Category Archives: Politics and Civic Interest

1960: The Election that Forged Three Presidencies

Posted on June 22, 2026 by smellincoffee

As the Eisenhower administration began drawing to a close and a new decade loomed, America had a choice: stay the course, or shake things up? Although JFK would claim in his 1961 inaugural that the torch had been passed to … Continue reading →

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Kennedy and Nixon

Posted on June 18, 2026 by smellincoffee

President Richard Nixon was a sweetie-pie who wrote letters so tender to Jackie Kennedy she cried, and she wrote him gracious letters back. The idea of Nixon being sweet and caring does not sit easily with modern readers, but that … Continue reading →

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To Rescue the American Spirit

Posted on June 6, 2026 by smellincoffee

While I hadn’t planned to read Thedore Roosevelt until I’d finished off Garfield, etc,  the ladyfriend bought this for me and I  found it fairly absorbing – as in hey, why not spend two hours after work each day reading … Continue reading →

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A Radical Exercise in Liberty

Posted on June 5, 2026 by smellincoffee

The Declaration of Independence: A Radical Exercise in Liberty  is a unique work,  as it is a history of how the Declaration came to be – not only politically, but philosophically. It begins as formal history,  recounting the early 1770s … Continue reading →

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All the Best, George

Posted on May 29, 2026 by smellincoffee

. All the Best is a collection of Bush Sr’s letters, diary entries and emails, prefaced by him and read to varying degrees by his family — including “Bar” whose first particular entry is heartbreaking. As a 1990s kid, there … Continue reading →

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Hated by All the Right People

Posted on May 21, 2026 by smellincoffee

“What’s happened to Tucker?”, Rod Dreher may have asked himself in not so many words. Since Carlson aired an interview with a young troll whose name I’ll not give further mention, and failed to press the boy on his antisemitic … Continue reading →

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Decision Points

Posted on May 14, 2026 by smellincoffee

I have a ….complicated relationship with George W. Bush. He was the president when I was in high school, and most importantly during 9/11: his “I can hear you!” response still makes me want to find a table, stand on … Continue reading →

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Killing Kennedy

Posted on May 7, 2026 by smellincoffee

A black convertible slows around a turn in Dallas, showing off a handsome couple in the backseat. Shots are fired, and suddenly a woman in pink is climbing across the trunk of the convertible as it now speeds away. These … Continue reading →

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WWW Wednesday & Long and Short Reviews

Posted on May 6, 2026 by smellincoffee

Today’s prompt is “What could you give a speech about without notice”, which makes me laugh because going off on spontaneous history lectures is a specialty of mine. History is my passion, and it’s partially connected to my profession: I … Continue reading →

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Being Nixon

Posted on May 5, 2026 by smellincoffee

Last year I nearly did a deep dive into all things Nixon: exactly a year later,  he beckoned me to follow him, and this time I did.  What is it about Nixon?  One book I’ve read recently, and I can’t … Continue reading →

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