Michael Loftin pictured in his days as the editorial page editor of the Chattanooga Times.“Buckle your seat belts. It’s going to be a bumpy night.” – Bette Davis as Margot Channing in the 1950 film “All About Eve.”
Memorable advice, given the film’s looming personality clash. But change “night” to “five months” and there it is: an instant warning about the looming presidential election. For now, never mind the temptation to re-examine the likely Clinton vs. Trump clash.
Instead, focus on whether the presidential candidates will provide Americans with the civil campaign they deserve. If you’re pessimistic, join like-minded others.
In recent history many have written about the “coarsening of America,” and rightly so. But the phrase was too often applied to films and television and too rarely to politics. Mr. Dooley, created by 19th century humorist Finley Peter Dunne, observed that “politics ain’t beanbag.”
Many Americans opposed the election of John F. Kennedy in 1960 because of his Roman Catholic faith – despite Article 6 of the Constitution that bans religious tests for holding elective office, and as if his infant baptism as a Catholic disqualified him for the presidency. Kennedy addressed those fears in a speech to Southern Baptist pastors in Dallas and narrowly defeated Richard Nixon.