What if you could have a debate between Reagan and RFK?

This is pretty amazing, but actually there was one -- in 1967, one year before Kennedy was assassinated. The footage is interesting -- although some of the Vietnam back-and-forth involve matters that are beyond arcane to us living here in 2009, you do get a sense of their overarching philosophies. You'll be pleased to note that liberal questioners were just as annoying in 1967 as today, but with British accents.

One other thing: When I started promoting my book on Reagan back in February, one question I was asked more than any other was whether his Alzheimer's disease had begun to affect him while he was still president. Generally, I think we'll never know and as far as his policies, it made little difference. That said, Reagan was famous for not mastering the small details as president, so it's fascinating to see his detailed knowledge in 1967 of the situation halfway around the world in  Vietnam. It makes you think. Although in the same vein, George W. Bush was 10X more on the ball when he debated Ann Richards in 1994 than when he ran for president, and what that's all about, I could not even guess.

Programming note: Like President Obama, I'm frantically trying to learn the details of healthcare tonight, so the trend of light blogging will continue.