All growing up I loved presidential politics. The first presidential campaign I remember was Gerald Ford vs. Jimmy Carter in 1976. I remember Ronald Reagan beating President Carter in 1980. Kansas City hosted a presidential debate between President Reagan and Walter Mondale in Kansas City in 1984. My parents took us to the downtown airport and we saw the President and the First Lady when they landed on Air Force One. In 1988 my pastor picked me up at home and we went to see George H.W. Bush at Lee's Summit High School. Vice-Presidential candidate Lloyd Bentsen visited Truman High School in 1988 and I was asked to stand on stage and ask him a question. An honor I'll never forget. In 1992 I was in St. Louis with some friends and we shook hands with then candidates Bill Clinton and Al Gore, and also saw Hillary Clinton and Tipper Gore. The last president I've been able to see in person was George W. Bush, who came to Lee's Summit High School in 2004.
I have always enjoyed a good presidential debate. I have enjoyed listening to others. But what a crazy time we are in right now. I hope one day we will again have a presidential debate that is worth listening to, where respect is shown, and where real differences are debated. Maybe in four years!
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