As Iowa gathers to hold its caucus, we yearn for those days of yesteryear, when campaigns started later and were over quickly.

How did we get to the point where candidates are running for over two years and networks are scheduling debates so far in advance?

I was talking to a friend the other day, and we were both lamenting the length of the campaigns.  He did not like it.  I don't like it.  I cannot remember anyone saying he  wants to watch a presidential debate 15 months before the election.

To be fair, both sides do it.  So I am not taking a shot at just the Democrats of 2020.

We remember today that former V.P. Nixon announced that he was seeking the presidency on this day in 1968.  Back then, we were announcing candidacies.  Today, we are holding a caucus in Iowa.

Nixon battled Governor Reagan of California and Governor Rockefeller of New York.  He easily won the nomination on the first ballot in Miami. 

Nixon got 43.4%, and V.P. Humphrey was right behind with 42.73% of the 74 million votes cast.  Governor Wallace got 13.5% and carried five Southern states.

In the end, Nixon got the electoral votes to become the 37th president.

I was very happy that Nixon won.  I couldn't vote in 1968, but he was my choice.  However, the best part is that we did not spend Thanksgiving or Christmas 1967 talking about the TV debates.

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