NBC News: Election Night Coverage (1968)

Source:NBC News- covering the 1968 presidential election in America.

"Election Night 1968 NBC Part 11" 

From EFAN 2011

The reason why the 1968 presidential election became Richard Nixon's to win, especially after Senator Robert Kennedy died in June that year, was because Dick Nixon saw how divided the country was. Especially over the Vietnam War and was able to position himself in saying that this is not working and he was able to say this is just an another example of the failed policies of President Lyndon Johnson and it's time to change course and he has the plan to do that, which is why you should vote for him. 

Vice President Hubert Humphrey who of course was part of the Johnson Administration and Richard Nixon, was able to portray Humphrey as part of the problem. And say this is not working, even though Dick Nixon was the ultimate establishment figure in American politics. He was able to portray Hubert Humphrey as part of the establishment and that he meaning Dick Nixon is the alternative.

Richard Nixon ran as a problem solver as it had to deal with the Vietnam War and perhaps the changing American culture as well, the he would fix the problems that the country faces. While portraying President Johnson and Vice President Humphrey supporting the Vietnam War up until September of 1968. And then Hubert Humphrey finally backed out of that and his poll numbers went up overnight. Which is what made the 1968 presidential election as close as it did. 

If Hubert Humphrey was still Senator Humphrey in 1968 as the Democratic presidential nominee, he's probably completely against the Vietnam War and running against it. Perhaps even putting pressure on Dick Nixon to take a different position on the Vietnam War. And have to explain what Nixon meant about bringing an "honorable peace" in the Vietnam War and end the War honorably and what his "secret plan" to end the Vietnam War was and all of that. But that's not how this election worked out.

NBC News: Election Night 1968

Source:NBC News- interviewing Richard Nixon Campaign spokesman Herb Klein.

"This is the last of the NBC coverage from Vanderbilt, and next part I have a little surprise in store." 

From EFAN 2011

Th 1968 presidential election was one of the closest presidential elections in American history where the national media didn't know who was going to win going in and probably not even the Nixon Humphrey campaign's didn't know who was going to win going in either. Which is what made this election so fascinating. 

1968 was also the first election where both parties essentially switched basically, where the South was no longer the solid South for the Democratic Party, where they started becoming the solid South for the Republican Party. 

Barry Goldwater opened up the South for the Republicans in 1964 by actually campaigning in some of those states. Even though Senator Goldwater lost, most of the rest of the country but he campaigned in the South and actually won some States in 1964. And Richard Nixon saw the opening there and campaigned for Congressional Republicans in 1966, after 1964 had been a disaster for Congressional Republicans and the GOP picked up a bunch of seats in both the House and Senate in 1966, as well as 1968.

The GOP finally started putting some big dents in the Congressional Democrats huge majorities in both the House and Senate. These are some of the reasons why the 1968 general elections are so important. The Republican Party not only won back the White House for the first time since 1960 in 1968, they finally became players again in Congress again for the first time since 1956. Instead of being forced work in coalition with Southern Democrats to block legislation from the Democratic Leadership. 

The GOP found a path to not only hold onto power, but to increase power and gain additional power, that they picked up in 1980 when they won the White House and Senate in 1980. They accomplished all of this by winning in Dixie. 

1968 is where we started seeing two somewhat unified political parties in America ideologically. Where the Democratic Party started becoming the party of working class voters, as well as racial and ethnic minorities. And where the Republican Party became the party of wealthy Northeastern Americans and the Christian-Right in the South and Midwest.

ABC News: 'Saturday Before Start of 1976 Republican Convention'

Source:ABC News- Governor Ronald W. Reagan (Republican, California) 1976 Republican presidential candidate.

"The Republicans are ready to battle in St. Louis for the nomination during this clip. Also included is some things about Cater campaigning." 

From EFAN 2011 

One of the problems with the 1976 Republican National Convention, was that they were divided between two Conservatives: President Gerry Ford and Governor Ron Reagan. 

President Ford more of an establishment Conservative from the Midwest, someone who was a staunch fiscal conservative, if anything more conservative than Ron Reagan on fiscal policy. Who vetoed a lot of spending bills from Congress, because they were too big, who had strong ties to foreign policy Conservatives. Who wasn't inline with the Religious-Right, who was more of a Goldwater Conservative-Libertarian on social issues: "Get Big Government out of our wallets and bedrooms Republican." 

Gerry Ford's stances on social issues, probably hurt him with the Religious-Right in 1976, because he was pro-choice. And not inline with the Religious-Right and their social agenda. 

And then Ron Reagan who was more of a Revolutionary Conservative (the Tea Party of the time) also in the Barry Goldwater mold, but someone who wanted and did rebuild the entire GOP and make it a real conservative party, but a party that could compete nationally.The Republican Party is much further to the right today, especially on social issues, but Reagan wanted a real conservative party in the GOP, that was anti-big government across the board. 

I believe the Republican Party was more divided based on style and personality in 1976, rather than politics. And they were divided based on who was best able to advance conservative republicanism, rather than what direction they should move in ideologically. 

The establishment was represented by Gerry Ford and the rebels represented by Ron Reagan, but both men were Conservatives. Rather than should the party move left or right ideologically, the party was more divided base on who was best fit to advance conservative republicanism and they were essentially split dow the line. 

The spin back then was that it was Gerry Ford's moderate wing of the party, vs Ron Reagan's conservative wing. When in fact ideologically Ford and Reagan, we're fairly close on economic, social and foreign policy. But how they approached issues and how to argue them and who and when to fight, is where they were really different.

CBS Sports: NBA 1989- Seattle Sonics @ Los Angeles Lakers: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Last Game

Source:Bald Head Kid- Kareem's last NBA game ever was against Pacific Divisional rival Seattle Sonics.

"Los Angeles Lakers host the Seattle Supersonics in the last game of the 1989 regular season.

Featuring Magic, Big Game James, B Scott, Coop, Ace and of course The Captain!

X-Man has a great game for the Sonics as does Dale Ellis." 

From Bald Head Kid

By 1989. Kareem is still the best center in the history of the NBA, but I believe the best player ever, even with the decades that his great teammate Earvin Johnson and Larry Bird had, Kareem is still one of the premier players of the 1980s. 

But by 1989, Kareem was literally on his last legs and no longer had the stamina and energy that he had to not just be a great center and player, but he was basically an average NBA center at this point and made the NBA All Star Game because he's Kareem, not because he was still one of the best players in the game. Having said all of that, Kareem is still the best center, if not NBA player in the history of basketball. 

Blue Sky Country: 'Mafia Stories: The "Teflon Don" John Gotti'

Source:Blue Sky Country- with a documentary about New York City Italian mobster John Gotti.

"As a successor to the Gambino crime family after masterminding the assassination of Paul Castellano, John Gotti would end up violating the very code of the Cosa Nostra which had made the organization so powerful. Gotti's insatiable thirst for media attention would allow the US government to infiltrate the Gambino family, and the Italian Mafia would face the greatest struggle it has faced since the Prohibition Era of the 1920s, when the federal government first waged war on it's greatest fear: organized crime." 

From Blue Sky Country

John Gotti is someone who could've been pretty successful in life as someone who was not a criminal, had he finished school and perhaps gone on to college and done well there. He wasn't a dumb man but someone without much of a real-school education and dropped out of school very early in life. And decided that he was better off working in the New York Underworld, where he had friends in it and people that could get him work and where he could make fast money. And became very good at that and went from there.

John Gotti became a career criminal as an adolescent working in the Italian Mafia for the Gambino Family in New York and it went from there. But something he didn't know about the Italian Mafia, that the more quiet you are and the better you are at keeping your business and life secret, the more successful you'll be and the less attention you'll bring to city police departments and more importantly the FBI. Because if they don't know that you are business with the mob, they'll have nothing to come at you with. This is something that Gambino Boss Paul Castellano understood which is one reason why he was successful and something that John Gotti never understood.

John Gotti was called the Teflon Don, because in the 1980s, the FBI kept bringing cases against John Gotti. But the New York U.S. Attorney's Office could never convict Gotti of anything pre-1989-90 and only really were able to nail Gotti at the end because John Gotti's Underboss, (his Vice President if you will) Sammy Gravano became a snitch for the U.S. Attorney's Office and FBI. And ratted on Gotti and his business in the Gambino Crime Family. 

John Gotti up until then was always able to keep potential witness's silent thanks to Gravano his lead hitman, but Sammy wasn't going to whack himself to save Big John and saved himself instead, which is how Gotti ended up with a life sentence. John Gotti ruled through intimidation and to a certain extent political skills that he had in the Gambino Family, but at the end of the day wasn't able to scare everyone and keep everyone inline.

Again, John Gotti could've been very successful in life who built a good family with loving kids and so-forth. Victoria and John JR who have both been successful in life and who aren't mobsters but decided to go a different route and paid a heavy price for it. Ending up living in solitary confinement in prison in Indiana dying in a prison hospital at the age of 62 in 2002. And got what was coming to him.

Big 10 Conference: FBS 1988- Indiana Hoosiers @ Illinois Fighting Illini: Full Game

Source:Big 10 Conference- the 1988 Illinois Fighting Illini defense.

"1988 College Football - Big Ten Conference" 

From Football Fury

Indiana has always been a basketball school when it has come to sports. But in the 1980s under Bill Mallory, they were at least somewhat competitive and played in a few bowl games and had a few winning seasons. 

The Illinois Fighting Illinis have always been a consistent winner and even contender in the Big 10 Conference in football, as well as basketball. Dick Butkus played there, as well as a lot of other great NFL players. 

Both teams were winners in 1988, so this was an important game in the Big 10 that years, because both programs were in contention now just for bowl games, but the Big 10 Championship and Rose Bowl.

Luis Reyes: 'The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony (Live Oxegen 2008) (High Quality video) (HQ)'

Source:Luis Reyes- The Verge performing Bittersweet Symphony live in 2008.

"The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony (Live Oxegen 2008) (High Quality video) (HQ)" 

From Luis Reyes

One of the best songs of the last ten years.

Fridays TV Show: Moving Into The White House (1980)

Source:Lottoman 17- actor John Roarke as President-Elect Ronald W. Reagan.

"President Ronald Reagan (John Roarke) and Vice President George H. W. Bush (Mark Blankfield) prepare to move into the White House.

** Check out this excellent article written by Dennis Perrin:  "Fridays: The SNL Ripoff That Nearly Surpassed the Original"  (January 31st, 2012)  -" 

From Lottoman 17 

Back in 1980 President Jimmy Carter lost one of the worst landslide elections than an incumbent President has ever lost. Losing over forty States and just winning 44% of the vote and was about to be unemployed within two months, when Ron Reagan became President. And was about to be one of 10 million Americans who were about to be unemployed and Ron Reagan had just won one of the biggest landslide victories that a presidential nominee had ever won over an incumbent President.

So Ron Reagan guess was a little anxious to become President of the United States. The real story of this administrative transition going from the Carter Administration of Jimmy Carter, to the Reagan Administration of Ron Reagan, was fairly smooth. Carter kept Reagan up to date with everything they were working on in those last two months. Especially the Iran Hostage Crisis and his Administration was keeping the new Reagan appointments up to date with what they were doing, where the offices were and so-forth. But President Carter lost such a huge loss and the country was going through a very rough time and if anything ready for President Carter to leave office. Which made this story very easy to make fun of.

Imagine being fired from a job based on cause and your employer has already found your replacement before you were fired. This happens a lot in sports, as well as in politics, when a candidate beats an incumbent and have not just been fired but your employer has told you that you are a failure. They can't continue to allow to have you aboard and its time to get rid of you and they were just waiting for the moment to do that. Thats how Americans felt about President Carter in 1980.

Jay The Penetrator: 'Kareem Abdul Jabbar: The Unstoppable Sky Hook'

Source:Jay The Penetrator- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: the greatest center, if not player in NBA history, talking about his sky hook.

"Kareem Abdul Jabbar: The Unstoppable Sky Hook" 

From Jay The Penetrator

As former NBA center Bill Cartwright said, who was a very good defensive center himself with his size, physical strength, and height, Kareem's sky hook wasn't impossible to stop, but very close to impossible. 

The only way to stop Kareem's sky hook was to knock him out of his comfort zone. Deny his the position in the post. And if you don't do that, knock him out far enough without fouling him and make him take that show further out then he wanted to. A lot easier said than done, because Kareem wasn't just 7'2, but he was very strong and by the time he retired he was playing at around 265-270 pounds, all muscle. And there just weren't many center back then with that kind of height, physical strength, and bulk, to move Kareem out of the post and either deny him position or make him take a tougher shot then he wanted to. 

The best NBA centers to play against Kareem defensively in the 1980s, were probably Moses Malone, Robert Parish, and Bill Laimbeer, because they both had the physical strength and bulk to try to deny Kareem his position in the post and make him take a tough shot or just deny him position. But you couldn't strop Kareem very often in the post, let alone all the time, because he was just a giant of man with his 7'2, 265 pound frame.

NFL Films: NFL 1975- Houston Oilers @ Cleveland Browns: Highlights

Source:NFL Films- the Houston Oilers vs the Cleveland Browns, at Cleveland from 1975.

"1975 Oilers at Browns Game 4" 

From Comrade Dobler

The Oilers become winners again under Bum Phillips in 1975. 

1975 was Forrest Gregg's first year in Cleveland and he didn't have a good team at all. When you are in the 20s both on offense and defense as far as rankings, you are only scoring 15 points a game and giving up 25, you are going to lose 11-14 games or perhaps have a worst record than that. 

The Browns did improve in 1976 going 9-5 under Forrest Gregg and just missing the AFC Playoffs. But he just didn't have the personal that he needed to compete in the tough AFC Central that not only had the Pittsburgh Steelers who won that division, but the Cincinnati Bengals and Houston Oilers who were both winners that year as well. 

Eric Clapton: Layla Live (1988)

Source:David Wright At Loppers- the king of blues rock, Eric Clapton in 1988.

"1988. The Albert Hall. A charity bash. Eric, with the usual suspects, bursts forth with one of the best live performances of his opus ever recorded. Enjoy - and afterwards, check out:Maxti Met Traveller." 

From David Wright At Loppers

One of my favorite Clapton songs.

U.S. House: Judiciary Committee Votes To Impeach President Richard M. Nixon (1974)

Source:Associated Press- U.S. Representative Lawrence Hogan (Republican, Maryland) member of the House Judiciary Committee.

"(28 Jul 1974) House Judiciary Committee take vote to impeach US President Richard Nixon" 

From the Associated Press

Short of President Richard Nixon resigning the moment or at least day that the tape that came out that had him telling his Chief of Staff Bob Haldeman, to block the FBI from going into the Watergate break in any further, the House had no choice but to move to impeach President Nixon. 

The country can't afford to have a President who knowingly commits criminal acts while as President, as well as tries to cover up other criminal acts. The President of the United States is the Chief Executive Office of the country and therefor is held to a really high standard and certainly is not above the law. 

When Congress is notified that the President is involved in criminal activitirities and and has even committed some himself, they must remove the President right there. Government oversight of the executive is one of the key functions of Congress. No matter which party is in control of the executive or Congress. They can't remove a President at least credibly, because they don't like him or disagree with him. But when he's clearly guilty of breaking the law, the must impeach him in the House and convict him in the Senate.

ABC News: 1972 Election Night Coverage

Source:ABC News- anchor Frank Reynolds.

"This is the first part of ABC's Election Night Coverage from 1972. The quality is not the best but it is not my fault, it happens to be 39 years old!  This is the first twenty min of the coverage, I cut out the 7:22-7:29 footage I will upload it separately, Sam Donaldson is in charge of that

The anchormen are Howard K. Smith and Harry Reasoner, who were on opposite sides of the political spectrum, so you can feel the awkwardness. Also shown is Frank Reynolds and Tom Jarell who were the two main network correspondents for the candidates. This also includes commercials, but ABC only had two sponsors Ford Motors and JC Penny. 

I also have CBS's Coverage from EN 1972 as well, and I will upload both parts at the same time, it is only 2 hrs and has local segments. This is 4 hrs and 45 min and has no local breaks." 

From EFan

As big as President Nixon's victory was, it didn't do him much good in Congress in electing more House and Senate Republicans. 

Washington Post political columnist David Broder in a 1990 PBS documentary about Richard Nixon, called Richard Nixon's 1972 reelection a selfish victory because the Nixon Campaign hoard all the recourses from the Republican National Committee into the Nixon Reelect. When the fact was President Nixon would have beaten Far-Left Democratic nominee Senator George McGovern in a landslide anyway. Maybe not with 49 states and 60 percent of the vote, but if they ran a normal campaign Nixon beats McGovern anyway with probably 55% percent or more of the electorate and would have won 40 plus states. 

A Nixon 10 point victory over McGovern,  would have freed up resources to the Republican Congressional campaign committees in the House and Senate. And maybe Republicans win back the House or Senate,. but would have certainly increased their numbers there in a big way. And perhaps saved the Nixon Presidency in 1974, because he would have the political support in Congress to protect him from impeachment and then later conviction because of Watergate. 

Fleetwood Mac: Don't Stop

Source:Fleetwood Mac- performing Don't Stop live.

"You're watching the official music video for Fleetwood Mac - "Don't Stop" from the 1977 album "Rumours". The new Fleetwood Mac collection '50 Years – Don’t Stop' is available now. Get your copy here:Fleetwood Mac and check out North American tour dates below to see if the band is coming to a town near you." 

From Fleetwood Mac 

This photo is from a much current performance of Fleetwood Mac's Don't Stop. Perhaps from the 1990s, but the video that this photo is from is not currently available online right now.

Source:Fleetwood Mac- performing Don't Stop live.

The official song of the 1992 Clinton presidential campaign. Great message to the song if you think about ( I know, thinking is scary if your'e not accustomed to it ) because it was the official song of not just a major presidential campaign, but the campaign that won the election, that wasn't even expected to win a Democratic primary in 1992. ( Outside of Arkansas ) 

"Don't stop thinking about tomorrow, because tomorrow will always be better if that is what you strive, push and work for" I'm sure that is not a direct quote from Fleetwood Mac from this song, but it's damn close. "Full speed ahead, no regrets, tomorrow will always be better, decisions that you don't make today, opportunities that you pass up, may never be around again" A very idealistic message for a national political campaign where almost nothing was expected from it other than the two people at the top of the campaign those people being Bill and Hillary Clinton.

Uncommon Knowledge: Peter Robinson- Interviewing Milton Friedman: President Bill Clinton (1999)

Source:Uncommon Knowledge- Peter Robinson interviewing Professor Milton Friedman, in 1999.

Source:The FreeState

“Milton Friedman vs Bill Clinton (1999) Debunking Climate Policy, The FDA & More!”  

From Basic Economics 

I disagree with Professor Friedman’s comments about the Reagan economy versus the Clinton economy. The reason for the economic boom of the mid and late 1990s wasn’t because Ronald Reagan. Reaganomics gave us the high inflation, high interest rates, the deficits, and recession of the early 1990s. The Reagan boom was from 1983-89 and then the economy slowed down dramatically starting in 1990 and then we’re in recession by 1991.

The economic boom of the 1990s happened because of the new tech boom, the free trade agreements that were passed and negotiated by President George H.W. Bush and President Clinton of the early 1990s, as well as the deficit reduction acts of that period from both President’s and two Congress’s in 1990 and 93. Not because President Reagan and Congress cut taxes and regulations in the early 80s. 

CBS News: Election Night 1972 Coverage

Source:CBS News- anchor Walter Cronkite.

"This is the first part of the Election Night Coverage I have from CBS. The tone of this coverage is very Anti-Nixon, but the coverage is still quite good with the calls made a lot more frequently than ABC's coverage." 

From EFAN 2011

Was never a question of who was going to win this election, but by how much of a landslide. Interesting to see marijuana legalization on the ballot in Colorado in 1972, as it will be in 2012 as well. 

Washington Post columnist David Broder, called President Richard Nixon's 1972 reelection victory a selfish victory. You see that quote for yourself on the PBS film about Richard Nixon which is also on YouTube. What Broder was saying was that President Nixon tied up all the Republican Party resources to his reelection his campaign. And again it was never a question of how much President Nixon would defeat Senator George McGovern the Democratic nominee for president who was a Far-Left candidate and the Bernie Sanders of his time.

The question was by how much would Nixon defeat McGovern in 1972. Had the Nixon Campaign invested some of their overwhelming resources into Congressional Republicans and spend money on House and Senate Republican candidates and incumbents, maybe President Nixon is reelected with 55-57 percent of the vote, instead of 60. But with President Nixon running with House and Senate Republicans, maybe the GOP picks up a lot of seats in both chambers of Congress and perhaps even wins back the House or Senate in 1972. 

Instead of President Nixon winning with an overwhelming landslide, but with Congressional Democrats still having solid majorities both in the House and Senate. 

Thom Aschi: 'The Army-McCarthy Hearings Documentary'

Source:Thom Aschi- U.S. Senate Oversight Committee Arm/McCarthy Hearing in 1953.

“Joseph McCarthy Congressional Hearings” 

From Thomas Aschi

The West with the help of Russia wins World War II and agrees to give Europe the resources that it needs to rebuild themselves after Nazism and what Italian Fascists did to the continent. The West, America and Europe was now somewhat at peace. But in America and Europe you had this huge liberal democracy in America and all of these mid-size developing social democracies in Europe, against this gigantic, totalitarian, Communist State in the Soviet Union in Russia. And the two dominant visions of the world being the Liberal Democratic America, versus Communist Russia.

And because of the emergence of the Cold War, Americans especially those who perhaps very well-educated about communism became afraid if it. And were worried about communism taking over America and Communists running America. And that is where Senator Joe McCarthy and his allies and colleagues in Congress starting in the House in 1947 with the Un-American Activities Committee and then in the Senate with Army-McCarthy hearings, emerge to look like they were stamping out Communists in the U.S. Government.

Senator Joe McCarthy becomes a political star very early on, especially as a junior Senator. He becomes Chairman of the Government Oversight Committee in the Senate in 1953 after Republicans win back Congress again, after only being in the Senate for five years. But his political skills at least early on and his power as a speaker gave him a following to move up quickly and a platform to investigate supposed Communists in the U.S. Government. And to look like the strongest anti-Communist around and to advance his political career. 

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ABC Sports: FBS 1989- Illinois Fighting Illini @ Southern California Trojans

Source:ABC Sports- The Illinois Fighting Illini taking on the Southern California Trojans, in 1989.

"In was originally supposed to be the Glastnost Bowl played in Moscow, Illinois rallied from a late 13-0 deficit and beat USC in Los Angeles.   Quarterback Jeff George led the comeback with touchdown passes to Shawn Wax and Steven Williams." 

From Adam Osgood

When you are talking about physical talents of quarterbacks, I don't think there was a better quarterback who came out of the NFL, certainly not in the 1980s and perhaps even 1990s as well. I mean his throwing arm was as was strong as Dan Marino and John Elway's and he always had excellent mobility and could buy time for himself in the pocket. I think Troy Aikman might could be a good comparison as far as the physical skills that Jeff George had a a quarterback. And I believe George was the best QB in the Big Ten during his era. 

The problems that Jeff George had in the NFL are similar to what Vinny Testeverde had with the Tampa Buccaneers, that he's drafted by the Indianapolis Colts during the early 1990s when they were pretty bad and he didn't have the talent around him, especially a solid offensive line and he ends up making a lot of mistakes and throwing a lot of interceptions early on in his career. 

The Colts give up on George and trade him to the Atlanta Falcons in 1994. But when George had the talent around him like he had in Atlanta and eventually with the Minnesota Vikings in the late 1990s, George was a very good NFL QB and even won some games in the NFL. 

CSPAN: Barry Goldwater Speaks Out (1964)

Source:CSPAN- U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater (Republican, Arizona) running for President in 1964.

“Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater was shown in New Hampshire, campaigning for the 1964 Republican presidential nomination. Clips from speeches about foreign policy, the United Nations, Social Security, and economics were included. Also shown were video clips of New Hampshire residents being interviewed.

This film is titled Barry Goldwater Speaks Out and was produced by the Goldwater for President Committee.”

From CSPAN 

The Goldwater Presidential Campaign movies might of not have been the most professionally made movies. But they were somewhat ahead of their time, because they were made by the Goldwater Campaign and gave Senator Goldwater the opportunity, 15-20 minutes on network television to layout exactly where he was on the issues and what he wanted to do as President. And to show Americans that he wasn’t crazy. That he wasn’t the person that President Johnson and his campaign were trying to make him look like. As well as other Democrats that were trying to make Senator Goldwater look crazy.

Senator Goldwater believed in things like individual freedom and personal responsibility. If I was alive and old enough to vote in 1964, instead of being born eleven years later, I would’ve voted for President Johnson, because of Civil Rights. That he believed individual rights over states rights.

Southern Democrats as well as some Republicans in Congress like Barry Goldwater, believed in the opposite. And when President Johnson was against getting American Armed Forces involved in the Vietnam War, of course that changed later in 1965, but in 1964 President Johnson was the peace candidate, but Senator Goldwater wasn’t crazy. But a Classical Conservative who believed in individual freedom.

This film of course is a propaganda film by the Goldwater Campaign. An opportunity for them to layout where he is. Get out the message of what they want Americans to think about Barry Goldwater and not hear the other side. But this film does give people an idea of where Barry Goldwater was politically. That he believed in individual freedom and personal responsibility, peace through strength, that his foreign policy of course would’ve been different from President Johnson.

Senator Goldwater would’ve taken a much harder approach to the Vietnam War and would’ve not only had sent American troops there, but we would’ve been there to win the war, even for Vietnam itself. Which I believe would’ve been a very bad mistake, because that would’ve left us there to occupy that country, similar to Iraq. But with a President Goldwater we wouldn’t have seen the Great Society and perhaps more of a free market approach to solve those problems.

I would’ve love to of seen a presidential debate between President Johnson and Senator Goldwater. It wouldn’t have been an interesting as a presidential debate between Barry and President Kennedy. But it still would’ve been a very good debate, because we would’ve seen both men as they are. Rather than how the media portrays them and Americans would’ve had a clear choice in who to vote for. 

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HBO: 'Rare 1988 HBO Undercover- Mafia Documentary On NJ Genovese Crime Family'

Source:HBO- a man who was interviewed for this documentary.

"The  investigation at the center of Confessions begins by chance, when a retired East Orange, New Jersey cop named Mike Russell is driving down Bloomfield Avenue in North Newark and sees two young guys attacking an older one. Russell goes to the aid of the older man, driving off the attackers. He discovers that the guy he's helped is Andrew "Andy" Gerardo, now head of Boiardo's old gang. Gerardo invites Russell into his hangout, a coffee shop on the avenue just a few steps from a monument to Christopher Columbus and the Italian American contribution to America. There, Russell meets other key members of the crew, who treat him like a hero and befriend him.

Russell then contacts a friend in the state police, who asks him to begin surveillance on the crew. Incredibly, the mobsters invite Russell to move his oil delivery business into a storefront adjoining their Newark headquarters, figuring he's friendly, and from there the investigation takes off. But unbeknownst to the state police, Russell enlists a cameraman and begins his own videotaping of the Jersey crew, which provides most of the material for the HBO documentary."

From HBO

The Genovese Crime Family, is one of five New York City Italian-American crime families. The entire Genovese Family obviously aren't criminals and mobsters and I'm not even implying that. So that is not about ethnic bigotry towards Italian-Americans. 

The crime family was renamed after Italian mobster Vito Genovese. This crime family was run by Charlie Lucky Lucianao, who originally was from Italy, later run  by Vincent Gigante. The Genovese's are the largest of the New York five crime families. The Genovese's obviously, the Gambino's, the Columbo's, Bonnanno's, and the Lucchese's.

The Genovese's similar to other crime families whether they're Italian, Irish, or Jewish, operated like successful businesses. Except their tactics and policies were illegal. The way they would eliminate the opposition was to eliminate them. Make sure they didn't exist if and when they saw potential rivals as a threat and believed it was in their interest to physically eliminate them. 

You don't screw over the Genovese's and then see them report you to the police. You screw with them and they'll simply eliminate you by physically eliminating you. 

One of the big reasons why New Jersey has such a bad reputation as being a corrupt state, is because of the influence of the Genovese's and other Italian crime families in New Jersey. They were very powerful and owned politicians and sometimes states. 

CR Video: '1980 Reagan/Bush Commercial- Door Slam'

Source:CR Video- from Ronald Reagan's 1980 door slam commercial.

"1980 Reagan/Bush - Door Slam" 

From CR Video

Ronald Reagan obviously talking about the high interest rates and inflation that were going on in 1980. The recession of 1979-80 was over at this point and the economy was growing and recovering, but interest rates and inflation were still major problems in the economy that made it harder for people to afford adequate housing. Which is what this commercial talks about. 

What you don't see Governor Reagan doing is talk about how he would address these economic concerns, just that he would. Perhaps he had a secret plan to deal with inflation and interest rates. Similar to how Richard Nixon had a supposed secret plan to end the War in Vietnam in 1968.  

Bill McCune: Barry Goldwater- 'An American Life'

Source:Bill McCune- U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater (Republican, Arizona) Mr. Conservative.

“Barry Goldwater – An American Life – The quintessential biography of Barry Goldwater. The life of a 20th century renaissance man: Explorer, world renown photographer, cinematographer, pilot, businessman, Air Force General, U.S. Senator, Presidential candidate. Includes forty years of Goldwater home movies. This 96 minute film features Barry Goldwater, brother Bob Goldwater; lifelong friend Harry Rosenzweig, and historian/friend Lester Budge Ruffner.”

From Bill McCune

Anyone whose not as familiar with American conservatism as much as they would like to be and would like to learn more about American conservatism, I have some suggestions on how to do that. Stop watching Fox News or using it as a main source of info, because it’s really mostly neoconservative and Tea Party populist commentary.

And don’t read publications that claim to be Conservative but are really Tea Party Nationalist, Big Government Republicanism, like Human Events. Unless you are interested in neoconservatism and Tea Party Nationalism.

But if you are really interested in learning about American conservatism, research Barry Goldwater because that’s what it’s about. Read the book Conscience of a Conservative that was written by Senator Goldwater in 1960. That book lays out the conservative vision for America.

American conservatism is about freedom and Americans being able to live independently of the state, especially the Federal Government, as far as being able to pay our own bills, our living expense and so-forth. And that Americans should be able to live their own lives as they see fit as long as we are not hurting innocent people with what we are doing.

Senator Goldwater even believed in the right to collectively bargain, just as long as workers weren’t forced to join labor unions. Barry Goldwater’s politics didn’t change as some Republicans and others have charged today. The Republican Party has changed to the point that Senator Goldwater couldn’t win the Republican nomination for President today. Thats how far to the Right the party has moved.

When Senator Goldwater left Congress in 1987, the Republican Party was still the Conservative Party in America. Now it’s probably the farthest right party that we have in America and that’s different. Barry probably could win the Libertarian Party presidential nomination. Even though they probably wouldn’t of liked his foreign policy views. Senator Goldwater wasn’t an isolationist, but other than that he would’ve fit in very well with the LP. And they would’ve taken him. But the Religious-Right would’ve tried to kick Senator Goldwater, Mr. Conservative out of the GOP.

Barry was a real Conservative. Senator Goldwater wasn’t interested in things like homosexuality and pornography, he had a gay grandson. And his famous line about gays in the military, was that he didn’t care if soldiers were gay or straight, but could they shoot straight. He also said that the religion doesn’t belong in politics as it relates to policy and that abortion isn’t a political issue. But freedom of choice issue. And that he didn’t want Big Government in his wallet or bedroom. All reasons why he wouldn’t fit into the Republican Party today. 

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