The Republican candidates debated in Sioux City Iowa tonight.  I was remembering about the first presidential debate I went to in Sioux City.  It was 1976 and the candidates that time were Democrats.

Henry “Scoop” Jackson

Fred Harris

Morris Udall

Jerry Brown

Jimmy Carter.  Carter came on stage and drawled out “I’m a farmer, a sailor, a nuclear physicist, a governor and I’m running for President.”

Yeah, right.

Whatever became of him?

The thing is, one of them was going to run against Gerald Ford, provided of course Ford survived the challenge from an actor.  And who couldn’t beat Gerald Ford?  He of the Nixon pardon.  He of the WIN button.  He of the swine flu vaccine – the cure for which there was no disease. Gerald Ford, who proved the country can get by without a president.

I left there thinking Mo Udall was the candidate to support.  After all, wasn’t it time we had a basketball player in the White House?  Who knew I was 32 years ahead of my time.

Newt Gingrich said tonight he thinks he can defeat Barack Obama in a series of seven, three hour debates.  And he may be right.  In three hours Gingrich will just be catching his breath.  He won’t yet have completed a thought.