The Republicans Continue to Astonish

This extraordinary fundraising success is being covered with glee (and disdain) in the print and broadcast media. Every time a Bush-Cheney commercial runs, it’s covered on cable and network news along with John Kerry’s rejoinder.

In ordinary times, this exorbitant wad of dough would totally swamp the democrats. But this is a very different environment, and we’re looking at the most interesting presidential campaign in my lifetime. Consider the following: John F. Kennedy announced he was a candidate for president on Jan. 2, 1960, and didn’t have the nomination in his pocket until the convention in Los Angeles in July. Kerry had the nomination by March of this year. Bush 41 didn’t mention Bill Clinton by name until July. President Clinton didn’t mention Bob Dole by name until August. By March of this year, the candidates and their operatives already were firing verbal bazookas at one another daily.