"Jeff Miller" wrote in message
news:Ykdhd.3214$GN4.1950@okepread02...
//snip//
BTW, American politics were never more nasty than in the years
immediately following the Revolution. It isn't even close. That was
NASTY!

What mystifies me is that now, with our far larger population, we can't
find political leaders with nearly as much character, intelligence,
vision, and bravery.

imo, the siren song of capitalism is simply too powerful...

jeff


Harry Truman might fit the bill. And I think a pretty good argument could be
made for Lyndon Johnson. He got involved in the southeast Asia war, but he
inherited that and, considering the temper of the times, had little
alternative but to get farther into it instead of getting out.

But, as somebody said, it's been a long time between drinks.

Another good read is John Adams by David McCullough. During the 19th
century, and especially in the first half, presidential campaigns were
considerably nastier than today's.

Bob