good As The American People

Posted on November 14, 2014 by kireschneider

Mark Russell Looks at Campaign '76-Part 1_5 (2008) - Google SearchSource:Mark Russell PBS– with a political satiric look at campaign 76.

Source:The Daily Times

“From “Mark Russell Looks at Campaign ’76”–clips from Russell’s Dec 1975 special. It begins with a song about politicians sung to the tune of “A Modern Major General” from “The Pirates of Penzance.” This special aired in 1988, and Russell does an introduction, providing some context that will help familiarize you with the political atmosphere of those bygone days. (Hint: Reagan doesn’t win the nomination this year.) I love the delivery of the joke about Terry Stanford (who?!).”

From Mark Russell PBS

The two most important aspects of the 1976 presidential election had to be the Republican primaries between former Governor Ronald Reagan and sitting Republican President Gerald Ford.

President Ford beat Governor Reagan handily in the Republican primaries early on in the winter and spring, sort of like a Super Bowl between the AFC and NFC during the mid and late 1980s, and early 90s. (For the 1 or 2 football fans that read this) And then Reagan makes a Richard Nixon like comeback in the summer of 76 and was able to take the primary season to the Republican National Convention in Kansas City, Missouri.

And then the general election battle in the late summer and fall between former Governor Jimmy Carter and President Gerry Ford, where you have Jimmy Carter running as someone who was no better or worst than the people who vote for him and the people he would serve. (Not exactly a natural inspirer, Jimmy Carter)

Carter ran against a sitting President in Gerry Ford, who was running as someone who wasn’t as crooked as Richard Nixon, who wasn’t as conservative Ronald Reagan, and who wasn’t as boring and ordinary as Jimmy Carter. Getting American voters to think: “If this is the best that America can do for President, we’re in a helluva lot of trouble.”

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