Sarah T. Agnew

When Nixon selected the unknown governor of Maryland to be his vice-presidential running mate in 1968, Spiro Agnew acknowledged that he was not exactly "a household name." But he quickly accepted the bit from from his boss and began a 41/2 year rampage through American politics that ended in disgrace and resignation.

A Nixon speech writer named Pat Buchanan had been the first to recommend Agnew because he had been impressed with his pugnacity during recent racial disturbances in Baltimore. Buchanan thought that this attitude would fit nicely with Nixon's "Southern strategy" of exacerbating the so-called "white backlash" of the late 1960's.

The same Buchanan has been swooning this week over another governor, Sarah Palin, calling her a "girl" and a "gal" by whom he is much impressed.
Tonight, at the RNC in St. Paul, Sarah did not disappoint Pat. Sarcastic and over-reaching, she fed the baying Republican faces the comfort food they know best. We've seen this skit before and became so sickened by it that the actors were forced to leave the stage. No revivals, please.

An Extreme Year

With the Democratic Presidential nominee a native of Hawaii and McCain's choice for VP being from Alaska, could there be better indicators for Americans that this election year will be a turning point event in our history? As if an African-American presidential candidate were not enough, history and events are presenting us with the first national candidates from beyond the Lower 48.

If we feel the ground shaking beneath our feet that's good, because it is: we at least have the sense left to recognize when our lives are being re-adjusted to better face the new century which truly begins this year. As Bette Davis says in "All About Eve," "hold onto your seats, it's going to be a bumby ride!"

An Extreme Year