E NEVER DISCUSS politics on this blog. If people realized what an incredibly harsh opinion I have regarding American politicians, they would be grievously scandalized. I have an even lower opinion of the American media. If you want to get an inkling how I feel about the American political scene, read my February statement: Only In Secret, And With Horror. That being said, it seems that political discussions in the 1970s were on a much higher plateau (although they were, needless to say, still somewhat ridiculous and contrived). William F. Buckley—who today would be called an “Extraordinary Form” Catholic—had some conversations which are still worth being aware of…because much has not changed! You can click here to watch the full broadcast from 1975. I hope you enjoy this excerpt:
Formerly A Jesuit: Edmund Gerald Brown (“Pat Brown”) was governor of California from 1959-1967. Ronald Reagan was governor of California from 1967-1975. Pat Brown’s son, Edmund Gerald Brown Jr. (“Jerry Brown”) was a Jesuit for while—similar to John McLaughlin—but left the Jesuit order. Then, at age 36, Jerry Brown was elected to his first term as California governor. Jerry Brown was governor of California from 1975-1983. During his governorship, Brown ran unsuccessfully as a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1976 and 1980. (In 1992, he would lost against Bill Clinton.) He declined to pursue a third term as governor in 1982, instead making an unsuccessful run for the United States Senate that same year. Jerry Brown spent the rest of his life in government. Jerry Brown later became governor of California again from 2011-2019.
