Indiana possibly in the spotlight
The rumors are flying folks. Little ol' Indiana. Right here in the middle of nowhere, and yet Indiana's past Governor and now Senator, Evan Bayh, may just be Obama's VP choice. I know, I know, it's all up in the air yet. And after the Dan Quayle fiasco, I'd be surprised if anyone gave anyone from Indiana a chance, ever again. Indiana University (my alma mater and place of gainful employment) still suffers the embarrassment of having awarded a law degree to a total idjit. We attempt to turn 'em out smarter here at the U, but occasionally one slips through. I'd love to regale you with all the incredibly funny--if they had been made by someone other than the second-in-command to the most powerful leader in the world--quotes by Dan Quayle, but there are too many to choose from. You can go here and read for yourself: http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Dan_Quayle/. And I throw this out there in good faith that you will not think that everyone from Indiana is so, um, articulate.
In the early 70's, the years my family was deep into local politics, I attended rallies and handed out leaflets for Evan's dad, our Senator at that time, Birch Bayh. Birch was a Senator for nearly 20 years and very popular in Indiana. Here's something I just read about him on Wikipedia--something I did not know about him, and something I think should be more widely known about the father of the potential next Vice President of the U-nited States:
"On June 19, 1964, Bayh, his wife, Senator Ted Kennedy and legislative aide Edward Moss were on board a small plane that crashed in heavy fog near Springfield, Massachusetts. Senator Bayh pulled a badly injured Senator Kennedy from the wreckage. "
Birch was succeeded by J. Danforth Quayle in 1981, who apparently rode in on the coattails of the Reagan era, and kept on riding till he reached the penultimate position of power, where his true abilities shined, and Indiana was bathed in the backwash...er...glow. I wouldn't trust us either. But now comes little Evan--he's only six years older than me and, although I don't recall specifically, I did see his family at events and can imagine that I was awestruck by his handsome teenaged self at some point in my young political life. At any rate, I think of him as the young Evan, following his dad into politics, rather than the 50-something Senator Bayh, a powerful man in his own right. I will get there eventually.
Evan Bayh has always been called a "centrist". I suppose that's good for Obama's campaign. I'm not much of a centrist myself. Still, as qualities go for a Vice President, I think it's a good thing. He's a candidate I could get happy about, if I weren't already so damned deliriously happy with Obama. I think he's prepared for the job, and as the past Vice President from Indiana says, so eloquently, "One word sums up probably the responsibility of any vice president, and that one word is 'to be prepared'." (Dan Quayle, 12/6/89)
In the early 70's, the years my family was deep into local politics, I attended rallies and handed out leaflets for Evan's dad, our Senator at that time, Birch Bayh. Birch was a Senator for nearly 20 years and very popular in Indiana. Here's something I just read about him on Wikipedia--something I did not know about him, and something I think should be more widely known about the father of the potential next Vice President of the U-nited States:
"On June 19, 1964, Bayh, his wife, Senator Ted Kennedy and legislative aide Edward Moss were on board a small plane that crashed in heavy fog near Springfield, Massachusetts. Senator Bayh pulled a badly injured Senator Kennedy from the wreckage. "
Birch was succeeded by J. Danforth Quayle in 1981, who apparently rode in on the coattails of the Reagan era, and kept on riding till he reached the penultimate position of power, where his true abilities shined, and Indiana was bathed in the backwash...er...glow. I wouldn't trust us either. But now comes little Evan--he's only six years older than me and, although I don't recall specifically, I did see his family at events and can imagine that I was awestruck by his handsome teenaged self at some point in my young political life. At any rate, I think of him as the young Evan, following his dad into politics, rather than the 50-something Senator Bayh, a powerful man in his own right. I will get there eventually.
Evan Bayh has always been called a "centrist". I suppose that's good for Obama's campaign. I'm not much of a centrist myself. Still, as qualities go for a Vice President, I think it's a good thing. He's a candidate I could get happy about, if I weren't already so damned deliriously happy with Obama. I think he's prepared for the job, and as the past Vice President from Indiana says, so eloquently, "One word sums up probably the responsibility of any vice president, and that one word is 'to be prepared'." (Dan Quayle, 12/6/89)
Comments
i did not know that info about his dad. thx!