Strengthening Constitutional Self-Government

No Left Turns

TV Land

This terrific site contains the major TV spots of the presidential campaigns going back to 1952. I’ve linked to 1968, because I recalled a commercial the Democrats aired against VP nominee Spiro Agnew. Agnew only had two years in the governor’s chair in Maryland at the time of his nomination of memory serves correctly, but whose strength in the face of racial provocations in Baltimore impressed Nixon. Before that he’d been a county executive in Maryland. Kinda sounds familiar, no? Anyway, the ad featured only the sound of someone laughing out loud at a screen shot of "Agnew for Vice President." I’m betting the Democrats are sorely tempted to try this again.

By the way, check out the 1968 Nixon ad called "Convention."

Discussions - 6 Comments

F.O.R., he wasn't the only one who enriched himself in public office, or helped "friends" get ahead. Ever ask yourself how did LBJ get that ranch of his? Or about Daschle's kids all having lobbyist ties.

I saw the Willie Horton ad at the A. Lincoln presidential library and was left wondering, "Is this what liberals and a generation of scholars have been spilling unnecessary ink over for two decades?"

When Palin gives speeches that go the heart of our problems as a nation like some of Agnew's did, then perhaps a comparison will indeed be in order.

Spiro Agnew was a protege of Theodore McKeldin, like Mr. McKeldin made a name for himself as an antagonist of both the segregationist wing and the clubhouse wing of the Maryland Democratic Party, and attended the 1964 Republican convention as a Rockefeller delegate. Yet, this liberal Republican stood for what he stood without concern for the good opinion of constituencies whose quantum of verbally-expressed discontent causes liberal politicians such anxieties. For all his mendacity about his crimes, Agnew was one of a modest number of political figures (Ed Koch was another) who managed to run successful campaigns in variegated constituencies while caring little if they broke the gaffe meter. He was agile. I had occasion to watch him on Meet the Press ca. 1979. Never before and never since have I seen a politician dispose so deftly and impatiently of a panel of journalists (one of whom was a lapsed lawyer). Disbarred and ruined financially, he managed in his last years to make a living in business. Like Carmine Persico, he was a man whose considerable intelligence and capacity for leadership was utterly squandered.

This is a great site that I use with my high school students. They especially like the infamous "Daisy" Ad and really are impressed by the Reagan ads -Bear in the woods, Morning in America, etc.

Anyway, the ad featured only the sound of someone laughing out loud at a screen shot of "Agnew for Vice President." I’m betting the Democrats are sorely tempted to try this again.


It's a lot less funny than the notion of "Obama For President". Seems hard to believe that the Dems would nominate a less-than-one-term Senator and then try to draw attention to anyones elses level of experience. Mind you, they are remarkably stupid.

Leave a Comment

* denotes a required field
 

No TrackBacks
TrackBack URL: https://nlt.ashbrook.org/movabletype/mt-tb.cgi/12858


Warning: include(/srv/users/prod-php-nltashbrook/apps/prod-php-nltashbrook/public/sd/nlt-blog/_includes/promo-main.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /srv/users/prod-php-nltashbrook/apps/prod-php-nltashbrook/public/2008/09/tv-land.php on line 548

Warning: include(): Failed opening '/srv/users/prod-php-nltashbrook/apps/prod-php-nltashbrook/public/sd/nlt-blog/_includes/promo-main.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/opt/sp/php7.2/lib/php') in /srv/users/prod-php-nltashbrook/apps/prod-php-nltashbrook/public/2008/09/tv-land.php on line 548