Good Old Days

by digby

Yesterday, McCain said this at the “Service” forum in NYC and right afterwards Tweety went nuts on it saying that it was evocative of the “good” 60’s and thin ties before everybody went crazy and grew their hair:

“I think the tone of this whole campaign would have been very different if Sen. Obama had accepted my request for us to appear in town hall meetings all over America, the same way Jack Kennedy and Barry Goldwater had agreed to do so,” McCain said.

Imagine that. Here’s the fact check on it:

The quote actually comes from a 1988 Washington Post interview with Goldwater — and it might be interesting to see the full quote in context.

In it, Goldwater says, “It probably wouldn’t have happened.” Here’s the full quote:

“Goldwater’s eyes remain fixed on the window. ‘I would have enjoyed it very much. I even talked to him one day about using the same airplane, going to the same places. He’d get out in one place and start to debate and I’d rebut him. Then we’d turn it around in the next place. It was the Uncle Morris fantasy, and it probably wouldn’t have happened. But he liked the idea. It would have saved a lot of money, we’d have had a good time, and it would have done the country a lot of good.'” (Washington Post, 8/14/1988)

Tweety said this harkened back to the good old days when the country wasn’t divided and everybody was on the same team. Too bad one of the participants in this good hearted exchange of views was assassinated in cold blood on the streets of Dallas before they could make their “morning in America” tour.

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