We’re in the midst of debate season, and unless plans change, there are still two more presidential debates and one more vice presidential debate to come.
The reviews for the first debate last week used some words that we, um, don’t say on this show.
But it could always be worse.
There’s a story, maybe a legend, in the book Everyone Is Entitled To My Opinion by longtime TV news anchor David Brinkley about a senator from Arkansas, John McClellan.
He was in office from the 1940s to the 1970s, and in those days, before huge media campaigns and TV ad buys, there was a lot of in-person campaigning, like giving speeches at local events.
The story goes that McClellan and his main opponent were at the same county fair to ask for people’s votes, speaking from a raised platform.
The opponent got up first, spoke about how everything the senator had been doing was the wrong thing, wrong for the state, wrong for the country, and if elected he’d put things right.
As some in the crowd applauded, he smiled and went to pour himself a glass of water.
Only he was so busy smiling at the crowd he didn’t notice himself pouring the water past his cup, past the railing of the raised platform and right down onto the head of an older woman in the front row of the audience.
As people helped the woman dry off, the senator got up to give his speech.
He asked the audience, do you really want to elect someone who can’t pour water into a glass?
And they say that’s how Senator McClellan won another term in office.
National Fire Prevention Week is here.
A good time to review your household safety plans, and not a bad time to make plans to visit Columbia, South Carolina, to see the world’s largest fire hydrant!
It’s hard to miss; just look for the four-story tall hydrant known as Busted Plug.
It’s technically a sculpture, though, so if there’s a fire nearby, you’ll have to turn to one of its smaller cousins.
Everyone is Entitled to My Opinion by David Brinkley
The World’s Largest Fire Hydrant Is Right Here In South Carolina And You’ll Want To Visit (Only in South Carolina)
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Photo by liz west via Flickr/Creative Commons