The Tax Debate, Circa 1980

Tax debate flashback: Reagan vs. Bush during the 1980 Primaries. Reagan: "Government does not tax to get the money it needs, government always needs the money it gets." Around 7:40:

The Biggest Loser, Electorally Speaking...

If you look back at the last 110 years of Presidential elections, many point to Ronald Reagan's overwhelming defeat of Walter Mondale in 1984 as the biggest landslide of all time. Indeed, Mondale did take a shellacking, winning only one state (his own) with the District of Columbia (basically a Democratic consolation prize) receiving a mere 13 electoral votes to Reagan's 525. 

With only 2.4% of the electoral vote, Mondale's electoral count sets the pretty bar low. However, he can rest assured that he was not the biggest loser in a modern Presidential election, electorally speaking. That unique title goes to the long forgotten Republican candidate of 1936, Alf Landon.

Alf Landon was the governor of Kansas when he was nominated to run a fools errand campaign against the ever-popular Franklin Roosevelt in 1936. The reason for his nomination? He was the only Republican governor to have been re-elected in the midterms of 1934, which an overwhelming Democratic year. Unfortunately for the Kansas Governor, the underwhelming campaign was doomed from the start, even the leadership of his own party even referred to him as "the poor man's Coolidge".

In the end, Landon did win 2 states, Maine and Vermont, which was one state more than Mondale. But the electoral vote count only added to 8 (to FDR's 523), which is 4 less than Mondale, a mere 1.5% of the electoral vote total compared to Mondale’s 2.4%. Each calculated against its respective total electoral vote count. 

The Political Faces of Andy Warhol

"I've always thought that politicians and actors really summed up the American way"

-- Andy Warhol

Lending further credence to the saying that "politics is hollywood for ugly people," Andy Warhol's fascination with political figures extended well beyond first lady Jackie Kennedy.

1. Ronald Reagan (a 1950's ad, painted in 1985)

2. Maj. General Custer

3. Teddy Kennedy

4. Jimmy Carter

5. Lillian Carter (President's Grandmother)

6. Uncle Sam

7. Louis Brandeis (Supreme Court Justice)

8. JFK

9. Richard Nixon

Preppy Politicos

Politico interviewed the Preppy Handbook and True Prep author Lisa Birnbach to discuss Washington's preppiest pols today. While she made the obligatory references to JFK, the Bush family and John Kerry, several new names were added to her prep list: Michele Obama, Olympia Snowe and Al Franken. Politico also ran an online poll with the article:

However, readers were obviously disappointed by the choices since 33% have chosen "none of the above". The reason? Maybe today's politicians have strayed too far from classic prep. No one dares wear a bowtie, khaki suit or seersucker -- or better yet, plaid: