I think it was in the ’68 prez campaign…

Some newsie said something like, “In the past, presidential campaigns involved choosing between qualified statesmen. Some might come closer to matching your own views, but inside you know that none would be a disastrous mistake. Lately it’s more like being pecked to death by ducks.”

With the glorious clarity of further hindsight, I think that now-forgotten gasbag probably had it wrong. I don’t really remember that many ‘statesmen.’

And yet – maybe it’s age speaking – it does seem more and more I grok his lament. While presidential campaigns have always had joke candidates and fringe candidates, and god knows they’ve always had (winning) embarrassing candidates, have they ever been burdened with creatures like this bozo? Repeatedly?

Honestly. If I cared about the office at all, this would be humiliating.