As California Goes, So Goes the Nation - Eventually.

[John1956PA]

9. Back in 1976, I enjoyed watching news reports about Professor S. I. Hayakawa's run for the Senate.

He had a fun personality to watch, and it helped lead him to victory to a Senate seat which he held for one term, from 1977 though 1983. Unfortunately, some of his positions and statements when he was in office were far out.

When Jerry Brown was running for the Democratic nomination for President (I forget the year) the press found a comedic nugget almost every day. After his campaigns reached the point of collapse, he made a statement which I thought was amusing, but I am not sure exactly how it went. It was something to the effect that his campaign was on the "existential edge."

In a way, it is too bad that the California political campaigns no longer feature that type of eccentricity and comic relief. However, we are facing serious times, and we should not spend our time looking to be distracted by political sideshows.