I spent my two hours last night more productively.
Out of curiosity, I watched the 1972 version of the exact same event. The contrast could not be more stark.
Nixon took about a minute to get from the door to the podium instead of the hours of hoopla and hand-shaking and idol worship we have today. His speech was about 20 minutes or so, and there weren’t applause breaks every three seconds. I would add there was a LOT more going on in the world in 1972 than there are these days, so it’s not like there wasn’t anything to talk about.
How much we have changed as a culture and a country. It’s worth watching this video, since it illustrates how the world has been turned upside down.
I’ll just say it again: watch the video. I just did. Watching the ENTIRE Congress applaud at the important points couldn’t be a sharper juxtaposition than what we have today, in which barbed wire might as well be strung between the Blues and the Reds. It’s pretty damned sad. And to think that this man was so heartily reviled as evil and venal. If he could only see us today.
