[Today’s run: rest day]
In 1980 I was a high school senior at a small school in Des Moines. It was an election year and the Republican presidential nomination was in play. Jimmy Carter was the incumbent.
Our civics teacher somehow got a ticket to the debate. She made an assignment out of it. We were to write a question to be submitted at the debate. The question she liked best would be submitted and the student who wrote it went to the debate.
I remember my question was along the lines of: In a tight spot will you do what we want you to do, or will you do what you think is best?
Anyway, she selected my question as the best (!) and I went to the debate at the Des Moines Civic Center. I don’t actually remember much about the debate. It seems to me it was a lot about small issues that had arisen: how will you handle the increase in potash tariffs (or something).
The funny thing about the debate is that Ronald Reagan refused to participate. So I did not see him there. And he’s the one who eventually got the nomination and became president. George Bush the elder was there. He became Vice President and later President. So, I have been in the same room with a whole bunch of people and a some-day-to-be President.
I thought the debate was pretty dry and I don’t remember much else about it. Seems to me maybe Jack Kemp was there, I think they had something like 6-7 guys up there answering questions. (I’ll go look it up and give you the list. I’m sure you are dying to know. Here’s a quote from the Des Moines Register website:
The six GOP candidates were Phil Crane, Howard Baker, John Connally, Robert Dole, George Bush and John Anderson. A seventh candidate, Ronald Reagan, turned down the offer to debate.
Phil Crane? I don’t even remember that name. )